NationStates Jolt Archive


Taking to the High Ground

Huo Xing
09-04-2005, 21:15
Pharaoh Imperator Fuling IIII Caesar Liu Sophopator, undisputed and supreme ruler of the Imperium of Huo Xing, strode out across the beautified gardens of the Unstained Palace in the center of the city Huo Xing in a peaceful state. Flanked on both sides by the solemn procession of the Lictor, his personal bodyguard and a symbol of the authority of his person, he made his way to a gate leading out into the Imperial motorpool. They and only they were allowed to carry arms within the sacred limits of the pomerium, the ancient boundaries of the city from it's founding.

Much had changed since then, including the steady and lately rampant pace of technological change. What had been main streets were now historic walkways beneath raised maglev trains; the architecture retained it's classical appearance, but now underlying steel gave it the strength that held the old marble in it's pristine condition and position. Within the hallowed and old boundaries the city was fairly quiet; it was only outside of the small and ancient center of the city that it truely showed itself for the modern and bustling metropolis it was.

But this did not concern Fuling, the Pharaoh Imperator of his lands. He simply walked toward his personal limosuine, and was practically lifted and inserted into it by a small cadre of obsequious servents. After the Lictor filed into the vehicle with him, it set off silently, rolling down the recently refinished streets, empty of traffic thanks to the efforts of the Legio Praetorian.

The imperial limosuine made it's way through the streets of Huo Xing uninteruptted, and in a calm and silent ride it proceeded out of the pomerium, into the city proper, and then onto the highway. Again, thanks to the traffic controlling of the police force and the Praetorian Legion, they were alone and uninterupted; several armed motorcycle riding Praetorians flanked the limosuine, and above it was pursued by a Century of armed helicopters. Along the highway the car drove, almost entirely silent.

Finally, the imperial limosuine makes it outside of the city, and then not long after, to the limits of another city, this one a port. Nova Alexandria, on what was now known as the Nyaoan sea. Again in silence, flanked by the Lictor and followed at a distance by the Praetorian, waited on without asking by many servents, he made his way from the limo to a pier, and a ship. It was not a grand ship, just a magistrate's yacht being borrowed for the purposes of the day.

Accompanied by several other such yachts, carrying aboard various senators, priests, and generals, the Pharaoh's yacht for the night pulls away from the port, moving out to sea. As the white gleaming hull of the ship cuts through the waters leading out of the bay, the disk of the sun, Amun-Re manifest, gleams red across the waves before them. In the quickly coming twilight, the ships around become visible by their own lights. Soon there can be seen to be a very wide semicircle of ships, all gathered around and facing one point. There gleamed the light of another ship, a converted barge formerly used for heavy industrial hauling, now the property of the Imperial government and the Legio I Astra.

There sat the squat and massive assembly on it's deck, and next to it the looming bulk of project Xinglong. A gigantic tube floating on it's side, half submerged in the ocean waters, giant exhaust nozzle flaring out one end. Technicians and engineers swarmed over the barge next to it, and on the rocket itself, checking everything again, with giant spotlights shining upon their work. Quickly, twilight faded...

OOC: This is on the non earth planet of New Shoggoth, but within the Sol system. I'm posting this for all to see, but unless you have interplanetary star travel or really good telescopes located somewhere off of the planet earth, this likely won't be an ICly observable event. Basically this is just me announcing my prescence as a modern moving into slightly postmodern or differently modern nation. The rocket, btw, is loosely based off of this (http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/searagon.htm), which is a rocket proposal from the 1960s, but with a nuclear thermal rocket (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_thermal_rocket), probably similar to the Nerva (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NERVA) type. Also note that this is not the first orbital rocket of the nation's, but is supposed to make space access, or at least low orbit access, relatively cheap.
Nyao
11-04-2005, 03:13
Ebonique Suma sat quietly inside one of the yachts, watching as they neared this project Xinglong. Absentmindedly fiddling with one of her piercings, she reminded herself of everything she must do tonight and how to not offend these people. Her tail twitched with excitement... she wouldn't have to wait much longer now.
Huo Xing
12-04-2005, 09:18
Senator Xenocrates Rammeses walked up to the Katzen representative from the Queendom of Nyao. He was a short and aged man, looking very wizened yet worldly in his stark white toga against sun tanned and age wrinkled skin.

"So, what do you think of all this rocket business? I personally hold it to be a load of rubbish. Not going to help anybody down here, I say, but I'm just an old man, what do I know, they say,", he said, seeming somehow amused as if by some strange irony.

Aboard the Pharaoh's yacht...

"It shall be a lovely sight, don't you think, father?" asked Imperator Long II Caesar Liu, one of the Pharaoh's many sons, with a bright and cheerful voice. He was nearing the age of majority and quite fascinated by the nation's space program, and made sure to remind the Pharaoh of that whenever he could.

"I imagine it will be quite the firework," the Pharaoh said, cracking the first smile since he had left the palace. He wasn't a particularly serious man most of the time, however today seemed a generally more somber time. His court astrologist would no doubt tell him the planets were the cause of it all, but Fuling IIII didn't really care much for the astrologer, either. However, his children always did seem to bring out the joy in the old Pharaoh.

It was all dark now, the risen moon casting silver light across the waters, the various spotlights casting bright white light all across the rocket. As they watched, the people all over the rocket finally moved away; everything must have finally checked out. The coughing roar of the diesal engines could be heard as the tugboat came to life, pushing the barge away; it headed toward the line of yachts. Meanwhile, the Xinglong project began tilting upward, coming up until it was vertical as fuel was transfered to shift the center of gravity. It was ready, and steam began to rise around the floating aluminum obelisk, which was painted all over with national symbols, and more than a few religious blessings.

Simultaneously, a radio signal was sent out. This started the timers, which had been mounted on each individual yacht so that those aboard could watch as the time ran down. National television crews would be on a few of those yachts, excitedly reporting in five different languages to be broadcast live to the nation.

"T minus 2 minutes and counting," came a voice, broadcasted via radio from the Ground Control barge to the PA systems of each individual yacht.

OOC Note: Since Huo Xing has so many different languages, English being one of the least used, for my posts Blue text is supposed to represent Ancient Greek, which in Huo Xing is the language of the hereditary nobility, and Dark Olive Green text will be used to represent Latin, language of the senate, the beuracracy, and the military.
Nyao
12-04-2005, 13:41
Senator Xenocrates Rammeses walked up to the Katzen representative from the Queendom of Nyao. He was a short and aged man, looking very wizened yet worldly in his stark white toga against sun tanned and age wrinkled skin.

"So, what do you think of all this rocket business? I personally hold it to be a load of rubbish. Not going to help anybody down here, I say, but I'm just an old man, what do I know, they say,", he said, seeming somehow amused as if by some strange irony.

"I find it interesting. I'm not sure how it will help people down here much either, but the stars are quite inspiring... Just an old man, eh? In some cultures the old ones are revered, and people seek their advice. Mayhaps They should learn more before accusing another of not knowing."