SNN: News from Wazzu
[[OOC: I once had a (space) news thread long, long ago. With recent and upcomming events in my nation, I figured I'd best start one again. This is just an info thread, not an RP thread, but if anything interests you then throw me a message.]]
Government Leaks Lead to Protests!
By Richard Tolda
An Odd Circumstance
Wazzu is a nation of busy, hard working people, and some of the most politically apathetic in the world. But a recent leak from government sources has much of the populace skipping work in order to protest. What could cause civil dissobediance at the cost of jobs in such high numbers? Death.
A Government Leak
Just two days ago, a still unnamed member of the Science Prefecture leaked disturbing information about the current biological state of Wazzu and it's future ramifications. Wazzu is dying, or at least it's people are. Past genetic manipulations both legal and illegal, exposure to smog, encounters with domestic and alien diseases, and a limited genetic pool over a long period of time has increased mutations. Some are easy to see, an extra finger, webbed toes, etc. The more dangerous include resistance to life saving drugs, mental abbarations, and fertility problems.
A Populace in Decline
Genetic diseases are easy enough to treat and even cure in individuals, but the origional genes are still passed down to offspring. The result has been diminishing lifespans and diminishing fertility of families with a long history in Wazzu, especially of poor families. Wazzu population is only increasing now because of immigration. If the problem isn't fixed soon, sources confirm that Wazzu is looking at a sudden and drastic decrease in population.
A Populace Mad
In the past couple days, workers have poured out of their homes to protest in the lower and upper Mall areas, playing hooky from school or calling in sick to work. Often going hungry, people carry signs the government deal with the problem as companies loose money from products not produced. So far however, pressure applied by these people and by affected corporation has not been enough to spur the Dominion government into so much as a word handed down. Police are hoping things do not turn violent.
Government Still Silent, Corporate Coalition Speaks Up
by Richard Tolda
A Government in Hiding?
We are several days into protests now and the Dominion government has yet to respond even to the corporations. Nothing is comming through the government wire. People are starting to wonder, does Wazzu really even have a government anymore?
A Corporate Coalition Takes the Lead[i]
But in this time of need, corporations are still under pressure, and private citizens are looking for and finding ways to help others. From the rest of Sweden, to Luna Venus and Mars, to Brenard's Star, plans are being put into Motion.
[i]The Reclaiming, or Reclimation of Agu
With the fall of Bedou several years ago, it's people in the formor nation of Agu have fallen once again into poverty, sickness, and anarchy. Most have died or moved away, leaving Agu a barren wasteland. But some have announced new plans for the Southern tip of Sweden; the creation of a vast indoor arboretum, an experimental Mall like area were people live among food producing plants. "It's not a perfect solution," admits one secretive investor, "but it may buy us time."
Moving Off-Planet
The genetic phenomina seems most present on Earth, particularly in Sweden, and word is rushing through the streets that the crowding, pollution, and lack of a natural environment is to blame. This has lead to many people throwing life savings to move away to Luna, Venus, and even war-torn Mars, were terraforming (or indoor parks) are quite well developed and capibible of sustaining tens of millions or more people each. Ticket prices off Earth have skyrocketed, and many are looking to outside sources of transportation.
A New Star
The mass move isn't limited to Sol, many people are choosing to move out of system instead. While some have taken the Sunset gate to the GEC-42 system, many more are taking the dangerous journey to Brenard's Star, were the now missing Rogue Admiral West found a wild, untamed, biologically active planet capible of supporting human life.
The Economic Impact
The protests, sudden draining of savings, abuse of credit and similar are all starting to show their effects on Wazzu. The previously unemployeed have been all to happy to take up temporary work, and those their efforts are not enough too keep production at it's high level, it is reducing the impact a little bit. The rapid selling of investments, spending of savings, and credit abuse are redistributing wealth in Wazzu, and companies are trying hard to meet raised demand for services with a reduced workforce.
In Response
In response to these needs, Lifeworks has announced the production of synthetic humans to take up jobs vacated by protesting and fleeing workers. Oren Moore is suddenly producing habitats and tools for those fleeing Earth. TransCorp is reportedly looking towards foreign sources to build a slew of new civilian spacecraft, just as Hermes Spacelines and independants are putting pressure on the giant aerospace firm. Even Elegant Solutions is looking to get in on the crazed changes, though nothing has been announced yet.
A Future Unseen?
With all the sudden changes, most futurists and forecastors are absolutely refusing to say what they think tomorrow will bring. Those who are daring to speak are at odds. There is just one thing everyone agrees on: Whatever the future holds, it isn't the past.
http://s4.invisionfree.com/The_Planet_Mars/index.php?showtopic=628&st=0&
The broadcast had gone all over Wazzu, from family Tri-Ds to streetside video-bilboards, it had been designed to hit the largest (domestic) audence ever. People on Venus, Earth, Luna, Mars, Orbiting Jupiter, inside asteroids or merchant ships, or as far away as Brenard's Star and the GEC-42 system had all seen it. Protests that had lasted for days stopped to watch what the richest Wazzuian and most prominant person still active in the Wazzu political structure had to say.
And as soon as the MNN feed went dead, anchor Richard Tolda appeared onscreen with guests to analyze the speech.
"Hello, I'm Richard Tolda with SNN, and this is Richard Speaks. With me today are Dr. of Genetics Ana Bragg, Retired Admiral James Raven, and Hermes Spacelines long-time CEO, Juna West. Thank you all for joining us." The three noded and said 'glad to be heres' before the show went on.
"Now, first to you Dr. Bragg. Ambassador Wang spoke of solving this 'genetic disease,' can you perhaps clear this up for us?
The good doctor smiled, "Certainly Mr. Tolda. What the Ambassador said was a bit missleading. We can't really reverse the effects of centuries of genetic diseases. The best we can do is treat it, and prevent more damage from happening."
"And how do we do that?" Tolda asked.
"Well, in this, unfortunately the Ambassador is right," Dr. Bragg was a well known opponant of the mega corporations in general and their leaders and major stockholders in particular, Ms. Wang being the largest example of that, "moving to more natural area is the best option...but ONLY if we diversify the population there. If we only move the people having problems, like her groups recent spammed plans say, we won't stop future damage."
The anchor Richard Tolda broke in now, "Speaking of that, lets spam this up on the screen ourselves now and talk about it a little."
A simple flat, text doccument blotted out the faces of Tolda and Dr. Bragg. It had four simple parts, all of which Wang had just touched on. But the part highlighted on screens was that of contracting foreign companies.
"Now, Mrs. West-"
"-Juna, please." Juna West interupted.
"-Juna," Tolda corrected himself, "Ms. Wang was speaking about contracting foreign companies, what is this all about?"
"Well, as I understand, the new planet she talked about is a long way away, and quite frankely our superluminal systems stink. We can make drives that can take us far enough, but they are slow, expensive, limited, and take a lot of labor to build. We are a bit short on labor right now. Getting Sunset or WiCKan systems would have been perfect for the types of ships we build now and would have skipped our labor shortage...but their companies are not responding."
"So we are alone?" Tolda asked.
"Yes," replied, Juna, "at least for now."
"And do you think we'll do it?"
"Without a doubt," Juna was resolute.
Admiral Raven took this moment to break in. "I agree, we will make this 'great civilian fleet.' But it will leave us vulnerable. There are over 4 billion people in the old Sweden area now. We can't move them all nearly 100 lightyears over a short period of time with just a few small ships. And every time these ships go out, they need protection...and that will take away from here."
"What do you suggest Admiral." It was Juna to ask the question, not Richard Tolda.
"I don't suggest anything." the retired military leader said. "I'm just saying, we won't be able to do it all. We need to work as hard as we can to save as many as we can, but we need to know, we need to be prepared that it is too late to save everyone."
The analysis and further news lasted for several more hours...durring which crowds in Wazzu thinned out, but did not dissappear.