NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: Numerous egosearches have been performed to ensure an absence of conflicts. The situation regarding Ganymede has been discussed with all relevant parties. The Callistoan situation differs only in that Cetaganda expressed absolutely no interest provided Cetagandan neutrality is respected. Recent developments suggest Cetaganda will probably have no interests pertaining to Callisto at all, but he is welcome to still participate.

As always, this thread is open to anyone who has an IC reason in participating. If there are problems, please contact me and we will work something out, provided you do not crawl out of the woodwork with territorial claims and no prior RP to back them up. This is intended to be a peaceful RP. While I normally attempt to accommodate new and unexpected developments, for the sake of other participants any violence must be cleared with me and with all involved parties beforehand.

Any major OOC comments should be handled via TG or IRC. Please do not clutter this thread with one-line TAGs or other non-character posts.

The Downward Spirit Gaiden: Breaking the Ice

Colonies Booming, Near yet Far
WN3: Jupiter

During the last year, twelve million people have moved to Ganymede, in the largest mass migration in Weyrean history. Approximately three million more have established far-flung settlements on the nearby Jovian moon of Callisto. It is estimated that at least two million may have moved into Angstian cities, thought abandoned, possibly in order to bypass stringent immigration laws put in place by the Jovian Colonial Authority. The population boom is expected to continue, with twenty-four million new migrants already cleared for migration and ten times as many awaiting processing.

The Jovian Colonial Authority began as the Neptune Colonial Authority in 301AL, organizing several different municipal and commercial initiatives to establish a Weyrean colony in the outer solar system under one jurisdiction. During the fallout of the Sixty-Minute War the Neptune Colonial Authority formed partnerships with respected industrial leaders, and financed what would become the Weyr Self-Defense Forces in their two-front war against the occupying Order Crimson and against the demon invasion. Despite significant cost overruns during the research phase, the La Blue Girl project which marked the beginning of the Neptune Authority's investments quickly became a commercial success once significant problems with the on-site facility were resolved. The La Blue Girl system of hydrogen gas collection is still a major supplier of hydrogen fuel for spaceships, and has replaced the uranium mines of Kekkosmaa as Weyr's primary source of energy due to greater efficiency and lower transportation costs. During second stage planning, the Neptune Colonial Authority rapidly shifted focus towards the Jovian system, due to concerns over sources of construction materials.

"We considered the Saturnian system," Miko Mido, local head of the La Blue Girl operation on Neptune said. "But due to the local political climate there was serious doubt whether we could get so much as a foothold there. Remember that at the time we were nominally part of Arda, and everyone thought we were a bunch of drooling orcs." The Jovian system proved to be a viable alternative. Despite popular opinion at the time, the Jovian system was highly stable and peaceful, and had large quantities of unclaimed territory. "The dissolution of Metus and Arda as credible entities really opened up a whole new world for economic opportunities. Nations squabble over petty bits of land on Mars, but just a short hop away there were these two almost-planets just waiting for someone to notice them." Callisto and Ganymede were at the time virtually empty, although the Snel and Angst both had claims there. The decline of Ardan presence in the system resulted in significant military reductions and left the Jovian system comparatively demilitarized, and for the most part forgotten by the international community.

"We started by contacting the Konanians on Ganymede. It turned out Konania pretty much fell apart some years back, and we were dealing with proto-states that traded heavy metals," local coordinator Katerina Silver of the Jovian Colonial Authority said. "We hired them on as consultants to develop equipment for mineral exploration, and in the process according to them became their best customer because we bought so many of their industrial products. It was really a stroke of luck. There were also the exploration bases left by assorted corporations. Some of them, most of them actually, had active defenses, and we spent a lot of time getting into them." The partnership with the Konains, and the equipment salvaged from former outposts provided the newly named Jovian Colonial Authority with an industrial base it lacked on Neptune. "This was when we decided to completely shift gears," Alice Katsuko, one of the first-wave settlers, said. "Before that we were tinkering with the idea, but what we found on Ganymede truly changed our perspective."

The four Landers, freighters intended to carry supplies for expanding La BLue Girl on Neptune, were modified to carry equipment for setting up a base on Ganymede. Rather than moving girders and orbital frames, which were available locally on Ganymede, the freighters brought over a hundred colonists and seed stock for establishing a self-sustaining orbital and surface operation. "Once the landing site was established and domed, we were out on speeders to map the area and find locations for forward bases. There are probably still caches left from aack then all over the planet," Alice Katsuko said. "The real iffy trick was getting the MagDrive equipment set up. It wasn't designed for hundred-Kelvin temperatures, as we found out the hard way. The locals were real helpful. If they were our enemies, well, I wouldn't be alive, that's for sure."

The successful establishment of a local self-sufficient base gave the Jovian Colonial Authority credibility, and allowed it to attract investors and supporters. "Everyone thought we'd fail," Miyuki Sakamoto, director for one of the Callistoan colonies, said. "The Self-Defense Forces wanted nothing to do with us at first; they thought we abandoned Neptune because we lost our nerve." The first investments came from an unlikely source. MagDrive Incorporated announced in July 304AL it would open a production facility in Lander's Folly, the largest city in Weyrean Ganymede, built in the crater used as the first planetside base of the colonial process. The Integrated Automotive Consortium quickly followed suit, and signed a partnership contract with MagDrive Incorporated the following year as demand for magdrive vehicles on Ganymede soared.

The stream of migrants to the Jovian colonies has however alarmed certain segments of the Weyrean business arena. Some job recruiters have expressed concern over a possible drain of talent to the Jovian system. Most firms have thus far however reported no problems in achieving their recruitment quotas. "In reality, many of the people who are currently moving to the Jovian system were the same people who moved to Kekkosmaa in the last half century. They are talented, well-motivated, and experienced, and in the case of the Authority's requirements they're perfect ideologically," Advocate Susan Wills of the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry said in response to WN3 inquiries. Unlike the Jovian Colonial Authority, most firms outside the heavy industrial and scientific fields tend to hire predominantly young college graduates. "The Authority is tapping into a labor pool that has exploded in recent years due to the Volarian incident, and it's gone mostly unnoticed outside the companies which are investing into the Jovian system."

The money pouring into the development of assets in the Jovian system is staggering, and significantly exceeds the national government's expendures on the establishment of the Paradigm colonies two centuries ago. Paradox Industries has announced it will construct a translation drive fabrication plant on Ganymede which is expected to directly generate ten thousand new local jobs. The industrial infrastructure necessary to support such a plant will involve millions of workers. Two weeks after Paradox's announcement, Paradigm Drive Yards confirmed international network rumors of a starship assembly facility in Ganymede orbit. Instel meanwhile will double its capacity by the end of the month to meet growing demand for real-time interplanetary communications. Competitor Stellar Telefax has opened a second hub for its quantum entanglement network, which potentially can provide real-time communication with any point in the galaxy. All of these industrial giants have generated millions of jobs in addition to those associated with any colonization effort. Perhaps not surprisingly, in the last few years tocks of MagDrive Incorporated have steadily risen for the first time in a century; unlike many planets and moons Ganymede has a strong magnetic field which gives magdrive equipped vehicles a strong advantage over competing repulse-equipped systems.

Earlier investments are already paying off, as the plants brought on-line since the Weyrean settlement of Ganymede and Callisto began have bolstered an economy weakened by the Volarian incident. Some companies are moving off Mars completely, despite initiatives by the Kekkosmaa distribution's to encourage economic growth. "Ganymede and Callisto are the new frontier, with all that a frontier means," Advocate Susan Wills said. "But they're near enough for easy access to markets, especially if the Illuvomeri extend their highway there."

The Jovian Colonial Authority has however run into hurdles during its years in operation. Its stringent requirements for immigrant qualifications have led to complaints from those rejected because they did not satisfy the Authority's demands in education, experience, or sometimes ideology. The Jovian Colonial Authority has thus far successfully defended its claims that such requirements are necessary if a colony is to succeed in the long term. "We're looking for people with the skills we need and with the motivation to make full use of those skills," coordinator Katerina Silver said last autumn during an interview after a class-action suit against the Jovian Colonial Authority was thrown out by Judgemaster Kriu Black. "This is no different from any commercial venture's employment practices." The Jovian Colonial Authority requires that applicant rejections be accompanied by a formal letter explaining the causes for the decision. Most of those denied access to Ganymede or Callisto were requested to re-apply at a later date; those permanently rejected either lacked higher education, or showed consistent anti-social tendencies during successive psychiatric evaluations over a period of time.

The Jovian Colonial Authority also may be facing difficulties with its neighbors, especially on Callisto. This United State has recently acquired rights to the Cetagandan colony on Callisto, and is expected to pursue a policy of aggressive expansion, perhaps at the expense of Weyrean colonial interests. Some elements in the Imperial Weyr party have gone so far as to suggest a pre-emptive strike against This United State's Jovian territories.

The High King has said such calls are "idiotic", and that there is "no basis for any Weyrean military action in the Jovian system." Currently, only one warship is ever present in the Jovian system, although the Self-Defense Forces do not deny that there may be as many as two dozen cruiser- and frigate-type warships on patrol within the vicinity of Jupiter. "These ships patrol commercial acceleration arcs.... We have increased the force dedicated to defending merchant ships in order to keep up with growing traffic." The Self-Defense Forces do not maintain any sizeable numbers of ships in ports or close to astronomical objects in response to concerns over first-strike capabilities of potential enemies. A surprise attack by Tannelorni warships two years ago destroyed all but two of the warships docked at Marsbound Station.

Conflicts with Angstians still living on Callisto are also not out of the question, Thus far there have been no reports of violence. However, the large influx of Weyreans into the mostly abandoned Angstian cities has stressed the local infrastructure. Most of the immigrants into Callistoan Angst are part of credible organizations which seek to emulate the Jovian Colonial Authority, and have sought to improve the state of their new home cities, which are located mostly on Callisto's equator. New arrivals now go through a process similar to that employed by the Jovian Colonial Authority, and are guaranteed jobs suitable to their education and experience. Other cities have filled with starving immigrants which the Jovian Colonail Authority refuses to take in. "We are not here to build a welfare state," Hank Sverdlowsky, a second-wave colonist and site supervisor of the Integrated Automotive Consortium's plant in Álfheim said. His opinion has been echoed across Weyrean Callisto and Ganymede.

Most of these concerns thus far appear unfounded, and there are rumors that the Jovian Colonial Authority may acquire the territorial rights to all of the Angstian cities in the near future. "We are pursuing several potential avenues in dissolving any potential difficulties with all parties before they arise," coordinator Katerina Silver said.

In a curious but perhaps not unexpected move, the nation of Tiburon has suggested it may be considering expanding onto Ganymede or Callisto, and will be looking at the outer Jovian satellites for possible colonies. If so, this may spell the end of the Weyrean honeymoon with the Jovian region, as more nations attempt to stake a claim to the few areas still remaining open to all-out colonization. "These are big moons," Alice Katsuko said, setting out as part of an expedition to survey a possible maglev route to connect settlements in the Álfheim, Asgard, and Valhalla regions. "There's plenty of space for everyone." The Martian experience may prove her wrong.

WN3: Across the World Faster Than Light.

Dst: To Whomever it May Concern
Src: Weyrik Jovian Colonial Authority
SubjLin: Purchases

You've probably noticed by now there's been an awful lot of Weyreans coming into your Callistoan cities in the past two years. No-one in Weyr can prevent people from moving to other nations, but this particular case provides the Jovian Colonial Authority with something of an embarrassment and a liability.

Thus far we've been restricting immigration to those who can contribute something to our society. We don't prevent people from coming because of age, gender, species, race, or creed, but we do make sure they have a secure job waiting for them when they arrive. This has restricted the growth of criminal and free-riding elements in our society, and kept Weyrean colonies on Ganymede and Callisto growing despite a number of setbacks that have affected the Weyrean economy.

I understand that Weyr doesn't have the authority to dictate policy to anyone. However, historically migrants have tended to try and make the places they settle in overwhelming numbers a part of their parent nation. Whether this is a good thing isn't my concern. Should your territories become a Weyrean distribution, the Jovian Colonial Authority will be faced with a territory that has no good immigration policy, and through which migrants will flood into settlements under our jurisdiction. Such an event could destabilize the foundation of the society which we have worked hard to build, and it is my duty to prevent such an occurrence by all possible means within the constraints of my office.

In short, the Jovian Colonial Authority would like to acquire the territorial rights to all of your Callistoan possessions, for $_Generous_Sum. You may wish to maintain military and industrial outposts, and I assure you we will not press the issue. My counterpart in the Weyrean government says a unilateral defense pact** may be part of the territorial transfer if you choose it. Angstians wishing to move from the affected areas will be provided free transportation to any location. The Jovian Colonial Authority believes in free trade, and we do not have tariffs or duties. Angstian commercial interests should not be affected if you accept this offer.

Sincerely,
Katerina Silver
Coordinator of the Jovian Colonial Authority

*Álfheim is the land formation between Asgard and Valhalla
**A unilateral defense pact requires Weyr to come to the aid of Der Angst in a defensive war. Der Angst is not required to come to the aid of Weyr.

[Sent Via D-Net]
[To: Katerina Silver, Coordinator of the Jovian Colonial Authority]
[From: Hirokazu Surakawa, Undersecretary of State for Intersolar Affairs]
[Subject: Callisto and Ganymede]

Coordinator Silver,

As part of the ongoing Project Stardust and under the auspicies of the Mutual Interstellar Cooperation Treaty (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=487098), the United Solaris Federation is extremely interested in purchasing and otherwise acquiring territories within the Jovian moon complex. We wish to discuss methods of acquiring such territory with the appropriate Weyrik authorities in order to expedite the completion of Project Stardust.

Sincerely,
Hirokazu Surakawa,
Undersecretary of State for Intersolar Affairs
----------------------------------------------------

Open Announcement:

The United Solaris Federation of Tiburon formally expresses its intention to settle the Jovian moon of Amalthea. To its knowledge after an extensive search, the United Solaris Federation has not found any claims to the moon. We request that, in order to expedite the settlement in a peaceful and civilized manner, nations that have an existing claim to the moon inform the Tiburonese government of this claim within 24 hours, after which time the United Solaris Federation will formally begin settling Amalthea. We do not wish to barge upon a preexisting legitimate claim.

Ivanova looked rather sleepily when she looked up from under her bedspread and into the sensorband of the positively tiny drone above her.

"What?"

The drone didn't hold it with verbal communications (It was rather annoyed with Ivanova still treasuring her privacy to a degree that made it nigh-impossible to reach her when she was sleeping, disconnecting just just about every network imaginable, and didn't see why it should grant Ivanova such simple pleasures) - it bypassed a few security checks, and eventually deployed the information in question directly in Ivanova's brain, its tiny effector making an superfluous (But exceedingly annoying) buzzing noise.

Ivanova sighed, and threw her pillow at the drone, which dodged in an unnecessary (But flashy) motion. "Geez. Talk about manners and the lack thereof. Anyway..."

Well, now that the information had entered her brain, no need to stay up - moments later, she was once more curled up under her bedspread (Missing her pillow, but she ignored that), and snoozing happily, while a few (Now) active parts of her brain went through what had just been transplanted into her mind.

She was familiar with the basics, of course - the Weyrean migration, and their flooding of the somewhat antique Angstian settlements on Ganymede and Callisto. Not that it mattered much - DA was open to immigration (Provided that you actually made it there, of course), and Weyr as a society was similar enough to make integration and assimilation a reasonably simple, though still rather long process. So far, any particularly annoying issues had been avoided, and what little Angstian presence had remained on the Galilean moons (Maybe 220000 sapients altogether, about ten percent of that being military-related) was, although not enthusiastic, perfectly accommodating.

Of course, they were now also outnumbered ten to one in their own cities, but...

Well, it didn't matter all that much, and as far as Ivanova was concerned, the holdings on the Galilean moons were unnecessary enough to consider their absorption into Weyr a surprisingly sensible course (Although the local residents would've rather more issues, and she did of course have to consider these).

After all, Jovian Angst was nowadays essentially... Themisto, which had developed into a sort of smaller Poseidon (In function, not in location), and to an extend Thebe, too (Although the Kaeneians there were still odd). Similarly, they did have experience in assimilating other societies - the significant Konanian population, parts of which Jovian Angst had eventually absorbed, was considered one of the reasons for DA's nowadays rather less Machiavellian approach to politics (Another reason was that said approach had failed repeatedly, and horribly so).

When Ivanova fell asleep, and a part of her mind enjoyed a fairly odd dream about Domokuns in gimp suits, another part of her mind eventually composed the response to the Weyreans.

EM-CCOM@EM1e-2; SL 3; Tightbeam
From: Susan Ivanova, Jovian Angst Administration
To: Weyrik Jovian Colonial Authority
Subject: Purchases

I - we - have indeed noticed such, although I really can't say I mind - there's plenty of space available in the largely-abandoned cities, as well as a once well-developed infrastructure, and seeing it being used (Or rather, repaired and then used) again is a rather pleasant development.

In any case. Technically, I'd suppose that a transfer of sovereignity/ territorial rights would indeed be a suitable course of action, given present demographics - I figure that you're simply more capable of dealing with your own society than we are - and as DA - as well as JA - doesn't have any particularly vital (Militarily, economically, or culturally) interests on Callisto (Or, for that matter, the other Galilean moons), theoretically, your offer is perfectly acceptable.

Practically however, there are still somewhat more than seventy-thousand Angstian sapients on Callisto, largely related to the military or exotic forms of R&D, with the rest being somewhat odd subcultures or Burning Mountain related (But not assimilated) individuals.

It's also worth noting that about 80% of the territory doesn't belong to us - we, as the primary 'Governmental' authority, act as arbiters in disputes between lower-level sovereigns, and we're definitely capable of transferring this position to you, but we're not actually capable of 'Selling' you the territory in question - such has to be done with the individual sovereigns.

Finally, to put it simple - we cannot actually reject our duties towards the Angstian now-minority on Callisto, and as much as your offer makes sense, I feel that neglecting our own people on Callisto would result in negative long-term results, potentially endangering the already flimsy network that keeps DA a unified (As far as this is possible with us) civilisation.

As of now, I'm somewhat uncertain about alternatives - I figured that your own border security would be capable of dealing with migration-related issues, but it seems that I was wrong -, although I'm somewhat fond of a degree of cooperation on Callisto that would ensure our mutual interests being kept (Such would presumably involve both of us giving up a certain degree of sovereignity in order to accommodate the other side), although I've yet to develop a concept that'd fit such. Nonetheless, especially in the light of TUS-acquisitions (And they really aren't all that desirable a neighbor, if my Martian and Neptunian colleagues are to be trusted, both of which seem to consider their previous decisions regarding TUS to be a mistake), the aforementioned degree of cooperation strikes me as a decidedly positive idea.

In any case: Should either of us develop a concept that'd fit both our needs, I'm sure we'll exchange such more-or-less immediately.

Sincerely,

~ Susan Ivanova, Jovian Angst Administration

OOC: I've done numerous checks, and the only claim to Amalthea ever made was one made by Thelas a long time ago, since abandoned. If there's any problems- legitimate ones, naturally- let me know (preferrably on IRC). Thanks.

Open Announcement

The United Solaris Federation of Tiburon, having noted the passing of more than 24 hours (by a wide degree) without any notification of Amalthean claims, and noting no active Amalthean settlements or governmental properties, shall begin colonizing the Jovian moon of Amalthea, in accordance with Project Stardust.
-----------------------------------------

Settlement procedures were fairly standard, really. A small group of civilian ships- backed up with military protection, of course, landed as a pioneer group on a deserted Amalthea. Over the coming weeks, structures would begin to rise, and a new generation of Tiburonese would grow to call Amalthea- and its new cities, built by Tiburonese hands and Tiburonese sweat- home.

Gwee. Small post for now.

The Guilder stations on Adrastea and Amalthea tracked the incoming Tiburonese vessels down to their landing on Amalthea's surface. Ironically, Mons Ida's communications gear couldn't reach over the tiny world's horizon, so the greeting came not locally from Amalthea, but rather from Adrastea when the Tiburonese touched down.

Greetings, and Welcome to Amalthea from the Guild Phoenicia. If the city of Mons Ida can be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to ask. We look forward to building a productive relationship with your people.

Mea maxima culpa. It seems my original search overlooked your claims. My apologies.

General Lands was fairly surprised to hear a voice from Amalthea, but, after a brief review of datalinks, found the corresponding information. He figured there would be a heated conversation in the Division of Intelligence later. Still, the Proteus incident had prepared the Aerospace Force for situations where a quick leave would be necessary. A short reply was sent to the original coordinates of the message.

Salutations, and thank you for the invitation to Amalthea. This is Lieutenant General Anthony Lands of the Tiburonese Aerospace Force. We had come here to colonize initially the entirety of the moon of Amalthea under the belief that Amalthea was not inhabited by any nation.

However, we do not wish to trespass over any nation's internal territories, and now that we are aware of the city of Mons Ida, we wish to begin negotiations to determine how much, if any, of the moon we may colonize. We thank you again for this gracious invitation, and are pleased to see that we may discuss with a reasonable nation regarding the issue.

Sincerely,
LTG Anthony Lands,
Tiburon Aerospace Force
The United Solaris Federation of Tiburon

(OOC: No problem. I updated the NSWiki article on Amalthea to include you.)
The initial response was almost immediate, modulo lightspeed lag for the message to make the round trip to Adrastea.
Understood, General Lands. There should be no prohibitive objection to your colonization. Please stand by for an official statement.

Evstathios flicked a switch on his controlboard to open a port to Adrastea. "Jupiter V calling Jupiter XV."
"Jupiter XV here, proceed."
"Just a heads up, it looks like we're going to need you to keep that relay channel open for a few hours at least., unless our visitors come over the horizon."
"No problem, Jupiter V. Standing by."
He changed the channel to internal communications.
"Patroclus, I need some authority on the line. Is it Kepheus or Zakynthos on this shift?"
"Hey, Evstathios. Yeah, I heard the exchange. I'll notify Kepheus."
"Thanks. Send the message up here when its ready?"
"Nah, just hook me into the relay. I'll transmit."

About thirty minutes later, Adrastea bounced another message back at the Tiburonese.
General Lands,
Our primary interest in Amalthea is as an energy and momentum sink and radiation shield. Currently, major development has occurred primarily within the bulk of Mons Ida and the crater Pan, although we have also begun threading the interior of the moon for power generation. Were you to seek equal division of the moon's volume for territorial claim, I believe the most reasonable solution would be for us to take the northern half and you the southern given these circumstances.
However, this is a large moon, in terms of volume. It should be possible for both of our polities to expand for quite some time without conflict before official borders must be set. I suggest the crater Gaea as a good starting point for your colony, or Mons Lyctos. If you are primarily interested in surface area, know that we will be for the most part avoiding the leading face, save for our current facilities in Pan and Mons Ida and near-future project at the sub-jovian point, in order to make use of Amalthea's mass as radiation shielding.
Our only terms for you are that your activities do not adversely interfere with our own. Particularly, we request that you exercise caution in the application of artificial gravity technologies.
We look forward to the potential of mutually beneficial cooperation here. Should you wish to codify our agreement to your colonization in an official treaty, we can recieve representatives at either Mons Ida or Pan.

Kepheus of Mons Ida,
Guild Phoenicia

[LTG A. Lands|TASF] Wow. They're... being reasonable about all of this. It's impressive.

[COL R. Shakram|TASF] Maybe you're just not used to it, sir. Mars isn't indicative of the rest of the galaxy, after all.

[LTG A. Lands|TASF] Point taken.

[Sent Via D-Net]
[To: Kepheus, Mons Ida, Guild Phoenicia]
[From: LTG Anthony Lands, Tiburon Aerospace Force, the United Solaris Federation of Tiburon]
[Subject: Amalthea]
[Classification: Declassified]

Kepheus,

Thank you again for accepting our colonization request. Since our primary purpose is government and civilian research, I do not believe dividing the entire moon will be necessary. Given the suggestion, however, we do find the prospect of setting up a civilian and military area in Gaea and the adjacent Mons Lyctos quite appealing. Given the fact that Mons Lyctos is adjacent to Mons Ida, we promise to exercise the greatest caution not to disturb the gravitational field of Mons Ida.

For legal purposes, the Internal Revenue Agency insists on codifying the boundaries of a potential Tiburonese territory on Amalthea. Representatives are being sent to Mons Ida to delineate these boundaries and to further these warm relations.

Sincerely,
LTG Anthony Lands,
Tiburon Aerospace Force
The United Solaris Federation of Tiburon

A small shuttle was sent from the TSS Market Garden to the surface of Amalthea, carrying representatives from the Division of State. The gears turn.

Kepheus alerted dock control as to the approach of the Tiburonese shuttle, and paged Zakynthos to prep a conference room. DC was predictably worried about handling a rendez-vous with previously unknown technology, but Phoenician transfer locks were known to be compatible with the Scolopendran's, and Tiburon was a fellow member of the ToY... just in case, they readied a universal docking tube with heat-activated adhesive sealant to get the shuttle's occupants into the city.

Kepheus met the delegation just outside the pressure lock door, a two-meter circle opening into the side of the relatively spacious, for Phoenician architecture, three meter diameter corridor-streets of Mons Ida. Three sets of ladder-rungs were spaced equally around the tan plastic walls, alternating with strips of flourescent lights.

Kepheus himself was high-generation spacer posthuman, like all of Phoenicia's Jovian colonists. Being short of stature, with silvered skin, black almond-shaped eyes, elongated arms and fingers, and prehensile toes, he was well on the way to being mistaken for a Roswell Grey. He wore a loose blue jumpsuit, elastisized around ankles, wrists, and waist, rife with pockets. The Phoenician crest- a Guilder golden dodecahedron with the constellation of the Ship inside- was emroidered over the left breast.

"Kalimera! Welcome to Mons Ida. I am called Kepheus. If you would like to get right down to business, a conference room has been prepared."

The collection of darkly coloured vessels (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/NSIndy/Xiana_Class.jpg) let slip the poor bonds of the tundra-laden world of Europa many miles beneath, and against the tumulus atmosphere their metallic sheen glinted dimly apart from the weakening light of Sol, so filtered by the actions of the mass of drifting objects between Jupiter and Mars.

The recent increase in traffic within the Jovian System had not gone unnoticed by the Aengelistoria Dominica and the Serene^Union as a whole, and whilst reasonably confident that their extensive holdings over half of Europa were secure from aggression—the KISS having failed to find any evidence of planned intent to attack—it was prudent to ensure the forces of the Union were kept alert to any and all potential conflicts within their immediate sphere of influence.

Fleet transferences between the Earth Conflict Spheres and Jovian Conflict Spheres were a matter of record—the constant rotation of the Fleet assets of the Defence Solarri designed to vary the tours of duty and bring new skills to the fore. Perhaps if records were examined in detail by those who kept so sophisticated or complete a watch, a discrepancy in the time period between the last fleet movement and the current one might be found.

So it was elements of the Third Fleet (Fortuna), led by their flagship K.D.V. Fortuna DSC-41B began the short trek from the gigantic gas giant to the inconspicuous third world from the Sun, perhaps on a slightly more eclectic course than standard, if only to observe in passing the events which had brought new lives in their millions to Jupiter’s moons.

JCA Terraforming Plans Scrapped
WN3: Ganymede

The Jovian Colonial Authority has announced it will postpone further spending on its terraformation initiative for Ganymede at the opening of the Intercolonial Summit. The terraformation initiative was one of the Jovian Colonial Authority's most ambitious and expensive projects, and was intended to provide incentives for colonists to move to Ganymede upon completion.

The terraformation of Ganymede was a joint project with the Snel. Under the preliminary plans drawn by the Jovian Colonial Authority, it would provide much of the financial backing for the project. The Snel would provide experience and technology. Although only in the planning stages when it was scrapped earlier today, the terraformation project was viewed as a major building block for improved relations between the Snel and Weyr.

Although the Jovian Colonial Authority has cited budget overrun concerns as its key reason from withdrawing from the terraformation efforts, speculation persists of diplomatic pressure from key nations with which the Weyrean government seeks to establish better relations. A more plausible contribution to the Jovian Colonial Authority's decision to terminate its participation in the terraformation project may be Tiburon's increased interest in establishing a sizeable Ganymedan colony. Any terraformation efforts will create a Ganymede-wide pseudo-ocean, which will make startup colonization and resource extraction difficult. The breakup of Ganymede's ice crust will also disrupt existing surface installations, which would require highly expensive relocation of colonists and equipment.

As a side effect of the termination of the terraformation initiative, the Integrated Automotive Consortium has announced it may expand its Ganymedan operations rather than establish additional manufactory complexes at the Asgard and Valhalla ring formations. With strong demand for its prospecting and mining crawlers continuing into the fourth month since the beginning of production in both Ganymedan and Callistoan mining sectors, which are expected to begin regular shipments of heavy metals to Terra by the end of the year, the Integrated Automotive Authority may be looking at securing its position in what is already a highly profitable market instead of taking further risks.

WN3: The Now That Was

Dst: Hirokazu Surakawa, Undersecretary of State for Intersolar Affairs
Src: Katerina Silver, Jovian Colonial Authority
SubjLin: Callisto and Ganymede

I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that the Jovian Colonial Authority has overextended itself in the past few months, and will not be pursuing any further territorial expansion while we consolidate our current claims. As far as we're concerned, all territory between the Ganymedan equator and the Snel territories on the south pole are open to claims.

Jovian Colonial Authority's position on Callisto is more complicated. Nominally Callisto is divided between This United State, Der Angst, and Weyr. In reality, our claims extend only as far as the Asgard, Utgard, and Valhalla ring formations, and sections of the north pole. As a result, most of Callisto's northern hemisphere is still unclaimed.

I have asked the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry to forward you all their accumulated data on our operations in Ganymede and Callisto, which I hope will be of some help. In addition, if it's possible I'd like to hold a meeting to duscuss how Tiburon and Weyr can best cooperate in developing the open areas of the Jovian system to our mutual benefit.

The Jovian Colonial Authority would be happy to have Tiburon as a neighbor and, I hope, as a partner in developing Callisto, Ganymede, and other Jovian satellites.

Sincerely,
Katerina Silver
Coordinator of the Jovian Colonial Authority

Dst: Hirokazu Surakawa, Undersecretary of State for Intersolar Affairs
Src: Susan Wills, Office of the Advocate for Jovian Affairs of the Ministry of the Economy, Trade, and Industry
SubjLin: Callisto and Ganymede

As requested by the Jovian Colonial Authority through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I am attaching the data gathered on Callisto by the Ministry of the Economy, Trade, and Industry by private exploration companies.

In addition to the geologic data I am including on-site reports from field teams regarding their experiences with equipment and logistics. Director Julius Gai assembled reports from other municipal directors regarding their experiences in establishing, maintaining, and expanding settlements. The Group of Five, a loose coalition of Weyrean industrial interests, has contributed a report on their experiences in extending their operations to Ganymede and, recently, to Callisto. I hope this will allow Tiburon to make better decisions regarding their development of Ganymede and Callisto.

As you may have plans for assuming control of current Weyrean installations, please remember that many are likely to be deactivated by the time any territorial transfer takes place.

Please remember that while the Ministry of the Economy, Trade, and Industry does its utmost to verify all information, it cannot guarantee that any information passed on is entirely accurate. The information regarding Ganymede should be reliable for the most part, as it was assembled over a period of time. Information regarding Callisto did not offer as broad a range of data, preventing fully accurate analysis and verification of reports for potentially invalid information contradicting mainstream information.

The Ministry of the Economy, Trade, and Industry hopes this information will be of assistance in Tiburon's expansion into the Jovian planetary system. This office will be glad to offer any assistance or provide any information necessary on request.

Sincerely,
Susan Wills
Advocate for Jovian Affairs

Dst: Susan Ivanova, Jovian Angst Administration
Src: Katerina Silver, Jovian Colonial Authority
SubjLin: Purchases

In light of this new information, I'm afraid to say the Jovian COlonial Authority has neither the expertise nor the resources to take over the management over such a populated and diverse area. Other colonial authorities have never had to deal with such issues, so the Jovian Colonial Authority does not have any precedents on which to base its actions.

We've set up partially effective interdiction for space traffic with the help of the Self-Defense Fleet, but the Jovian Colonial Authority is not a military organization, and we do not have the resources t effectively patrol a large surface border. As commerce between the Weyrean and Angstian administrative areas expands over the next few years, real traffic restrictions will become impossible for the Jovian Colonial Authority to enforce without suffering significant repercussions.

The Ministry of Justice has agreed to share its internal criminal database with Angstian authorities. This might help us both keep out mutual troublemakers, especially if accompanied by an arrangement for the extradition of criminals. A jointly operated traffic control system will both help with overall security for Callisto and make transportation more regular, but will require TUS participation, which does not at this point seem very likely. I'd be happy to be part in a Callisto-wide organization that could take care of planet-wide law enforcement, commerce, and traffic, but such an arrangement seems out of the question at the moment, not the least because it would never pass through the Weyrean legislature.

It's very likely the Jovian Colonial Authority's concerns will be completely unfounded, and that there will be absolutely no need for any expanded security measures. This system has been rather quiet recently, and I don't see why this happy state of affairs cannot continue.

Sincerely,
Katerina Silver
Coordinator of the Jovian Colonial Authority


Dst: Katerina Silver, Jovian Colonial Administration
Src: Susan Wills, Office of the Advocate for Jovian Affairs
SubjLin: Errors

The Office of the Advocate for Jovian Affairs of the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry would like to apologize for incorrect data provided to the Jovian Colonial Authority on mm.dd.yyy from its Common Repository on Jovian Affairs (Moderated) that may have led to potential misunderstandings and resulting in any damages. We would like to assure the Jovian Colonial Authority that steps are being taken as outlined in the Administrative Responsibility Act of 304AL (as amended) against the individuals and entities responsible.

Sincerely,
Susan Wills
Advocate for Jovian Affairs

As expected, the docking was smooth and painless. Given the previous experience that the Spacer Guilds had with Triumvirate civilian technology, it wasn't much of a surprise.

Hirokazu Surakawa (who has already been established, at this point, as the Undersecretary of State for Intersolar Affairs) and Abimbola Sherefah, a representative of the ever-irritating Internal Revenue Agency (which, inexplicably retained the CRA initials of the Central Revenue Agency that it replaced) stepped out of the craft and immediately noticed the lightness of their steps.

It wasn't a completely new experience, at least for Surakawa, who had been on a previous diplo-colonization mission to Neptune. Still, he enjoyed feeling the extended range of movement at times. Sherefah, on the other hand, did not seem as amused with the acrobatic abilities that a smaller gravitational force entailed. "I would advise, Undersecretary, that we stick to the old maxim of business before pleasure, sir."

Hirokazu responds with a sigh. Bureaucrats do not have many pleasures. "Agreed." He turns to Kepheus and nods politely. "Lead the way." He receives the Weyrik message in transit, and produces a reply during the same transit.

[Sent Via D-Net]
[To: Katerina Silver, Jovian Colonial Authority, the FDK of Weyr; Susan Wills, Office of the Advocate for Jovian Affairs of the Ministry of the Economy, Trade, and Industry, the FDK of Weyr]
[From: Hirokazu Surakawa, Undersecretary of State for Intersolar Affairs, the USF of Tiburon; Rahul Moraji, Deputy Undersecretary of State for Intersolar Affairs for Settlement, the USF of Tiburon]
[Subject: Re(2): Callisto and Ganymede]
[Classification: Declassified]

Coordinator Silver and Advocate Wills,

Thank you both for assisting us with our efforts in setting up a new locale in Ganymede and Callisto. We have carefully gone through the information, and while we feel that this should be sufficient in normal circumstances to establish an area, we feel that previous experiences in Tiburonese history show the prudence of extra precaution while establishing territory. As such, we'd like to arrange a meeting with Weyrik representatives to see where exactly we can establish territories on the two moons.

Sincerely, Hirokazu Surakawa and Rahul Moraji,
Undersecretary of State for Intersolar Affairs and Deputy Undersecretary of State for Intersolar Affairs for Settlement,
The United Solaris Federation of Tiburon

[Sent Via T-Net]
[To: {Appropriate Authorities; Jovian Territories; Kaenei, The Dominion, Treznor, Cetaganda, TYCS Command Jupiter}]
[From: LTG Anthony Lands, Tiburon Aerospace Force, the United Solaris Federation of Tiburon]
[Subject: Amalthea, Callisto, and Ganymede]
[Classification: Declassified]

To Whom it May Concern,

Salutations. We're setting up shop in Amalthea and possibly Callisto and Ganymede, around everyone else's territories. Hope no one minds. We'd like representatives of allied powers in the vicinity to come to the opening ceremonies, so hope to see you there.

Sincerely,
LTG Anthony Lands,
Tiburon Aerospace Force
The United Solaris Federation of Tiburon

"Very good. It is not far. This way."
Despite possessing a far more accute sense of acceleration than an Ur-human, Kepheus demonstrated an apparent complete lack of preferred orientation. He grabbed the nearest set of rungs and began climbing rapidly down the corridor. They soon came to a t-intersection with a corridor leading into the mountain, with signs written in Russian, Koine, and Interlingua indicating the way to cargo storage, docking control, and spaceport exit. Only a few meters in, Kepheus turned into an upward corridor, and stopped in the middle of the vertical passage, in front of a circular sliding door, which opened onto the conference room.

The four-by-three meter ellipsoid room, flattened in the direction of Amalthea's feeble gravity, had one other door on the far side, and was divided in half by a transparent square suspended in the center of the room by four cables. Kepheus shoved off the wall and drifted to the side of the square to the oher side of the room, where another blue-suited spacer stood on tip-toe.

"Allow me to introduce Zakynthos. We will both be representing the Phoenician Guild."
Zakynthos nodded. "Kalimera."
"Now, if you would care to introduce yourselves?"