TW+2126+EoT+11

Stats
MIL: 4 ECO: 5 ESP: 13 TEC: 8 MOR: 8 REP: 4

Traits
Early Telepathy Telepathy I HeartSeed Early Nanotechnology Genetic Manipulation Metamaterials I

Captured Space Elevator
 * Assets**

Andean Union 1 MIL, 1 TEC, 7 ECO, 2 ESP, 2 MOR, 3 REP Brazil 1 TEC
 * Co-opted Stats**

MIL: 4 1. Train with the other members of PATO. Will be doing this at the NCZ in Ecuador. So close enough to respond if hostilities break out.
 * Actions**

ECO: 5 1. Will be building gadgets using the new Metamaterials to help my espionage agents.

ESP: 13 1. 2 Into hiding more of my espionage. 2. The rest will go into a plan which hinges on certain other projects. Essentially my military is training with the Andes Military, my agents are working with the Andes agents to defend against infiltration, and my scientists are cooperating with the Andes scientists. Essentially in all three areas we're already working together, so my espionage will work on co-opting those stats by convincing the Andes people that since we're already working together, and already reaping benefits of such we should go even further. 2 of the espionage will work under PAIA in case the already developed relationship there isn't enough to cover this. Otherwise the priority is research, espionage, military. I don't know if this is possible, but if I can take all the research and espionage I would like to initiate the annexation regardless of how much military I get.

TEC: 8 1. Again everything going towards nanotechnology. Also involved in this are Project Earth, the Andean Union, the Lunar Empire, and possible the African Cradle.

MOR: 8 1. Everything will go into supporting the espionage action by making all of the various people involved, the soldiers, scientists, and agents, very happy, eager to work, and inspired to work harder so that the Andean Union can see the benefits of working with us more directly.

REP: 4 1. All my rep will go into getting on better terms with the People's Republic of Brazil. I would like to strengthen our alliance and make sure they don't see the unification as a bad thing, but as an oppurtunity to gain an even stronger ally.


 * Response**

MIL: 5 ECO: 6 (base value 8) ESP: 14 TEC: 8 MOR: 8 REP: 4

Your training with the other members of PATO improves the militaries of all three nations. [Andean Union gains 1 MIL, co-opted by Southern Federation. Southern Federation gains 1 MIL. Brazil gains 1 MIL, co-opted by Southern Federation]

You continue to build new gadgets with metamaterials. [Southern Federation gains 1 ESP]

Your work on concealing your intelligence assets is successful. The research teams of the global watchdog agencies seem to be completely fooled.

Your work with the Andean Union has greatly increased the closeness of your nations. [Southern Federation co-opts 2 TEC, 1 MIL, 2 ESP. 100% threshold reached] Southern Federation: 11 ESP, 8 MOR (71) Andean Union: 2* MOR, 1*2 TEC (17)

Your bid to improve relations with Brazil were generally successful. Though there is still significant concern, you seem to have assuaged the worst of their fears.

Together, the Lunar Federation, Southern Federation, and Project Earth continue their research into nanotechnology. They finally come out with several new design of nanites practical for mass production. However, they are not yet ready for the fine design work and extended operation within the human body required for surgical or genetic applications. Work therefore continues. [Southern Federation, Project Earth, Lunar Empire gain technology Nanotechnology I, 3 ECO]

GLOBAL EVENT: Kessler’s Revenge: For A Blue Heaven In the wake of the Windsor Incident, Technorapture and UHI had tightened security measures. Thus, when an unknown fleet appeared on active radar at UHI’s Melpomene Station refusing to answer any hails at the very peak of the day’s shipping operations, Technorapture and UHI were both quick to respond. Though outnumbered by the combined forces of Blue Heaven, they fought bravely and fended off the Blue Heaven attackers, though with losses.

However, it proved nothing more than a feint. In the emergency situation, several freighters had been ordered off, but those closest which had already been cleared had been ordered into the station. No one had expected Blue Heaven to even return to space, much less gather their forces for a second assault so quickly, and thus intelligence assets belonging to UHI and Technorapture were on distant Earth, still following the leads to Blue Heaven’s location. Equipped with Hypereux stealth suits rendering them effectively invisible, they quickly seized the communication/command facilities for UHI’s defense initiative as well as central life support, which they used to gas the entire station to devastating effect in the closed system of Melpomene with the same laughing gas the Grim had used in Newfoundland. Loss of life was fortunately minimal this time as the combatant patrols quickly docked long enough to send medical teams in, as well as purge the station of the boarders, but by that time, they were already making their escape, their work done.

The realization of their work, however, was not to be on Melpomene Station. In Earth orbit, receipt of new orders from their command center was duly authorized and activated by the UHI’s automated defense grid. Intended to protect against any future Kessler Syndrome, they instead activated all manouervring jets on full, attempting to propel themselves into the nearest major station in accord with Blue Heaven’s twisted vision of a space without humanity. Having never been intended for such purpose, they had been designed as readily visible and their locations a matter of public record, and the locally-owned defensive assets of the Hypereux League and Technorapture, intended against micrometeorites, proved sufficient to deal with them, while at Caerchabel Station, the military forces of Australia and the Grim shot them down with plenty of time to spare. Most other stations, including the Southern Federation’s station and Cesky Transit, also adapted in time, but it was only at the incomplete Amurian station that things went wrong. The attack had gone through at local night, with only the minimum maintenance crew on duty, and the station’s protective assets were not yet online. Still worse, the station had been designed with the Amurian research into antimatter reactions, and with that in mind, has an oversized fusion reactor for its size, which lost containment when the satellite, laser firing, struck the station They did fortunately evacuate before the collision, but unlike at TELEPATH and Windsor, there was no defensive fleet ready to protect them from the debris cloud; only a fraction would make it back to Earth safely.

The resulting damage to space was profound. The rapidly-expanding cloud of debris engulfed all stations in MEO and HEO. At Caerchabel, the military assets of the Grim and Australia rapidly went into overtime, shooting down debris, which protected Caerchabel at the cost of creating smaller, faster debris fragments on other orbits. At Cesky Transit Station, defensive preparations proved inadequate to the problem and the station fragmented after several unlucky hits penetrated to the station core, only adding to the debris cloud. At the Africa station, sheer luck carried it through unharmed, and the Southern Federation’s twin stations, well-protected, weathered the storm, but were effectively cut off from all launches as outgoing orbits became clogged with debris. The Hypereux League weathered several hits, losing almost a thousand people when a direct hit to Station Nine depressurized several sections, but barely rode the first wave out. [Space loses Anti-Kessler Grid. Amur loses Transit Station. Combined investment distributed as damage: Hypereux League loses 1 ECO, Stichelhaar loses 1 MIL, 1 TEC, Cesky Station. Kessler Syndrome in effect: all orbital traffic entering or departing MEO or HEO must roll or take losses, with MIL escorts granting bonuses.] Africa: (86) Amur: (1) Hypereux: (44) Southern Federation: (69) Stichelhaar: (19; +2 Standby assets) TELEPATH: (39; +22 Australia/Grim defensive assets)

The event would have immediate and catastrophic consequences on Earth. Cut off from the massive resource harvests of the UON’s NEO asteroid miners and the thousands of smaller power satellites that once occupied MEO before being destroyed, the Earth’s economy immediately plunged. In space, without the tremendous market consisting of billions of people all hungry for their goods, the immediate glut similarly led to a tremendous downward spiral in prices. Factories closed, unemployment soared, and until traffic can be restored, the loss is to remain profound. Certain nations, with their research into economic processes and how to manipulate them, managed to fare somewhat better, but even they took severe losses as the economy of human space began to enter a death-spiral. [All nations with less than 10 ECO lose 2 ECO until Kessler Syndrome cleared. All nations with 10-19 ECO lose 4 ECO until Kessler Syndrome cleared. All nations with 20 or more ECO lose 6 ECO until Kessler Syndrome cleared. Amurian Technocracy, Carthaginian Empire, United Kingdom, Lunar Empire lose half this penalty.] Can I initiate the annexation now and get all of the Andean Union's stats in time for the next EoT. Since I have 100% of their stats co-opted? Or do I need to do it in the EoT.

Can I tell how much the other faction's working on nanotechnology got. It's not a big deal, but if everyone got the same and the Lunar Empire got 3 econ for putting in 4 Tec while I put in 16. Well I probably won't let anyone join my research projects late again.

Fortunately I am not too concerned about the Kessler effect. It's annoying, but my nanotechnology boost took care of the negative effects for me. Unless the economic penalty is going to get worse, or become permanent. In which case I will probably need to put some effort into dealing with it.

One question though. If I take over the Andean Union I assume their economy has been reduced as well. Will I get back the 2 econ they've lost at the same time as I get back my own 2? Unfortunately, you need to do it in the EoT.

They received the same amount. That, plus the embarrassing fact that Hypereux suits were used in attacking their allies, essentially represent the two major negatives of joint projects - people who do the bare minimum get the same benefit as those who take on more than their share, and you can't control what other people do with the technology you give them.

It probably won't get worse, actually. Certain nations are already working on terrestrial solutions while others are publicly trying to clean up, and I'm sure they'd be willing to sell the resources they gain at significant mark-up. It's a seller's market right now.

Yes, you will. What about the Andean Union then. Did they gain 3 Eco from this? They worked on it longer than the Lunar Empire did. Ah. Yes, I did forget to add it in to their totals, and it should be taken as co-opted by you. However, it's gained as a consequence of the Nanotech you already have, so it won't be carried over if you annex them. Will that apply to any gains a country has due to duplicate techs.

Also will I need to invest anything to annex them. Actually, I changed my mind. You can have the 3 ECO from the Andean Union as well. ^_^

No, you won't. Normally, you can if you're concerned about success, but you've got pretty much everything, so you can shoot through with it at the end of this turn.