NationStates Jolt Archive

--==| Site x031, Bari Desert, Lanquassia. Two Months ago |==--

"So, think this'll be the site?" Republic of Lanquassia Corps. of Engineers Seargent Enrique Martinez asked the political man from the Ministry of State. "Its got good land, its in the proper lattitude, easily accessable from the developed portions of the Republic..."

"Yeah, but it's also privately owned, and listed as the future site of Richsburough, City of the Future." The State official managed to insert a high level of irony into that statement, and Sergreant Martinez laughed. "That it is, since its not here. Who owns it?"

At this point, a gunshot raises through the clamor of the small survey camp, and an elderly man points an ancient pistol at the two men. "Get the hell off my property, I aint at war with yas!"

Putting his hands up into the air, Martinez commented to nobody in particular, "I think he does."

--==| Ministery of State, William Smith's Office, Imperial City, Lanquassia, one week later |==--

"And then what, Mark?" asked William Smith, Minister of State for the Republic of Lanquassia, of his flunky that had been in the desert.

"Well, after Mr. Amos calmed down and learned the civil wars were over, and told him about our plan... he was enthusiastic. Turns out that his grandfather was a Trekkie before the war, and passed it along to the rest of the family. The only two things he asks is that we name the facility after his town, and then leave him with the rest of the land after buying the facilities land from him."

Minister Smith looked at his old friend. "Buy? Why not use eminint domain?" Mark stared him down, "Because the Supreme Court will throw it out on the grounds that the STATE owns land that could be used to that purpose, but according to the RLCE, this site is the best situated." Minister Smiths sighed, then nodded. "Authorize it."

--==||==--

OOC: I'll be posting more here, feel free to jump in with messages and such, or RP people. This is MT, by the by.

--==| Ricksburough International Spaceport - One Month Ago |==--

The construction of the future spaceport was going slowly. The Ministery of State, in preperation for splitting off into the Ministry of Space, the Ministry of Trade, and the Ministry of State, had been organizing the stages for the development of Ricksburough.

Stage One was constructing a small town and support infrastruction for the construction of RIS, and was proceeding slowly due to the efforts at colonizing the Alioth Peninsula on Manium, but the beginings of the support structure - roads, highways, rail lines, power lines, and water pipes - were taking place, being built several hundred times larger than what was currently needed.

Stage two would begin the construction of an international airport, which Lanquassia had been lacking, to be given the airline code RIA, for Ricksburough International Airport. This will allow the import of materials via the air and the civilian fleet of DC-3s.

Stage Three would be the construction of the spaceport itself, in some five years time, estimated. From the spaceport, the Ministry of Space will be launching first sattelites, then the beginings of orbital space stations, with the first Republic of Lanquassian Orbital Station (RLOS, pronounced Arlos) to go online in some 12 years.

Calls for a specific plan for a moon landing have been shot down by the Ministry of State and the rest of the government.

President Blake, at a press conferance, was asked about the moon landing, and said,

"The Republic can easily make it a goal to set a Lanquassian flag on Lunar soil. In fact, it is one of our long term, currently undefined goals for our space program under the Hughes Doctrine. However, we do not wish to build our space program around that specific goal, and instead wish to build up our space program for economic expansion, and the ease of exploration of the rest of our solar system. A Moon landing will be put on the schedule, but not until we have a better idea of what we can and cannot easily do with our space program."

--==| Ricksburough, Lanquassia |==--

Cheers ran through the plaza of the booming town of Ricksburough, growing up from what had been mere months before a barren desert, home to one old, slightly addled hermit who didn't know that the Chaoes Years were over. Now a town with a population of 50,000 and growing, with a booming civilian economy as well as the government economy, the residents of Ricksburough were gathered in the Central Plaza of the town, waiting to hear the town's aged, waiting as that old worthy, a hermit no longer, climed the steps and approached the podium.

He had been elected Mayor of Ricksburough under his objections, but when a landslide majority vote gave him the position, he felt forced to accept, and so far had done the best possible job a mayor could do; which was officiate on public events. There were other matters involved, but he knew he wasn't the best person for them and so left them to the Deputy Mayor and his staff, who were well trained professionals who did know what needed doing.

He walked stiffly over to the podium, and the crowd quieted itself in respect for their mayor.

"Well, aint this a site. A year ago I woulda walked right down here an' not thought twice 'bout having a town here. You wouldna called me crazy for even think' it once, but thats just so I was already crazy." He laughed, and so did the crowd. There was truth to that statement, but it didn't apply these days.

"Anyhow, back t'the subject. As of..." the mayor checks his watch, "Five minutes ago, the construction crews have finished the Airport part o'the Ricksburough Int'national Spaceport, and that means in one hour, President Blake hisself will be here to help me officially open it. Ministry of Trade confirm'd it, jus' so yall know, and has been given the code -Ar Eye Ess (RIS)"

He grins again, widely, "That means its nothin' but up from here, folks! Rails and roads moved in, now sky's got into us. We aint got not sea, and we aint got no river, so whats left fo' us?" he asks the crowd.

"THE STARS!" the combined voices of the citizens of Ricksburough shouted, and, as if the entire event were scripted, a DC-3 flies overhead on the way to land at the airport.