NationStates Jolt Archive

"Date of birth?"

The answer was squeezed out through exhausted lungs. "October 17, 2096."

"Hmm..." And notes were taken.

Can still speak coherently after running 32.8 miles at roughly seven miles per hour.

"And how long have you lived in the upper levels?"

Again, a wheezed answer from the speaker in the treadmill room. "All my life, all 22 years of it."

"22 years?"

"Yup, today's my birthday."

"So it is. Happy birthday, son." More notes.

Can remember important dates and carry on a conversation after running... A quick glance at the display. 32.9 miles.

"Very good son, you can stop now. Thank you for your time, your shirt is right over there"

---

Subject: Studies on The Highest Levels of New Sapporo

From: Doctor Reville Ishimari

To: Committee of Internal Affairs [Subcommittee of Expansion], Committee of Health and Science [Subcommittee of Anatomy and Evolution][/b]

I'll cut right to the chase, as you all know I tend to do. The nation of Cyberutopia needs immediate expansion. The generation of citizens that has most recently come of age have lived their entire lives atop New Sapporo have been exposed to air that is significantly thinner. Their bodies have become accustomed to this, allowing them to pull off great feats of athleticism in air of "normal" thickness. This, in itself, is a great evolutionary boon. However, this is an indicator that our city cannot progress upwards much further, if at all. The evolution of this generation signifies the beginning of the end of our city if we do not begin to expand horizontally, rather than vertically. I'll leave the decision-making to the Committees – I've made my case.

.:TAG:.

"Ooo, pretty new globe, Madame Chairwoman."

Chairwoman Carilyn H'seto glanced up from the holofeed. "Eh? Oh, yeah. It's better than some paper map."

Typically, the Subcommittee that an investigator submitted their findings to would deal exclusively with that issue until it was resolved, without help from any other Subcommittee or the overarching Committee which it was under. However, the repercussions insinuated within Ishimari's report meant the entire Committee would be coming together to decide their course of action.

"And it's blue. And see-through!"

"Yes, Byako...yes it is."

"Ahem. Right, Madame Chairwoman, my apologies."

Regimen Byako was one of the most senior Committee members. He was wise and had experience and a sharp mind, but he also tended to be a bit...magpie-like at times.

Carilyn drew herself up to her full height as she stood at the end of the smoked glass conference table. "We have convened for a very special occassion. You've all read the entirety of Doctor Ishimari's report, I presume?"

"Aye Madame Chairwoman. It's all over the place, rather hard to miss."

"Correct. We are all in agreement over his conclusions, so the question is obvious. Where do we expand to? That's part of why I've gotten a conference-sized holofeed installed in this room."

"The other part is because it's shiny and blue, right?" A not-so-anonymous voice spoke up. Laughter rippled through the room.

"...right." Carilyn shook her head in exasperation, elicting more laughter. "Anyway, we can survey our options using this holofeed. I trust you can all see it well enough. Judging from the most common sources of various transmissions, there are a couple of options we have where we've picked up few or no transmissions from. We can advance further up the Kuril Islands, though that will eventually take us into mainland Russia, and we'll gain little land from it."

Tap tap, a zoom on the transparent globe.

After the holofeed stopped whirring, Carilyn picked up again. "Now, here we have our best option. Sakhalin Island is roughly the same size of Hokkaido, and won't force us onto the mainland. It should be converted to suit our needs with ease. I'd like for Cyberutopia to expand here, first."

Tap, whirr.

"Here is the other option. Korea. We haven't picked up any advanced transmissions from Korea, so we can safely assume there is no great threat to our expansion. However, it is part of the mainland, so we will be compromising the 'island advantage.'"

Carilyn concluded with a bow of her head. "After we've decided on the best course of action, our conclusions will be sent to the Committee for External Affairs, and some of our craft will do a flyby over each prospective area."

"Kssh. This is Spectacle Leader. Performing initial flyby. Over."

"We read you, Spectacle Leader, Automated Recon Flight 12 will be moving to shadow you in tee-minus ten seconds. Over."

"Kssh. I hear you, Control. Hitting the black in tee minus three seconds. Over and out."

Kssh...click.

Spectacle Leader's tightbeam link went dead as Spectacle Flight faded from the controller's sensors. After making a wide, information-gathering loop over Sakhalin Island, Spectacle Flight reappeared about a dozen miles to the northeast of the island, and made a beeline for home. The information gathered would soon be sorted, refined, and reported.