NationStates Jolt Archive

~ ~ ~ T.U.S. Mars - New London - Office of The Director T.R. Kom ~ ~ ~

" ... I say again, it is in the wrong direction - " stated the first voice, very female, and at least in tone if not in set of features, very angry.

" Yet, a geo-political study indicates it is far more stable than Mars in the present climate, and this - " cut in a second,

" A burning lump of magnesium in a paint-mixer could be said to be more stable than Mars, past or present, and nor would I wouldn't rule out future - " cut in a third, though he was only to be cut off by a fourth.

In fact, the fourth voice was a trio of identical voices speaking at once, being the result of three clones and their recent experiment in so-called " gestalt " methods. What had at first being a choice to scare lower ranking lackeys on the other side of the table at business negotiations had become the norm for them ...

" Oh do be quiet ... "

Mean-while T.R. Kom sat back in his chair, the setting artificial sun holo-cast on the inside surface of the Arcology Dome of New London behind him keeping him in shadow. Aside from being rather symbolistic it was, in part, realistic of his methods. In part, as now and again he roused himself to make the effort to " get out " now and again. As the case may be now ...

So for a moment, there was a break in the chatter of the cabal he'd called before himself earlier that after-noon, which he finally chose to monopolise on A.S.A.P. - That is before the same arguments flew around his pent-house office again for another three hours.

" Ladies, and gentlemen. I have listened to your ... arguments and have come to my executive decision on the matter. I ... agree with most of the comments of the party who are for the venture, and will release capital for the proposal to be ... realised. Let us break now for coffee for 15 minutes and then return to our discussion ... "

So it was, that a month later ...

~ ~ ~ Neutral Space near Venus ~ ~ ~

The five T.U.S.C.V. ( This United State Customs Vessels ) Corporate Cruisers arrived by Trip-Drive, sort-of but not quite at once, a little bit out from Venus. As had been the objective. Well, to be a little bit out from Venus, as turning up at once would've been nice, but it also would have been a fluke. Blame the more curious properties of the T.U.S Trip-Drive for that ...

T.R. Kom winced as he pinched himself on the inner-surface of a clasp on the military grade armour he was now wearing, despite the thin amount of padding-foam around the offending item of the garment. Not exactly business-suit, after all. It was a full body ( light ) armour vac-suit, coated in a low-polished gun-metal colour ceramo-metal and stream-lined so as not to be at all bulky or restrict movement much. It was also asexual in appearance, and exactly the same as that worn by the six person strong security team whom it was the hope of both himself and the Defense Directorate, - would accompany him to the surface.

Of course, he was the one with the hope he'd be going to the surface. The Defense Directorate was with the hope that the small security team would go with him. He was with the hope he could reach an agreement with the PanNorm. The Defense Directorate had the hope he'd come back alive and un-eaten, which was a bit silly, but then they thought it was their job to worry about such things and so worry about it they did.

" Sir, I really think - "

" And I really think that I hope the Commerce Directorate was right and it'll be worth it to have worn these bloody things ... That the bugs will dislike our human forms a little less ... I'm going to get a bruise from that one just now, I swear ... "

" But sir, you know we really would - "

" ENOUGH ! Open the link ! I've been waiting over a month now, and I do not like to stay waiting when there isn't a need for it. People tend to get less in their pay-voucher when they make me wait when there is no need for me to wait, under-stand ? "

" I, errr, yes, sir. I will open that link now ... "

T.R. Kom glanced at the secondary screen which showed the S-14 vessel in a state of having the drive section pulled apart. The screen above it, the main one, was cleared to await what they all were of the hope would be a positive response from -

" Greetings, Alpha Hive of the Pan Norm, S-14. I am Director T.R. Kom of This United State aboard the T.U.S.C.V. CCT-37-PLR. I would like to request a personal audience for myself and my small security team, with your relevant authority to discuss matters of diplomacy and trade between our two organisations. "

Now they all just had to wait, though with any luck it would not take all that long. Even if they looked busy as bees - no, don't make bug jokes T.R. - they were supposed to be very ... efficient after all.

Efficient indeed. The unexpected arrival of what appeared to be warships anywhere near Venus caused a quick debate between the AdminCoordinator-- who wanted a more passive, subtle response to allow time for data-gathering before smashing the offending parties to pieces should they actually offend--and the WarCoordinator--who wanted a very quick, sharp, active and very much unsubtle response to make the new arrivals exceedingly leery about offending in the first place. Finally, the Coordinators decide and the Hive reacts appropriately. The absolutely ludicrous point defense system of S-14 goes to standby, active Interceptors--basically no more than wavefront torpedo warheads strapped to cheap chemical rockets and with a Mini pilot--launch on the opposite side of the massive Habitation Torus, and whatever OverFleet is currently on hive protection duty swings its patrol orbit a touch closer towards the TUS assets.

Given the 1:259 numerical superiority on the part of the panNorm in terms of 'capital' ships alone, this appeases the red-carapaced WarCoordinator, who has no qualms about letting her cousin work her diplomatic magic over open radio frequencies.

#ComRelay : PanNorm Command > T.U.S.C.V. CCT-37-PLR OPEN#

Welcome to Eärendil, Director T.R. Kom of This United State. Permission is granted for you to take a small craft and land at one of our hangar facilities, and it is of course acceptable that you bring along a small security contingent for your peace of mind. Likewise, for our own peace of mind, we merely ask the number, type, and equipment of your security forces in the interest of mutual security.

http://www.weirdozone.0catch.com/projects/nationstates/s14/blue1.jpg
AdminCoordinator 67521 of the Blue Mother of Us All
Speaking on behalf of the Mothers of Us All
Coordinated panNorm Hives

#ComRelay CLOSED#

T.R. Kom looked pleased enough. The faces of the Defense Directorate staff fell how-ever, when the direct question regarding what would be going with him was asked. T.R. Kom looked less pleased when he noticed this, and a brief argument came about. It was soon resolved, though. Mean-while sensors indicated some sort of activity on the other side of S-14, how-ever the sheer mass of the thing and local interference meant an accurate picture of what may well be going on was strictly impossible. It wasn't, how-ever, too hard to guess at, in light of the point defense systems going active. T.R. Kom had been afraid the small fleet he'd arrived with had come on too strong. This sparked another brief argument, but again, this was quickly resolved.

T.R. Kom was the boss, after-all.

" I thank-you for permission Admin-Coordinator 6, 7, 5, 2, 1. I will disembark shortly, as you have directed ... I will be aboard a small, lightly armed shuttle-craft, with a six-person strong team as my personal body-guard. We will all be wearing a sort of light armour full-body-suit with an internal life-support system for our safety, and my personal body-guard will be armed with ceremonial maser carbines as a token defensive presence for the safety of my person. Will this still be acceptable to you ? "

Of course, by then T.R. Kom had started walking towards the small assault-shuttle bay nestled in the body of the Corporate Cruiser, talking via suit-comms to the ship, which in turn acted as a relay to S-14. He was eager to see S-14 up close. The assault shuttles sitting in the dark bay were an older Sunset marque, with a revised armament of multi-purpose missiles and improved armour. Not quite light by any standard, but then not quite a threat in the face of the defenses of S-14 which were still lighting up in their sensors.

There is surprisingly little discussion between the OverCoordinators when Director Kom's response comes in. Indeed, there is exactly no discussion whatsoever. A reasonable request for the disclosure of the security force was put forward; it was answered with a reply that when compared to the vastness of the Hive and the expendability of any individual panNorm, even an OverCoordinator, was perfectly acceptable.

#ComRelay : PanNorm Command > T.U.S.C.V. CCT-37-PLR OPEN#

That is quite acceptable. The WarCoordinator will dispatch an appropriate escort that will guide you to one of our hangar facilities, where I will be waiting to meet you. Hopefully your transit is uneventful yet pleasant.

I look forward to meeting you in person.

http://www.weirdozone.com/projects/nationstates/s14/blue1.jpg
AdminCoordinator 67521 of the Blue Mother of Us All
Speaking on behalf of the Mothers of Us All
Coordinated panNorm Hives

#ComRelay CLOSED#

More orders go out as the two-meter Blue AdminCoordinator pads away from her dais, hooks on her feet easily grabbing the thick velcro-like padding on the 'floor' as she maneuvers herself in freefall towards the circular hatch in the same 'floor' that leads to the transport car. Alpha Hive reacts to her signals and her will mixed with that of the queens in their lairs--the Mothers of Us All--the other OverCoordinators, and the needs of every panNorm in Alpha just like a well-oiled... hive. With a chaotic efficiency that would drive supply-chain managers mad hangar bay crews prepare for accepting an unusual ship; a local contingent of Soldier Reds musters to provide site security for the AdminCoordinator; the Interceptors on the far side of Alpha stand by just in case a final charge against the Corporate Cruisers just happens to be necessary.

And in all this, operational life aboard S-14 hardly changes at all. Those insectoids whose services are not immediately needed for this operation and who aren't sleeping... are fully engaged in any one of a billion things the Hive needs on a daily basis to grow and thrive. Bees have nothing on these hymenopterans.

By the end of the last message from S-14, T.R. Kom and the six-person body-guard were strapping into the assault shuttle, and soon enough in the process of launch from T.U.S.C.V. CCT-37-PLR. Within moments of clearing the bay, the great armour panel over the bay portal had been reset, and the small shuttle was out-bound, moving towards the planet before them, or rather the curving edifice of S-14 to be a bit more exact. The view of Venus was moderately spectacular from the shuttle view-screens.

It wasn't all that long until they were escorted towards the hangar by some curious ships, of war, one would suppose, where the assault shuttle made a gentle and precise landing, and the whisper-quiet gravitic hum was shut off. From inside, the seven passengers could see the deliberate scamper of the ants, and even pick out the delegation. The armoured side-door closest to the presumed S-14 diplomatic party was made to fold out and down, only after a several-second long check via external cameras with the concern that nothing would be accidentally crushed under the bulk of the hatch.

Two of the security team stepped out onto the hatch beneath them, business-ends of their weapons pointing down in a manner devoid of any overt threat, but faces scanning the scene before them. A moment later, T.R. Kom pushed his way past two more standing before him inside the shuttle, leaving the first two to guard their transport, and the other four of the party to trail a short distance behind him, rather un-impressed with the liberties he was taking with himself.

Ignoring both his personal security detail, and even that of the S-14 representative, T.R. Kom moved to address the representative. While the armour-suit may have given T.R. Kom and his security team a uniform, asexual and semi-exo-skeletal appearance under the glassy gray ceramometal and transparent artificial sapphire face-plate, he was rather glad it also gave him an extra few centimetres in height, not that he could match one of the Ants, even then ...

" Admin-Coordinator 6, 7, 5, 2, 1, I presume ? ", he gave a short bow, " I am T.R. Kom, the Director of This United State. "

Then, though perhaps it was rather prosaic for such an occasion,

" Nice to meet you. "

Upon approach, S-14 simply gets bigger... and bigger... and bigger in the way a moon should. Indeed, its mass is great enough that previous navigators parked it in an orbit where its tidal effect on Venus would be marginal but benificial. As the shuttle approaches the surface, more detail becomes visible, just as the detail of a countryside becomes visible when descending through the clouds--what is otherwise a blank grey slate of rubidium steel becomes heterogeneous with lighter and darker patches; the tubes of surface rail lines appear, then the distinct aztecing that comes from panel detail; circular hatches two meters across for damage control teams and finally the seams between individual hull plates become visible before the shuttle 'lands' on the sloping deck of the hangar platform. Ground vehicles magnetically adhered to the hull hook up to the shuttle and taxi it into an air lock a hundred meters square and fifty tall; then taxi it further into what is truly a massive room fifty meters tall and, if all of the airtight doors were left open simultaneously--which would never happen for issues of safety--two hundred kilometers radius as it forms a ring under the forward armor of the habitation torus' honeycomb. This particular section of the hangar bay is filled with hundred-meter chemical transports and Seeker tesseract scoutships; the bay curves up out of sight spinward and antispinward.

Here the spin-induced 'gravity' is about Lunar normal; everywhere Blues and Reds wheel themselves about up the walls and ceiling, maneuvering carts and crates wherever they need to be with efficiency made all the more startling by the apparent chaos of it. Lines of two-meter insectoids go this way and that, never running into each other and never slowing, without a single visible system to direct their traffic.

Only one group stands still, and that is the group standing immediately adjacent to the shuttle as the hatch opens. One Blue, nude except for a simple web harness containing small tools, her carapace 'decorated' liberally with flowing yellow lines and braids of matte paint, and six Soldier Reds, their hard spiky bodies augmented by armor plates strapped on over vital locations but leaving their insectoid heads bare. The Reds carry tubular objects with an odd sort of gemlike lens on one end, slung over one shoulder, lens pointing downward; on their other shoulders are slung objects that, while similarily tubular in their basic function, have blocks, bolts, chambers, drum magazines, and muzzles that make them readily identifiable as slugthrowers--also held muzzle down. The harnesses on their armor hold twin blades looking like a bastard union of a Gurkha's kukri and a modern special forces karambit, large and decidedly mean lookng, along with dully painted cylinders with turnscrews which look, for the most part, a great deal like grenades.

None of them seem particularly fazed by the appearance of the armed soldiers, their weapons, or their humaniform shape; then again, short of them physically recoiling, how would anyone know? The Reds stand stock-still save for the slow, slight, gentle waving of their antennae as they taste the air in alertness; the Blue steps forward and returns Kom's bow, simply pivoting on her dual hips to tilt her thorax down and up. On the return to her full height, she gracefully takes a metal cube from her harness and clamps it between her mandibles, a circular speaker grille facing out towards Kom. "You presume correctly, Director T.R. Kom of This United State." The voice is pleasant, feminine, and clearly synthesized. Its tones are too mathematically pure to be anything else, but it also lacks the distinct warbling effect of a vocoder. It is simply artificial, although not gratingly so. "I know from experience our numerical system of designating individual units of the Hive is... unweildy to societies with more personalized systems, so referring to me as 'AdminCoordinator' would not be taken aversely."

She cants her head slightly and tilts it a touch over her shoulder, indicating the Reds in a curious mimicry of the human gesture. "My apologies for the appearance of my entourage, but this as ceremonial as their kit gets. Despite appearances, we are pleased to meet you too."

At a guess, T.R. Kom would say the devices held by the Ants were a sort of laser. He made a mental note for that when they were in-bound to CCT-37-PLR again he would consult with the security detail about these things, if only out of a vague interest as to the degree of technological advance in practice by the Ants. Mean-while -

" Just as I am pleased to meet you Admin-Coordinator, of course ! The spectacle of your Alpha-Hive is most amazing from out-side, and no less so even now. Before we begin, I would like to present to you a small token of our heart-felt thanks for your gracious cordiality, so far - ", at that moment, one of the guards standing at the assault shuttle stepped inside for a moment, only to return with a large case the same neutral gray of ceramometal as their suits. As T.R. Kom continued to talk, the guard walked the short distance towards the diplomatic party with the case, the burnished cylinderical form of his maser-carbine back in the shuttle. It was in fact a subtle display of comfort with the present situation by T.R. Kom. " - Though I have only limited information on your biology, I think there are some aspects which we share, in regards to fuelling our metabolism. Inside a case I have brought, is a delicacy we call " Turkish Delight ". You may, or may not, be familiar with it. The exact meaning of the name is lost in time, I'm afraid, but more importantly, it is a sort of firm jelly made of starch and sugar and given a delicate flavour from the hydrosol portion of the distillate of rose petals. The resulting mixture, once set, is dusted in icing sugar to make it easier to handle, and here it is ... "

T.R. Kom took the case from the guard before they could make to open it, and did it himself, then carefully turned the case around to present the contents to their hosts. Inside, seperated by layers of a synthetic rice-paper, was a collection of uniform blocks of the afore-mentioned substance, sat several layers deep in the case.

" I have several more cases in my transport, should this gift meet with your approval. I dare to hope it may be the first of many such exchanges of good-will between our respective civilisations. "

The AdminCoordinator listens politely to Kom's description of the confectionery and bends her neck to 'look' at the contents of the case while it's being opened. It's a wholly unnecessary gesture, given that she can see it just fine from most angles she'd care to tilt her head thanks to those large glossy black compound eyes with dull-gold specula in their facets, but it is a simple diplomatic maneuver to make the humans feel more comfortable around what is distinctly non-human. The guard discarding his rifle out of sight is also noted and appreciated even as antennae raise a few millimeters to casually sniff the volatile aromatic esters that waft up from the case.

"I am indeed tempted to try," she says with a voice that could only be said with a smile, "but it's a matter of interspecies politeness that we do not eat in front of endoskeletals when we have a choice. Our form of mastication is decidedly more... externalized than in considered acceptable in most endoskeletal cultures and we do not care to offend. The gift is and will be much appreciated, however. Hopefully at some point through this meeting we will be able to return the favor in like kind.

"So, now that you are here, we had best not keep you standing around like bad hosts." The translator box in the Blue's powerful mandibles chuckles softly as she indicates a nearby ground vehicle to the side of the group; it looks something like a small bus made of streamlined segments. "The nearest transport car is several kilometers away and this should be a more comfortable conveyance than the usual open-topped cargo ferry, especially given the size of our party." She begins to lead the way towards the ferry, three of the Reds following with behind her while the other three peel off and hop into what could only be one of the previously described cargo ferries before driving off. If their foot traffic is chaotic, the panNorm's vehicle traffic would give any deck chief nightmares... and yet, it all works out.

"I suppose the next logical questions are," the AdminCoordinator says as a Red opens one of the elliptical hatches in the side of the bugbus, "where would you like to go and, concomintantly, what would you like to see?"

As Admin-Coordinator 67521 spoke, regarding their species manner of consumption, T.R. Kom made to look as though he was some-what interested, just as he should be. How-ever, he was also recovering the slight shock of having two metres of giant insect virtually hanging above him as it examined the open case. Soon enough though he had to speak, and so he closed the case and put it down beside him.

The guard who had brought it returned to the assault shuttle and removed another four cases exactly the same in dimension, appearance and contents as the first and placed them beside the open hatch. As he stepped out, the hatch closed behind him and he returned to walk behind T.R. Kom, as the entire party made to board the small bus. As they seated them-selves, T.R. Kom responded :

" I really don't have all that information on the inside of S-14. Though, I must admit I am rather interested in the large ring structure around the entire vessel. I am also quite curious about the command and control system of such a magnificent feat of construction as this vessel most definately is. Of course, as you are our hosts here I am certain I would yield to your suggestion of a destination ... I also hope we may discuss certain matters of state, along the way ? "

As Admin-Coordinator 67521 spoke, regarding their species manner of consumption, T.R. Kom made to look as though he was some-what interested, just as he should be. How-ever, he was also recovering the slight shock of having two metres of giant insect virtually hanging above him as it examined the open case. Soon enough though he had to speak, and so he closed the case and put it down beside him.

The guard who had brought it returned to the assault shuttle and removed another four cases exactly the same in dimension, appearance and contents as the first and placed them beside the open hatch. As he stepped out, the hatch closed behind him and he returned to walk behind T.R. Kom, as the entire party made to board the small bus. As they seated them-selves, T.R. Kom responded :

" I really don't have all that information on the inside of S-14, Admin-Coordinator. Though, I must admit I am rather interested in the large ring structure around the entire vessel. I am also quite curious about the command and control system of such a magnificent feat of construction as this vessel most definately is. Of course, as you are our hosts here I am certain I would yield to your suggestion of a destination ... I also hope we may discuss certain matters of state, along the way ? "

A luxury bus, if it can be believed. The interior resembles the inside of a business jet, with a smallish conference table and comfortable chairs, which look to be folded up versions of a lozenge-shaped backless couch--or maybe a large ottoman--that also sits next to the table. Mounted into the internal bodyframe are screens and cabinets, a few with insulated doors which suggest use as refrigerators. Everything is done in cool shades of blue. The AdminCoordinator ambles in and folds up on top of the couch, wrapping the crash harness around her body with a deftness brought on by habit. "Certainly. If there is nowhere in particular you wish to be... I know. Seeing as the apparent gravity of the Ring Plain is probably somewhat more than you are used to, we could visit the Low-G Terraces. Our visitors seem to enjoy the... novelty of the wildlife there. Hopefully this meets with your approval?"

The Reds first show the TUS party how to use their crash harnesses, then wrap themselves into webbing on the walls, standing quietly as the bus starts up with a quiet hum of the electric engine and the soft rumble of the balloon tires on the deck. "As for matters of state, what would you like to discuss?"

Aesthetically, the inside of the bus was ... reasonable enough. Not exactly how T.R. Kom would've had it, but then this wasn't his home ground, as it were and so such thinking didn't really matter. The security team didn't really like the safety restraints one bit of course, due to the concern that if the need was to arise, that the things could hinder them some-what if they had to deploy their limited arms. A firm look from T.R. Kom made sure they didn't argue out loud.

Once seated, T.R. Kom replied,

" Though our suit-systems should negate most of the effects of an area of increased gravity, I'm sure that what ever you think best will be just fine. "

Giving the inside of the bus a semi-dis-interested glance, T.R. Kom went on to say,

" As for matters of state, I've come to S-14 myself to query what-ever is in effect as your system of government for a reaction, to our peaceful plans to colonise an area of Venus for our own sovereign usage. Naturally, before we could even think to proceed we felt it critical to sound-out the present land-holders on the planet, and offer what-ever assurances we can as may yet be required. We have some ties to Menelmacar, and in fact hope to settle in the north, next to Menelmacari Earendil. Naturally, as you control a significant area of Venus, we're interested in your opinion of the thoughts we presently entertain, regarding the prospect for our peaceful co-habitation. "

Perhaps it was a bit of a bomb-shell, perhaps not. T.R. Kom was only slightly nervous, and made sure not to show it one bit. How-ever, several thoughts popped into his head.

One of them involved violent externalized mastication.

"I suppose my cousin OverCoordinators and I are as close an analog to your traditional concept of 'leadership' or 'governance' as the panNorm have, and our opinions on the matter would depend on various aspects and intents of your colonization." The Blue's voice filters through the box smoothly, completely unaffected from the occasional mild bump as the bus trundles along out of the hangar complex and its attendant web of cargo corridors. "My greater and individual concern would be how your colonization would affect the stability of our interests on what is now our homeworld, the EcoCoordinator would be concerned with the environmental effects, the WarCoordinator would be concerned with military stability and balances of power..."

The insectoid mimics a shrug, mostly tilting its thorax and spreading its arms. "You claim the desire to peacefully cohabitate and that I think at least starts us out on the right foot, as your saying goes, but neither of our polities were formed yesterday and so it is hopefully not unreasonable of me to request a bit more information in that matter. What do you hope to achieve with your expansion onto Eärendil and how do we factor into it? I suppose a vital corollary to the question would be why you approach us with your interest instead of the Menelmacari."

The Blue chuckles softly as the bus takes a turn. "It is indeed quite the compliment, after all."

T.R. Kom was glad to have found something like the structure he'd require to negotiate to the Pan Norm as a whole within the Over-Coordinators. He didn't even flinch when that stupid internal clasp from before bit into his skin again, he was too busy trying to phrase important matters in such a way as to remain ... uneaten, heh. It was a silly thought to entertain, quite unrealistic, really.

Still ...

" I expected you may have such concerns, and of course I will do my best to assuage them. To begin with the first one wich you've raised, there is of course the environmental aspects. Naturally, as with most civilisations there will be some detrimental effect to the local eco-system until both we and it can engage each with other in a more communal sense. I have no reason to think we would create any damage to planetary ecology, how-ever. Any negative effect would be temporary, and very localised. This is after-all an entirely different environment to our capital territory on Mars, with different concerns, so natrally we would address the situation in a different manner. As most of our technology is clean to begin with ... we also wouldn't be too likely introduce any non-native species, and our cities would most likely consist of a series of centralised and self-contained arcologies linked by air-routes and some sort of sub-surface mag-lev system. Really, it shouldn't be any sort of problem. Of course, I see no reason for my experts not to consult with yours at a later date, if you wish. "

T.R. Kom supposed the inside of the bus wasn't too bad decor-wise. But it still wasn't how he'd have done it himself. But really, enough of that.

" Then of course there is the balance of power, yes ... to be frank with you This United State has and still does devote a considerable amount of resources and energy into military technology and the resulting assets produced from which, both for commercial and personal objectives. How-ever our interests in that field have always been strictly of a defensive nature. We are not, after-all, some expansionist state bent on dominance and conquest and I would hope that this present consultative expedition to S-14 by myself for my own State is a good enough exposition of our intents to you. For example, we would not even think to resort to force were we to be rebuffed here by the bulk of the states all-ready on this planet. Granted, we wouldn't be at all happy with such a result, as we see no reason or method for which it could come about by, and it would colour any future business interaction between us - but we would return to where we came from and rather proceed to look elsewhere than exchange blows. If we can reach an agreement, than we would settle on that which is recognised as ours and never seek to extend our-selves into the borders of others ... To put our military capability into some perspective for you, we have significantly fewer forces and arms than say, Menelmacar, for one. We tend to focus on our own orbital defences and static ground-side defences, and limit our space-arm to a particular, low, number of vessels, per-colony. To sum up, we would wish only to become a threat to some-one, if that some-one is to attack us first, and only then be a threat until we can negate the chance of futher attacks upon us by said some-one, be it by our force of arms or the lure of diplomacy. Really, we consider conflict to be bad for business, and we're all about keeping our business in business, if you will. "

The Admin-Coordinator shrugging was slightly disturbing, but not much so. Most of the bravado T.R. Kom had had was spent by then, but then this was just a matter of doing business now, which wasn't anything out of the ordinary. He just had to sell both him-self and T.U.S. which he was sure he could do, no matter how odd the client was to him. Or he to them, in fact.

" Our purpose to expand to Eärendil as you call it, is the result of several factors. One of the primary ones of which is that it seems to be a geo-politically stable area within the solar-system. We find such stability to be quite important. The strong Menelmacar presence, as well as your own and the lesser one of F.S.P. gives us reason to observe this place as being, in our eyes, a safe place, at least when compared to the instability seen else-where. A good example of which being Mars ... There is also the matter of our slowly but definately increasing population. The area we have designs upon on Eärendil, can support more life than our Mars Arcology or our Lunar Sphere-Cavern City combined and then some ... It is also close to the core of the solar-system, and so our trade is not likely to suffer. It may even increase, in fact. "

He paused, thinking out how to say it :

" Finally, there is the matter you've raised regarding why we've come to you first, rather than say, the Menelmacari. Though we plan to consult with Menelmacar and the F.S.P. we came to you first because ... we don't really know all that much about you. We thought it may be best for both our interests to seek you out and consult with you first. We thought it prudent, to get to know you before we even think to cement our plans of colonisation here on Venus. We certainly admire your feats of engineering, by which I mean S-14, no doubt the most visible. You don't seem unreasonable or over-aggressive, either. "

A wry grin formed with that last line, then,

" In fact, you'd make rather a nice change, compared to some of our nearby residents on Mars ... "

By the time Kom's finished with his explanation, the bus has already reached its destination and slowed to a stop. The Reds unharness themselves, aid Kom's security team in being unharnessed, and then help Kom out of the system of belts and webbing keeping him safely in his chair while the Blue takes care of herself. Nothing is said past what needs to be for politeness, but the order of freeing up is a quiet attempt at trying to keep the bodyguards--if they're anything like Soldier Red 'additional carapaces'--from complaining out of professional paranoia.

The entire group files out of the bugbus and into a large circular corridor completely coated in an artificial bushy velcro-like fabric. The gravity conditions haven't changed appreciably, and so Blue and Red ants of sizes that vary slightly within the differently colored species of the panNorm stream from circular portal to circular portal with very little concern to what direction or surface they're holding onto. The only flat surface is the broad floor, about as wide as a six-lane highway, on which little cargoloaders and flatbed trucks and open-topped buses dodge each other and carry things from one large cargo door to another. Throughout the transition, the AdminCoordinator does her part not to drop the conversation. "True, ecological damage on some degree cannot be helped. At least your honesty actually eases our collective mind; most people would have tried to argue the point of causing almost no damage nowadays. In any case, we can have the EcoCoordinator coordinate with your civil engineers to try and minimize even localized ecological damage. The arcologies are also, indeed, a good idea; the air is breathable--even for us without spiraclesuits--but generally uncomfortable."

One of the Soldier Reds opens up a circular hatch nestled in the floor immediately adjacent to the wall and climbs down; the Blue and the other Red lead the way with the last one taking drag. This is a transport car, all neutral-grey carpet covering all surfaces except for twelve circular patches of thick fuzzy velcro--six on the ceiling and six on the floor--a white helical ladder in the middle connecting the floor and ceiling hatches and a plastic control dais sitting next to the ladder. Once everyone is in, the AdminCoordinator idly pens in a destination with the dais' integral light pen, then settles in on one of the pads, feet instinctively hooking in for a good grip on the pad as the car begins to accelerate.

Before she speaks, she pauses for a moment, an unearthly pause that looks as if someone just took a frozen frame from a string of movie reel, before continuing as if nothing had happened. "The WarCoordinator admits the need of any colony on Eärendil being independent when it comes to defensive capacity and so has no great issue with your statements, professional paranoia aside. I must apologize for my cousin that way; evolution is not necessarily equally kind to all."

Something smells a little bit like salted roast beef, far away. But not much.

"That is also something for which the particulars can be discussed later, but your interest in finding a peaceful place to live should not require excessive militarization. Indeed, I think that in coming to Eärendil you should be able to shift some resources from defense to more profitable endeavours, which should only make you a more beneficial trading partner to us. Additionally, your attitude on approaching us first we find intriguing--perhaps the idea is that if you can convince the beings you think to be most alien, then those who are closer to your Norm should be proportionally easier? I do not mean to impugn the purity of your curiosity, simply suggesting it may have been a factor. Either way it is an interesting idea, independent on whether it is accurate or not."

The Blue steeples her manipulators, bony fingertip to bony fingertip. "In fact, I must apologize that we are not being more pleasant hosts than we usually are. In the sake of fairness and honesty between equals, it is only fair that I admit that the appearance of your cruiser squadron excited something of our very self-interested survival quirk of paranoia. You see, we are indeed quite reasonable under most circumstances." No pride, statement of fact. "Nevertheless, it is important for anyone who shares a homeworld with us to realize that we do have one particular trigger that shifts that reason from objective decisionmaking to paranoiac problemsolving, and that trigger is an immediate threat to the survival of our united species. We have had... unfortunate experiences with major corporate interests in the past, namely those of Wazzu and Eniqcir, and they were lucky that their plans to change Eärendil's orbit went nowhere. If they had tried but once... I believe your phrase would be 'I shudder to think of it' but to my own chagrin I cannot find myself shuddering at the thought of permanently putting down a threat to our survival with however much force is necessary to do so.

"It will not be a concern between us, but it is something you should be made aware of. Now, in your colonization efforts, what do you expect of us or what would you like from us to aid you in this?"

Despite the distraction of the environment around him, it being so frantic, yet with a bizzare, chaotic - order to it, T.R. Kom continued to look solicitous enough behind his armour vac-suit face-plate. Soon they were aboard the transit car and -

" Well, we don't expect to require anything like large-scale physical aid, per se. Really, our primary concern at the moment is to establish positive, or at the very least neutral relations with you in order to create a better chance of co-operation between us if we are ever to find we're in need. The most immediate thing I can think of is just the right to non-interference in our colony shipping and mutual respect for each other on a national level. The basic elements of friendly soverign interaction, me-thinks. Essentially ? We don't want to impose any more than we must by the circumstances of our venture. "

He gave what he expected was the inside of a transit car a glance.

" As for what you've said in response to my answers ... I'm happy to see honesty is the best policy here, but then I don't see any reason for it not to be. Of course when the time comes I'll make sure our company engineers get in contact with your Eco-Coordinator as you call them. I am also happy to hear the response of your War-Coordinator. It is most reasonable. We practice a significant amount of paranoia our-selves. It isn't any sort of ... stranger to us, I rather think it part of our success on Mars so far. As for our " cruiser squadron " as you've called it just now, I ... apologise for having provoked any sense of paranoia. I rather think it may be a case of our paranoia having sparked yours, in fact. As I am the de-facto head of state of T.U.S. I am placed in a position where I must ensure my personal safety, to such a degree as you've seen ... though often I think more for the sake of others than myself, ha. "

At this point he smiled,

" In fact, I think if I can continue this discourse and avoid saying anything to give you good reason to throw me out of an air-lock, then I can assure you you needn't worry about my escort. "

He looked dead-sober a moment later, how-ever -

" ... I rather think we can appreciate the significance of your so-called trigger, as well. We have in the past found it a matter to need us to move behind the scenes, to see for sure to the removal of a less than benign influence around our concise sphere of interests in the locale of Mars. It is not a new idea to us, and though we may shudder just a little bit, we too are not afraid to exercise the ultimate element of caution for our continued self-interest. "

Then he gave a tired wave of a hand,

" I ... cannot claim to be surprised about your history with Wazzu and Eniqcir. Indeed, regarding the later and their almost perverse interest in " terra-forming ". Though I can express that I am dissapointed in their lack of ... tact. It seems such behaviour often tars the other-wise good names of we corporate interests. How-ever, I shall not comment any further, other than to say I under-stand your ... situation and do not think we would ever do anything to provoke a situation which would warrant the application of such force by you in your defense. I do hope not, that is for sure and I also thank you for your transparency in dealing with us ... I find no fault in you regarding your position of hosts despite this matter. I hope you find no fault in us, as we are being your guests ! "

He perked up slightly as he finished,

" Oh, and I guess there is an element of sense in your deduction, though I hadn't quite thought of it that way. I agree it is interesting, and I'll give it some thought, indeed ... "

Somewhere in the middle of the conversation, the acceleration of the transport car drops off dramatically to essentially nil. The practical effect of this is that the apparent gravity in the car does the same. Quite used to this phenomenon, the AdminCoordinator easily rolls one-eighty degrees and settles on the ceiling, a maneuver followed by her entourage. "The transport car is preparing to decelerate," she interrupts politely, "and so you should swap sides as well." After a few seconds, the car begins to decelerate, working back up to one gravity of deceleration. This happens a few more times as it changes directions, and finally after several minutes while Kom is talking and the car begins slowing down again until it comes to 'rest' relative to the rest of S-14. The lights around the rim of the top hatch switch from white to a light blue, and one of the Soldier Reds lead the way out.

The hatch opens up to the rooftop of a hexagonal structure with slightly sloping sides that stands about thirty meters off the ground. A bridge connects the rooftop to a collection of cylindrical and spherical buildings which stand still higher above the ground, sitting on an unusually high incline of what appears to be honest earth complete with a grass-like ground cover. It's there that the reasonableness of the scene ends; a forest of trees to spinward stand sixty meters tall despite having trunks maybe half a meter thick and end in pompoms of leaves, and those with keen eyes and stomachs to look down the vertiginous walls can see that the ground cover is actually hedge-sized and looks something like shredded tissue paper. The sky is dominated by a light terrace, and looking across the huge internal volume of the habitation torus is like looking across the inside of a huge hollow pie slice. The low-G terrace on the aft wall of the habitation is bluely visible across the way, a turquoise arc of vegetation and blue water and brown hills cutting through the vaguely triangular wedge of rubidium steel that composes the wall. Far, far above the forward, aft, spinward, and antispinward walls meet along a rectangular section of the outer cylindrical wall of the Core, which looks vaguely porous. The rim of the forward terrace precludes any view of the Ring Plain below, but the volume clearly extends further 'downward.' In any case, any of the distances of this volume simply defy comprehension as parallax becomes negligible. It would have more resemblance in the mind as a painted backdrop, perhaps, than a three-dimensional structure if it didn't wrap around so perfectly.

Bringing the eyes back to this terrace, the low-g city is cunningly placed to have a commanding view of the terrace to antispinward, a collection of rolling hills and plains cut by silvery rivers and clearly populated with other, smaller cities as well as indigineous wildlife. Antelope-like creatures two meters long and nine meters tall like spidery giraffes that bound with mind-boggling leaps, space ostriches three times as tall and as gawky, and birds as large as sailplanes circling overhead. Bringing the eyes still closer in to where perhaps things are more intelligible to those used to dealing with the normal spaces and distances of life, this hexagonal rooftop about a hundred and twenty meters across has a small table set up on it, a field cooler set beside the table, and a folding chair and a cot immediately adjacent to the table.

A proper scenic picnic spot, all things considered, with all the amenities a small diplomatic function should have, as the AdminCoordinator leads the way to the strategically-placed table and curls her legs under her on the cot. "We've been talking quite a bit, now, and hopefully now we can better show our manners. We know how talking can dry out the membranes of an endoskeletal's mouth and so we are properly equipped with water and fruit juices should you be so interested. We've also various different food products from across Alpha and Beta Hives in case you and yours happen to be hungry. Is there anything we can get you?"

T.R. Kom wasn't all that over-awed by the rather stunning vista created by the inside of the Ring as they stepped out. He had after-all authorised the Sphere-Cavern City project on ( Or more accurately, in ) Despina. Granted, though both were the result of excellent engineering and application of technology, all that one had over the other was that the Ring along with the rest of S-14, was very, very, large.

Very, very, large indeed ...

As it was, T.R. Kom waited until he was seated and much to the very private annoyance of the team that was acting as his body-guard, T.R. Kom de-activated the small external clips of, and removed his face-plate from his armour-suit. He placed the object in his lap with care, despite the fact it was quite hardy enough to survive being dropped. Off of a cliff. He didn't need to wear this sort of thing very much and wasn't quite familiar with it, despite no doubt having authorised the purchase at some stage.

Part of him did appreciate the irony, at some level ...

Mean-while three whom were armed stood to one side of T.R. sort-of facing the Admin-Coordinator and their escort while another two made sure to observe the local aerial wild-life with caution from a few steps back. The last, still of course un-armed, stood beside and a step back to the right of him.

" I suppose it would be rude of me to decline your most kind and thought-ful offer. A glass of water will suffice. If I may presume? ... "

A small hand-gesture, and the guard standing just to his right made to step carefully towards the cooler.

"It is no presumption." The AdminCoordinator's synthesized voice suggests a smile before she takes the translator cube from between her mandibles. Clacking the sturdy bony incisors a few times to work them out, she gingerly plucks a small sugar cube from a bowl on the table and puts it in her mouth, such that it is. A more accurate description would be that she puts it where her maxillae can hold it against the internal sac (http://bugscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/members/2003-062/data/presets/preset-4-640x480.jpg) of fleshy tissue that works something like a mouth; there a fluid somewhere between saliva and gastric juice dissolves it into a liquid more easily digested later on. Unlike Terrestial ants, which cannot digest solids at all, the panNorm are instead limited by the necessity to crush whatever it is eating down to a meshy pulp, just like humans in most cases. That their mandibles can crush bone far more easily than human teeth can simply means they have more to work with when it comes to getting ready-to-use calcium. That their mandibles and maxillae exist on the outside makes the process somewhat distasteful to ponder outside of pure academia.

Thus, the diplomatic solution to the problem of sustaining a panNorm when around endoskeletals who eschew chewing with their mouths open: the sugar cube.

After a few moments, the AdminCoordinator puts the translator back between her jaws, antennae waving slightly as if in the fresh breeze that blows over the deck. "So far I do not see any great hinderances to the Hives accepting you to Venus. There is still, of course, a question of stability--not that I mean to accuse, of course, but you did yourself say that Eärendil is one of the more stable locations in this star system and we very much wish to keep it that way. We will be far more effective at maintaining our responsibility via alliance and assuring our own protection if our backyard, as it were, is kept free of threats. The Wazzu elements on the planet, although we dislike them to say the least, have never been a problem and so we have suffered their existence. While your structure in essence is similar to theirs, as far as I have gathered, we hope your culture is decidedly less interested in causing trouble for others. Could you perhaps offer us a historical example of how you have defused tense situations in the past to ease our collective minds?

"Finally, there is the matter that space on Eärendil is unfortunately on something of a premium due to both interest and Menelmacari holdings, which we respect even if now we believe them to be somewhat excessive. What could you offer us as neighbors that perhaps other interest parties could not? We may be the ultimate representation of a system of economics that more capitalistic societies tend to abhor, but we do understand from research and trade in ideas the concept of 'wealth' as a representation both for the existence and distribution of goods and services re the interest or need for such things and as a representation of the apparent 'value' of such things. We understand that it is an effective way to inspire the acquisition of resources, and we also understand its potential for the most profitable acquisition of resources--in other words, we have learned to shop around." The translator box lets out a quiet chuckle.

He sipped the water as he listened. One of the many internal implants that in effect made up the physical structure of Mr T.R. Kom was automatically activated to guard against both poison and any other sort of the more exotic kinds of physical adulteration that wouldn't be expected in your normal potable drinking water - as obvious, crude and remote as one would think such a thing would be at this particular event. Again - paranoia, how-ever subtle the practice of, is not exclusive. He can't but help notice the little interaction with the sugar cube. A good sign, the Ants should indeed enjoy the "Turkish Delight" candy he had brought. A shard of his mind flew off on a tangent as he listened to Admin-Coordinator - perhaps he could construct an agricultural complex with self-contained production facility here on Venus in the near future, and supply the Ants with it almost, but not quite, at-cost. A nice, and indeed slightly profitable, gesture to remember to make if all went well here.

The shard of thought was filed away when it was his turn to respond,

" I think I may have to dissapoint you then, if you require specific, historical examples of note. T.U.S. doesn't exactly have a true history as it were, at least not one of any real duration when compared to the extent of say, your own, I am quite sure ! How-ever, in our own brief time as a cohesive social, political and economical structured entity, we've made sure to have not only examined the world we find around us, but thus sought to pursue our own personal and private objectives with as little interferance into the resolution of the objectives of others around us ... We operate in this fashion to both, one - to reduce the over-all instances of conflict we may other-wise face, which would indeed slow or even in the most dire circumstances; vanquish our progress and perhaps our very lives - and two, in fact eliminate the chances, more often than not, of any such instances of conflict there-of having to eventuate, at least involving us directly. "

He sipped again at the water, holding up a hand gently to indicate he was not yet finished speaking, a moment later :

" To be more clear when I speak of this matter, I'm afraid I can't really give you an exact example of a particular event, nothing comes to mind. How-ever, I don't think this is actually a bad thing, when you consider the frequency of ... violent disruption on and around Mars, you may note that we have not, at least to date, been a direct combatant, aggressor or other-wise. I like to think that such a record, in such an environment, would be a beneficial factor to present to you now. "

Another sip, another slight raise of the hand,

" As for what we can offer in return for your endorsement of our colonisation ... First, we're not a bunch of expansionists. I agree that may sound a little strange in light of why I'm here to speak with you, but the fact of the matter is that once we come to an agreement with you, and by extension the rest of this planet, we will not seek to expand our holding beyond the original borders, ever. I'd be more than happy to put pen to paper, as the saying goes, and sign a treaty with you to that effect. Granted, a treaty or any other form of mutual agreement is only as good as it lasts in deed of word, or indeed, is enforced, but I suspect you have the means to enforce such a thing - not that you would need to, I assure you - so making you the perfect party with whom to align this agreement with in the eyes of the planet as a whole, perhaps. I like to think our word is our bond, after-all, one can hardly run a business such as ours without a good reputation for doing so and being able to stick to an agreement, contractual or other-wise, is a very important part of business. So, I like to think that we'll provide some security to you, and indeed Venus. The land under our administration will not, ever, be used to expand out upon the domains of others, as some other party may seek to use it. "

Another sip, and yet another gesture. Perhaps it seemed more realistic for his mouth to appear dry after each statement, or perhaps he'd been over-doing it, slightly.

" Second, I'm sure we can arrange something more substantial in terms of provisions. We have a useful share of an experimental diamond mine on Neptune, where we provide raw material to refresh stocks, and in return are given a percentage of the ultimate products as payment. I'm sure a significantly sized percentage of our own percentage could find a path to you at or below cost. Diamonds can after-all be very useful in an industrial sense, especially perfect diamonds. We've also significant uranium and other similar reserves from our traditional industry on Mars, to name another resource. Finally, we produce a wide range of finished products, I'm certain that you'll find something you like in our extensive trade catalogues. Thirdly, we of course offer our friend-ship. A commodity often of great value in this existence, regardless of the exact source of supply. Finally, if there is anything you could suggest specifically ? I like to think we can adapt to the individual needs of our clients ... "

He put down the water and waited.

The Blue intricately 'decorated' with yellow enamel paint raises one bony manipulator in a mimicry of the human gesture associated with pause. "There will be no need to sign something to the extent of never spreading one's borders ever; such a doctrine is eventually self-destructive and we would never force that upon someone we would wish to consider friends--which one could surmise is the entire point of these negotiations." Another synthesized chuckle floats from the translator box. "Still, your willingness to even suggest such a clause speaks well to your character. Likewise, the fact that you have avoided any sort of notable conflict on a world rife with it speaks well to the character of your polity."

That the character she--and most of the panNorm, subconsciously--is thinking of associating with Kom is either a combination of a bad trickster or else sincere yet mildly insane remains completely unsaid or unhinted at. The voice is perfectly diplomatic and has no hint of the ironic humor that sometimes creeps into it at other times. Besides, it's true--one needn't worry about a bad trickster, given sufficient awareness, and this kind of insanity can be dealt with thanks to its friendly sincerity. She doesn't honestly believe that the Staters are looking to reduce the chances of their own survival, after all.

"Your access to large amounts of hard crystalline carbon and heavy fissionables does mesh nicely with our industrial needs. Additionally, I see potential for a future relationship--if I understand endoskeletal economic theory correctly, the merchantile interests of capital require labor, no? It is in the best interest of capital to acquire labor in a massed and inexpensive fashion, and I do believe that our workforce meets both qualifications much better than that usual standby of capital when it comes to labor, undeveloped endoskeletal nations..." This part has a bit of the ironic smile to it; the Blue lifts one antenna gently in something that looks for all the world like an attempt to simulate a slyly raised eyebrow. "Compensation for such is a matter for future discussion, however, as the matter at hand is whether or not you have our support for colonization."

The Blue pauses in that unnervingly freeze-frame way again, then continues as if nothing had happened. "And you indeed do. We project with a surprisingly high level of confidence that our interests, far from conflicting with each other, are actually complimentary. So, to the next stage--what land in particular are you looking for?" Preparing for the response, she removes her translator again to sip some water from her glass through a straw, then helps herself to another sugar cube.

T.R Kom furrowed his brows for a second. He suspected something had been lost in translation a moment ago. He didn't propose stagnation of his own society, after-all. He was only cautious to the point of useful caution, and willing to be a good guest, not conservative to the point of self-extermination. Survival, at least for the physical, fleshy form of the wider populance was still for the time being a vital commodity to the State. That aside, T.R. Kom was sincere, and indeed more than mildly insane, though if only by contemporary standards.

For now, he was pleased at the progress that had been made. The cranial augmentation that gave him an edge in negotiations with more, well, human, organisms was quite useless here. What he presumed to be the primary electro-magnetic energy host neural-structure, or brain, was alien enough, let alone the patterns he registered on the back of his eye-lids when he blinked. Despite this, he hadn't missed the sudden freeze of motion and what it may mean, and infact he had found it more than just a little creepy. Still, at least they were not pilonese ...

For now though, it was his turn to say something, though the carefully constructed capitalist inside him was but for a moment distracted into -

" Before we move on, the matter of labour you raise is intriguing, I cannot deny it. Traditionally, we've used automated mechanisms of various complexity. However, there are a multitude of deficiencies inherent to such a system. But more importantly - "

He beamed a smile to the Blue.

" I am most pleased to find we have your support. As for our proposed area of development, I have a roll of electric flimsy, which I'll just un-roll out here, if I may - "

The cap of a small, previously un-noticed tube at his waist was removed, and in one smooth motion a near indestructable plastic-like sheet of paper-like material was un-rolled, un-folded, and in general, expanded across the free surface of the table before the Blue Admin-Co-ordinator. Quite unlike its ancestor papyrus, this paper had a docment uploaded into it by some arcane digital wizardry and featured a pre-programmed roving, zooming, moving, realistic display whose activation, by touch or voice, even T.R. Kom was unsure of.

" Here is the expanse to the north that we desire. I ... hope you approve ? Naturally, at this early stage the matter is clearly up for discussion if need be ... "

The AdminCoordinator traces the outlines with a bony manipulator finger hovering just millimeters over the surface of the flimsy. She does this silently, antennae still waving naturally as she peers with a near-absolute (but not uncanny freeze-frame) stillness of her head. She looks more like someone reading Braille rather than seeing with her gold-reflecting green-black eyes.

"This is acceptable; there should be no conflicts. You have the approval of the panNorm to start your colonization; the only caveat is that the Greens wish to work closely with you to ensure the habitability modification of Eärendil is aided." She pulls her hands back and folds them again with the soft rustle and click of leaves and sticks being raked together. "Is there anything else we can do for you, while you are here?"