NationStates Jolt Archive

Tanya Bellingham dropped her pen as she watched the display on her screen. A wide grin broke out on her face, then she abruptly stood and shouted, "Eureka!"

Gwen Yeats, her lab partner and friend glanced up in surprise. "What?"

"We did it! It works! Come look! We did it!" Tanya was practically bouncing with nervous energy at their accomplishment.

Gwen was slightly more skeptical. "Are you sure?" She walked over to check the display, then switched to another terminal to run diagnostics. "You're kidding. The voltage input is too low. We shouldn't be getting any surplus at this level."

"But we are!" Tanya insisted, pointing to the numbers on her screen. "Look at this! It's the new configuration! I told you it would work! Not only did it solve the problem but it worked better than we dreamed! They said we didn't need a perfect sphere for the grid and they were right. I don't think they ever considered a decahedron. Imagine what other configurations could provide?"

Gwen shook her head as she consulted the backup system. It was reporting the same numbers, suggesting this wasn't just a diagnostic error. "I still don't believe it. We need Fred to come in here and reproduce it."

"Fine, fine," Tanya snapped, peeved with her friend's reticence. "Get him in here. But think, Gwen! This is what the Emperor has been after for years! When he learns that we gave it to him, we'll be heroes! We'll be rich!"

Gwen nodded slowly. "If Fred's independent research confirms it, then yes, we'll be rich. I don't think you should start spending your gold just yet, girl. We're not done yet. Nobody thinks EXL fusion is possible. You're not going to be popular for proving them wrong."

"Who cares about anyone else? We'll have the Emperor's approval! I mean, look at this thing! It's the size of a television set! Fusion power capable of fitting inside a gas tank! Once we perfect it, we could miniaturise it down to hand-held units! We'll be legends in the scientific community!"

"All right," Gwen conceded, Tanya's enthusiasm finally catching on. "We'll be legends. You are brilliant, especially for pushing this against all odds. Let's just make sure we cross our t's and dot our i's before we announce anything. The Emperor will make us heroes for being right, but he'll shoot us if we send up a false alarm."

"Good point." Tanya took one last longing look at her display, then ran the shutdown sequence. A moment later, she picked up the phone. "Hi, Fred? Could you come down to Lab Twelve for a bit? Yes, it's important. I really think you ought to see this."

OOC: Essentially what this means is that Treznor has developed a new method of producing fusion power. It falls slightly into the realm of science fiction as modern science hasn't yet perfected it, and I'm making outrageously unsupportable claims about a decahedron grid. However, EXL fusion is currently being researched and many respected scientists think it's just a matter of time. For RP purposes I'm saying that after many many years, Treznor has finally achieved it. I'll listen to comments and suggestions, but if you merely wish to shoot me down you'll be politely ignored.

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[Edited Out]
[Just Pretend This Doesn't Even Exist]

Gurian congratulates you. What you have researched is a major acheivement. We are also curious for what price we can acquire the schematics to duplicate this.
OOC: Unless you're engaging in industrial espionage (in which case we have much to discuss), this information has not been released to the general public. What you just read was the actual moment of discovery. The Treznor government is not yet aware of this development, and as such cannot make any deals. I'll be posting the unofficial and official government response later, when I have more time at a reliable Internet access point.

In short, this is what we like to call "role-playing."

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Our plasma batteries kind of take the shine out of this project... :(

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Our plasma batteries kind of take the shine out of this project... :(Not if ypou are modern tech. this is quite a breakthough if so.
OOC: Near-modern tech, yes. I'm basing this nation on technology close to but slightly in advance of modern times. The stealth technology I'm RPing had enough purists screaming that I'm not even going to attempt to place myself. Plus, I just purchased merchant haulers with fusion engines, so it's gotten horribly convoluted.

The bonus is that EXL fusion doesn't have the explosive potential of plasma-based fusion. By plasma, I mean the high temperatures required for classic-thinking fusion. I don't know what kind of plasma Resi Corporation is talking about. I'm using this in part for its scalability factor: I like being able to carry a fusion generator around in my hand.

Treznor sits at his desk reading the report with a mixture of elation and incredulity. Across from him sits Elisa Montague, his Minister of Science. She looks extremely uncomfortable, something he understands given the nature of the report he's reading.

Eventually, he looks up and pins her with his gaze. "Okay, so let me see if I've got this straight. A method for fusion that you've been suppressing for the past decade has just been proven viable by no less than three independent labs? It promises an efficiency level of over 90% with minimal waste heat and can be compressed down to almost microscopic scales? All with technology that's been around since before you or I were born?"

Elisa nods, swallowing heavily and not daring to wipe the cold sweat from her brow.

"Naturally, this is a huge black mark on your Ministry. I see here that a few scientists have been trying to drum up support for this research for years, only to be underfunded and ridiculed. Now, Elisa, you know I'm all for competition, but not at the expense of something as important as this. I made fusion miniaturisation a priority since before I installed you as Minister. I naturally expected all avenues to be researched accordingly. Instead, I see that you've directed your Ministry into a single, conservative research path, one that's produced minimal returns. How do you justify this?"

Elisa opens her mouth, but only a high pitched squeak comes out. She closes her mouth, clears her throat and tries again. "Y-Your Majesty, it's just that cold fusion has been a myth among the scientific community for so long, it went against every scientific principle we understood! I mean, it took us years just to comprehend the fusion technology we received from Iraqstan; this is such a radical departure that we dismissed it as pure fantasy! How could we have known it would produce such results?"

"Well, for starters you might have read the proposals Dr. Bellingham has been writing for your Ministry for the past ten years. It seems that a lot of the younger members of the scientific community agreed with her and supported her, which is why she got as much funding as she did."

Elisa blanches, and remains silent.

Treznor observes her for a moment, then sits back with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Elisa. I can't accept poor management like this. I'm afraid you're going to have to step down as Minister."

The woman across from him stiffens in shock. "Step...down? But...I mean...please, Your Majesty! Have mercy! There was no way I could have known! All of the top scientists agreed it was pure fantasy! No one ever thought it could work! I couldn't allow valuable resources be devoted toward a dead end! It was a gamble, a long shot at best! Please!"

Treznor shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Elisa. It was a gamble you took, and you lost." He pushes a button on his data terminal, and the door to his office opens to allow a guard. "The Minister here is retiring from public service. See to it."

Elisa shrieks and tries to run, but is caught and restrained by the guard. "Please, Sire! I beg you! Have mercy! Have mercy!"

The door closes behind her, and her shouts are cut off. He imagines she'll continue to beg all the way to the chamber where she'll be shot. They always do. He sighs again and pulls up a list on his data terminal to decide who will be his next Minister of Science. After that, he'll need to decide on an appropriate reward for the two scientists directly responsible for this discovery. The last stumbling block on his designs had been overcome; he now has the means to propel his nation into a new era.

He grins as he works. He's looking forward to the possibilities.

The Nation of Pilon congratulates you on your accomplishments. Well Done!

OOC:Ok. Mental note, another man joining the space tech.

(OOC: Drat! Another thing my SIGINT didn't pick up. Damn you, Devon Treznor! *shakes a fistful of data* Still, most interesting.)

Marik knocked with the back of his knuckles on the door of Nathicana's office, leaning casually up against the doorframe. He waited for the expected clipped answer of 'Come', then entered the carefully organized office.

Nathicana looked up as he came in, and nodded briefly to him. "New reports?" She asked expectantly.

"Oh aye. I took the liberty of setting the one I think you'd appreciate most on top."

She accepted the papers anxiously, her eyes lighting up and a broad smile working its way onto her face as she scanned the topmost page.

"He's done it." She continues to read, her smile widening til she finally laughs with delight. "That son of a bitch pulled it off."

Oh, well done, Dev ... well done. And I see you've made some changes in your lineup? Keeping things from you perhaps? A message? All the same ... this will be something you share with me, have no doubt.

Nodding in satisfaction, she makes some notations on the page in a bold script, using a red pen. "Take this to Pacci's department. Have him farm it out to the proper researchers - I want detailed estimates on where best this technology will suit us. Also - the designs for those ships? See what they can do on integration. Yes, I know we don't have the specs yet - I want possibilities. We'll worry about facts as we get our hands on the actual product."

Marik takes the paper, giving Nathicana a short nod, and leaves to take care of business.

She on the other hand, works up a message for Devon, the smile never leaving her lips.

My dear Devon,

I couldn't help but notice a change in your staff of late. I do hope all is well? Unfortunate, but then, I'm all too familiar with how things of that nature fall out on occasion.

More to the point, your fusion generators. I want in on this, Dev. I think we've areas to benefit each other well enough - especially in perhaps retrofitting those ships of yours, and perhaps working towards some new designs? True, it's been all fine and good relying on others, but truth, I wouldn't mind having our own little fleets out there independant of other's tech.

All that in mind ... I think it would be in our best interests to get together and discuss these new recent developments. In depth. Do let me know when you're free - I'll anxiously be awaiting your response, il mio uomo squisito cattivo.

--Nath

Encoding it with the latest encryptions, she sends it off, feeling more pleased than she has in some time.

Treznor rests one elbow at his desk, musing over the information on his screen. A slight frown creases his forehead and the fingers of his other hand drum absently at the fine oak of the desktop. A moment later, someone knocks at his door.

"Come!"

Ben Vitner steps into the room and quietly takes a seat. He waits for his Emperor to speak his mind.

Treznor pauses for a moment, then sits up straight to address his most valuable Minister. "Ben, I just got a letter from Nathicana. The Dominion knows about our fusion breakthrough, and she's almost politely demanding access to it."

Ben straightens with a sudden frown. "That's preposterous! This is too valuable a finding to just give it away! This could give our Empire a tremendous advantage on every conceivable front, including militarily! It's too bad she just can't have it."

Treznor grins broadly. "Actually, she can have it. I planned to give it to her, and our other allies in the NDA. But you're right about one thing: we can't give it away for free. This little breakthrough gives us enormous leverage, and I'm not going to just fritter it away. Plus, once this thing hits the markets other nations are going to figure out how it's done. It seems to involve some very basic technology available to even the most backward nations. This is going to change the world, Ben, and we can't stop it leaking out. We have to decide how to best take advantage of it."

"Trade concessions," Ben snapped immediately. "Tech trades. Massive monetary compensation. We should protect our intellectual rights with a patent through the UN. Even though some nations won't respect it, it'll give us the leverage we need to demand anything we want in return."

Treznor nods slowly. "Good thinking. The UN has been bullying us enough for a while. It's time they gave us something in return. Hand this over to Kerry's Foreign Affairs Ministry and see what they can come up with. I want it worded as tightly as possible. In the meanwhile, I gather from your reports that the Dominion aren't the only people who got in. I want that information locked down solid. No more leaks, even through agents we tolerate."

"Yes, Sir. I understand."

"All right, off you go. I've got a letter to write."


Oh, everything is quite under control. Elisa made some poor choices, and I was forced to effect her retirement. I'm pondering her replacement, and I'm wondering if perhaps some younger blood might not shake things up a bit. We'll have to see.

Naturally, I have to be careful of how I release this stuff. I can't be seen to be just giving it away, even though I plan to do precisely that to you and our mutual allies. Have no fear, dear lady: I never even considered keeping this from you. I thought that some additional research on Zelgado would be in order.

In the meanwhile, consider yourself invited to dinner and entertainment at your convenience. We can hammer out the details at that time. Considering our track record thus far, I suggest casual dress.

Devon

<bump for near future referencing>