NationStates Jolt Archive

Grey masses of automated bots pulsed with energy and life, their claw shaped tentacles buzzing with energy as they quantum welded plates of solid rough metal on to a superstructure the size of several small star bases, hundreds of bots pushed and moved plates in to position over multiple styles of superstructure arcs of blue flashing in the utter darkness of space. This was one piece one massive piece of the new SEWAS (Strategic Early Warning Attack System). Earlier in the year the senate had approved funding for an upgrade and restructuring program for the entire intelligence community, this array was one piece of thousands of other smaller and larger arrays going to be wired in to Federation space. This along with movable installations, command ships and SWAC ships were all integrated in to the plan.

News Reports rang out over the holonet and Dimensional net, and to more advanced nations through the use of an interchangeable quantum entanglement system, with the recent falling out of allies the UTF had, they did not know who to trust, on top of this tensions between the The United Terran Federation and several other nations has been mounting recently and warranted an investment at least thats what the senate thought.


A pale faced blond haired lady appeared on the 3D holonet peering out through space and time across the universe. She began to speak in a pleasant yet loud and professional voice.

Good Evening, I am marry Harlin, with Federation tonight , our top story tonight, its the senate approval of funding from the Strategic Early Warning Attack System or SEWAS project to improve the ability for forces to react nearly instantaneously to any threat with in Terran space and around Terran space , we both have critics and supporters of this system on hand to debate, but our debate wouldn't be the only hot one , as the senate was also aflame with all parties giving opinions, improvement ideas and scornful remarks of the bill. First we go to David Remington, with the pro SEWAS group.

A man appeared on the other side of the holo screen he was older with salt pepper hair and blue eyes peering over to the female anchor , he began to speak in an almost southern like voice.

Thank you and good evening Fellow Terran's , the whole reasoning behind this is that we need more security, and to provide more security we need more information, and to provide more information we need new sensors and outposts, who cares a lick what others think of our spying on them and our excessive ranges on these new devices, they can kiss our shiny bionic butts if they want to complain to us. Frankly I think this is a good thing with tensions in the galaxy rising a bit around us we need this

The female anchor said in response with a nod to the anti SEWAS member.

Your response Michel Callahan ? Would int this raise tensions

A younger man appeared in the same fashion as the older peering at the woman from the opposite end..

Indeed it would, tensions Are not all that high in contrary to what our friend here is saying, building a system like this ... I mean let put this in to prospective, this system can up to 6 thousand light years at fifty percent of its capacity with all the gravatic sensors, dimensional and sub space optical packages and probe systems built in it can be doubled or even tippled at full capacity, and this is expensive we're talking several trillion out of our GDP to build this and build massive centers to process this information back on our core worlds , and I doubt our bordering nations would like such extensive coverage of their space by our prying eyes, its not a wise move by the senate and its an upcoming election year as well. If President Logan intendeds to run for a second term he has to consider foreign policy as well as what the people would think of such a device I for one would not vote for a man putting us at risk of being ostracized or attacked even just for looking the wrong way.

The debate continued on but it was obvious the senate had already approved this and Logan had signed it in to execution , the project was on, and thousands of bots started swarming over superstructures and platforms building massive information gathering arrays.

Undisclosed Location...
The room was dark except for the light cast at the foreground of the room by the holoprojector. The main picture showed a piece SEWAS superstructure under construction, little flickers here and there of automated machines as they welded and tightened and did all those other little jobs of drones. Perhaps a dozen smaller screens presented other images: Several other bits of the structure, a photo of the TFU president Logan, one of his primary political opponent, one of Michel Callahan, another of David Remington, The Federation Tonight broadcast, a copy of the document approved by the Senate for funding for the SEWAS project, one displaying the TFU national flag, and a couple of others with only quickly-scrolling green data streams.

By the muted noise it was clear several people were occupying the room along with the projector:
"By Qonn that thing's gonna be huge..." muttered a voice
"It's not like we're under any threat." said another.
"But it could be, potentially," reminded a third quietly. "I'd hardly trust the media: If Mr. Callahan thinks his source is right, SEWAS is either several times more powerful than he suggests, or many times less. Unless there's a major security breech, I doubt any civilian, especially one opposed to the project, could come by correct information. No," the voice continued, "the exact specs are undoubtedly classified, so we-"

The sound of a door opening somewhere beyond was evident, and the voice immediately went silent. Footsteps sounded, apparently of more than one person, and there was no noise for several seconds afterword until a crisp but friendly voice spoke.
"Alright, what've you got for us, Fiona?"
A definitely female voice came back, bearing a slight accent, which on Terra would have been considered Australian or perhaps British.
"Well what you see is information we've collected regarding this Strategic Early Warning Attack System being built in the United Terran Federation. It's range, as far as Xiscapia and most of her colonial holdings are considered, is not dangerous or compromising to our national security, as we are well out of it's reach. However, as Nicholas was so quick to point out, it's range could be many times what they have said. Therefore, it is still worrying."
"Where is all this data coming from?"
"Intergalactic holonet and transmission feeds, mostly, and anything else comes from either our deep-space patrols or agents. A undertaking of this size attracts attention, and aside from being essentially impossible to hide, the United Terran Federation seems more than happy to broadcast this thing to the galaxy. Now, we've received instructions from the Palace in regards to Unit 505221. He's just outside of Greywatch space now, and is in a good position to penetrate the territory of the United Terran Federation. Preferably he would get close to an inhabited world, but at this stage an outpost or even a passing vessel would be sufficient. It has been suggested he go in without a cloak, so his vessel may be detected. Unit 505221 is not on a intelligence-gathering mission, at least not as his primary objective. This will be First Contact."

There was not talking for several moments. Then, the second voice that had spoken was heard again. "Why are we establishing Contact with these people?" He made it sound like a waste of time.
The man who had come in with Fiona answered, this time with a slight edge in his voice. "We feel the United Terran Federation is a nation which can be peacefully approached. An alliance may be a possibility, but in any case it's good to make ourselves known..."
He didn't say what was on the minds of all present: The Intergalactic Empire of Greal. The Kitsune Empire and the Intergalactic Empire had entered somewhat of a Cold War, circling like cats but staying silent, making preparations and watching and waiting. Anyone willing to help against the enemy when the time finally came could be an asset.

Space, just outside United Terran Federation Borders...
One fifty-four foot long (16 meter)scout ship (http://premium1.uploadit.org/MaxOutrider/ShipImages/Marauder-Corvette.jpg) entered the area. Piloting the scout was a single person, an android to be precise. It, (or rather, he, for the male sex had been what the cosmetic form had been based around) had been manufactured with two specific aims in mind: To show the viewer clearly what an Xiscapian looked like, but to also demonstrate that this was an android, and not the actual biological representation.

He had two rust-colored, life-sized fox ears sprouting out of the top of her head, known as "top ears" to distinguish them from the rather more human ones where one would expect them to be. These top ears were the main audio receptors on a biological Xiscapian, providing them with a keener sense of hearing than a human, though this android had many more hidden droid appendages that did the same, only better. A slight addition was what appeared to be twin white "fins" ahead of the fox ears, which were actually transmitters and not found on your average kitsune. The android's eyes were yellow and slitted, like a cat's, and artificially grown in his mouth were sharp, pointy teeth, a carnivore's obviously made for tearing though muscle and flesh to rip meat from bone. Aside from his jet black hair, the most obvious feature was the plumy, orange fox tail, almost disproportionately large, coming out though his jumpsuit just above his rear to extend behind him in a silken burst.

Despite all this, there was something about the android that gave most biologicals not familiar with them the shivers. The eyes were dead and lifeless and the stance and general motion, while smooth and not jerky, seemed almost too polished, an inhuman grace. When he spoke his voice was not cold, as that would have implied emotion, but expressionless and empty, without the accent of feeling. Unit 505221, as he had been designated in the factory, wore a black jumpsuit now, and though the face it offset seemed handsome, his skin was hardened plastic, hair and fur, realistic but synthetic. A white katana hung at his side, along with a holstered service laser pistol and a combat knife was sheathed in his left boot.

Unit 505221 waited, scans sweeping the sector around him. Droids had infinite patience, combined with the efficiency that could be deadly and entirely without ethics or mercy, gave him an eerie stillness, without fidgeting or the usual flickers of life one saw in biologicals. Manipulating the controls though his direct link with the scout, the android guided the scout forward and a tiny beep informed him the instant he passed the invisible line that marked the boundary between open space and the territory belonging to the nation he was to make Contact with. He felt no disappointment in finding nothing of interest, nor apprehension at the thought of being destroyed by hidden defenses or captured by patrolling vessels. Unit 505221 was not equipped with the capacity for such things.

He uncloaked the little scout, moving slowly forward, alert and waiting. It would not be long now.

Space several thousand KM away from the scout, burst open with a crackling vortex of black white and blue arcs of energy, a medium sized 225 meter Saber class modular attack frigate emerged , its body sleek and smooth, glimmering hull, its guns obviously visible as its gravatic engine pylons pushed streams of white energy behind the ship.

The bridge was small compared to most other Terran ships, officers were hooked in to immersive holographic environments able to do their jobs at high efficacy and capacity using their personal AI units merged to them at birth., the ship quietly guided in to the darkness of space shimmering gently with the dim light of the local system a few light years away. The commander was a young man, his name was Charles Edison , he had just been promoted to the commander of the UTS Tiger tooth , the saber class ship he as currently in. his pale hands rested upon his lap as he sat back in the center of the bridge looking out of the holographic port that showed just darkness and blinking stars through the entire view.

The battle avatar materialized in to existence peering over to the commander it stared to talk, it had an angelic look to it, white, glowing almost as it stood in mid air looking down.

“Commander we are detecting a cloaked vessel a few thousand Kilometers off of our port bow, its small, and it is of unknown origin and configuration...”

The commander looked , he stood up with a cough and started t adjust his well pressed uniform over his skinny yet toned body he looked back to the avatar and started to speak in a commanding yet professional tone of voice that reverberated through the nearly quiet bridge.

“Open a frequency to them, all hands on stand by alert , stand by alert I repeat stand by alert!”

A few things happened, first the con officer flying the ship hooked in to an immersion unit looking at a 360 view of space with various sensors and range indicators also manned the communications station , the young female taped her fingers on one of the floating consoles in front of her face, and a frequency was opened on all channels with ,multiple types of communications arrays . The second thing that happened in the split second that followed those orders,were that shields and defenses went up, weapons became semi active and ready to fire at any moment, crew and troops stationed on the ships, had to report to their stations, and assignments, usually stand by alert was the precursor to a general quarters order. The ships turned as fast as a fighter it took .04 seconds for the ship to flip over to the port side and strafe in to defensive positions usually only fighters were able to do that sort of maneuver, its body now blocked out the white light as it loomed over the cloaked ship its engines producing a stream of white energy behind the Tiger Tooth.

Charles stood up his hands plastered to his side as he diplomatically started to speak, his voice going through various channels, he was obviously young, but also stiff in his message.

“This is the United Terran Ship, Tiger Tooth to unknown vessel,you have violated Terran Federation Space , Identify your self immediately”

(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d110/USFU/Saberline.png)

The scout, sucking light into it's dark hull like a malicious black hole, stopped almost instantly. Scans would show the weapons, such as they were, had been powered down and shields were only at half strength. Unit 505221 was not expecting to be attacked, and in any case he had a chance of slim to none defeating this frigate with only his little scout craft if it came to that. The nimble little ship relied on stealth and speed, rather than firepower and armor, to get it out of trouble.

“This is the United Terran Ship, Tiger Tooth to unknown vessel, you have violated Terran Federation Space, Identify your self immediately.”
Without so much as a second of consideration Unit 505221 spoke a reply via his vox back:
"United Terran Ship Tiger Tooth, this is a long-range exploratory vessel from the Kitsune Empire of Xiscapia. Apologies for the breech of your sovereign territory, but the Kitsune Empire knows no other viable ways of discreet contact. I come seeking an audience to the nearest diplomat, District Commander, Foreign Affairs Minister or similar official of stature in order to make the necessary First Contact pleasantries and exchanges. Rest assured my intentions are entirely peaceful and I will follow your instructions provided I do not believe they pose a potential to harm myself, my ship or cut off my contact with my Commander."

With that the android finished, waiting quietly.

Taggedy Tag Tag Tag (I'll turn this into an actual post once I've read all this stuff)