NationStates Jolt Archive

-A Message to the International Community, Care of Central Director Elliot Schultz and Director Sarnow Haarvekord

"Despite nearly two months of setbacks we, the Nation of Schultaria Prime, would like to offer a chance for any interested academic personnel to attend a two week series of international symposiums to be held at the Eldaimovey Advanced Research Laboratories in Schultaria Prime. Given how international tensions have risen to an unbearable pitch, we are still concerned about the state of humanity's pursuit of knowledge in today's overtly militarized world. As was intended long before the threat of global conflict persuaded the majority of the world otherwise, Schultaria Prime would like to hold this conference to encourage the research of peaceful technology instead of weapons of destruction.

As Schultaria Prime considers the advancement of peaceful scientific development to be blind to ideology, every nation is allowed a delegate at this conference. If a sovereign state has a specific selection of people who would be valuable additions as featured lecturers at this conference, please notify the government of Schultaria Prime at the earliest possible convenience. To promote an atmosphere of peace, we request that you do not bring armed security personnel; however, we will allocate members of the SKC - Otkron (Schultarian Defense Forces - Special Operations) to those nations who are wary of more violent reprisals.

The University of Schultaria Prime system will provide four keynote speakers in addition to a rather large block of seminars throughout the Eldaimovey Laboratory Complex over the 14 day period. Those nations wishing to send lecturers from outside of Schultaria Prime are requested to have their delegates arrive at least three days in advance of their presentation; the time beforehand will be spent addressing potential technical problems and familiarizing each guest with the general symposium format. In addition, there will be frequent opportunities to exchange knowledge and tour the nation's sites outside of the symposium grounds. Guests do not have to bring their own source of funds during their stay; all accommodations and needs will be paid for the government of Schultaria Prime without charge. All foreign attendees, for their patience, shall receive a severance check of $50,000 for lost research time and canceled appointments.

We hope that this can be the first step to diverting the never ending cycle of pursuing peaceful research away from military domination. The Nation of Schultaria Prime looks forward to exchanging our ideas with a great multitude of nations across this wonderful world of ours."

The young nation of New Almendrastan would like to attend this symposiunm. We value education greatly and would like to enlighten our nations scientists with any information these learnned men from many nations would like to share. Though we have no break through technology that we would share we are always willing to learn and fill our minds with any new knowledge. In particular we are interested in any new breakthroughs in medical technology and alternate engery source technology.

-International Village: 5 kilometers west of the Eldaimovey Advanced Research Laboratories, Schultaria Prime

The laboratory had been blessed with an additional two months to prepare, and they had taken full advantage of the reprieve. Even with the wrangling between the Central Scientific Collective and the University of Schultaria Prime, both could finally admire the product of their efforts. Dozens of workers, exhausted from the constant changes in schedule, took some time from their busy projects to admire what they had finally assembled. With the siren call of sleep beckoning the weary construction workers the chief foreman wearily announced "She's all yours" to the chief ministers of Eldaimovey. What they inherited was a wonderful reflection of Schultarian industry and peaceful scientific achievement.

The International Village had been expanded tenfold to accommodate the numbers of delegates attending from all over the globe; the red granite apartments gleaned as the sun reflected off the dozens of ponds dotting the bright white walkways. Incorporating natural beauty with scientific practicality, the small resort city had been outfitted with the most advanced technologies available to the Schultarian nation. Many areas were completely integrated with their environment, and the architecture of the assorted apartments and shops seemed to meld into the prairie landscape of the Central Plain.

Schultaria Prime had spared no expense for the expected clientele in this idyllic scene. While the invitations were still being distributed, the organizers of the symposium anticipated a banner gathering; even though they expected an attendance of at least five thousand notable doctorates in every modern academic field, the city was capable of holding at least three times as many visitors in wonderful comfort. In true Schultarian fashion the organizers were planning for the distant future, but they hoped that this event would become a worldwide event well before then. Basking in their accomplishments, one of the Collective's assorted members proclaimed, "Let them come. We are ready."

Whether or not they would come had yet to be decided; all they could do in the meantime was hope and wait that the delegates would actually come.

BUMP for the Morning

A BUMP of this thread to generate interest.

-Public Message: Central Scientific Collective

"The Central Scientific Collective, a subsidiary of the Schultarian Departments of Education and Welfare, would like to announce that the first International Schultarian Civil Science Symposium is now open to any and all students and educators of collegiate status or higher. If you wish to attend and have not received an application, then please send us an RSVP as soon as possible; it would be lovely to have a thoroughly packed schedule of lectures, and we'll be more than willing to accommodate any and all guests. As with all events sponsored by the government of Schultaria Prime, we will be more than willing to assume the costs of travel, lodging, food, and a severance check of $50,000 to people in integral research fields.

There are also several dozen spots still open for foreign academicians to propose research topics and engage in serious discussion with Masters and Doctorate candidates from Schultaria Prime and throughout the world. We can assure all of our presenters that the facilities we provide are of world benchmark quality; from spacious conference rooms for twenty guests to the massive twelve thousand seat Haarvekord auditorium, the Eldaimovey Advance Research Laboratories are a wonderful place to introduce novel ideas to the world. While there are no restrictions on topic, we would prefer that the presentations fit within the general theme of de-militarizing government sponsored research.

In light of the theme Schultaria Prime will provide the following keynote speakers, all of whom are the foremost Schultarian experts in their respective fields and outspoken on the topic of government scientific development."

Douglass Kronsen: [PhD Nuclear Physics | Nuclear Engineering]
- The Atomic Historian: Societal Impacts of The Nuclear Battlefield
Shanin Watzer: [PhD Artificial Intelligence]
- Mechanical Philosophy and the Potential Misuses of Combat Artificial Intelligence
Jen'oeh Tasker: [PhD Astrophysics]
- Orbital Space: Territory of the Free?
Elliot Schultz: [PhD History | Sociology | Economics]
- The Purses of War: An In-Depth Analysis of the Economic Deficiencies of Militaristic Societies


OOC: My long-winded IC way of saying that you can join in anytime and contribute to the RP. Come on and jump in!

OOC: This got buried far too quickly, so I'll BUMP it again to see if anyone is interested in attending. Just RP your arrival; we'll start things shortly.

I'll send what amounts to an info booth for my newly developed physical sciences engineering computer(yet to be named) that I'm renting out the services of. Basically it allows a complete novice access to an analytical database that can check, correct, and make suggestions on almost anything. It amounts to giving everyone with access to it the smartest research team ever assembled. Fun what a truely national cooperative effort of scientists can create!

Link to thread (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=7811973&posted=1#post7811973)

-Central Scientific Collective Offices: Schultaria Prime, Schultaria Prime

With millions already spent to promote the event to a global audience, the response was deafeningly silent. Dozens of operators and mail clerks, hired in anticipation to receive the torrents of acceptance applications, languished in boredom and wasted their valuable wages pitching coins into waste baskets. No one could actually do anything until the rest of the world responded, and from the looks of the despondent government officials it seemed as though most hope was lost. The worst fears of every major player in this event were finally showing themselves in the light of day, and no one knew exactly what to do.

Of the anticipated five thousand foreign attendees, only sixty had called to confirm their willingness to travel to Schultaria Prime. This paltry number of foreign delegates only added injury to the Schultarian Scientific establishment. Without so much as a courteous excuse, academicians who had spent nearly a year of their professional careers planning for this event were angered to no end; to them, this was a slap in the face of their craft and a symbol of how much Schultaria really meant to the international learned community. One respected member of the Schultarian academic establishment went so far as to declare, "If the international community is this committed to peace, we should irradiate the entire planet and finish the genocide our 'brethren' so desire." While still a minority opinion, its intonations are sadly gaining speed in the more logical circles of Schultarian thought.

I can send one of my DT-114 Drone Tanks over to demonstrate my sentient AI Technology.

Also, I will send over a few delegates to observe.

OOC: A BUMP for more responses (please RP your arrival, I don't want to be the only one speaking at this conference). And remember, the theme of this event is the De-Militarization of scientific research; weapons technology must be thoroughly "neutralized" (no weaponry systems installed) otherwise it will not be allowed on Schultarian soil.

ooc: obviously, my tank would have no weapons on it.

Another BUMP to increase coverage. You can RP your characters arriving at any time; I'll start the actual symposium very soon.

OOC: I think I'll join in. Sorry the RP has gotten little attention.

Character:
Micheal Barhydt, Aerospace Engineer with ISA (Izistani Space Agency).

IC:
Micheal showed up around noon, he'd had a rather long trip considering that the supersonic flight was canceled and he had to book another subsonic flight.

So here he was, Schultaria Prime, the International Village to be exact. Hefting his trusty attache case under to the bright sun, he set off to locate a cup of coffee.

The Aztec National League would like to send four of our scientists to attend and observe this Symposiunm. We believe the community's advancement of science and technology can only help create a better world. We would like if Schultaria Prime would allow our scientists to attend.

Scientists:

Jorge Dominguez, PhD, Nuclear Physics, Chair of the Physics department of the University of Veracruz and council member of the National Atomic Power Committee

Ehecatl Xicohtencatl, PhD, Director of Astronomy for the Aztec Space Agency

John Carter, PhD, ANL Finance Minister

Tepiltzin Tlazohtzin, PhD, Director of Cultrual Anthropology at the University of Tenochitilan.

The Moontian Empire will send a small group of our leading scientists.

William Brickman: astrophysics and astronomy.
David Wickle: quantum mechanics, specialising in anti-matter/matter interactions.
Ben Goode: high energy chemistry.
Kristin Randall: molecular biology.
Heath Fedson: geology and geophysics.

My delgates:

Alexander Li: Son of my nation's leader.
Paul Wang: Head of the science ministry.
Mordant 1: Cybernetic Agent. May or may not be armed (but isn't an exhibit)
The DT-114: Drone tank

The gigantic C100 cargoplane landed in the airport, and the tank, 1 human, 1 human/lizardman hybrid and 1 robot stepped off. The tank freaked people out to say the least. People ran, screamed, dialed 911, some security guards uselessly fired their pistols at the hulking behemoth.

The delegation would have to wait until the government arrived to sort this out.

A bump for Schultaria

-Eldaimovey International: Eldaimovey Advanced Research Laboratories, Schultaria Prime

Despite all of the weather reports to the contrary, the day had been surprisingly mild and sunny; this more than anything helped to calm the welcoming party's nerves. In a heightened mixture of excitement and trepidation, the four major presenters plus Director Haarvekord stood on the tarmac waiting for the delegates from the nations of Aztec National League, Moontian, and MassPwnage to depart from their respective craft. When the rear doors of the Pwnage C100 finally revealed their cargo to the Schultarian world, the five academics were quite interested to see the cacophony of individuals that the symposium had attracted.

[OOC: First note of Schultarian culture: Curiosity first, fears later.]

The Otkron, notified well in advance of the arrival of the delegations, waited patiently as the group left their craft and assembled. Although the sun still had not broken the morning chill, the deep black surface of the runway radiated enough heat to prompt the special forces to leave their heavy body armor behind. The leader of the security detail, a decorated general of the SKC with over twenty years diplomatic and combat experience, addressed the Pwnian group in a well mannered but matter of fact tone.

"As a representative of the Schultarian Defense Forces, let me be the first to welcome you to Schultaria Prime and wish you a pleasant stay while you're here. Now, as you have informed us previously, you've brought one individual as a security officer and one artificially intelligent military unit. Since Schultaria Prime has rather strict regulations regarding the importation and utilization of live weaponry on sovereign property, we would like to make sure that your weapons have been documented and transferred to appropriate and secure locations. This shouldn't take more than ten minutes at the absolute most, and once you're finished here a tram will arrive to escort your delegation to the International Village."

"Interesting mix of individuals," he thought as he waited for their response, "Let's hope all of the planes we have to process are as diverse as this."

-----

-International Village

Appearing out of thin air, a lone hologram bearing the image of Central Director Schultz approached the Izistanian delegate and greeted him with the utmost deference. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am one of several hundred virtual guides designed to insure that your stay is as welcoming and productive as possible. Despite all evidence to the contrary I am not artificially sentient, but I am capable of answering over one hundred and thirty thousand different queries. If I can't answer your question, I'll make sure to point you to someone who can." Letting out a small unforced chuckle, the semi transparent body of the Central Director pointed to a steeply domed building looking over a rather large reflecting pond, "Let's make sure that you're all settled in before anything. After all it would be terrible not to claim a good apartment, especially since it's all on the house!"

-International Village

Appearing out of thin air, a lone hologram bearing the image of Central Director Schultz approached the Izistanian delegate and greeted him with the utmost deference. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am one of several hundred virtual guides designed to insure that your stay is as welcoming and productive as possible. Despite all evidence to the contrary I am not artificially sentient, but I am capable of answering over one hundred and thirty thousand different queries. If I can't answer your question, I'll make sure to point you to someone who can." Letting out a small unforced chuckle, the semi transparent body of the Central Director pointed to a steeply domed building looking over a rather large reflecting pond, "Let's make sure that you're all settled in before anything. After all it would be terrible not to claim a good apartment, especially since it's all on the house!"

"Ah...Very well. I shall choose an apartement then I shall seek you out again" replied Barhydt. Needless to say, he was quite shocked at the apperance of the holographic projection, he would have to enquire about it after he got his apartment picked out. He thanked the guide and wandered over to the building.

The delegates for the ANL departed off of the craft into the nice atmosphere. Although somewhat different from their native weather, it was still enjoyable and welcoming.

Jorge Dominguez was the first scientist off. He was 56, had dark, but graying hair and was wearing a white cardigan sweater, light green shirt and khaki pants. Looking around at the people, he could tell this would be an interesting meet. Of course, he expected to be on his toes, not only was he representing the nuclear researchers of the ANL, he was also representing the University of Veracruz and the National Atomic Power Committee of the ANL.

Second off the plane was the Finance Minister John Carter, 58 (if you want an idea of what he looks like, just think of Bones McCoy in the Star Trek movies, just wearing regular civilian clothing.) His interest was purely economics, and he wanted to see what Elliot Schultz had to say.

Third off the plane was Ehecatl Xicohtencatl, the Director of Astronomy for the ASA. The youngest person in the group, about 34, looked at their surroundings with great interest. He put his glasses on and looked around to get a more clear view. Wearing a long black coat, slacks and a dress shirt, he was the most formal person in the group.

Finally, the last person off the plane was Tepiltzin Tlazohtzin. Although not as interested in economics and Mr. Carter, he wanted to see Elliot Schultz's opinion on Sociology, but more importantly, history. Although the oldest person in the group at 65, he was the most relaxed and most casually dressed.

Since John Carter was an official from the ANL government, he would be representing the delegation in formalities. He moved in front of the rest of the delegates and they walked towards the welcoming party.

Exitting a standard plane after sitting cramped in the coach section are the two delegates from Sileetris.

Prof. Arnold Henderson wasn't your typical professor, he was young at only 32, clean-shaven with a full head of brown hair, and he was nowhere near qualified as a professor by the standards of the people around him. He wasn't even particularly brilliant. This illustrates an interesting difference between the Sileetris scientific community and that of the rest of the world. Whereas most countries award proffesional degrees based on merit or in some cases on how much the student is willing to shill out, Sileetris awards it based on business reasons. Arnold Henderson is an example of the kind of person Sileetris rents out to small countries to solve problems. He goes, assess a situation, gets on his cellphone and has a solution Sileetris has had for decades e-mailed to him. Sometimes taking many years to do so because it meant they had to pay more. His title of Professor also meant they would be paying more for 'his' insightful services. Now, to many this would seem to be a very corrupt practice, and it very well could be considered one, but in the end the country buying it gets a problem solved and says to itself "Man, that kid from Sileetris sure was smart, what a great country it must be to have people of his age with so much skill!". And it was cheaper than having a supercorporation come in and solve everything while installing brand new set of consumer friendly politicians..... Off of that tangent, Prof. Henderson is wearing a navy blue business suit(in Sileetris fashion showing some influences of very old styles modernized; flaring collar, large buttons, etc.) and carrying a silver laptop.

Behind him was Sgt. Dorem Klark, a young man in the stylized blue-with-white-lining dress uniform characteristic of the Sileetris military, with an almost Beatles-like haircut, was dragging
a short train of heavy baggage. In his breast pocket were the approval forms needed to carry the advanced combat armor suit in the suitcases across a foreign border without first shooting at it from a helicopter.

The pilot of the Poltergeist brought the plane down just three minutes after the ANL craft taxied out of the way. The delegates disembarked, along with an equal number of troops from Moontian's 3rd Immortals cyborg division.
First on the list was Kristin Randall, young to be sent to a conference like this at 28, but comes credited with many recent advances in the advances in cyborg technology, along with some small work in retroviral techniques.
Next on the tarmac was William Brickman. The oldest of the scientists, 46, he was one of the group working on Dionne (in the Wolf 359 system) who discovered many of the brown dwarfs in the region of the galaxy, with ideas of detonating some to create more livable worlds.
Third, David Wickle, 34, a recent collaborator with Brickman on the question of detonating brown dwarfs, also a string theorist interested in the workings of subatomic processes.
Heath Fedson stepped out later, young-looking for his 41 years, a noted author of books on the geological structures of Neptune's moons, along with theses on the worlds of Alpha Circini.
Last of the civilians, Ben Goode, a contemporary of Randall, is also an author of note, with treatises on the role of pressure to counteract temperature to allow chemical reactions.
The bodyguards exited after the scientists, each covering their own man or woman's back until they reached their hotel rooms.

The tank turned its "cockpit" area towards the general.

"Better make it a big tram... I weigh 100 tons, even without weapons." The tank's metallic, rumbling voice was creepy.

Paul, the human, nodded. Paul was grey haired, old and committing the sacrilege of wearing a hawaiian shirt. But then again, he was a brilliant scientist, so the sacrilege could be partially excused.

Mordant, the cybernetic security agent popped out the BR-2 Carbine from his back arms pod and handed it over, as well as the 3 handguns and sawed off autoshotgun.

Alexander, the hybrid, cleared his throat. Mordant turned over another BR-2 in his second arms pod as well as an RCR-41 Sniper Rifle.

"Alright, that should be all our weapons." Said Alexander.

As members of TAPRES, Vastiva had a responsibility to attend the symposium. It was a chance to rub elbows with the best, to sample new technology...

"TOGA PARTY!"

Dr Weyker rolled her eyes and moved out of the way of the inevitable run down the aisles of the 74SL her travelling companions would soon engage in. Her attention remained on the documents in front of her - as an officer of the Vastivan Public Health Agency, it was her job to look at the newfangled thingies with an eye towards improving heathcare and sanitation. Just as, as an officer of the Vastivan Scientific Services, it was the job of Dr. Ahmad Von Ross to look over presentations with a view towards general science; of Dr Esma'il Shahrukh of the Vastivan Scientific Research Agency to look for new methodologies of research; and of Dr Chadiran von Cohen of the Vastivan Aeronautics Administration to look at all, with an aim towards space.

It was the other ten members of the delegation causing all the problems. Vastiva had been very good in keeping its trade delegations and delegates under wraps - usually rope, occasionally chain - and away from the general public as much as possible. Unfortunately, the circumstance meant there was a possibility for technological exchange, which meant trade...

Which meant a Trade Delegation had to go.

She only hoped the four green-robed "minders" were up to the job ahead of them - corraling and keeping the TDs in check.

In the locked and sealed cockpit, the pilot - a veteran of the Brimstone engagement - checked her approach vector and clicked on her headset.

Attention Schultarian Control, this is VAL flight 646, inbound at invitation. Our controls are adapted for your proceedures, we are on vector two-five-two and approaching at nominal speed. Please advise.

-Eldaimovey Central Air Command

A reactionary relic of the tragic Contact Day Massacre, the personnel in the tower normally dealt with as few as three major flights a week while they languished in obscurity, but they were some of the most competent military and artificially intelligent flight controllers in the Schultarian Nation. Complete with revolutionary three dimensional holographic displays and advanced multi-planar tracking systems, it represented the first major step in what the Scientific Collective dubbed "Innazi Allnea Sooltaris". Effectively, this facility would play a major role in the development of commercial orbital travel, but those plans were decades in the far future.

The Symposium was finally picking up speed, and the operators stashed away in the darkened control tower were enjoying the change in pace. As the Vastivan aircraft announced its intentions, one of the senior flight controllers replied promptly to the call.

"VAL 646, this is Eldaimovey Central Air Command. We have confirmation of your position with an ETA of twenty minutes outside of the Eldaimovey Research Laboratories. Your aircraft has been cleared for runway 4b with an anticipated time of touchdown in twenty five minutes.

Welcome to the Nation of Schultaria Prime..."

-----

-Eldaimovey International: Eldaimovey Advanced Research Laboratories, Schultaria Prime

Assessing the specifications of each weapon, the General and his security detail catalogued each weapon into a mobile database along with any identifying marks or special characteristics. Once they were through with their analysis, they promptly returned the weapons to their Pwnian owners. The wrinkles on the general's flattened as he smiled, "I'd personally suggest that these weapons are stored on your plane where they might be safely concealed. After all, we Schultarians can be a curious lot when it comes to technology, and we wouldn't want charges of technological theft levied on us during this symposium. Now, if you wish, you can by all means meet up with the rest of the delegations. My team will procure the necessary transportation for everyone here."

With the trams still at least ten minutes away, the group of five waited patiently as several members slowly approached the throng of Schultarian academics. The five delegates were still by themselves as they waited for the groups to depart from their respective craft, but made no pains to express any discontent or anxiousness, except for one individual. Jen'oeh Tasker, the youngest of the group at twenty nine, felt especially worrisome while trying to engage in small talk with his colleagues. Although he was one of Schultaria Prime's first three intrepid Cosmonauts and had considerable experience with delicate events, he was never really good at first impressions. While Otkron security sweeps were wrapping up, the Astrophysics professor pulled on the collar of Elliot, yanking him behind the throng of his peers.

"Well you could have just tapped me on the shoulder Jen'oeh. What do you want to tal... ," Elliot suddenly realized his compatriot's nervous eyes and understood immediately, "I see, you've never really had experience with a serious international crowd of peers. Just follow my lead and I'll do the talking, but if you want me to do your presentation then forget it buddy." Both began to laugh, "After all, I still have to attend my day job at the Central Directorate while you can enjoy a nice working vacation for a change!"

The 74SL box wing landed on time, on schedule, and with no bump at all - an act of pride by the veteran pilot. In no time, the eighteen-strong group was stepping off the plane and into Schultaria Prime.

The four doctors conversed quietly amongst themselves as they stepped down the tramway, their M-TCODs recording all the goings on in elegant 3D for later review. Behind them came two of the silent green-robed minders, each holding a short silver baton as a symbol of their charge. Both also wore a short dagger, but this was a religious article, not a weapon. At the end of the line, two more green-robed minders walked, unconciously in military step.

Between the four, walked ten individuals in variously patterned burnooses, each looking around, occasionally pointing, and discussing the walk in loud terms.

All we need is their luggage to be "Piggly Wiggly" bags, and the image is complete, silently suffered Dr Chadiran von Cohen. Her duties normally kept her far from the various trade representatives - space was not yet a place for business concerns, though the bottle-shaped rocket was rather amusing as an advertisement. She glanced at Dr Weyker, who rolled her eyes before looking around for whomever was supposed to meet them.

For just a moment, Dr von Cohen hoped there would be some sort of snack served soon - it would help to suppress the appetite.

The agent spoke thusly: "I keep the sniper rifle, and at least 2 of my handguns."

Alexander shifted on his feet, the tram was taking a while.

-Eldaimovey International: Eldaimovey Advanced Research Laboratories, Schultaria Prime

"How long will we have to wait for the damned ride El? I don't like how our visitors aren't coming to introduce themselves, and it's really starting to ride on me."

The Central Director cast slightly aloof glance to the rest of his compatriots. As a devout follower of Schultarian diplomatic practices, the sixty year old History Doctorate and Head of State made no outward advances to his colleagues still mulling about on the tarmac. Without turning his head, Elliot replied to the group's worries in casual Schultarian, "Our transportation will arrive soon enough, just be patient. We don't have anything critical to attend to at this moment, so restrain yourselves and let our guests do the talking." In the distance, Elliot proved himself vindicated.

Three vehicles plus an impressive flatbed trailer in tow silently glided past the assembled convoy of planes and pulled between the growing masses of people. Unlike the Eldaimovey trams of only a few years ago, these ground vehicles were far larger and sealed off to the more unpredictable outside elements. Several members of the Central Scientific Collective, with long black overcoats bearing the first three symbols of Schultaria Prime emblazoned on their left shoulder, bowed to the mass of esteemed guests and assisted them into the tram system. Inside their spacious and comfortable cabins, a large variety of welcoming appetizers and drinks had been assembled for the guests.

Elliot, finally relieved that everything was falling into schedule, lowered his shoulders and let his soft leather seat envelop his weary frame. "Is history making always this tiring?" he thought to himself as the trams forged their way to the International Village.

John Carter told his collegaues to wait for a second. He then walked up to where the Central Director was, turned to him and, although nervous, extended out his hand and said, "Hello, my name is John Carter, I am the Finance Minister of the Aztec National League."

-En Route to the International Village

Elliot greeted the finance minister with a hearty handshake and a casual half bow as he righted himself in his chair. Smiling, he pointed for the financial minister to sit down and relieve his physical troubles; after all, it would be improper for a well mannered man such as Central Director Schultz not to offer his guests as much courtesy and comfort as possible. "Well Mr. Carter, I would like to personally welcome you and your colleagues to Schultaria Prime! Why don't you have a seat and take a load off those legs? I can understand how numbing a plane ride can be."

Ever the heir of pervasive curiosity, the Central Director was intrigued by the position of Mr. Carter. While the subject of the symposium was the demilitarization of government research, he had anticipated a general conference of intelligent but otherwise politically subordinate learned individuals and radical thinkers. Elliot was pleased at this somewhat delightful change in attendees, "Apparently there are other governments willing enough to hear our nation's arguments. If we play our cards right, perhaps this could be quite the diplomatic coup."

"If you need anything, or you would just like to talk, don't hesitate. You'll find many Schultarians to be pretty open minded listeners."

Mr. Carter smiled and was very pleased with the hospitality. Sitting down, he said to Elliot, "Well, the ANL government is always open to different opinions and teachings. I believe all nations must learn from each other if we're going to survive. I am very interesting in hearing what you have to say and I look forward to what awaits. However, let me introduce my colleagues."

He then nods to them (his colleagues), telling them he was talking to the right people. They walked over and John Carter said "These are my colleagues."

Jorge was the first fo introduce himself. "Hello, my name is Jorge Dominguez, Chair of the Physics department of the University of Veracruz and council member of the National Atomic Power Committee."

Ehecatl introduced herself after, "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Ehecatl Xicohtencatl, Director of Astronomy for the Aztec Space Agency"

Finally, Tepiltzin introduced himself. "Greetings, I'm Tepiltzin Tlazohtzin, PhD, Director of Cultrual Anthropology at the University of Tenochitilan.

Dr Shahrukh decided the private area was more for numbers then any precognitive notice of the trade delegation - chemical analysis showed none of the offerings of the snack bar had any sort of tranquilizer, and there were no gas jets in the A/C units.

Maybe they weren't properly warned about the Vastivan TDs. Well, that would be their problem. His was to oversee and evaluate, possibly to do a demonstration on Gloss-Kote for possible export. If the situation merited it.

He took a short walk around the tram, noticing the many attendees, noting badges, making notes on his M-TCOD.

the DT-114 took up the entire the flatbed. The rest of the Pwnage delegation sat in the tram. Mordant was playing Half-Life 10 (he purchased it in upper xen) on his holographic computer software. Alexander was just sitting with an inhuman quietness, and Paul was working on something on his holocomputer. It looked important, with alot of equations and diagrams.

-En Route to the International Village

Taking careful pains not to fall back in his chair, the Central Director hoisted his frame into a reasonably upright posture and shook each member of the Aztec delegation as they were introduced. Cheerful by the warm introductions, Elliot replied in usual acknowledgement, "A pleasure to meet all of you. I hope that all of you enjoy the events over the next two weeks, and you take the time to visit the nation at large as well. In the meanwhile, make yourselves comfortable and enjoy some snacks." Underneath the Elliot's chair, the Central Director pulled out a small bottle filled with a strange red liquid. As the jovial head of state poured the gelled liquid into several long thin glasses, he offered them to Minister Carter and his party.

"Don't worry it's Schultarian Grenadine; it's similar to conventional Pomegranate juice, though it has a bit more potency in the syrup," Elliot chuckled as he passed the glasses, "If you want something a bit 'stronger', we'll have plenty of time to toast later on!"

Meanwhile, the other four members of the Schultarian delegation were quite content to relax in their seats. In true Schultarian fashion, they wouldn't eat or drink unless in the company of others, but most of them were content merely to sit and observe. With the exception of Director Haarvekord, the three professors began to make mental revisions to their presentations; even with less than a day before the start of the Symposium, the drive to scientific clarity is an urge none of the researchers could deny. Catching the three academics in his eye, Elliot couldn't help but laugh on the inside, What I would give to have a camera right now. Watching them wobble in their seats is too rich!"

Dr Shahrukh noticed Director Haarvekord first. He gave a short head bow, touching his forehead and chin as he did.

"Ah. Ab-shalom and greetings. Our thanks for your hospitality, Director."

After Barhydt had finished putting his things away and having his first cup of coffee that day, he promptly wandered back to the holographic guide and asked; "Have the other delegates arrived yet?".

OOC:

I'd like to participate. I sent my scientists to the Schultaria conference 2 RL months ago or more. What happened to it? Did my delegates "transfer" from that conference to this one?

I'd like some clarification before I post something.

OOC (For Sharina):

That conference never happened because of the terrorist attacks on Granzi and Praetonia and their corresponding threat to the security of Schultarian interests on the international stage. Officially no one ever traveled to Schultaria Prime, and those who were destined to head to Eldaimovey received severance from the Schultarian government for lost time. Your delegates can transfer (either they've already arrived in the International Village or they're on the tram with major presenters from Schultaria Prime), and we'll pick up the story from there.

-----

IC:

-International Village

The hologram smiled and pointed to a small store down the right side of the street, "Let's take a walk, and I'll answer your question while we're on the move." Even though the building was only half a block away from the office complex, the technology behind the hologram's apparent freedom of movement was astounding. Until just recently Schultarian scientists had experienced only limited success in networking holopads for extended motion, but the International Village was the first successful attempt in creating a complete holographic grid in a densely trafficked space. It came at a significant cost, and the Central Scientific Collective had to bear most of the price tag at an extremely steep eight hundred million dollars. Nonetheless it was a price worthy of the expense, at least to the Schultarian government.

"If you're talking about the delegations from outside of the greater Schultarian Protectorate, and I assume you are, many are still heading into the airports of Eldaimovey and Schultaria Prime, but most should arrive before eight this evening," the hologram replied in an uncharacteristically fluid conversational tone, "Since the symposium is completely open many individuals from Schultaria Prime and Islandia Schultaria, about four to five thousand individuals, will arrive sporadically and only stay for a few days at most. As of right now, the first trams full of visitors will enter the International village in about thirty minutes, so I suggest you take some time and grab a bite to eat." Bowing, the virtual representation of Elliot stepped to the side of the doorway and assumed a casual position leaning up against the wall.

-----

-En Route to the International Village

Director Haarvekord was happy to finally talk with someone. Between the internal meetings of symposium presenters and the endless daily affairs of running the Schultarian state, Sarnow was relieved to be rid of his worries if only for a short time. Bowing and extending his right hand palm upwards, Haarvekord offered the Vastivan delegate a seat beside him. "It is a distinct honor to have you here, and we hope that you enjoy yourself," he said in his uniquely deep baritone, "When it comes to international affairs, a comfortable group is a productive group. I can't tell you how many times I've been in uncomfortable academic discussions that have led to flustered doctorates and wasted grant money. I digress, that's for another time; would you care for something to eat or drink?"

OOC (For Sharina):

That conference never happened because of the terrorist attacks on Granzi and Praetonia and their corresponding threat to the security of Schultarian interests on the international stage. Officially no one ever traveled to Schultaria Prime, and those who were destined to head to Eldaimovey received severance from the Schultarian government for lost time. Your delegates can transfer (either they've already arrived in the International Village or they're on the tram with major presenters from Schultaria Prime), and we'll pick up the story from there.

OOC:

Gotcha. I'll post the scientists names again, and I'll also be sending a couple additional scientists.

Scientists on the tram:

Ranae Bre'ivi = New head of the Sharina Space Program. Male.

Tinallas Lovs'ana = PHD in Energy Generation from Lodis Institute of Technology (LIT) in Sharina Prime. Female.

Lania Ner'vala = PHD in History and Anthropology from Lenina University in San Fransico in Sharina Alpha. Female.


New-coming scientists who will arrive in the Village:

Damar Fe'nwi = PHD in Hydraulics, PHD in Mechanical Engineering from LIT. Male.

Browas Bee'me = Director of Electronic Media. Male.

Jannina Mal'usa = PHD in Laser Technology from LIT. Female.



I'd be happy to participate in talks in the tram, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

-En Route to the International Village

Director Haarvekord was happy to finally talk with someone. Between the internal meetings of symposium presenters and the endless daily affairs of running the Schultarian state, Sarnow was relieved to be rid of his worries if only for a short time. Bowing and extending his right hand palm upwards, Haarvekord offered the Vastivan delegate a seat beside him. "It is a distinct honor to have you here, and we hope that you enjoy yourself," he said in his uniquely deep baritone, "When it comes to international affairs, a comfortable group is a productive group. I can't tell you how many times I've been in uncomfortable academic discussions that have led to flustered doctorates and wasted grant money. I digress, that's for another time; would you care for something to eat or drink?"

The Doctor smiled. "Both, if you would. A comfortable talk is always productive."

The Royal Air Force Hypersonic Transport began its descent toward Schultarian airspace. The pilot, a thirty year veteran of the RAF, was for the first time in years nervous about the landing. Aboard his plane four of Hamptonshire's most powerful government figures and one of its leading academics calmly waited to join the Symposium.

Senator Bernard Allenby, as Chairman of the Royal Senate Science Oversight Commitee, was keenly aware of the political benefits, and prices, of scientific advancements in the civilian sphere. While by no means a scientist in his own right, his decades spent as the head of the Science Oversight Committee made him an expert in the process of getting plans from the drawing board and putting them into practical use. He also hoped that during the Symposium it would be possible to finally formalize the alliance treaty between Hamptonshire and Schultaria Prime.

Christopher Millar, Hamptonshire's Interior Minister, eargerly awaited the Symposium. All domestic scientific efforts, including civilian nuclear projects, fall under the jurisdiction of the Interior Ministry (excluding certain biomedical research programs and military programs). Minister Millar was especially looking forward to Douglass Kronsen's lecture on "The Atomic Historian: Societal Impacts of The Nuclear Battlefield". His foremost hope would be to discover something at the Symposium that could help improve the lot of ordinary Hamptonians.

Dr. Leonard Berkstein, MD (an oncologist by training), the Health and Domestic Security Minister, hoped that he could find some small conference room full of other doctors. Give me an bioterrorism lecture...something on new strains of bacteria. Please! he thought to himself as he finished off a glass of tea.

The final member of the government's team was a man with a strong past link to Schultaria. Alan Bluebridge, Acting Finance Minister (for the past 3 years) and Chairman of the Royal Central Bank of Hamptonshire, was the President of the NSBC when the Eldaimovey Advanced Research Laboratories* were originally destroyed. The trip was as much a personal event as it was the Royal Congress's way to make sure that if Hamptonshire did get itself into anything, it would not break the bank.

The final member of the delegation quitely sat in the back of the plane. She was reading the latest edition of Hamptonshire's Journal of Developmental Science. A team of scientists at Hartman University recently built a large scale and fully practical Energy Amplifier reactor, a subcritical reactor using a partical beam to stimulate reaction. The woman, Lady Jessica Easton, Nucl.E. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v114/hamptonshire/easton.jpg), Marchioness of Port Easton, was nearly as nervous as the RAF pilot. She was appointed not more than a month earlier as the Chancellor and President of the Royal Institute of Science and the Royal Navy School of Nuclear Science in Port Easton. A respected member of civilian and military academic circles, and a member of the powerful Easton family, the Symposium will be her first venture into the larger academic, and possibly political, world.


The plane slowly (and that's a relative term) came ever closer to Schultarian airspace. "This is Hamptonshire RAF Flight Government-2. We are requesting permission to land."


"I hope there is someone to greet us besides the Ambassador." Allenby said as the plane hit a bit of turbulence.

"What are you going to do if they don't send someone? Declare war?" Dr. Berkstein said while patting Millar on the back. The two erupted in laughter.

Without facial expression or any hint of emotion, Allenby replied: "Maybe."


[OOC:*- I assume that was the name of the facility that was destroyed. If not, I apologize.

On another note, Lady Easton is the younger sister of Lord Easton (who is a Duke) and the older sister of the deceased Count Easton.]

-En Route to the International Village

Sarnow smiled as he honored the Vastivan's request, and pulled out several bottles of fruit juice and liquor from a carefully concealed refrigerator underneath his seat. "Hopefully these will suffice until we arrive at the guest village," he replied while pouring a triple shot of intelligencia for his own sake (2 shots Schultarian vehicle grade ethanol [190 proof] - .5 shot Grenadine - .5 shot sweetened lemon juice). Sipping at his glass, the Director's nerves were calmed by the excessively potent volume of alcohol coursing through his mouth.

"Well, I hope that this event goes well, don't you? It would be a shame to think that the government might shell out so much money without any promises, but without risk there is no reward. Just to satisfy my curiosity, I would love to know what brings you to Schultaria Prime for the conference."

-----

-Eldaimovey Central Air Command

"Roger Government-2, we've detected your craft passing the Tarannu / Edgen corridor and presently on target. At present course and speed, your ETA is thirty minutes to Eldaimovey approach. You have been cleared for runway 3a with an anticipated touchdown time of forty minutes.

Welcome to the Nation of Schultaria Prime..."

One flight controller notified the ground crew of the most recent addition to the growing list of foreign delegates and made the necessary alterations to the flight schedule. "Ms. Chairwoman, we're expecting another chartered flight to arrive in about thirty five minutes."

"Okay tower, I understand. For diplomatic reference, could you tell me the nationality of the passengers of the plane?"

"Copy that, the plane's Hamptonian in origin; we'll transmit the passenger manifest in five, over and out."

Since Elliot and Sarnow had already left with the first group of delegates, it was Jenna Karlow's turn to meet and greet the droves of guests now piling into Eldaimovey International. As Chairwoman of the National Assembly, she wanted to see exactly what kinds of people her government would expect at the conference; it wasn't that she thought the symposium a waste of time or money, but she wanted to make sure the people of Schultaria Prime got the best return on their investments. Of course being close political allies with the Central Directorate never hurt either in this line of work, and what better way to gain favor with the Teknate* than to allow his dream of conducting an international scientific conference on the government's tab.

OOC:
*The "Teknate": The unofficial title of Elliot Schultz, given his avid support for the scientific and technological boom within Schultaria Prime during his present tenure as Central Director.

+Hamptonshire, you are correct in your assumption. This is the same laboratory complex that was completely leveled some two decades ago.

As opposed to the powerful, lavish & expensive looking aircraft that had brought most delegates to the conference this particular aircraft was rather ungainly looking yet it exuded performance & comfort. This was fortunate for its single passenger, accustomed as he was to living in the best of circumstances, though on this particular occasion refinement had been given secondary importance. Science was of prime importance.

The aircraft taxied gently to a halt, dispatching inquiries with courtesy & formality befitting a government aircrew, something that had not gone unnoticed. Its single occupant did not bid farewell to the crew, despite being pleasantly satisfied with the journey & certain to have them all permanently assigned to his transport roster, such pleasantries between vastly different classes of individuals was uncommon to say the least.

His attendance had not been expected, by himself or the authorities however, such formalities were quickly dispatched when he had finished explaining himself.

“Good day to you gentlemen, I am sure you are tightly restraining your curiosity today. Obviously though I should introduce myself to satisfy some small enquiries, I am the delegate from the Incorporated States of Tom Joad and you may note my presence down as being one, Cornelius Porter.”

* * *
During the flight the purpose of the symposium had been a topic of much debate, between himself & the chair in front as there was no one else to debate with, such topics of peaceful cooperation were hardly rare in the world. Of course the extent to which Schultaria Prime was striving was indeed rare; they’d struggled with internal problems, resolved them & then gone on to form an alliance of research.
An alliance he had instructed others to seek membership of, as of yet they had received no response not that it hampered research efforts currently but in future the resources available of combined efforts would surely knock aside the small efforts of his homeland aside.

He was not a doctor, a physicist or a diplomat but rather an engineer with a talent for getting jobs done regardless of the sacrifices made upon others as well as himself, not that he had or ever would be personally involved with the actual labour. It was the social engineering throughout the various projects he had been a part of that he had excelled, sometimes though it had proven all too hard to understand why certain colour garments indicated certain psychological attributes. He was there to observe the symposium, make notes of topics that struck him as thoughtful and most importantly of all to gauge the mindset of those attending.
With a direct goal ahead of him focus was not optional it became a matter of course, like breathing in and out. With the same focus he had selected his attire with precision, it was neither so formal as to engender a reflective attitude as it incorporated several soft tones. Colours that were believed to relax soothe onlookers and generally make them feel at ease approaching the wearer but of course all of that was psychological assumption.

Paul suddenly jumped up and screamed "EUREKA!"
Yes, he screamed. He didn't merely just shout.
Then, he began to do a little dance.

Mordant stared at him blankly. Science wasn't to particularly ingrained in his programming, and he didn't have the time or hard drive space to download the science protocols.

Alexander just sighed.

"This is your pilot speaking, we are coming in for a landing." the RAF Colonel said over the plane's intercom.

The sleek Royal Air Force jet gently hit the runway with slight puffs of smoke from the tires' contact with the pavement. Even with all flaps fully down the plane landed with great speed, deceleration parachutes automatically deployed to bring the plane to a gentle stop.

"I always get motion sickness on landings." Bluebridge said as he rested his head in his hands.

"That's nonsense. This plane was designed for maximum passanger comfort. The cabin is stablized and double pressurized." Dr. Berkstein responded. For the next few minutes the two men argued over the possibility of motion sickness on landing. The two men were interrupted by a sudden jolt forward.

"We have come to a complete stop." the Colonel said, "please prepare to disembark."

Senator Allenby walked to the door. He always wanted to be the first person out of the plane and the first to greet foreign officials. Bluebridge and Berkstein continued their good-natured argument as they waited to leave the plane.

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"I don't have any idea?!? I'm the only one on this plane with a medical degree."

Millar walked to the back of the plane to check up on Lady Easton. "We're getting ready to leave."

She continued to read the Journal. Christopher stood silent for nearly a minute before he cleared his throat. "I'll be right there. I just have to finish this last paragraph."

"Alright Jessica," Millar while clapping his hands together, "but I wouldn't keep Allenby waiting. He may just leave you in the plane."

Lady Easton stopped reading and thought for a moment. She grabbed her suit coat and joined Millar. "Let's not keep the Senator waiting. He may just think we are trying to formulate a coup."

The five members of the delegation all gathered at the plane's main exit waiting to leave for the Symposium itself.

-En Route to the International Village

Taking careful pains not to fall back in his chair, the Central Director hoisted his frame into a reasonably upright posture and shook each member of the Aztec delegation as they were introduced. Cheerful by the warm introductions, Elliot replied in usual acknowledgement, "A pleasure to meet all of you. I hope that all of you enjoy the events over the next two weeks, and you take the time to visit the nation at large as well. In the meanwhile, make yourselves comfortable and enjoy some snacks." Underneath the Elliot's chair, the Central Director pulled out a small bottle filled with a strange red liquid. As the jovial head of state poured the gelled liquid into several long thin glasses, he offered them to Minister Carter and his party.

"Don't worry it's Schultarian Grenadine; it's similar to conventional Pomegranate juice, though it has a bit more potency in the syrup," Elliot chuckled as he passed the glasses, "If you want something a bit 'stronger', we'll have plenty of time to toast later on!"

Meanwhile, the other four members of the Schultarian delegation were quite content to relax in their seats. In true Schultarian fashion, they wouldn't eat or drink unless in the company of others, but most of them were content merely to sit and observe. With the exception of Director Haarvekord, the three professors began to make mental revisions to their presentations; even with less than a day before the start of the Symposium, the drive to scientific clarity is an urge none of the researchers could deny. Catching the three academics in his eye, Elliot couldn't help but laugh on the inside, What I would give to have a camera right now. Watching them wobble in their seats is too rich!"

OOC: Sorry I haven't posted for a while, I haven't had the time to do so.

IC:

The ANL delegation took the grenadine and began to drink it. It was good, very good, but a little more potent then what they first expected. Regardless, they obviously liked it. Jorge looked at the thick drink and said, "Hmmm, this alone would give the ANL's alcohol industry a good run for its money."

Tepiltzin, always interested about other cultures, began to talk to Director Haarvekord "I am sure we all look forward to exploring the country. However, I must say, I am happy I am able to have the opportunity to come here. I'm curious though, how is life in Schultaria Prime? On our briefings before we came, we were told your civil and political rights are outstanding and your economy is extremely powerful. I could imagine your nation is quite advanced socially and technologically. Obviously, Schultaria is having the Science Symposium, showing a good deal of advancement."

-En Route to the International Village

Sarnow smiled as he honored the Vastivan's request, and pulled out several bottles of fruit juice and liquor from a carefully concealed refrigerator underneath his seat. "Hopefully these will suffice until we arrive at the guest village," he replied while pouring a triple shot of intelligencia for his own sake (2 shots Schultarian vehicle grade ethanol [190 proof] - .5 shot Grenadine - .5 shot sweetened lemon juice). Sipping at his glass, the Director's nerves were calmed by the excessively potent volume of alcohol coursing through his mouth.

"Well, I hope that this event goes well, don't you? It would be a shame to think that the government might shell out so much money without any promises, but without risk there is no reward. Just to satisfy my curiosity, I would love to know what brings you to Schultaria Prime for the conference."



The Doctor smiled, politely declining the alcohol while accepting a glass of rather tart apple juice from the bar. "You have this domestically? We might want to import."

He sipped."Vastiva has always been interested in science. Our orbiting platform, our several laboratories - that our budget takes great pains to fund science and research is proof enough of our intent. We joined TAPRES to learn more of research in other nations, we come to this symposium to... sample the wares of other nations, to see what is there to be picked and to be passed over. If there is time, we may put on a demonstration of one of our cornerstone technologies, a method of..."

The sound of heavy gunfire, followed by the roar of several explosions, bursts from the rear of the tram. In the middle of a large MRLS artillery barrage, the sound suddenly cuts off.

"... motherless goat! How did you smuggle this in? What, you think these juvenile pranks are the mark of intelligencia? Perhaps you are trying to personally sabotage our attempts here, is that it? Just you wait until..."

The rest of the tirade is cut off as a door slams - it can be heard continuing, albeit muffled through the panels, along with several muted banging noises and one solid slap. Then all is quiet.

The Doctor pays little to no attention. "Sound effects generators. We produce them. In larger form, and with proper masks, we can simulate anything from a police patrol to an all-out conflict. Full surroundsounds from a small box. Rather amazing, we think." He finishes the glass, signals to have it refreshed. "During our operations in the Brimstone action, we used that and similar gadgets to cause much deception among our foes. Now, as I am sure there will be much one-upmanship yet to come, perhaps you can give some indication of how a Director fits into the scheme of Schultaria Prime? Vastiva has yet to place an embassy here, an oversight which I am sure will be corrected at a later date. Particularly if," he accepts, "this most wonderful beverage is freely available."

Grumbling just below audible range Arnold drew his credit card from his wallet and handed it over to the zitfaced stooge behind the counter of Schultarian National Car Rentals. Lousy governments. The phone banks at the Sileetris number he'd been given were busy, so he had to pay for the rental car with his own money, and the Schultarians either didn't know or didn't care enough to send someone to meet them. He should just use the laptop he had with him to design a jet engine, sell the design to a corporation, and rake in the royalties. But its uplink was locked until he could call Sileetris, and all the information it processed was monitored. Lousy governments......

Dorem felt like punching someone, it was bad enough he had to drag around a bunch of heavy luggage, but it was even worse that he was so bored he was counting the studs in the wall with his millimetric band radar sunglasses.
~~~~~
The two piled into the cheapest car they could get, a tiny hybrid dealy with almost no trunk space(it was obviously an older model with bulky batteries), and with the help of the GPS chip in Arnold's cellphone they found themselves at the gates of the impressive Eldaimovey facility. Dorem once again prepared the clearance forms and wished he had just brought a simple PDW, but he had to have the big fancy suit of armor in the trunk because of "diplomatic presentation standards" or "look at our shiny stuff and invest".

OOC: (For Sileetris) Being that you were with the first group I naturally assumed that you would be on the tram at Eldaimovey International. Since it's technically government owned property and not a true airport, there are a few major components that are missing (like car rental facilities or extensive baggage claim areas) and several more that are included (such as more extensive military screening and an official welcoming delegation). Also, if you missed the first tram, Chairwoman Karlow was waiting to greet the remainder of the guests, but in the interests of Schultarian propriety she would rather wait for the guests to approach her (it's considered too imposing for a host to approach an invited guest). Several things would have had to happen for your delegates to experience the events as per your post.

1. They did not land in Eldaimovey, but rather the Merle Schultz Aerodrome in Schultaria Prime or a similar facility in either Edgen or Tarannu (at which point the drive would have tipped off the realization they did not land in Eldaimovey, because the nearest city is several hundred kilometers from the labs).

2. They did not bother to talk with any of the maintenance crew or Otkron as they made their rounds to inspect the aircraft.

-But, interests of keeping the RP moving, we'll consider this passage as completed and move onward. I won't even get into the working age or average citizen intelligence debate at the present time. (I really have to make a more complete fact book about the Schultarian nation, but I'll be damned if this writer's block keeps hampering my efforts.)

I'll make an IC post later today, but I just felt as though I had to clear that up.

Alexander just shoved Paul down and sighed.
This trip was making him quite impatient. How far could the village be.
And damn. No munchies... he walked up to the mini-bar. Damn... nothing he liked...
This trip was quite a shitty one, and he was getting hungry.

[OOC: Assume my delegates have left the plane and are making their way toward the Schultarian representative. I would make up a post but I'm out of creative juices at the moment.]

Moontian's quintet of delegates, along with a similar number of bodyguards, quickly left the airport to settle into their accommodation, and set up their MindLink nodes to gather the latest information from their respective fields.

Dr Weyker finished up her notes. "Do you think there will be time for another presentation? We could present our MBP, OMBP, and SMBP. Perhaps it will do some good?"

"You can but try," replied Dr. Ahmad Von Ross. "I, for one, will be doing no presenting. But Dr. Shahrukh will be presenting on Gloss-Kote, this I know for a fact. It would not be nonsensical for two of our doctors to present at this symposium."

"What of Doctor von Cohen?"

Ahmad gave an elegant shrug. "After that outburst upon that poor demented sap, who can say what she will do? Granted," he added, "it was necessary to face off with that breach of protocol, but... we shall see if the Schultarians do anything about... what happened, first. Maybe you can approach her on the subject."

"Perhaps later. I shall be going to the dining car if we do not arrive soon."

"I might join you."

OOC: We used to be such close nations... :(

Ever think of reviving TAPRES? IC Lindim can't do anything right now, including this conference, but you might use this to promote and resurrect TAPRES. I am still up for that.

Anyways, nice to see you alive. You're still my NS role model. Good luck with this!

Making his way unaccompanied by assistants or minders he approached the nearest official who didn’t look like they needed to keep an eye on remedial matters and extended his hand in greeting.

“I take it you’re to greet arrivals, I would hope so in any case. Regardless perhaps you can conduct me towards the accommodation and I can begin examining the content available” Some would have been overwhelmed by such a brisk and abrasive attitude, it was all part of the procedure for Cornelius Porter though and such elements always proved to be the most enjoyable.

OOC:Still here and now perhaps deserving of acknowledgement.

OOC:

I would like to apologize for everyone who currently has a vested interested in any projects with Designwerks or with my symposium RP. With recent events, my friends and I had an impromptu trip to Toronto for the last week. Luckily, my hopes for not getting hassled at the border crossings came true and I had a wonderful vacation with the USA's more liberal northern neighbor. In addition, since classes start for me this Tuesday, I will be spending the better portion of Sunday the 15th and Monday the 16th purchasing books and reorienting myself with my second semester schedule. Normal service shall return hopefully by this Tuesday (and I know that I have plenty of projects to build, telegrams to respond to, and RP's to answer by the end of next week).

However, if you were in Toronto and saw someone that looks vaguely familiar to the picture of Central Director Schultz, drink in hand, wandering aimlessly with a fedora with obscenely loud friends then you’ve probably stumbled upon me. If so, I apologize; my friends aren't the kind of people who assimilate very easily.

Now I find myself back in my dorm room wondering where the time has gone and exactly how I'm going to pay for my books this semester. However, I did have a wonderful time in Canada even though my stay there was brief; although it's closer travel wise than many states in the union, it felt interesting to be a "foreigner" for a handful of days (I'm sure I would have felt even more distant in Québec, but I'll leave that trip for another day). Perhaps someday I'll be able to see even more of the world outside of the US, but for now these memories will be cherished for quite some time.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/emschultz/LaTourCN3.jpg

Greetings from Toronto and well wishes for 2005,

-Elliot

The final round of greetings will be finished today and we shall begin the actual symposium as soon as physically possible.

OOC: We used to be such close nations... :(

Ever think of reviving TAPRES? IC Lindim can't do anything right now, including this conference, but you might use this to promote and resurrect TAPRES. I am still up for that.

Anyways, nice to see you alive. You're still my NS role model. Good luck with this!

OOC:TAPRES is on life support, but still around.

OOC: Vastiva will have given paperwork for two presentations, one industrial, one health-related.

OOC: Lifesupport? I really want to join, it's a bold new step and plus I've got a great project which has plenty of expansion in it despite being fairly developed.

OOC: *waits for SP to get back to add another TAPRES member...*

OOC: Since we've gotten on the subject of TAPRES, I would like to make the following 2 statements.

1. Since TAPRES' last official business was Oct. 15 (by voting logs), I logged in once every two to three days for the duration of one month to check on activity. In that time, only two posts were made; with only abysmal support from the remainder of the membership or the other administrators, I considered the board to be in "hibernation" (until I could at get Nova Hope to help share some of the administrator duties and revive the board to a more active level).

2. Even though I was planning on hiding this until later in the RP, the climax of Elliot's lecture will be the announcement of a revived and a politically bolstered TAPRES to face the challenges of the modern world. From there I would revamp the last section of the Grand Charter and Constitution to make the governance of TAPRES less obscure and anemic and open the flood gates (so to speak) and allow for a new admission of applicants.

-In the interests of keeping the RP going (yes I know I've been away longer than I posted; friends at school have been showing me a good time over the last few days), we'll wrap up the arrivals and get right into the Symposium.

IC:

-Eldaimovey International: Eldaimovey Advanced Research Laboratories, Schultaria Prime

"As head of the National Assembly of Schultaria Prime, let me be the first to welcome you to our nation," Karlow said in a well rehearsed deferential manner to the Joadian delegate, "Transportation will be arriving fairly soon, which is a good thing considering the Symposium is slated to begin within a few hours." Smiling, she examined Mr. Porter; while she was effectively the second most powerful person in the Schultarian government, the Chairwoman had virtually no experience with foreign affairs and racked with indecision. As she smiled and nodded to the passing masses of faceless and nameless intellectuals disembarking, her loss for words was unsettling.

"God, why did both of those Directorate morons have to get on the tram at the same time. Probably did it on purpose... they're testing me," she thought as her eyes darted around the tarmac. Her smile was showing signs of fading, but kept good spirits in face of the dilemma. Spotting the ever dominant face of Senator Allenby of the Hamptonian delegation, Jenna's mind began to work overtime to find the proper phrase to open up the conversation. In the back of her head, one phrase came to mind.

TAPRES

"From what I understand Mr. Porter it appears that your nation has applied for TAPRES membership. While the actual alliance has not been officially active for quite some time, every nation officially aligned with the charter, such as the Hamptonian delegates over there, have become good allies with our nation. Perhaps, in the interests of international scientific cooperation, we might be able to talk about the future of our nations informally before the symposium begins."

Looking at Senator Allenby, she hoped that he would acknowledge and his delegation would arrive quickly, "Well, I've exhausted all of my ammunition. If this doesn't work I'm toast."

There were several sighs of relief when the green-robed minders managed to get the trade delegates out of the tram and to the symposium sight, with a minimum of fuss and bother. That they all wore CAM-TCODs obviously and were taking pictures of everything from wastebaskets to views to views of each other looking at the "neato looking baskets, are they for sale?" was just another moment of Vastivan multiculturalism at work.

Well, that and lubricating dosages of Schultarian liquors.

The four Doctors needed no "minding"; two sets of paperwork were passed to Schultarian hosts for processing, for the two presentations the Vastivans planned to give.

"What a wonderful place," mused Dr Von Ross. "We've been in their country for... five hours, and they haven't had one of our trade delegates arrested yet. I wonder if there will be a buffet near the presentation hall... or if there is a presentation hall..."

He looked around for some sort of indication of the whys and wherefores of the symposium.

OOC: Though Hyndu is a developing nation technologically, we have taken some extensive steps in the field of liquid-metal nuclear reactors (A technology used by the Russians in submarine technology until they were found to be unstable), and, though it is likely far past the signup date and a menail techology, considering your orbital stations and artifical inteligence and all of that, we would like ot be given an equal chance to contribute to the scientific discussions being held in your nation.

Say if that's okay, and I'll join in.

OOC: Though Hyndu is a developing nation technologically, we have taken some extensive steps in the field of liquid-metal nuclear reactors (A technology used by the Russians in submarine technology until they were found to be unstable), and, though it is likely far past the signup date and a menail techology, considering your orbital stations and artifical inteligence and all of that, we would like ot be given an equal chance to contribute to the scientific discussions being held in your nation.

Say if that's okay, and I'll join in.

OOC: It's ok, join in. :D you never said WHO had to say it....

Mr. Porter returned her examination and concluded very little of value would come from her directly, “That is correct we seek membership and, without dropping my hand in front of you, we have a great many benefits that would not doubt be of interest to yourselves, excuse me but you have failed to announce yourself so far. I do like to conduct matters when I know names.”

Whilst she looked briefly away at someone else he allowed himself a flexing of his knees, long flights always did leave him with stiff legs.

ooc; when will the actual symposium start?

OOC: Lolz, alright.

"Follow me." Allenby said as he walked down the stairs toward the other delegations.

The four other Hamptonians silently walked behind him in a single file line. None of them liked to do that but Allenby demanded that it be done. It would be far easier to do as he wanted than to raise his temper.


OOC: Yep, I'm fresh out of RPing ideas at the moment.

-International Village

As the trams finally came to a halt, Elliot and his entourage bid a courteous farewell to his guests. With a slight bow and a sweeping gesture from his forearm the Central Director walked the groups of waiting delegates to the gates of the International Village. "I'm sorry that I can't come with you, but other affairs of state keep me occupied for the time being. Until we meet tomorrow for the symposium, feel free to explore the village and get better acquainted with your colleagues." Clapping his hands twice a translucent image of the Central Director appeared on Elliot's right side, body posture and clothing mirroring the head of state down to the finest detail. Turning their faces, both encountered each other's gazes and nodded in unison. An eerie reverberation emanated as both Elliot and his doppelganger spoke.

"As you walk through the city, you'll find all the comforts and amenities of home. We've made every effort to provide you and your guests with the latest in available service technology and local amenities. Every apartment is designed to comfortably handle up to five guests, and we encourage you to use them to full effect. If you ever have any concerns, or just want someone as a companion and guide, holographic assistants will be available at your beckon call. So please enjoy your stay at the Eldaimovey International Village and we hope that your stay is a productive one."

Before the crowd stood a small city that filled to the brim with every possible necessity the delegates could possibly require for their two week stay. Designed for the full needs of a city of twenty thousand, the International Village featured everything from multiple cinemas and large Schultarian automat grocery stores to small coffee cafes and even a few pubs located on the main avenues. And while the major center of the village was designed in a rigid grid pattern, the apartments scattered throughout the area were designed purely for human comfort and quiet space.

Clustered around long expanses of green space and clusters of lakes, the peaked dome apartments broke through the ground and seemingly merged with the environment. Their white marble facades gave the impression of massive sails unfurled against the wind, but that was only the outside. Inside, they were furnished specifically for the symposium; citing comfort and productivity as main concerns, each apartment was lavishly furnished and offered the latest in Schultarian technology, all on the government's bill. From the latest in high powered data pads to single purpose automated cleaning assistants, these living spaces were designed to be immersive advertisements of Schultarian ingenuity.

With groups of delegates arriving in droves, the city would eventually transform and become a bustling center of academia and science. For now, acquaintances would be made in the respite before the conference the next day and new friendships forged. Meanwhile, the finishing touches were being made to the lecture halls only kilometers away...

Excerpted from the Travel Report of Dr Von Ross

The request for "five apartments, preferably at an end of a hallway" was well received, really. The Schultarians didn't ask why - which is good, as "Because our Trade Delegates are like bears in heat where there's stuff to buy" just doesn't flow off the tongue as a good explanation.

We found the VCA Visas would work fine as currency where necessary (There were just some things we could not ask anyone to pay for), though the Schultarians were really picking up the bill for everything.

I hope the room service tab from our TDs didn't cause too much havoc to their bottom line. The rampant requests for refills of the minibar was one thing, but perhaps the requests for "M&Ms, blue ones only" or "one roast boar" or "deepfried cajun turkey ala mode" were a bit much.

It would not be... possible to accurately indicate what was done with the various automated cleaning instruments, at least not without a biologist and machinist present. Suffice it to say, one apartment needed the whole cleaning suite replaced. Twice.

However, the TDs were successfully confined to quarters for a time. It is hoped that works in our favor somewhat.

The holographic technology of this city is incredible; if you were not aware it was a holograph, and if not for the slight "fuzz", translucence at close quarters, and lack of shadow, you would not know it was a holograph. This technology should be acquired soon.

We do note that the stated Schultarian data storage capability is slightly inferior to our own, but these are in guest models, so our suspicions are still there. On a personal note, a year ago, they would have surpassed us by at least an order of magnitude, so we must count our blessings, and thank Allah for the fortuosity of the Caliph's presence of mind.

In any case, models and diagrams where possible have been acquired and will be included in this report.

We will note - one area we have found Schultaria limited in is fiction, particularly unformatted fictional works. Logical fiction, there is in droves, and their online libraries rival any I have seen. What is lacking is unstructured creationism, which may stem from their linguistics and the projection of society from the pressures of those linguistics. It is an area of trade to pursue. This will be continued later; a walk around this town should be refreshing in many ways.

"Paul? Each of the 3 of us gets an apartment right?"

"Yea, Alex."

"What about the tank?"

"Aw shit..."

As Dr Weyker reviewed her notes for the presentation on the removal of methylmercuric compounds from seafoods by the Grigori method, a doubt remained in her mind. A presentation of firearms, or of a new financial method, or even of new techniques for industry would certainly be well received.

Public health, on the other hand, was not the strongest of issues for most governments. It sometimes showed up, but ones like Vastiva, where it was a priority, were rare.

"I wonder what the other topics for presentation are going to be..." she thought to herself as she wandered around the site, mostly aimlessly.

Ever so quietly, the downloads continued... the public library held much, the "secure" channels a bit more. Information flowed first in a slow leak, then a tidal wave.

The Schultarian net was open source - if you knew the buttons to push. Their dependance on a sequential logic made it even more vulnerable.

Once more, a datachip was replaced with an empty. When this was done... well, the next step would be getting all of this out of the country, intact.

That got a laugh. If nothing else, the agent knew they were very, very good at just this sort of work.

As Dr Weyker reviewed her notes for the presentation on the removal of methylmercuric compounds from seafoods by the Grigori method, a doubt remained in her mind. A presentation of firearms, or of a new financial method, or even of new techniques for industry would certainly be well received.

Public health, on the other hand, was not the strongest of issues for most governments. It sometimes showed up, but ones like Vastiva, where it was a priority, were rare.

For just a moment, she looked up from the podium at the gathered scientists. A deep breath filled her lungs, she let it out slowly, bowed, began.

“Greetings, fellow members of the scientific community. Today, it is our wish to address the dangers of heavy metal poisoning, and what Vastiva can do to aid you in removing this specter.”

She shuffled her notes.

“Fish is the last form of wildlife many still eat. Those who seldom dine on stewed squirrel, or venison, or walrus, are still familiar with tuna salad.
“And fish is good food. It is low in saturated fat and high in protein. It is also a leading source of omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce blood pressure. These same nutrients help build healthy brains in our children. During the second half of pregnancy, when the fetal brain undergoes a big growth spurt, omega-3 fatty acids are required for the proliferation of fetal neurons and blood vessels.
“But eating fish is also the leading route of exposure to methylmercury. Women who eat fish more than twice a week have blood mercury levels that are seven times higher than women who eat no fish. And mercury, like lead, is a terrible saboteur of fetal brain growth. The Vastivan Environmental Agency recently estimated as many as one in every two babies worldwide are born with unsafe levels of methylmercury in their blood; we have found no nation in our researches with a proven level of less then one in six.
“Mercuric compounds are everpresent in the third world, even found in vaccinations in the form of thimerosol and vermerichlor. Vastiva finds it highly questionable to give anyone an injection which protects them on one front, only to endanger them on another. And yet it is done on a daily basis to thousands if not millions.

“Incinerators, many factories, and some chlor-alkali facilities are also significant mercury polluters: those factories which produce soap, detergent, wood pulp for paper products, all consume caustic soda – the result of which is the dumping of even more mercury on the planet, should that soda have been produced in a chlor-alkali facility. We reiterate – the method of producing caustic soda with chlor-alkalis is relatively inexpensive in monetary terms. It is, however, overwhelming in its pollutionary impact.

“Coal-burning power plants are an even greater threat. One plant is capable of dumping over fifty tons of vaporized mercury into the atmosphere every year. Coal usage will no doubt increase as the availability of oil declines – we speak for the world, not for the enlightened nations – increasing the threat worldwide.

“As a vapor, mercury circles our globe for up to a year, coming back down to earth with rain or snow. Once it lands, mercury is attached to carbon atoms by bacteria. This chemical transformation turns elemental mercury into a highly potent neurotoxin called methylmercury, which is the form of mercury found in fish.

“Fish are vulnerable to methylmercury contamination because watery environments enhance the ability of this organic metal to biomagnify—meaning that it concentrates as it is siphoned up the food chain.
“In water, toxic substances like methylmercury can reach higher levels because food chains are longer than they are on land. Terrestrial food chains rarely have more than three links. Aquatic ecosystems can easily support food chains with six links, and some have as many as twelve. Thus, a top predatory fish, like a tuna, can easily have sequestered in its flesh methylmercury levels that are a million times higher than the water it swam in.
“The placenta, which works well to bar pathogens from entering the womb, does a terrible job of keeping methylmercury out. In fact, the placenta actively pumps mercury into the fetal capillaries as though it were a precious molecule of calcium or iodine. This is why levels of mercury in the blood of a newborn typically exceed those of its mother by 70 percent. When confronted with methylmercury, the placenta functions more like a magnifying glass than a barrier.
“Once inside the fetal blood supply, mercury is carried to the fetal brain, where it interferes with brain cell migration. Just as a spider can lower itself from the ceiling by reeling out a single strand of silk, a fetal brain cell moves from the center of the brain to the surface by rappelling along its own fiber. This process of brain cell migration begins in earnest during month four of pregnancy and continues after birth at least through the age of two.
“Methylmercury paralyzes migrating brain cells and thus interferes with their movement from center to surface. Methylmercury also halts cell division in the fetal brain by binding directly to neural chromosomes. The cerebellum—center of balance and coordination—is a special target of methylmercury. Prenatal exposures to methylmercury have also been linked to deficits in memory, learning and attention span that persist into adolescence and appear irreversible.
“In short, human fetuses are more vulnerable than adults to the brain-addling powers of mercury for two immutable reasons: They receive a comparatively bigger exposure because of the placenta’s concentrating powers and their brain cells need to move and multiply.
“We do not believe the presence of heavy-metal poisons in our environment are going to go away any time soon. Therefore, we must do all we can to encourage cleaner technologies in parallel with the development of renewable energy technologies.

“Vastiva long ago produced the Molecular Bonding Protocol - or MBP - which converts heavy metals into an insoluble form through the application of reagents at the tie of production. During disposal, the reagents – no more then 6% by weight of the original, meaning a low increase in mass – convert the toxic heavy metals into an inert and insoluble form, easily removed by physical means. If you will note the experimental results on page eight, the MBP was used in the creation of a soy-based paint-thinner. In a demonstration against a commercially available paint-thinner, created without the MBP, both were applied at 125 square feet per gallon to a boat lift in Kjik’Kjak, covered in five layers of lead based paint. After several hours, the paint was stripped and analyzed. As shown in the data, the commercially available thinner left an untreated concentration of lead of 401 mg/L, whereas the MBP-treated paint chips had a concentration of less then 0.01 mg/L. I am sure I do not have to remind my colleagues here of the internationally recognized hazardous level of lead exposure of 0.75 mg/L.

“Later testing showed how efficient the MBP is in removing lead, chromium, mercury and cadmium from the environment, rendering it insoluble and inert – these charts are also in our handouts. The greatest asset of the process is it can be added at the time of manufacture to any development of a nation, for shipment to anywhere, and the net environmental impact remains the same regardless of the environmental policies of the nation to which the item is shipped. In batteries, as the cell breaks down, so does the MBP lining – and the process is begun.

“Vastiva is not so egotistical as to believe our process will replace recycling – but we do note people and nations do improperly discard hazardous items, it is inevitable. We believe the problem can be dealt with before it happens. If not, our MBP can be applied afterwards, on-site and at far less expense. If you will note from page eleven, the cost of excavation and offsite storage of heavy-metal contaminated soil averages $180 USD per metric ton. MBP increases the mass of the treated ground by less then 3%, and has a cost average of $26 USD per metric ton, allowing for depreciation of equipment used over its effective lifespan but without replacement of equipment within that same span, which would further drop the cost. For comparison, currently Vastiva operates at approximately $14 USD per metric ton for clean-up actions.”

“However, we state categorically the MBP is not for use in that which is to be consumed directly – it is an environmental method, not for consumables. For the latter, Vastiva has but recently developed two methods for addressing the problem – our Oceanic Molecular Bonding Protocol (OMBP) and our Seafood Molecular Bonding Protocol (SMBP).

“Both involve the addition of treatments into the water supply – the latter uses water tanks and closed areas such as stock ponds, the former is the addition of treatments to more open water supplies. We have found the latter to be very effective in the removal of heavy metals from seafood during processing; the former is more effective in removing heavy metals from the ocean and water itself, before concentration, and in removing them from live animals. A combination of all three methods has been found to reduce exposure to heavy metals in the treated areas to beneath hazardous exposure. A version of the OMBP can also be added to local water supplies, removing heavy metals from the populace, with or without their knowledge. The result is a net darkening of… waste products, with a requirement to remove the treated heavy metals at the waste reclamation site. This addition is not difficult, and well within the budget of most countries.

“Members of the scientific community, with the addition of a single of our methods, you can significantly reduce the environmental harm of production and product upon your nation. With the addition of two, you can protect your food supply – and with the addition of all three, you will reduce global pollution sufficiently to insure protection from rainfall-spread sources.

“We thank you for your time, and will be available for questions or purchases of the use rights of our processes.”



OOC: I spent hours on the speech, I figure it is only right she gets to give it, even if the sodding lot of you have stopped participating.