NationStates Jolt Archive

OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE – PROJECT ENERGY

HM GOVERNMENT OF TELIDIA
Department for Transport & Environment

The government of Telidia hereby formally request the assistance of nations in order to both execute and plan Project Energy. Telidian territory suffered an immense earthquake a few months ago and during this event one of our geothermal power plants suffered heavy damage and has to date not been repaired. In addition as part of Telidia’s continuing obligations under UN environmental regulations we are also required to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and it is our aim to fulfil some of our obligations within the scope of Project Energy.

Project Energy’s scope is fivefold.

1. The repair of the existing geothermal power plant damaged during the recent earthquake on the Island of Geo-ussy.

2. Creation of another geothermal plant with 25% more capacity on the island of Yhio’lis.

3. Construction of 60 windmills in the Tristial straight to bolster the energy capacity of the geothermal plants.

4. Building of a suspension bridge linking the islands of Yhio’lis and Geo-ussy with an estimated span of 4011m.

5. Housing and facilities for all workers on both islands.

Telidia is seeking assistance from the international community both in terms of direct assistance, but would also appreciate observer nations whose purpose will be to ensure adherence to international law. For those nations or organisations that wish to participate more directly the government of Telidia will require proof of their experience within a project of this scale appropriate with their area of expertise. Areas of expertise for which we have a requirement are, but not exclusive to:

Construction & Engineering
Finance
Information Technology
Geology
Architects
Project Management

Overall project responsibility will remain in the privy of the Telidian government principally under the Department for Transport & Environment. Health & Safety obligations will be the responsibility of EASE (Executive Agency for Safety Enforcement) an agency under the direction of the Department for Health. It is also our view the international community will hope to play some part in ensuring the health & safety of migrant works are carefully considered.

It is fully understood a project of this scale will have immigration considerations and considering the length of such a project Telidia is prepared to offer citizenship for those workers who execute their duties to completion with the confines of their contracts. Migrant workers will be offered the following compensation in exchange for their services:

1. Citizenship upon completion of their contract within Project Energy.

2. A subsistence income in line with the standard living costs in Telidia for the first two months when applying for positions within Project Energy’s various contractors, sub contractors or the government’s project management teams.

3. Housing and facilities are to be created for workers near the construction sites on the islands of Yhio’lis and Geo-ussy. Ownership will pass to the migrant worker upon completion of their contract. This will only apply to workers who have been granted a full time contract within Project Energy.

Immigration eligibility and access to Project Energy’s compensation scheme will be the responsibility of the Department for Internal Affairs in conjunction with on site government agencies forming the Project Energy Execution Team (PEET).

It is our hope the international community will see the benefit in the execution of Project Energy and look forward to their participation. We therefore invite members to make appropriations to my office for those activities their governments or corporations/organisations may have an interest in participating in.

With thanks
Patrick Douglas
Minister for Transport & Environment.

Ravea will be glad to aid Telidia in her quest for advanced energy systems that are both effective and eco-friendly at the same time. Our nation will provide seven thousand engineers, workers, and craftsmen to help build Telidia's geothermal power plants, windmills, and bridges. Ravea is also willing to donate as much money as the project needs for completion.

Ravea would also like to use this oppurtunity to extend a hand of friendship towards Telidia, and requests to, after Project Energy is completed, use the Ravean workers in your nation to construct an Embassy for future projects between our two nations. Ravea will also take the liberty to construct a Telidian embassy in Ravea, if you would so wish.

Do you accept our offer?

Minister of Outer Affairs,
Sherlock Perry

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Office of the Guild of Paladins
City of Valak
Republic of Krioval

ATTN: Minister Patrick Douglas, Transport & Environment, Kingdom of Telidia

Dear Minister Douglas:

It has recently come to the attention of the Guild that Your Excellency is seeking assistance with several public works projects. Our Guild has, in recent years, made several advances in technology that may be of interest to the Kingdom of Telidia. For your review, we submit the following projects completed or underway by the Guild:

Guild Headquarters (the White City) - completed in spring 2003

Valak City Renewable Energy Project, including hydroelectric dams and solar paneling - completed in summer 2005

Trans-Kriovalian Information Project, effectively fusing the disparate fiber optic networks and telephone installations into a single efficient system - completed in spring 2006

Valak District Architectural Restoration Project - to be completed in autumn 2008

Kriovalian GeoSurvey (in cooperation with the University of Torokara, the University of Valak, and the Kriovalian Division of Natural Science) - to be completed in 2009

Civilian/Military Interface Module - to be completed in 2010.

The Guild is especially interested in directing any aspects of Your Excellency's projects that deal primarily with scientific or managerial goals. Please do not hesistate to contact me if Your Excellency has any questions, either about projects undertaken by the Guild of Paladins or about how our workforce could be best applied to Your Excellency's projects.

Sincerely,

Valkai Andros
Director, Guild of Paladins
Valak, Krioval

This is to confirm our informal discussions with a representative of the government of Telidia in another venue.

In support of this very worthwhile project, His Royal Highness, the Prince of Ausserland, has determined, with the concurrence of the Telidian government, to provide the following support:

1. A technical assistance team consisting of two noted experts in the fields of mining engineering and geophysical engineering, to perform assessments of ground stability prior to construction and provide advice, as needed, during the construction. They will be aided by two representatives of one of our leading industrial concerns, Mine Technology Incorporated, which will provide the geophysical survey equipment needed.

2. A detachment of 2 officers and 46 enlisted personnel from the Special Operations Command, Army of Ausserland, to assist in providing physical security for the construction site and any materials stored on site.

His Royal Highness has further ordered that all costs associated with our participation in this effort will be borne by the Principality as evidence of the value we place on our association with the nation of Telidia.

Our government's point-of-contact for this effort is Arnold L. Jubbich, PhD, Deputy Director of Special Programs and Projects in our Ministry for Science and Technology. Dr. Jubbich will provide further information to the government of Telidia as planning progresses.

Samantha S. Silverhelm
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs (Diplomatic Operations)

Four young engineers stared straight ahead at the Ardchoillean flag on the back wall of the Chief Engineers' Office, and the air was dark with as-yet-undiscovered transgressions.

The Chief Engineer himself paced. Always he came within a millimetre of vulnerable tails. Always he avoided them. It was a practised and effective tactic for keeping younger Cats off-balance.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I've called you here today," he said.

Not one smart-cat reply. Not a quip. So far, so good.

"It is my pleasant task to tell you that your application to take part in the Telidian enterprise has been accepted," he continued. "Your service in Skinny 87 was exemplary. You have completed all the academic and practical requirements of both countries' educational authorities, and are licensed to practise your craft in both nations. The Government of Telidia has accepted our request that you be allowed to hone your skills in the specialist area you have chosen, suspension bridge construction ... SO WHY AM I GOING TO SPEND THE NEXT FIFTEEN MINUTES PUTTING THE FEAR OF GOD INTO YOUR MISERABLE HIDES?"

"Uh, we don't know, sir?" said the smallest of the group, a calico female with the distinctive M-for-Moggy outlined in both ginger and black fur on her open, spotlessly white face.

"No, of course you don't. You never do," agreed the Chief Engineer. "But I do. There were incidents in Skinny 87. I'm not going to discuss the latex sheath on that particularly tall and obtrusive memorial, or that entire parade that lost its footing when the road melted in the sun which was no hotter that day than it had been for the previous month. I am just going to point out that there were incidents. Right?"

"Absolutely, sir," agreed the slim, muscular grey with the impeccable white bib, socks and tail-tip.

The Chief Engineer bared his incisors. "But there are NOT GOING TO BE ANY INCIDENTS in Telidia. Are there?" He brought his face close enough to touch whiskers with the stocky ginger tabby, who flattened his ears obligingly.

"And the reason there aren't going to be any incidents is this: I know your real names. And we know what happens when somebody knows a Magical Creature's real name, don't we? Don't we?"

He reached for a worn, red-bound book. "Page 2134, Section Seven, paragraph 3, sub-section 2c: A Magical Creature whose Real Name is known may, upon its invocation, be made subject to the commands of the knower OR obliged to grant three wishes to the knower OR required to supply his own weight in genuine gold, according to the desires of the knower, the period of said subjection being not less than one year and a day and not exceeding one hundred years and a day, dependent on the carelessness involved in the knower becoming apprised of said Real Name."

"But we had to give our Names to become engineers," said the fourth Cat, hotly.

"Precisely. Everyone does. The Names of every engineer are known to The Scotty. Am I not your Scotty?" he demanded, his voice suddenly acquiring a distinct Aberdonian burr.

"Beam-us-up, Scotty," came the ritual, but sullen, reply.

"Four-to-beam-up," replied the Chief Engineer, completing the blessing with the old, well-loved words. "But, of course, no Scotty invokes those Names except in cases of extreme need. Nor shall I invoke them in your case."

"So -- forgive me, sir, but -- what's this all about, then?" demanded Cat Number Four, the brown velvet fur of her fine-boned Burmese face wrinkling in puzzlement.

"This: I have given your Names to a human," their chief replied. "SILENCE!" he added, as the babble of outrage swelled in volume.

"I have given them to Mother Mirrim, Abbess of Findhorn. She is bound by the ties of her religion to keep them in utter confidence, but she has my permission to use them should the need arise. Findhorn is a small island in Lavinium, Telidia's region. I understand it will be involved in many aspects of the great undertaking -- closely enough, at any rate, to keep an eye on four Cat engineers."

His audience continued to look mutinous.

"Look, kitlings, I didn't expect you to like this, but there must be no mistakes here. Telidians don't believe in magic. They don't want to have it forced on them. They don't want to have their children developing it after exposure to Magical Creatures -- although I don't think they could, actually," he added consideringly and more than a little condescendingly.

"Most of all, I'm sure they don't want their suspension bridge standing up largely at the whim of some magical nation with whom they might one day fall out. This bridge has to stand and not-fall purely on its own physical merits, understand? Physics, not phenomena.

"Very well, that's all. The helicopter's waiting. May the fish be plentiful and the milk fresh. May your true-names never be spoken. And may the public-names of Loki, Puck, Gwydion and Raven be inscribed with honour on Telidia's rolls."

"Actually, we were thinking that Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d'Artagnan might be better," said the calico.

"Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam would be a nice change," said the ginger one.

"Or Flopsy, Mopsy, Peter and Cottontail?" suggested the Burmese. "Or Keats, Shelley, Wordsworth and Coleridge?"

"Nah, let's stick with god-names. They're trickster gods, after all," the grey one said decisively, shepherding his companions out. "It'll be okay, sir. No sweat, no worries, she'll be right."

The Chief Engineer stood at his window to watch the helicopter rise into the sun. "Dear Lady Bastet, in your paws, of course," he sighed. "Please don't listen, Mother of Cats: but I wish I were going too."

[Overheard in the office of the Ausserland Prime Minister. The participants: Balthazar von Aschenbach, Prime Minister, and Harold Bergstein, Minister for Science and Technology.]

von Aschenbach: So, the Telidia business is on track, right?

Bergstein: Yes, sir. We've got Dr. Ekwensi from Oldwillow U. and old Dr. Kastenbusch on board, and the MTI people are being very cooperative.

von A: Good, good. I know both of them. Good people. Tops in their field, right?

B: Yes, sir. And General Steinfeld is detailing one of her company commanders to head up the SOC detachment.

von A: Fine. Never have to worry about the SOCkers.

B: Yes, sir, we have a fine SOCker team.

von A: Huh?

B: Er... just a little humor there, sir.

von A: Oh. Who's honcho-ing this from your place?

B: Dr. Jubbich, sir.

von A: Jubbich? Arnold Jubbich?!

B: Yes, sir. He's an excellent planner, and it's in his bailiwick.

von A: Oh, yeah, I know. Nice guy. Works well with people. And he comes up with first-rate plans. And then when he goes to....

B: Sir, his daughter's going along as his admin assistant.

von A: His daughter? The kid from Interior? The one that handled the river dredging stuff?

B: Yes, sir. Amanda Jubbich.

von A: Well, OK, then. No problem. Now, about that telecomm baloney....