NationStates Jolt Archive

Joe Fletcher was a personnel delivery drone repair man, a job that in the thriving social pyramid of Megacity ones vast populace could be equivalent to those who repair vending machines. As he sat in his small workshop/shop tinkering with an especially corroded ancient Mark.12 Gimballi “Silent Servant” ( a manufacture who had stopped production 80 years previously) he decided to turn on the news. Putting down his DX-33 multi tool (with a smart wood handle that shaped to his grip) he flicked the workshops data stream on, checked the daily rates with the data services, chose one and then logged on to the CBC news live data feed. Flicking to the audio stream he decided to pay the few cents for a public stream to try and help attract custom and make the workshop seem less empty. Ever since his fourth wife had left him Fletcher had been feeling the odd bit of loneliness with the world even living in a teeming metropolis.

ZMI CBC
“ZMI data stream from the ZMI central broadcasting company brought to you live from Megacity One. Today central ZMI resource shipping showed a marginal 0.8 percent increase in overall efficiency.”

Joe grimaced and told the unit to turn on his news filters.

“And today I come to you live from aboard Megacity Three(1) here with board member Gustav Anderson as we on this,”

The presenter stumbled as he looked for something to replace the usual mindless insert about the weather before somewhat lamely adding “on this momentous day”

Gustav’s voice strong and without the eerie interference from the boards’ gestalt continued.

“After 17 years of construction ZMI Megacity Three is now complete, the finest achievement of our entire space arm. This city will stand as testament to our ability to lead the field in commercial heavy engineering, and has opened up many new and exciting avenues of research. The grand opening ceremony will take place in two days time with a fly by of ZMI space defence force units , the activation of the largest orbital holographic display system the world has ever seen, several concerts in the cities park zones ranging from the ZMI CBC orchestra to the Blue White Rage pych rapid metal band in pleasure dome two. All of this will be accompanied by a week long city wide carnival. Citizens of ZMI it is time to celebrate our hard labour, and remember enjoy the show ”

With that Gustav’s deep slightly nordic sounding voice left the air as it were and the data stream which was then filled with the familiar (at least to Joe) Ting do do do of the weather reports jingle (sponsored by ZMI central data services).

[[OOC Three months of real time in the construction and about 4 hours in the drawing if you have complaints telegram me. The present and I might add permanent orbit is far outside that of Luna. /OOC]]


(1) http://www.deviantart.com/view/14454455/ Megacity Three image, description and scale.

The Island States wishes to build a command HQ for our fleet operations in the Sol System aboard ZMI Megacity Three. May we build the facility?

The ZMI real time secure Earth data sphere flagged and sent the message to the appropriate personnel. as it received the text only request. The reply was a real time text only transmission back point broadcast to the NHSR.

Request logged. Transferring to tier one encryption please stand by.
……….
Request granted by authority of the Gestalt. Available space in free port zone for major construction of HQ facility. Space granted at biological support and power costs only curtsey of national trade relations. Further contact will be made via more secure direct channels.

*** Secure Frequency ***

Thank you for granting our request, we will begin sending prefabricated sections of the structure to ZMI Megacity Three.

The diplomatic courier walked up the steps to the NHSR government buildings, in his sealed blast proof brief case lay a single message canister operable only by both the courier and its intended receiver. Inside the canister on a flimsy covered in security seals and triggers lay what seemed to be a jumble of letters and erratic images. The flimsy powered by contact with body heat or light would flash into chaos unless its seals were properly undone. Underneath this rigmarole of security precautions lay the message. Hardcopy was rarely used by ZMI, but sometimes it has its purposes.


Direct courier carried encrypted type one communiqué to the NHSR

Generated by the Gestalt on this day @ 13:39 GMT

Several sites within Megacities Three’s free port zone have been considered as suitable for your HQ’s construction. For matters of security the sites we suggest are all near the hub of the free port zone behind the innermost emergency defence zones. Attached you will find a document from port control to docking points allocated to your construction equipment and supplies. The free port is under the nominal control of an independent police force but the city garrison of battle angels or the cities drones can act in times of emergency or when requested by the cities local board member. As of yet the selection process for the cities local government is still incomplete thus we request that any wishes you have be relayed to us directly.

Signed and archived as empowered by the :
Full Gestalt of The Board of ZMI

Charles Simon Smith was a train driver. To be precise he was a heavy cargo maglev driver, hauling materials to and from industrial zones in Megacity one. Driving the maglev by implant he cracked open a can of cheap self heating coffee and checked the trains net connection. Sometimes it was good to be a train driver, one of the perks was a slice of free bandwidth. Charlie as he liked to be called, had spent the last 30 years investing his money wisely, and now doing as he had done for every day he was on the job he checked the financial news.
Browsing through the text streams one caught his attention.


-ZMI Open Global Data Stream News Service – Text only- Finance- International business sub section- Brought to you by ZMI data systems – The solution for you! –
Today at four O’ Clock in central plaza on tier 8 of the ziggurat a brief ceremony was held as a contract was signed with interests in Lethislavania for the production of an effective hull material for nations and corporations wishing to gain a foot hold in space. At present the production facility shall be sited on Megacity three’s free port zone using ZMI and Lethislavanian materials to produce high grade and readily available hull material. Positive resource split is set at 60/40 in ZMI’s favour. Department of commerce and the commercial interests involved state it will hopefully take less than 2 weeks to get the facility up to start up production. The minister of industry followed by stating that Dr. Kyar Miiska of the Lethislavanian government had been instrumental in bringing this ..


At that point Simon flicked over to the sports feed to fulfil his other life long interest. This was sports in specific the field of soccer and more precisely the Zone 23 Strikers (Smith’s home team) versus the Zone 34 High Rails.

Kyar Miiska smiled as he pulled his glasses down to his nose. "Yes, Mister Chancellor. Mhmm... Yes, I'll get right on that..." Flicking off the videophone, his eyes darted wearily over to the picture of his daughter. Her flowing blue dress, accented by a beautiful pearl necklaces. Shining gallantly in the sun. The door swung open, and Kyar bolted back in his chair, riveted.

"You, you... YOU IMBECILE!" The man yelled, angerily. His face was red, and spit shot forth from his mouth like a volcano. His eyes bulged out, pupils shrinking.

"Calm down, Mr. Shayiguko. This is not something to be upset about." Kyar grinned, his white teeth gleaming.

"I beg to differ..." He yelled.

"Very well, then..."


LP ---
Today, in accordance with Congress Bill 400A, Lethislavania will begin
producing durable and cheap tiling for space ships. More to come as the day
progresses.


Spaceship Tile (http://www.deviantart.com/view/14646754/)

*** DATA TERMINAL SALES REQUEST ***

TO: Advanced Composites Offices - ZMI Megacity Three
FROM: New Haven Fleet HQ - ZMI Megacity Three

The New Haven Aerospace Forces and New Haven Ministry for the Exploitation of Space wish to have this new armor produced in 1 meter x 1 meter sheets at a continuous rate until otherwise directed to cease operation (60,000 sheets per year).

To: New Haven Fleet HQ - ZMI Megacity Three
From: : Advanced Composites Offices - ZMI Megacity Three


-----Automated Secure Data Sphere Market Response-----
Prices at $40,000.00 Per sheet. Production capacity standing by. Advanced Composites a partial subsidiary of ZMI. “Protection through superior design”

TO: Advanced Composites Offices - ZMI Megacity Three
FROM: New Haven Fleet HQ - ZMI Megacity Three

Begin production ASAP.