NationStates Jolt Archive

Eastern Ocean of Haven

Approaching the eastern-most continent of Haven was a flotilla. At the lead were a pair of run-down looking Arleigh Burke class destroyers. One seemed in fair condition while the other had shrapnel and shell holes, around which were orange rust streaks.

On the flanks of the formation were frigates in generally the same condition. Two to each side. One of the frigates still had a Lynx ASW helicopter docked on the rear landing zone.

And then.. in the center of the formation were perhaps a hundred more ships of every type. From small 30 foot sail boats, to several massive super cruise liners. On each one, Blubs were visable on the decks, watching their progress as the flotilla rounded the southern tip of the continent.

The lead super cruise liner had Blubs peering out of all the windows, and there were huge stacks of crates lined up on the top deck. Hundreds of laundry lines were strung up, fluttering from them sheets and other fabrics.

The flotilla approached the western shore of the eastern-most continent of Haven, looking for a suitable place to beach. The Blubs were looking for a home.

"ADMIRAL!"

The lieutenant burst into a cramped cabin, flipping on the light. The captain rolled over on his bunk and shot the officer a glare, scrambling upright and throwing the covers to one side. "WHAT?! Can't you people knock?!"

"I'm sorry sir, but there's an unidentified fleet, range ten-eighty nautical miles, flying unknown colors. SatCom just called in, they want us to divert to intercept."

"I will go to the C-C in a few minutes. You are dismissed, and be glad that officers are no longer allowed to administer lashings."

"Y-yes sir!" The officer shot out the door, knowing full well that it was rather likely that his career had certainly reached a dead end.

Admiral Jackson dressed quickly, tossing a set of female garments at the unusually large pile of covers. "Best come out now, get dressed and get out of here."

======================================

"What do we have?"

Another officer pulled out a printout and jogged across the Battleship Leader's cavernous command center. "Few hundred ships, mostly civvies with a few obsolete escorts. Unknown flag, and whatever owns 'em looks small and green."

"Men from Mars?" The officer looked about uncomfortably, unsure whether he should laugh at the Admiral's joke. "Bah, humor is wasted on you lot. Communications, get a line up, find out who they are and what they want. Tactical!" He screamed at the far end of the CC. "Get me range and heading, as well as anything else you know. FleetCom, get AWACs and Sky Tops in the air yesterday, I don't want any surprises. Send all but core forces on to the middle Skyan colony to refuel and resupply. All forces specifically attatched to this vessel are to remain. What is that at the moment?"

An officer called from the far end, a printout shooting from a slot near the admiral's hand. "One carrier, one battleship, two escort carriers, four cruisers, six destroyers, and a few resupply ships, in addition to the Carranda Upon Tyne."

Admiral Jackson shook his head. Well no shit that's in addition to us. "Send the resupplies along with the rest of the fleet, we won't need them from here on out."

"Affirmative."

The Admiral reclined in his ship, drafting a message to these newcomers.

======================================

=Begin Transmission=
From:Adm Jackson, NE 1st FRF
To: Unknown fleet
Encrypt: none
Hello and welcome to Haven. We have no idea who you are, though my tactical officers say you look like refugees. Who are you, and where are you going?
=Terminate Transmission=

Southwestern Haven

Metzuda, Capital of Havenic Kahanistan

Foreign Ministry

For the Foreign Minister of a nation that had just taken in a whole ton of Kawaiians fleeing the wrath of the Cute One, and recently told off the Vuhifellian Federation for installing a military junta, Rachel Levitt was in a very good mood. She had recently secured a degree of international assistance to rebuild her nation from the Doomani invasion, and the economy was now back on its feet with the influx of labor, even if the nation still had a Third World military saddled heavily with old Western crap. Not bad for a woman who many had said was horrifically unsuited for her position.

She sat down on the floor in front of her TV set, watching as the satellite video her aide had just inserted played out, showing the Blub fleet. The Burkes were similar to those that had served in the Republic Navy during the Freekish, Kraven, and Pwnage wars, where they had performed dismally against the far superior firepower of their enemies. As her aide sitting behind her firmly rubbed her shoulders, she spied something surprising. This was not a warfleet, this was a refugee fleet lightly escorted by battle-damaged destroyers and other small craft.

The Foreign Minister pulled her cell phone out of her trouser pocket and put in a quick call to Naval Command in New Sodom, in eastern Havenic Kahanistan. Within two hours, a light expeditionary fleet of two Solquist class battlecruisers and six Sianach class destroyers was on the way, along with five Mercy class hospital ships and two domestically designed Vigor class general-purpose transports. This fleet was merely to make sure the Blubs got to wherever they were heading without trouble; pirates still operated in many of these seas, and pirates tended to prey on the poor and desperate.

The fleet commander opened a hail to the Blub fleet.

"This is the Third Expeditionary Fleet of the Kahanistan Republic Navy. We are arriving to render assistance to your beleaguered fleet, it appears in critical need of supplies."

With a clatter, a repeated clunking sound and then a gasp, the engines on one of the Arleigh Burkes ran out of fuel, giving out. The ship's lights dimmed, and without the power steering it began to drift off-course. The sister ship, the one with battle damage slowed down and then came back around. They began setting up a tow line.

The towing Burke was of course, picking up on the messages being sent from several sources. On the bridge, Admiral Bribble squinted. He was a stoic-looking Blub, wearing a USN admiral's cap, which he felt made him look serious. Shoulder boards were attached to his shirt. The sailors all wore shirt tops, uniforms.

A Blub stepped up, handed him a message. Taking it in one tentacle, the Blub eyeballed it.. the paper was upside down. "This is gibberish, Ensign!" He tossed it aside. "Someone see if you can translate it." Another officer picked it up, eyeballing it right-side top.

"Oh. Admiral, they say we're entering a place called Haven. They want to know who we are and what we're doing here. Says we look like roofigee.. foor.. er.. we look like nomads." Blink.

Return transmission to NE ships
We are the Blubs. Our island was sinking, so we got as many ships together as we could and evacuated. We're looking for somewhere else to live. We uh.. could sure use some food. We're willing to pay for it."

Then the message from Kahanistan Republic Navy squawked across the open VHF radios. The Admiral squinted.. fiercely he thought as he looked out over the waves. "Sure is crowded out here." By this time, the Arleigh Burke was towing its sister ship along, engines revving to keep ahead of the main body.

Reply to Kahanistan Republic Navy
We could use food, water and some bunker fuel perhaps? We're trying to make for that land mass directly east of us.

Meaning, the Blubs were heading for the west coast of the eastern-most continent of Haven. The big area that looked like a harbor. It seemed safe.

"Food?" asked Rear Admiral Muhammad Jamal al-Zakhuri, commander of the small fleet of ships that had been dispatched. "Water? Bunker fuel?"

"That's what the response said, Admiral," said the ship's captain, Abdul Hamid bin Malik al-Walid. "Food, water, and bunker fuel."

"Well, it would take us ages to get that far across Haven, open a channel to the Black Dragon." The Union class carrier would likely have plenty of transports, refuelers, and escort fighters that could arrive much more quickly than these ships.

"Commodore Robinson, R.K.S. Black Dragon."

"This is Admiral al-Zakhuri, we need food flown to the fleet in eastern Haven, and a few water desalinizers to purify water for these refugees. Bunker fuel would be good too."

"OK, I'll have a few supply birds up in the air in 20 minutes. Should be about 24 hours before they arrive. Hope that's soon enough."

The Admiral sent a signal to the Blubs. "You should be receiving supplies in about 24 hours."

Eastern Ocean of Haven, Vetakan Defence Force Naval Ship (VDFNS) White-Rose:

Captain Steven Clowes of the Chieftain Pocket Class White-Rose was one of the most experienced Captains in the Vetakan Fleet refusing the rank of Admiral numerous times in favour of remaining as Captain the White-Rose attached to the Vetakan 1st Homeland Battlegroup was returning to Vetaka after a long patrol of Haven, the patrols carried out by most Haven Nations policed Havens Neutral Waters and provided assistence to any ship that got into trouble. As the Sun rose of the Water Captain Clowes was already on the bridge when the Reports of the Fleet Came in:

"Sir OBSAT Command is reporting a large unidentified Fleet approaching Haven, Looks Civilian OBSAT reports and I quote "Rather Battered". Radar has confirmed it. A number of other Haven Nations have responded those being Kahanistan and No Endose. Admiralty has deployed a Carrier Group from Helgan their ETA is 3 Hours until then Admiralty orders us to deploy and support the other Haven Nations" reported a Comms Officer

"I see alter course and lay in an intercept course. Hail the Haven Nations" replied Captian Clowes

OBSAT Battlefield Communication:

To: <Kahanistan Republic Navy, Third Expeditionary Fleet>
From: <VDFNS White-Rose>

Greetings this is Captain Clowes of the VDFNS White Rose we see the newcomers and are here to assist. The Vetakan Admiralty has deployed a Naval Fleet which should arrive in four hours to aid in support. Until then we are at your disposal. With us just being a single ship perhaps we can move to aid in the towing of the broken down Arleigh Burkes.

<VDFNS White-Rose>

OOC: The VDFNS White-Rose is a Chieftain Class Pocket Battleship they are the most widely used Ship in my Navy and are fantastic for this sort of thing anyway the spec of a Chieftain is here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10242797&postcount=1658)

Meanwhile..

The two Arleigh Burkes were being slowly passed by the cruise ships. Towing just wasn't a very efficient mode for the 'Burke. Onboard the lead ship, an officer looked up from his headset, "Admiral Bribble, we have confirmation from
Kahanistan Republic Navy that they will be sending supplies. Said they can't get here 'till tommorow, though. I've also picked up encrypted communications between the Kahanistans and another unknown force. (IE: Vetaka) I reccomend we just try to make landfall. The Ocean Princess reports that the emergency repairs they made to the hull aren't holding. They're starting to take on water."

Indeed, one of the massive super cruise liners was beginning to list to port ever-so-slightly. It was a very dangerous situation, but luckily most of the Blubs onboard were civilians, and didn't know enough to be frightened. Most were on the decks watching the white sand shore get closer and closer.

The first ship to make 'port' was one of the frigates. Moving carefully, making sure the water of the immense harbor was deep enough. It finally, after having done a successful job in pathfinding, sped forward on the last reserves of fuel and beached itself. The tide pushed the ship sideways up against the beach, and it stuck there. Blubs in white sailor shirts began to debark, joyously patting the warm, white sand and celebrating.

Other sailors had orange glow-stick type devices and were signaling back to the main fleet. The cruise liners couldn't get so close to shore and pontoon bridges would probably need to be built to help with offloading. Out in the distance, the Sea Princess tilted further, another lower deck flooded. The two Arleigh Burkes, one pulling the other, struggled to get alongside to render assistance.

OOC: Have you actually joined Haven within the NS Game? Also BTW the OBSAT System Encrypted Communications are damn hard to decrypt lol but meh!!

Eastern Ocean of Haven, Vetakan Defence Force Naval Ship (VDFNS) White-Rose:

The XO and subsequently second in Command of the White-Rose was a mild mannered Commander by the name of William Riker he was often teased all in good fun about his name being the same as Will Riker from Star Trek. He was use to it now and it never bothered him. He was uneasy the Blub's needed urgent help:

"Captain Sir its not looking good. OBSAT is showing One of the massive Cruise Liners the newcomers have in their fleet is titilting to port. She must be taking in water at a rapid pace its hard to estimate how long she has left. If we don't do somthing this could become a Titantic like situation."

Captain Clowes looked at the various HD Panels of the bridge he was indeed worried:

"I agree XO but their is not much we can do the Carrier Group is still a good hour or so away. Comms get me the Blubs on Audio...."

The Comms Officer tapped a few buttons to get the connection before saying "your on" and putting a thumb up:

"This is Captain Steven Clowes of the Vetakan Defence Force Naval Ship White-Rose we are about 2 minutes to your fleet on vector 270 we are aware of the dangerous situation and Id like to assure you we are doing everything possible to help. A Vetakan Carrier Group is inbound made up mainly of Hospital Ships and Rotary Wing Carriers. According to our OBSAT System we understand one of your larger ships is tiltiting to its Port Side we are very worried is this ship taking in water. Although the Carrier Group is not on site they are in range to Evacuate the tiltiting ship via Chopper to Mercy Ships. We advise the stricken ship halt and seal all lower decks and prepare to abandon the ship with your permission Vetaka can begin Evacuation by Chopper immediatly. Do you have a location your Fleet is aiming to get to?"

(OOC: Err. I didn't decrypt it. I said "unknown force" was communicating with Kahanistan's ships. >.>)

Blub Command Ship IE: Arleigh Burke

There seemed to be a lot of ships from various nations arriving on the scene now. Admiral Bribble walked to the back of the CIC and peered through a rust-ringed 6" shell hole in the bridge at some of the ships in the distance. "Do they think we're not trying to pump the Sea Princess out?" Blinking curiously. He chewed on the mouthpiece of the corncob pipe tucked into the corner of his mouth.

A return message would be sent:

We are attempting damage control, but too much of the ship's lower decks are submerged. We will begin evacuations soon.

Out on the deck, lifeboats were being lowered into the water, and little Blub families stood by watching, holding luggage and personal belongings.

OOC: Vetaka, Kahanistan, you realize it would take you weeks (vetaka) and months (kahanistan) to send forces to the blubs? I doubt you'd be able to send a message that fast considering the blubs lack of advanced comm equippment.]

IC:

[We Buy It Inc. Blubian Assistance Fleet]

Of course, an island sinking into the ocean was sure to make the daily news, We Buy It Inc. had actually been the ones to invite the blubs to haven and promised to help them along in exchange for free trade with the blubs and exclusive access to resources.

Now, the We Buy It Inc. Fleet had arrived to fufill it's promise, hundreds of ships carrying prefrab infastructure to Blub scale was waiting off shore. A message was sent to the Blub fleet.

"We're ready to help you set up your glorious nation, this island shouldn't sink into the ocean like the last one, this one is alot bigger. Just tell us what you need."

OOC: The Deployment was made from the UFAN (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=522314)Rapid Reaction Force based at the Vetakan Port of Helgan. The Rapid Reaction Force can deploy Naval Forces within a maximum of 2 Hours. I should of made that more clear sorry that was my mistake. Also the 4 hour response time I admit is rather quick it would probably be more 8ish. Sorry

OOC: The Deployment was made from the UFAN (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=522314)Rapid Reaction Force based at the Vetakan Port of Helgan. The Rapid Reaction Force can deploy Naval Forces within a maximum of 2 Hours. I should of made that more clear sorry that was my mistake. Also the 4 hour response time I admit is rather quick it would probably be more 8ish. Sorry

OOC: Mobilization is fine for a RRF but the time in transit is a whole nother deal, at 30 knots it would take you over 3 days to get to where blub is at this point. Take a look at the haven map for confirmation.

OOC: Mobilization is fine for a RRF but the time in transit is a whole nother deal, at 30 knots it would take you over 3 days to get to where blub is at this point. Take a look at the haven map for confirmation.

OOC:

^Smacks self^ I am so sorry im now highly embarssed I got the location of the Blub Fleet Wrong. I should change my name to "Vetaka Can't Read a Map". Sorry. All time in the Scouts as well. Baden Powell would turn in his grave.

The Blubs of course, seemed rather happy that the promised help had finally arrived. Hundreds of liferafts and small craft shuttled back and forth to the island and the Sea Princess bringing ashore Blubs first, and then belongings afterwards.

And the promise to help rebuild a 'glorious' nation had the Blubs excited. They hadn't considered themselves very influential or glorious to begin with, only appearing on the international frontlines during a war with the overbearing Hatarian military.

Testiment to that war lay in the condition of the six surviving warships. One of the two destroyers shot to pieces, as well as two of the four frigates.

The question of necessary supplies came up. The Blubs were naturally quite shy, and when We Buy It Inc. asked what was needed, the Blubs hesitated. Not wanting to sound foolish or like beggers, the Republic threw together a quick meeting.

Ashore
To add to the problems, a storm was underway. It had swept in swiftly, and seemed to just stay over the Blub's little piece of land . It was actually moving slowly west, but it caused the big canvas pavillion, under which the government was holding its first meeting as residents of a new home, to flap wildly in the wind.

As rain crashed down, a squad from the Blub Self-Defense Force: Army patrolled out in the weather around the pavillion. They carried flashlights, and the worst 'opponent' they'd faced so far had been a curious brown bear which approached, sniffed and then moved away without interest in eating green blobs that chirped and squeaked at it.

The meeting was well underway. A small pyramid of fruit crates provided the speaker's podium. From which debated a Blub, "I agree, Representitive Murbble, we should immedietly ask for shelter. This rain won't do no one good. Mister Brup?"

Mister Brup was the colony's head of city engineering, and quite the expert. "Thank you, Representitive. What we need most right now is shelter. According to information from We Buy It Inc. they'll provide foundations and pre-fabricated structures. We need to ask them to start laying essentials as well as the foundations. We'll need water and sewage systems, gas lines, a power grid.. good god a power grid. The generators we brought with us won't support even one city, and we've got enough citizens for three! We're going to have to go into major debt, contract someone to help us build power plants."

The assembled representitives listened on, frowning as Brup continued, "We can make due with unpaved streets for the moment but we'll definetly want streets and sidewalks down within a couple of months. Otherwise, heavy trucks and equipment will damage pipes and electrical lines under the ground. Next, we'll need.."

And it went on.

Within a few hours, the call went out to We Buy It Inc.
Our first concern is shelter, and foundations for the structures. We'll help with laying out the pipework and infrasturcture as we go, but we're very short on materials. We need support in constructing power plants, hospitals and some government buildings. This evening we're sending our 1st Engineer Batallion (Which was pretty much 200 Blubs with a few bulldozers) to the east to start clearing out some landing strips for helicopters and heavy jet transports. Food and water are still vital.

<bump>

[We Buy It Inc. Blubian Assistance Fleet]

Rear Admiral Lower Half Paul Caron looked over the message. After reading it he quickly called his engineering crew over to the bridge, he wanted to make sure that they had everything they Blubs would need, wether it was with the fleet or would need to be flown in, he wanted it.

A message was sent as soon as the meeting was over.

As of now, we can only provide a few of those things. We do have plenty of shelters, around 1000 or so prefabricated houses, made from old shipping containers, they have everything from windows to insulation, and pipes for running water, as well as power/heat/ac. They are also painted very nice colors! They can be laid quickly and without foundation, but will be temporary only until we can get up premanent structures.

The only true 'foundation' buildings we have right now are your new government offices, and the new powerplant. However, because of the rain they will be put on hold until it subsides, but we have temporary structures, bigger then the houses, ready. And hopefully by the time the storm has passed, we will have the rest of your pre-fab foundation structures.

Food and water is being flown in as we speak to a location just outside your main 'base', warm coffee/tea and blankets are also being sent. Power will be provided temporarily from cables linked to our ship's reactors, should be enough until we get the power station up. Heavy construction will have to wait until the storm has pasted because the mud will just flow back over anything we do.

Anything else?

True to his word Rear Admiral Caron began to dispatch what helicopters could take off in this weather, they also began to sink 'breakwater vessels' and concrete pontoons into the harbor to form a temporary breakwater against the waves that buffeted the ships. A 'Mobile Off-Shore Base' lay just beyond the breakwater, several large jets carrying supplies were either on the ship or waiting to land, with supplies being ferried to the 'soldiers' waiting on shore either by heavy helicopters or hovercraft.

Captain Raymond Divel was one of the first 'soldiers' on the beach, one of the first to witness these natural oddities called 'Blubs', but he didn't have time to wonder which reactor leak caused this weird freaks of nation, he was too busy helping unload supplies to waiting 'Blub' families. But he did notice one thing, they were damn cute, all green and gel-like. He shook this off quickly and went back to work, shielded from the rain only by a temporary roof and a poncho.

Outside soldiers began to lower the structures from the air onto the ground, letting the blubs occupy them as they saw fit. While others set up cables to said structures to provide power, water was being provided via long heavy hoses and valves from the ships.

The Reply

Thank you very much. We will do what we can until the weather lets up.

The storms were beginning to pass, and would soon be clear of the area within a couple more hours. On shore, the soldiers had packs of young Blubs following them everywhere, watching with a mixture of facination, curiousity and awe.

Adults chipped in to help when possible, but for the most part.. the Blubs were resting. Months at sea had them exhausted and happy to be sleeping somewhere that wasn't rocking back and forth. The prefab structures, the Blubs had an advantage with, as the critters clung to walls and cielings effortlessly, asleep. It was a tempoary situation of course, but they were happy to be out of the weather.

A wing of C-130 transports landed on the island. The rocks and sand of the beach were ill-suited for an aircraft landing, but it was either that or crash from fuel exhaustion, and the refuelers were themselves drained far below safety standards.

A stocky black man in military uniform stepped out of the plane. "Colonel Assam Thornton," he said to the tentacle creature he assumed was their leader (once he had quieted those who were laughing about their appearance or freaking out.)

"Well, it'll be a few weeks before our fleet gets here, so we're stuck here for some time. We'll try to get your infrastructure off the ground, we've gotten you some food, we've got tons of it on these planes, a device you can use to suck water from the sea and filter it so it's safe to drink, not so much in the way of fuel... we burned a lot just getting here." I'll have to recommend to the Defense Ministry that we build a naval base out here, he thought, as soon as I get back home.

Blub Colony

By the time the Kahanistans landed, the rain had passed. Dawn arrived, sheding light on We Buy It Inc. machinery in the backround setting up the temporary buildings among the trees. A half mile away in a flat area, the Blubs had their own bulldozers (Four of them infact) clearing trees for helicopter and cargo plane landings. It still wasn't ready, though.

Now that the sun had come out and things were drying off, thousands upon thousands of Blubs were on the beach, packing their belongings off the ships and inland. In among the trees were hundreds of large, multi-colored pavillions. It was still Spring, and warm enough that the Blubs didn't seem bothered by the idea of 'camping out' until more structures could be completed.

The newly arrived Kahanistans encountered a mob of Blubs. It looked like a field of eyestalks and tentacles. At the front was a darker colored Blub, which was one of the colony's representitives. He'd speak in a squeaky, but weathered voice, "Greetings, and welcome to our home." Gesturing grandly at the massive bay filled with ships. Out on the water, We Buy It Inc. work crews were sinking breakwaters.

"Please feel free to make yourselves at home. We will help with the unloading of the equipment, which is greatly appreciated."

<b>

<bump>

Colonel Thornton and the other men and women of the Kahanistanian military who had been sent to help the Blubs nodded in agreement as they began unloading the equipment. This equipment consisted mainly of foodstuffs, but there was also a substantial quantity of building material such as wood, concrete, and various metals, enough to build several dozen houses.

The materials were the kind used to build human habitations; the Kahanistanians had never seen a Blub before and did not expect the Blubs to be tentacle creatures. They hoped that the human habitations were suitable for Blubs or that they could build smaller shelters.

Other supplies included cooking materials, fishing rods, tools such as axes and shovels, and even surplus arms for hunting or defense.

Of course, the Blubs seemed perfectly happy and capable to live in human types of homes. Blub families tended to be slightly large, usually with four or five children and all of the extra room suited them just fine.

Huge BBQs were set up on the beaches and were cooking up some delicious meals for the various workers. Blubs were everywhere, helping wherever possible. By now, the airstrip was pretty much finished. Lights were being installed along the runway, and among the trees, structures were springing up everywhere.

<b>

Blub Colony

Hundreds of new houses were going up each day, they very much resembled human houses, several bedrooms and a bathrooms. They even came with furniture, if the Blubs like the furinute, they could keep them, if they didn't, they were told to drop them off at one of several We Buy It Inc. Temporary Headquarters. Streets were being paved, they followed plans from the Blub coordinators. Government offices were being completed, only a few rooms weren't finished yet.

The powerplants were basically completed, turbines and generators provided by Zap, Zap Power Generation Limited were installed and the hum of generators flowed throughout the building, while reactor cooling towers poured out warm saturated water. Water treatment and pumping facilties were up and running. The Blubs had all the essentials for urban life.

However, they didn't stop there, WBI's contact was even larger. A harbor had been dredged and set up outside the city, big enough for larger transports and tankers to get in and out easily, it was soon busy with WBI transports unloading even more items, mostly consumer goods and building supplies, for the blubs.

However, this wouldn't do any good unless the Blubs had jobs. 'Now Hiring' signs went up in every window of every building owned by We Buy It Inc., even 'Hostile Takeover Inc.' a mercenary and security contractor had built offices. Blubs were recruited to take over power and water operations as well as to work at the ports. It was much cheaper to hire blubs then to pay WBI workers to move their entire families and livelyhoods to a new land.

As most of the construction was finishing and hiring was starting, a message was delivered to the Blub Representative.

Anything else you would like us to do? Train an army? Stick around and build more cities? Need anything and drop us a line.

Also, resource search teams would soon be arriving to survey the countryside for resources that would be of interest to We Buy It Inc., they were expectant to find many resources, and many blubs willing to work for good wages in the new land.

By now, the Blubs had their colony well established. A power grid, water, sewage, gas, roads and the like. Tall buildings had popped up out of the woods. A sea wall had been built to stop tidal surges.. as well as invasion. Really, the Blubs had simply taken advantage of the area's natural 200+ feet above sea level slope, and made the approach from the beach much steeper.

Beachfront property had sprung up, hundreds of private sail and motor boats were scattered in the gigantic harbor and brightly colored pavilions marked where fishing outfitters, boating shops, swimsuit stores and everything else imaginable had turned the area into one giant tourist trap.

Casinos, night clubs and museums drew in crowds from all of Haven.

Further inland, Camp Barton had sprung up among the trees. It was the first actual army base the Blubs had here, and it was home to about 30,000 Blub soldiers. They still had contractors from We Buy It Inc. training the troops, alongside the first batch of Blub Self-Defense Force drill sergeants.

The Blubs had been lucky enough to pick this area. The bay they sat on and the land beneath their cities were vast oil oceans, and by tapping the edges of the area they were also able to draw up natural gases. With help from We Buy It Inc, an oil refinery had been built to service the drilling fields.

Mostly, the oil was imported. The Blub's cars ran mainly on clean biofuels. Since oil is generally worth vastly more than soy and corn, the colony was still making a great profit.

In gratitude to We Buy It Inc, the Blubs had given the company their very own oil field. A big one at the northern edge of the colony, it was sure to repay We Buy It Inc for their services, and produce profits for the next seventy years.

Just a few days ago, the Blubs had put on display their very own homegrown airplane. It was a sleek, powerful little turboprop with propellers made of a RADAR absorbing material, a contoured body.. and big engines that ran remarkably cool. While it couldn't move as quickly as a jet aircraft or carry quite the payload, the Sparrow X1 as they called it.. was virtually invisible to infrared and as a heat source, ran quietly and best of all.. was a low cost strike platform.

[We Buy It Inc. Oil Field, Northern Blub]

Several supervisors watched over the oil field, as workers were working hard to tap the next oil pocket. They replaced section after section of piping. Now, the supervisors helped every once in a while, but found that they were more of a hinderance to the workers.

The workers were of course, Blubs, they were much more capable of doing multiple tasks and holding multiple items then humans, We Buy It Inc. had tapped this great workforce with help from the Blubian Government in order to have the Blubs colonize the vast expanse of the new Blub homeland.

Oh the joys of government contracts and private enterprise, there were several branches of We Buy It Inc. owned corporations in the country, run mostly by Blub supervisors and workers. And this oilfield would move in much the same direction, the first Blubs were slated to be promoted at the end of the finacial quarter.

[Camp Burton]

Several Hostile Takeover Inc. military contractors watched over a firing range at the base.

"These Blubs are built like purpose-born fighting machines, seriously, all those arms and those eye stalks are great advantages. I pity anyone who decides to pick a ground fight with these little guys." Said one of the drill sergeants.

"I here you, they can peak around corners and lob grenades like no other motha'." Said another. "Well, my group of cadets is schedule for a training exercise, I better go."

"See you."

Camp Burton

Despite being small, green and funny looking, the Blubs took their roles very seriously. The Colonial Self Defense Force was modeled on a small, efficient fighting formation broken up into small, fast-response brigades.

They were now operating at two full divisions of 9,000 each, broken down into six brigades of 3,000. A third division was still in training.

All around the camp, Blubs were undergoing basic training. The advanced mission-oriented job training was taking place elsewhere at several smaller camps such as Medical, Artillery, Armor, Infantry, Jump School and Intelligence.

At the grenade range, a training platoon was lined up in the static, fortified foxholes. The only things poking out were their eyestalks, which were all focused on the Hostile Takeover Inc. contrator giving them instructions. Mainly, drop the pin, throw the grenade. A Blub drill instructor stood nearby, looking fierce in his wide-brimed driller's cap.

At the command of the Hostile Takeover Inc. contrator, thirty tentacles pulled back clutching grenades, then... chucked 'em! The long, whip-like tentacles allowed the grenades to be flung far further than normal. The manual said an average man could throw one 30 meters. No Blub grenade landed closer than 65. Bam! Bam! They went off.

Eyestalks peered out of the foxholes to admire clouds of dust drifting away downrange.

***

At the Armor Training Facility, a group of Hostile Takeover Inc. employees winced as they watched Stryker IFV streaking down a dirt obstacle course way too fast for saftey. The Blubs loved to drive. The Stryker nearly tipped as it took a corner, bounced off a tree and kept going. Inside, a squad of cavalry infantry were hooting and cheering, watching terrain blur past through rifle ports.

Ten seconds later, the Stryker hit a hump in the course. It went airborne, the front-heavy end tipping downwards.. before crumpling somewhat as the Stryker speared into the ground. Dust settled, steam poured out of the engine compartment. A moment passed and then the back doors of the Stryker opened up. Eyestalks peered out, then down at the 5 meter drop to the ground.. since the tail end was thrust up into the air.

The Blubs jumped down, landing in the dust and waving their rifles about. Just rolling with it, they dashed off the road and into some bushes, taking cover in an efficient manner.

A Blub drill instructor standing with the human contractors nodded proudly.

[Camp Burton]

The Hostile Takeover Inc. Drill Instructor, Captain Hasslehoff watched as the grenades soared down range, admiring the strength of the 'blub whip' he idly wondered how good a blub baseball team would be.

Some of the grenades even exploded before they reached the ground, like little airbursting arty shells.

"Ok rookies!" Yelled the Drill Instructor, as he pressed a button causing 30 targets to pop up at around 300m away. "Grab a rifle or two, I want to see if you can aim and shoot proper like." Although he secretly wanted too see if the Blubs could dual wield.

***

"Ok, that's enough!" Yelled the drill instructor, Sergeant Adams. "You do realize how much those things cost right?" He said to his Blub counterpart as he walked towards the blub cavalry troops.

"Ok, the Stryker is just a starter, abliet an expensive one, I wanna see if you boys can learn how to use these babies." As he finished two M260A1 'Valkyrie' Infantry Fighting Vehicles (http://z14.invisionfree.com/TSSTechCentral/index.php?showtopic=185) rounded the corner at a considerable speed before coming to a halt.

"Try not to wreck these also, they cost alot more, now here are some manuals, I want you to have these things mastered by the end of the day, that means being proficient in their use as a weapon, we'll cover the mechanical and field repair side later." He ordered, it would give them all afternoon and evening to do so, and Blubs were much faster learners then humans.

"Whatever you do, don't turn these into a 5-meter tall scrap heap." Side the instructor as he walked back to his Blub counterpart. "You guys are sure weird."

Camp Burton

When the targets popped up and the human shouted, the Blub training platoon squeaked, scattered about to pick up their rifles. All of them grabbed a pair of rifles each and scuttled back to their foxholes. A few seconds later after loading them, they began to fire downrange. Each one armed with a pair of rifles, aiming by tilting their eyestalks in opposite directions and peering down the sights. Bam bam bam rattle pop crack!

Targets began to fall apart as the Blubs let go.

***

The squad crawled out of the bushes when yelled at. They listened intently and respectfully to the human, then saluted and scurried over to climb into the new Valkyrie IFVs.

While the infantry bickered and argued about who would get to use the weapons, the drivers already had them in motion. The last look the contractor got of the Blubs was them slowly disappearing around a corner in the course, the drivers peering down at the manuals with one eyestalk while looking at where they were going with the other eyestalk.

The instructor waiting back in the 'safe' area smiled up at the human, "We like to go fast."

Right as he said that, both IFVs came screaming past, hitting the ramp again.. but landing on their tracks and continuing to go. The weapons chattered, reaching out to shred targets off to the side of the course. Rifles poked through the fighting slits on the sides of the Valkyrie, firing as well. Vrooooooom.

[Camp Burton]

Captain Hasslehoff watched with concealed satisfaction as the Blubs shredded the targets with intense fire. They would certain by a sight to behold on the battlefield, with their green and squishiness and all

***

"I noticed, it's both a curse and a gift I guess." Responded Sergeant Adams.

The vehicles roaring past gave him a bit of a jolt. Seeing them roaring off the ramp gave him a deep sense of deja vu and dread, the vehicles however, seemed to land in good shape and continue down the course.

"Hopefully you guys don't destroy your own equippment, I'd hate to see what they'd do to the CMPLs."