Twenty years prior
External Works Directorate
The Tower
Wye City
Earthbound Prefecture
It was a contract too big to be refused. A hundred trillion Weyrs, paid out over a hundred years. Ten times the projected construction cost, the payoff would have The Tower and anyone it hired rolling in cash for years. The Board of Directors reviewed the plans, trying to find any chink in the plan. The Allaneans said they had covered everything. The Tower had not survived for two millennia by blindly trusting others. Aside from that, Allanea was not knows as the most reliable contractor. Getting glassed every half a century was not a good base for a long-term contract.
To: the Government, the Federation of Sentient Peoples
From: External Works Directorate, The Tower
Subject: former ADK territories on Terra
As you may already know, The Tower at Wye has recently been approached by $_secret_$ with an offer to reconstruct the former territories controlled by the state formerly known as Abu-Dhabi Khristatata. Reviewing the events that have led to the current state of those territories, we have found that they may come under your jurisdiction, having been conquered and effectively exploited by the federation of Sentient Peoples.
Since we have no interest in infringing on sovereign rights, The Tower, requests a clarification of the current status of the former ADK territories, especially in relation to your own government policy.
Sincerely,
Bradford Eng
Alchemist
Sentient Peoples
04-02-2005, 17:09
Office of the Imperial President, Imperial House, Griffin, Commonwealth of Sentient Peoples, FSP
Bruce's hologram sat across the desk from D'ron, and grinned sardonically. "What do you think?"
D'ron chuckled softly. Humor had been hard to come by recently. "I think they're insane. I don't know how much land it is, but reconstructing it would take a hundred years, or more, even with our GDP and population base, and everything I can find says they're quite a bit smaller than us. There isn't much, unfortunately." He frowned quizzically, then toggled a control on his desk. After a silent second, Cortana appeared. "Yes, Mister President?"
"Put the nation known as Weyr, and this company," he shrugged, unsure if that was the right term, " known as 'The Tower' on a Class Three Threat Intel Status for a little while, at least. I want to know more about them."
"Understood. Is that all?" D'ron nodded and she vanished before Bruce spoke again.
"Well, what should our response be?"
D'ron looked pensive for a moment. "I know some of the Khristatatans vanished from Mercury IV somehow, and it's got Intel and Natural Sciences still puzzled. I would hate to think of them getting back on Earth, especially with their old territory returned to them. But I see no reason for us to really lay claim to the territory, and we do have those charges in place in strategic locations." He grinned suddenly. "How much do you think what's left of those territories is worth in mineral rights?"
Bruce's eyes blanked as he accessed the 'Net for a moment, pulling information together faster than conscious thought or manipulation could allow. "I'd say about 160 trillion, though it would take five hundred years, because of the working conditions, to get that all out of it." D'ron could've done it himself, but talking things through with people did help.
"Huh." D'ron bit his lower lip, then smiled. "Offer to sell the rights to the lands to them, which we claim by conquest, for half that, over say," he grinned evilly, "fifty years."
Bruce nodded. "Will do." His hologram inclined its head in question. "Is that all, Mister President?"
D'ron nodded, and Bruce winked out.
<TRANSMISSION Opens: Commerical Encryption>
<TO: ALCHEMIST Bradford Eng, EWD, The Tower>
<FROM: SECOND Ambassador Bruce Reynolds, IRD, FSP>
<RE: RECONSTRUCTION of ADK Territories>
Alchemist,
Thank you for contacting us. I would have hated for there to have been a misunderstanding between our nations over that territory, which we considered to be an unimportant part of the Federation, but still ours, by Right of Conquest. Further, certain defensive measures are in place in the territory that would interfere with your operations had you not warned us ahead of time.
Since we have no desire for conflict, we're glad you contacted us. While we maintain sovereignty, technically, over the territory, we're perfectly willing to sell the territory to you, and its estimated 160 trillion Federation Credits in remaining mineral rights to you for the bargain price of 100 trillion Federation Credits, which seems to be slightly stronger than your local Weyr, based on the information we can discover. This would be payable over the next fifty years, since we're not silly enough to think you have kind of cash laying about. This is our only offer, but, a reasonable one, since we have no interest in the territory, really.
I hope this could be the start to fruitful relations between our two nations.
~Bruce Reynolds, Second Ambassador
International Relations Directorate
<TRANSMISSION Ends>
OOC: I do not acknowledge Allanea's existence, and as such, this post and the one before it are constructed in such as way as to create no IC knowledge of Allanea's involvement in the situation in the Federation. Therefore, also, as far as I am concerned, the transmission to Weyr is highly classified and is not IC knowledge to Allanea until I see any post to the contrary, by Weyr. Until such time, any loans on the part of Allanea to Weyr to pay the 80 trilllion Federation credits (130T USD), do not and cannot exist.
To: the Government, the UNited States of Allanea
From: External Works Directorate, The Tower
Subject: former ADK territories on Terra
Further investigation into the current project given to use to consider has produced several problems. While we can restructure the territories in question, the current projected lack of assistance you have suggested will cause a significant time lapse between the initiation and completion of the project. Furthermore, it has been discovered that the Federation of Sentient Peoples claims ownership of the territories in question, and requests eighty (80) trillion Federation Credits in order to relinquish ownership of said land and all of its resources to The Tower.
The Tower suggests that more governments and corporations outside Weyr be involved in this venture in order to complete it in a more timely manner. Work will not begin on the project until the territories formerly belonging to ADK on Terra be controlled by a state willing to permit their reconstruction and resettlement.
Sincerely,
Bradford Eng
Alchemist