NationStates Jolt Archive

HIFEX NEWS AGENCY: (19:51 SCT)
[ELDAIMOVEY ADVANCED RESEARCH LABORATORIES (EARL), SCHULTARIA PRIME]


-Available for international release...

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Schultarian State to Fund New Series of Breeder Reactors
-National Government, Central Scientific Collective, State Reactors are for Peaceful Aims

In a statement released by the Central Scientific Collective (CSC), the United Socialist States of Schultaria Prime have recently approved an expenditure of 75 billion Schultarian merlons ($ 135 billion) to expand the Eldaimovey Advanced Research Laboratories' nuclear science division. Although such funding increases have been a regular part of EARL's national mandate to be “The preeminent research facility for the Schultarian state...”, the issuance of federal monies under the aegis of nuclear research has not been without controversy both nationally and internationally.

Within the terms of the funding bill passed by the National Assembly, the research laboratories' six Haarvekord Mk. VII Nuclear reactors would be augmented with at least as many four sodium cooled, 400 megawatt, fast breeder reactors within the space of three years. Many environmental activist organizations, research groups, and international policy think tanks have held open debates with members of the National Assembly and the CSC to discuss their grievances with the recent increase in funding tied to the development of breeder reactors.

While most have accepted the federal government's willingness to allow the passage of this legislation to rest in an “open and transparent” state of debate with the public at large, many opposition groups have expressed wariness about the state's expressed funding aims. “What we are most worried about is the use of these reactors for explicit military aims,” replied Harold Frennen of the Friends for Eldaimovey Foundation, a nonprofit public advocacy group. “We appreciate allowing more funding for the purpose of peaceful research, but reactors of the types advocated by the National Assembly appear to be better suited for the development of militarily fissile material than for any stated civilian aims.”

“You'd get the feeling that once this funding bill is passed that Schultaria Prime would suddenly explode in a mushroom cloud,” noted Janawar Mehit, the author and leading proponent of the Eldaimovey Nuclear Research Funding Act, “such statements ignore the fact that we have never been an 'arsenal state'. For us to suddenly take the crown jewel of our nation's heritage and use it for explicit military purposes is an anathema to what it means to be Schultarian.”

Neither the Central Directorate nor the Schultarian Defense Forces could be reached for direct comment on the issue.

In a statement earlier today, Senator Erik VonLinden and Doctor Vladimir Saratov V, descendent of the first Emperor of Crimmond, both expressed interests in opening some sort of negotiations with the government and scientists of Schultaria Prime to provide any needed technology, equipment or fuel needed for these plants.

Senator VonLinden had this to say: "Crimmond has long been a nuclear power and has gone through several phases of stockpiling and destroying nuclear arsenals over the years. At the moment, it is estimated the Empire holds less than one thousand nuclear weapons in it's stockpile and has proven to be extremely unwilling to unleash them, even when attacked with nuclear and chemical means. Peaceful use, on the other hand, has thrived non-stop with both fission and fusion plants powering the metropolises of the Empire for nearly a century and a half."

"I am confident that the influx of nuclear power can only benefit the people of Schultaria Prime. Nuclear power is the most efficient power source that is practical on this world and will open up many new doors for our allies.", Saratov stated.

It remains to e seen what response Schultaria Prime will have.

Joint Statement of the Defence and Foreign Ministries

Following along the lines of Crimmond, Derscon, as a fellow NATO member, extends its hand in friendship to the quest of Schultaria Prime to develop this advanced nuclear technology. Derscon possesses a wide range of natural resources now unused due to the lack of need to mine, but all mines are fully capable of being restored to full production capacity in the short of a month or so.

Anything our friends in Schultaria Prime require will be provided.

-Eldaimovey Advanced Research Laboratories: Nuclear Science Division, Schultaria Prime


“Damned if you do, damned if you don't... what in the hell have I gotten myself into now?”

Amidst the sprawling, muddy, plots of rutted land and heavy construction equipment, Douglass Kronsen trudged about the massive open pits of rebar and concrete that were to become the foundations of Schultaria Prime's newest nuclear venture. As the construction crews, safely tucked away in sealed glass cabins, worked with calculated, magnificent, haphazardness to the untrained eye, their noise and mess both excited and alarmed the aging scientist. Laid before him were all the hallmarks of Schultaria Prime's cultural success: civil engineering, industrial productivity, and religious devotion to pure science converged on this battered, yet oddly sanctified, ground. In less than six decades, a stretch of plains four hundred kilometers square had grown from remote farmland to a world class research institution for the Primex region, if not a larger portion of the world.

If science was the church of the Schultarian nation, than Kronsen was one of its leading clergy. A well established nuclear physicist with the University of Schultaria Prime System, Douglass' reputation was cemented as a leading pioneer of fission and fusion power research. Over the last three decades virtually no project dealing with the subject of nuclear power was ever conducted without his awareness or approval, and the imprints of his exacting and meticulous nature are on every blueprint and every isotope employed. Combined with the talents of the equally gifted quantum physicist Katherine Ormich, their exploits would go on to incredible heights; not only did they design and construct the first fission reactor built with purely Schultarian materials and engineering techniques, but their research also created the first commercially viable Bubble Fusion reactor. Although the latter was still but a prototype to the now sixty-five year old academic, the discovery was more than enough for he and Ormich to become co-Chairs of the Central Scientific Collective without much argument.

Although he would have rather preferred to oversee the construction at Eldaimovey as a scientist, such was not the case. The funding provisions from the National Assembly forbade him or anyone else from the Collective to personally intervene on the project without oversight by the federal government, an intolerable nuisance to his aggressive, hands-on, approach to “his” nuclear craftsmanship. It was made all the more unbearable due to the secrets he was legally bound to keep...

The four reactors, at least the ones on the surface, were a sham; a well-written ruse to keep all but the most inquisitively curious at ease. Drawing from decades of back room bargaining and shadow projects, the federal government were devious, but not stupid. They, as well as the CSC, knew the risks involved with the project they were undertaking and were willing to keep it under wraps as long as possible.

Only Kronsen and a small collection of others truly knew the full extent of the government's machinations. The four breeder reactors would work as intended, be online within their stated time frame, and actually be used for their publicly stated purposes much to the chagrin of their protestors, but no one in their right mind with any knowledge about the nation's nuclear power infrastructure would really have believed that four reactors would cost nearly nineteen billion merlons each. Of course the government could plausibly deny the costs, citing the occasional cost overrun or lambasting various small-fry subsidiaries of Designwerks for their wasted funds, but it was well known in certain intelligence circles that half of the proposed budget had already been spent years ago.

Four reactors, similar to their cousins down to the very last detail, had been carefully constructed with the guidance of the Schultarian Defense Forces a week before the approval of the Nuclear Research Funding Act. It had been easy enough to hide the money within the national budget's four hundred thousand pages, almost as easy as burying the facilities under two thousand meters of earth and stone, but the government still had major obstacles to address. Although Schultaria Prime could easily design, construct, and operate the plants without outside assistance, there was not enough Uranium and Plutonium fuel in the Defense Forces' energy reserves to fuel one, let alone all four, of the breeder behemoths. Thus the reactors stood mute two kilometers under the ground, waiting.

What Schultaria needed were nations who could supply nuclear material without asking too many questions, or could easily be introduced to the project with the utmost discretion.

”Thank goodness we might finally have some leads for fuel,” thought Kronsen, giving a small sigh of relief as he hoisted himself into his truck, ”and NATO to boot. Perhaps it's time to make some social calls.”

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-A Message from the Central Scientific Collective (Addressed to the Nation of Crimmond)

“Dear Senator VonLinden and Doctor Saratov,

I would like to express my gratitude towards you and the rest of the Nation of Crimmond for your willingness to help Schultaria Prime expand in the field of civilian nuclear technology. We in Schultaria Prime consider the development of technology solely for the use of weaponry as a terrible misrepresentation of human effort, we welcome and appreciate those nations who also understand our philosophy about the scientific process. As co-Chair of the Central Scientific Collective, and a representative of the Schultarian people, I can say with certainty that any civil assistance you might be able to render concerning our breeder reactor project would be met with nothing short of our deepest gratitude.

With faith and goodwill, I personally invite you and any interested members of your government to come and visit the scientific megalopolis of Eldaimovey to observe the progress our breeder reactor project. As fellow members of the New Alliance Treaty Organization and host nation to NATO's headquarters, we would be honored to have your presence in our research facility.

If you wish to pay a visit, please let me or the government of Schultaria Prime know at your convenience.”

-Douglass Kronsen, PhD: Co-Chair of the Schultarian Central Scientific Directorate

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-A Message from the Central Scientific Collective (Addressed to the Nation of Derscon)

“On behalf of the United Socialist States of Schultaria Prime and the Central Scientific Directorate, let me be the first to thank you for taking the time to support our breeder reactor project. It is extremely heartening to know that our allies from the New Alliance Treaty Organization are so willing to render material assistance for research with civilian aims. As co-Chair of the Central Scientific Collective, and a representative of the Schultarian people, I can say with certainty that any civil assistance you might be able to render concerning our breeder reactor project would be met with nothing short of our deepest gratitude.

Any contribution, however small it may seem by your standards, would be innumerably beneficial towards the pursuit of scientific research in the field of nuclear fission and will be compensated accordingly. At the moment, however, we are in most desperate need of Uranium and Plutonium fuel; although we have enough to power our civilian reactors, the material requirements needed for our new facilities would extend our current strategic energy reserve to a dangerously scant stockpile.

As a measure of our faith and responsibility, we invite any interested members of your government or research institutions to come and tour the new construction at Eldaimovey. As fellow members of the New Alliance Treaty Organization and host nation to NATO's headquarters, we would be honored to have your presence in our research facility.

If you wish to pay a visit, please let me or the government of Schultaria Prime know at your convenience.”

-Douglass Kronsen, PhD: Co-Chair of the Schultarian Central Scientific Directorate

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-Special Holotransmission (Secure Line – NATO Headquarters)

“To all Heads of State from the New Alliance Treaty Organization,

This is Central Director Elliot Schultz, and I which to entrust to you information that is to be disclosed only with leaders of the alliance in person. If you wish, you may bring members of your bureaucratic, military, and scientific establishments which you implicitly trust, but they must be willing to submit to a SID-8 (Schultarian Intelligence Directorate – Foreign Division) security clearance background check.

So far, I know that Doctor Douglass Kronsen has invited several member nations of the alliance to visit the Eldaimovey Advanced Research Laboratories to tour the breeder reactor facilities under construction. If enough member states attend the tour of the facility, I will instruct Doctors Kronsen and Katherine Ormich to make necessary preparations to hold a 'formal' conference at the NATO headquarters. As I see it, this is the perfect opportunity for all NATO representatives to come and discuss various strategies concerning containment of the Alliance for the Preservation of Civilization (APOC) which, coincidentally, is one of the impetuses behind the veiled language in this message.

Although I wish I could be more direct, pressing matters of national and alliance security on which this information entails must err on the side of caution.”

-Elliot Merle Schultz: Central Director of the United Socialist States of Schultaria Prime

OOC: The following is a hand-delivered personal letter.

Dr. Kronsen,

It is in all of our best interests to see Schultaria Prime develop the highest and most advanced levels of nuclear technology possible, for if the Schultarians are strengthened, then all of NATO is strengthened.

The Uranium mines and processing plants are being reopened for your use, and you are free to partake in our Plutonium stockpiles if you so desire.

While the government of Derscon is somewhat distracted by the current insurrections in rebellious provinces, Tsar Xavier himself has assured me that the Imperial government will aid you in whatever way possible. If necessary, you may wish to speak with the private corporations in Derscon who also own various mining and transport facilities.

We pray that Providence looks favourably on your endeavours.

Dr. Sarrilai Valsharov, Minister of Science and Technology
Zheleztsolupp Kabanov, Minister of Foreign Affairs


P.S. I, along with several other scientists, government, and military officials, would like to visit Schultaria Prime for the project. Also, if you wish, several Dersconi scientists who have worked on the IFR programme and the Fusion programme here in Derscon have expressed interest in joining your research efforts. The information to get in touch with them has been enclosed.
~Sarrilai Valsharov