NationStates Jolt Archive

[OOC: This is the last post from our Mars thread (http://s4.invisionfree.com/The_Planet_Mars/index.php?showtopic=636), interrupted]

"Very well, then." The old craft, large spots of rust showing on it’s outer hulls, ground down to a stop, screaming at every hinge, as if it was falling apart. The entry hatch fell out - literally. And then, the Valaquine appeared.

Like the Pilonese, the Allaneans were met by a silver speckled Green in a black and gold cloak. The same feminine voice spoke from its synthesizer as the Snel typed.

"Greetings. Welcome to Argyre. Before we progress, may I inquire as to the purpose of your visit?"

"Good day, " said the Allanean "We would like to trade with you - your knowledge in biology - for our raw material." He decided to go straight to the point.

"Very well. Come. I will take you to a negotiator." The Green turned and led the Allaneans down the elevator shaft and through the underwater arcology to a small room similar in design to that used by the Pilonese. Behind the desk sat a silver-speckled Purple. For a few seconds, the two Snel hissed back and forth, then the Purple took up its keyboard and the same synthesized voice said "Please take a seat. I understand you wish to initiate trade relations with us. Could you perhaps specify what sorts of materials you have available for our purchase, and just what you hope to gain from us? Sequencers, incubators, genetic programs?"

"Understand, we mostly achieve our goals through technology - we are ignorant of the use of production biology. I don't even know what a sequencer is. We would like to send students to your nation - to learn the very basics. And we would like to buy the basic tools of this trade -'sequencers' and 'incubators' you say they are callled?"

"Ah! I see. Students we can accomodate. We have, you see, recently been attempting to discover new ways to involve ourselves on the international scene. Also understand that 'production biology', as you call it, is a set of technologies like any other. It often is overlooked as such due to its seeming dissimilarity with the traditional chips-and-circuits.
"To give you a bit of an overview, then, the machines I mentioned- sequencers are simply devices for recording an unknown genetic code. Transcriptors are the inverse devices, which will assemble an arbitrary genetic molecule from stored data. We cannot give you transcriptors ourselves, actually, because we have never had a large need for them- it is the natural ability of our symbiotic Crana webs to manipulate genetic material that got us where we are- but they are not hard to acquire. You might try Zero-One, Sunset, Pilon, or New ArAreBee. Incubators are only usually needed for generating complex animals, they are simply artificial uteri or simulated egg envirnments that allow a fetus to grow to term without requiring a surrogate host. For most basic things you can probably do without them- we have only used them to create entirely new creatures designed specifically for this Martian environment, but we can sell them to you.
"Probably what would be of most use to you starting out is a knowledge of simple microbial and retroviral engineering to accomplish things such as defective gene replacement, mechanical self-repair, or waste cleanup and ore deposition. Mechanical self repair is actually very interesting, as it is a blatant cross-over between biotech and chips-and-circuits. Microbial colonies can be designed to grow metallic nanowires to repair damaged circuits, or to reseal mechanical fractures in metals or ceramics.
"Now, all of these things and more we can teach you and sell to you. What exactly do you have for us?"

"You may need to understand that the Confederate States of Allanea is a rich society - spanning several worlds and three Sol planets. While probably technologically inferior to you, we have access to a nearly unlimited supply of raw material of al kinds. From steel to diamonds, from clay to rubidium, we can get it if you need it. The only thing that’s required is your assent - and we’ll have ships flowing your way this very day. By the way - have you ever considered expanding to Sol?"

"Expanding in Sol is unnecessary. We are quite content with or current holdings on Mars and Pluto.
"As to what you could give us... Beta Carbon-Nitride, perhaps? Any particular luxury items you might be inclined to mention?"

"Most excellent, then - although we’re sure you would find Earth’s climate much more accommodating for your experiments. I am not versed in chemistry - but I am sure that somewhere in Allanean possessions, Carbon-Nitride can be found too. As per luxury items - would rare foods, wines, chemical-synthethic party drugs and art objects be of interest?"