NationStates Jolt Archive

ooc: this could take place before or after the Skeelzanian conflict, its up to each of you.

The city had been planned out and constructed on one principle, practicality. It lacked the custom, artistic touch that people would give their homes and offices had they had the opportunity. However, even if it lacked art it certainly was an efficient machine. There would never rush-hour traffic and there would always be enough space for new arrivals from around the Sol. While the city itself was not an artistic wonder, its builders had added a touch of home. Surrounded by an almost immeasurable layer of various materials, Largentian engineers had managed to give the city an atmosphere identical to Earth’s, and several rivers ran through the city to give buildings a nice view.

Diego sat in his office, ten thousand feet above ground level, staring out at the vacant city. The horizon consisted of buildings that rose up in the shape of a cone and a few domes marking the tops of industrial buildings. The rest of the buildings were either pre-ordered by various companies or would serve other purposes. Civilians would rent rooms in buildings identical to the one Diego sat atop at that very moment. Each had the capability to house, feed, and care for three million people and only took up four city blocks by four city blocks. The only foreseeable obstacle would be the fact that it would take one hell of a firefighting team to put out a blaze at ten thousand feet in the air. All things considered, there were certainly territories other than Nettuno Soldi that would be a lot less hospitable.

In fact, of these places was within the very same system. Tritone Soldi was located on not-so-scenic Triton. There was only one entryway and exit going to and from the city. Unlike Neptune, the Tritone was not a civilian city. It was going to be strictly an industrial and scientific population. There were only a handful of buildings that rose over a thousand feet and, unlike its counterpart, every building had been pre-ordered and very detailed specifications had been given. So, obviously, traffic was congestion would be a serious issue. However, such a flaw was inherent to a city such as Tritone. A final difference Tritone had was that the atmosphere was the atmosphere had some significant differences from Earth’s. It was made using much less money and, thus, the air quality was a little poorer but tolerable. After all, people on the moon weren’t being paid to mingle outdoors. They had jobs inside where companies would pay for air quality.

It would only be a month or two before Diego Escobar would be solely responsible for the well being of millions of people moving to the two cities from all over. It would be a big job but is certainly would pay well and would earn Diego a much more prestigious position in the Imperial Government. It hadn’t been an easy road but what was once a dream was finally realized. Sure Diego had been born into a powerful family and had been ensured a successful career but he circumstances under which the city had been built had definitely taken a few years off of his life. Whether it was funding, backed shipments, or morons with big guns charging into the sub-system, there was always what seemed to be unnecessary stress put on the project but now it was over and Diego would have a little rest. Or so he assumed.

While he was busy staring out at the city he received a transmission from Earth. The subtle beeping noise caught his attention just as he was drifting off to sleep. Unable to summon the energy to get up and read the message, he craned his neck and skimmed it. Groaning he turned back and slowly got up. It seemed that Empress felt it was in the territory’s best interests to make some friends in the area following recent events. However, the idea didn’t make much sense to Diego. He doubted alliances would have changed how things had gone, still, it wasn’t his decision.

{Open Standard Diplo-Link}
{To: All Inhabitants of the Neptune System}
{From: Diego Escobar, Nettuno Soldi, Largentian Neptune}

Greetings to all:

It is my great pleasure to announce the completion of all installations within the Neptune System. While recent events within this system have been draining and less than ideal it would seem there is no better time than the present for a little rest and relaxation. This is why all are welcome to come, visit, and tour our fine cities. We will be neighbors now and it is only logical that we become better acquainted. We do not require any high level official or that you arrive at any particular time. We only hope that you will find some time for someone to come for any period of time whether it only be for a few hours or even for a few days. I look forward to meeting with you all.

~Diego Escobar

{Close Link}

The message had come at an opportune time. As his nation forged bonds with aligned Mercurian nations to counter what they saw as an increasing instability within the planet, Largent had become one of the few neutral states that remained on the planet. The nation had also been spotted on Mars, Neptune, and Earth, and the expansion of this state had not gone unnoticed. It was Tiburon's intention to discuss various matters with the Largentians- but it had seemed that they had struck first.

[Sent Via D-Net]
[To: Diego Escobar, Nettuno Soldi, Largentian Neptune]
[From: Hirokazu Tomayama, Ambassador-at-Large to Neptune, the United Solaris Federation of Tiburon]
[Subject: Re: Invitation]
[Classification: Declassified]

Mr. Escobar,

The completion of Largentian Neptune and the subsequent invitation seems to have coincided with many actions that seem to be playing themselves out on the interplanetary stage. The United Solaris Federation is quite interested in engaging discussions with Largent, now a coplanetary neighbor on four seperate planets, to establish excellent relations between our two nations. We believe that the potential for Tiburon-Largentian relations is extraordinary, given the number of inhabitations we share. I will be arriving in Nettuno Soldi next week and staying for a week, and would greatly be interested in discussing the establishment of mutual beneficial relations for that week.

Sincerely,
Hirokazu Tomayama,
Ambassador-at-Large to Neptune,
The United Solaris Federation of Tiburon

"Well, this has some serious potential," Diego commented to himself. It was true, the two nations were essentially living next to each other on Earth, Mars, Neptune, and Mercury. It only made sense that they have some sort of contact. Diego had run a quick background check on the nation and it seemed that they were trustworthy and saw things generally Largentians did throughout the Sol. He would be very interested to see how the relationship played out.

{Open Standard Diplo-Link}
{To: Hirokazu Tomayama, Ambassador-at-Large to Neptune, the United Solaris Federation of Tiburon}
{From: Diego Escobar, Nettuno Soldi, Largentian Neptune}

Mr. Tomayama,
I am most pleased to hear of your pending arrival. We will have all accomodations prepared for you. I must agree that it would seem a Largent-Tiburon relationship does have a great potential due to our proximity throughout the system, and we too have several matters we would like to discuss during your visit. I look forward to meeting with you.

~Diego Escobar

{Close Link}

The message was taken a little too serious - Or the opposite thereof, depending on one's point of view.

No 'official' responses apart from perhaps half a dozen 'Congratulations' by various individuals (Sandra, of course, Takashi, and a few ships), but certainly a rising interest by some more 'Ordinary' people.

Ordinary in the DA sense, anyway, which wasn't quite equivalent to the ordinary in other nations.

What did this mean?

Why, simple:

Tourism.

Limited, of course - But there'd always be a few hundred individuals - Drones, Enhanciles, bipedal and floating, oddities such as four arms (Very practical) or wings (Less practical) about.

Visit the neighbors indeed. Angstians most certainly did visit them. After all, can't hurt to see a little more of them Largentians... Though, their laws were a potential problem... But, contrary to popular belief, Angstians could behave.

Barely. But so long as nobody was arrested for something serious, like drug trafficking... Well, they weren't Knootians, so the risk wasn't quite as significant.

For now, swimming in the rivers that were flowing through the scenery was enough of a distraction, and besides - Heike enjoyed it a lot. Never had had the opportunity since she'd left Earth... or when she'd been on Earth, come to think of it. Pollution...

The Angstian messages were noted and were given a short response, mainly just to say, "Thanks and hope to see you soon," although no real response was required. However, before they, or Mr. Tomayama, arrived one last matter had to be taken care of. Mr. Tomayama had already schedueled an arrival time so the local docking areas were notified, however, the Angstians had not so he would just have to remember to tell them they might be arriving at some point. He also sent one file to each of the two nations just containing flight information:


[Sent Via D-Net]
[From: Diego Escobar, Nettuno Soldi, Largentian Neptune]
[To: Hirokazu Tomayama, Ambassador-at-Large to Neptune, the United Solaris Federation of Tiburon, Der Angst, Angstian Neptune]
[Subject: Re: Re: Invitation]
[Classification: Declassified]

flight_info.zip

~Diego Escobar

Tomayama had arrived at Nettuno Soldi on a small yet somewhat luxurious vessel (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/United_Solaris_Federation/USFOfficial.jpg), the full name of Tiburon printed clearly on the side. Unlike the official craft of the old United North America (one of Tiburon's founding states), the United Solaris Federation had spurned grandeur in favor of efficiency. The ship gently landed in dock and Tomayama hurried towards Escobar and the business at hand. No ceremonies, no elaborate grandeur, just the meat of what the meeting was about.

Diego watched the small vessel come in and land, still hovering only milimeters off the ground. The door opened and Mr. Tomayama walked towards him rather quickly. Assuming that there was some sort of sense of urgency, he bowed and rose quickly, smiling to his guest. "Mr. Tomayama," he said, "its a pleasure to have you. If you will just follow me we will head up to my office and then we could give you a tour if you like."

The two walked to what was essentially a very fast elevator, however, there was nothing pulling it and the small pod they were stepping into didn't touch the sides of the shaft, it was the only way to travel ten thousand feet in a reasonabe amount of time.

Moments later they stepped out and found themselves in Diego's office. It was surrounded with windows starting at the floor and reaching to the ceiling, a little unerving to anyone with a fear of heights. However, the rest of the office was quite nice with a beautiful rug and a large wooden desk.

Diego took his seat behind the desk and motioned for Mr. Tomayama to do the same. "So," he began, "Why don't you begin since you did say you had some things you would like to discuss."

Esther walked through the vacant passageways of The Continental, a small sculpture in her hands. She had been working on diamond sculpting for quite some time, and had managed to create one that she rather liked. It wasn't particularly large, about six inches high, and it was a simple rose. Still, a rose sculpted out of flawless Neptunian diamond was a stunningly beautiful affair. She set it on a desk as she read the transmition from Largent.

It seemed a perfectly reasonable request, and getting to know the non-psychotic nations in the system seemed like a good idea. A few quick command executions, and she sent a reply back along the signal the source originated from.

{Return: Standard Diplo-Link}
{To: Diego Escobar, Nettuno Soldi, Largentian Neptune}
{From: Esther, CEO Esther's Diamond Co., The Federated Mercurial Demesne of The Caloris Basin}

Greetings,

You offer is quite nice, and I think I'll make a trip for a visit. I'd send an OverSeer, but I'm sure you'd find them to be rather bland and uninteresting. My schedule is pretty flexible, so whenever is good for you is fine for me. I look forward to visiting.

~Esther
{Close Link}

{Open Standard Diplo-Link}
{To: Esther, CEO Esther's Diamond Co., The Federated Mercurial Demesne of The Caloris Basin}
{From: Diego Escobar, Nettuno Soldi, Largentian Neptune}

I am most pleased to hear of your coming arrival. At the moment I will be preoccupied with another guest for an unknown amount of time during the next week. So, if you would like to meet with me directly I would suggest that you arrive in approximately one week. Otherwise, you could come at any time and receive a tour from a drone until I am able to meet with you. I have attached a file with all the necissary landing instructions and clearances, you should have no problems entering the city.

~Diego Escobar

ATTACHMENT: flight_info.zip

{Close Link}

a small bump

{Reply Via Standard Diplo-Link}
{To: Diego Escobar, Nettuno Soldi, Largentian Neptune}
{From: Esther, CEO Esther's Diamond Co., The Federated Mercurial Demesne of The Caloris Basin}

This is perfectly acceptable, thank you. I will plan my arrival for a few days so as to split the difference, allowing me to see some of your holdings while not being a burden. I look forward to both the tour and the meeting.

~Esther
{Close Link}

OOC: My apologies for the delay.

Tomayama smiled amiably and nodded. He had the distinct feeling that he could find some sort of rapport with Escobar fairly quickly. "Thanks. Personally, I am very interested in establishing an extremely beneficial diplomatic friendship with Largent, especially with regards to our positions on Mercury and Neptune. We currently own land on four of the same planetspheres, perhaps more. To do so, I'd like to first know your nation's position on the Triumvirate of Yut (of which Tiburon is a member) and associated nations/alliances, which would help me gauge how to proceed."

ooc: not a problem

Diego smiled and nodded. "Yes, our foreign policy. As for Yut, we have met with two members that I am aware of, not including you of course, and both occasions proceeded extremely well. Although, I suppose thats rather subjective. Anyway, we are a signatory to the TNA and through that have minor trade relations with the Dominion (I'm actually not positive they're a member but I'm assuming they are). The second member we met with was the Federated Segments. One occasion was a rather long time ago following the Arda conflict, the other was simply an attempt to stimulate relations. So, overall, I would say our stance on Yut is rather positive one. As for other alliances and associations, we are either neutral or supportive except on two occasions. We view both Arda and the Order of the Seraphim in a rather poor light. Our views, however, have been strongly influenced by a few isolated incidents but, first impressions (especially poor ones) tend to stick.

"Now, concerning our future relations on Neptune and Mercury. Neptune shouldn't pose any serious obstacle. It is a peacefull environment compared to the other planets we inhabit and it is simply a matter of working out specifics at this point. However, Mercury has the potential to be a different case entirely. I don't believe I have to lecture you about the whole Seraphim Military vs Sketch ordeal but it is a deciding factor in our future there. If the Sketchian forces are to be repelled, obtaining a stable colony would be rather simply. If Sketch were to be victorious they would hold a majority of the land there and I will be rather blunt in saying that we rather dislike the Sketchians. I will spare you the specifics until a later time. So, as I was saying, if the Sketchians do win it will be near impossible to obtain the amount of land needed for a stable colony. Our lone city has annual net imports in the billions currently and may be dismantled if there are no signs of change. This means that if Sketch were to win this war, which it very well may, we would greatly need the support of you and other nations to either expand or have trade partners to rely heavily on.

"I realize that this is quite a bit to ask right off the bat so I don't need an answer now, I'm just informing you of what may need to happen in the future. I hope I have helped you guage how to proceed but before we do, I realize that you are a new member of Yut, so that tells me a little about your foreign policy but if you could tell me just a little bit more that would be fantastic."

Tomayama nodded. "The Largentian ambivalence towards the Order of the Seraphim (and specifically Sketch) is understandable. From information that we have found, as well as allied testimonials, we have been able to sketch- pardon the pun- an image that is some cause for alarm as far as Mercury's future is concerned.

What our nation sees emerging on Mercury is a world loosely defined by three significant alliances- the alliance between our nation, TCB, and the AU; the Order of the Seraphim; and the Prussian Alliance, and neither of the other two options seem to be particularly palatable negotiating partners. Our nation- particularly now that the preexisting relations between allied nations and your nation have been established- is interested in having extremely beneficial relations with Largent for this end, something that would encompass your request regardless of a Sketchian victory or not.

On that note, I should say that I personally find it unlikely that Sketch will lose the conflict. The Seraphim Military is divided and strapped for cash, whereas the Sketch forces seem to be united for the purpose of reclaiming lands for the Order. I strongly hope that the situation for both our nations does not necessitate the situation that you outlined, and, to that end, I'm hoping that our current negotiations with Sketch will at the very least provide a buffer between our sphere and theirs.

And as for our foreign policy- we tend to follow the liberal democratic model in many aspects of government structure. We're currently negotiating a few initiatives- an alliance and a Panmujeon alternative on Mercury with TCB and the AU, a loose UN-type structure for Neptune, and a new UNAOTO-type organization with Scolopendra and Haraki. Other than that... we're members of the Triumvirate of Yut, VERITAS, and the Concordat and place emphasis on alliance support. With non-allied nations, the Tiburonese model is for diplomacy to be central to relations."

"Yes, I would have to agree with your views of Mercury and would certainly support any alliance between you, TCB, and AU. We would also be very happy to be admitted since the other two alliances are rather unfavorable and remaining neutral could leave us vulnerable. We would also support any UN-type structure for Neptune.

"Now, you said that you wished to establish a beneficial relationship with our nation. Do you have any suggestions as to how we should go about doing so?"

Tomayama thought for a moment and replied, "Well, many of the aspects that usually are included with the establishment of such relations are already involved in the MDI and Radiant Sun treaties being developed at this time, so the best thing to advance such relations would be to apply to those alliances once they are completely formed. We can probably preempt the documents by the formation of an FTA, NAP, or MDP or a combination thereof. Since Tiburon has not seen much of the government of Largent, however, I hope you can understand some reluctance in engaging in a fully-fledged MDP without any confirmation of what good things we have seen and heard about Largent or with the backup of other nations in such a pact."

Diego paused momentarily before replying. "Yes, it would seem natural that you would like some sort of reassurance before we sign any such pact. A little 'look before you leap' mentality never hurt anyone. I would be happy to confirm anything good, bad, or neutral things you have heard about Largent. However, I must ask what you have heard. Also, if you are willing, we would certainly be willing to sign an NAP or FTA after our meeting has concluded."

bump