"Terraforming biosystems are now ready to deploy at all our worlds! With theoreticians suggesting contained environments for toxic worlds as well as improvements to both of our existing planetology technologies, our chief of research has elected instead to quickly turn over a simple Controlled Barren Environment project, for two stars we know already."
Celtsi Materials Physics Lab, 2.5.2341:
"Scan Seratonin's inspired improvements to factory construction measures hold promise enough to be doubled immediately, but the concept of Duralloy Armor is more appealing to high command, and we too are eager to explore new concepts instead of rehashing old ones. In light of that, we're looking forward to next year's ground-breaking as well, on a Force Fields laboratory that will allow work on Class II Deflector Shields, starting two years from today.
Low Rha Orbit, 17.9.2344:
"Our attempts to contain the pseudo-industrial waste production of the crystals on the surface have met with only limited success. Concentrated laser fire destroyed one of the objects we have identified as waste-generation units this year, but no more, and none of the larger patches of propogating crystals were affected. In light of this and continued popular pressure to demilitarize, it should come as no surprise that our PT DEFs are being decommissioned..."
Surface of Rana, 12.6.2345:
"No sign of pro-military rebels in this system; can we be sure of the veracity of earlier reports? Surely their activity must be limited to the north. We should be perfectly safe here at our new colony in the east...."
Mentar Propulsion Lab, 3.7.2349:
"I have trouble believing reports of a pair of Darlok Needle smallcraft advancing threateningly on our Discovery at Endoria. What military-loving rebels could hold out in the face of our peaceful advances, like the new fuel cells that will lead us on to Nuclear Engines? (The notions of more fuel cells or some kind of stabilizer are being tabled for now.) It's no doubt false reports like these that allow Lock Cerements, unworthy succcessor to equally-unworthy Storm Cerberus, to order new PT DEF fighters in the north. It's been proven that they're of almost no use to prevent pollution, and what do we need with so many even if the reports of the Needles are true?"
Low Rha Orbit, 29.6.2351:
"I think all Psilons owe Lock an apology. His assessment of the waste-crystal situation was correct: We simply didn't have enough PT DEFs last time through. With dozens out of Machine Shop Vega showing up this year, we have cut down all the waste production centers on the surface and shattered a sizable fraction of the crystals too. With more new PT DEFs already on their way over, we believe that we can remove the swift-spreading, waste-producing crystals from the surface entirely. I advise that work begin on an Autolab to colonize the surface, clean up the waste, and learn what we can from the remains once the toxic crystals have ceased to propogate."
Outer Nitzer Orbit, 28.4.2353:
"It's a regular hotspot of rebel activity out here! I'm sorry to hear the planetology teams just switched to Improved Terraforming +30, because better eco management would have been quicker, and we need to find out if we can colonize radiated worlds like this system's as soon as we can. Last year saw a Darlok Scout retreat, and this year saw two separate rebel fleets do the same: One with the call sign Klackon Scout shortly after the Silicoid Colony Ship we've spotted from time to time - reportedly the pirates' mothership in this part of space! I don't suppose there's a chance of getting the PT DEFs out here to investigate...?"
Mentar Galactic Command Center, 30.6.2354:
"Slow down; slow down! I'm still trying to make sense of all the stuff that's going on!"
"Our Discovery has uncovered what appears to be a major rebel base at a yellow star near the center of the galaxy, with no less than ten ships in orbit, and 11 fully-armed missile bases on the planet's surface as well - clearly a nest of rebels in love with military! On top of the five Darlok Needles, we detected a Hornet six times their size, and fully four ships of the class we imagined to be the rebel motherships in the past! The pro-military forces are more widespread than we ever imagined! Moreover, with the breakup of the last waste-propogation crystals on Rha, we received a high-powered signal from the remaining crystal-harboring worlds known to exist in the galaxy ... followed by a complete cessation of the background signals first detected from those worlds two decades ago! I want our new Autolab sent at once to investigate."
Surface of Rhilus, 7.10.2355:
"Hard to believe all the news coming in across the galaxy! The largest rebel fleet ever encountered is presently in orbit at the world of Volantis, with almost 150 ships! The new lab at Rha was founded at the same time as ours right here, and rumor has it that with all possible warlike options before them as well, the science teams on Mentar are moving forward with Improved Robotic Controls III. The biggest news is ours, though: We're picking up energy signatures from three different worlds to the east, with completely different frequencies from those of the waste-crystal worlds that we just started receiving again. Analysis of the energy readings will begin at once, but I fear there may not be time; the new scanners that opened the way toward those controls are doing vital work already!"
"Two destroyer-class rebel starships, each of call sign Mrrshan Cheetah appear to be en route from Volantis to this very star! If they are as violent as I fear they must be, I fear we can't possibly arrange sufficient defenses in time!"
Mentar Orbital Force Field Test Facility, 29.5.2356:
"Our new shields are now up and functioning. The proposed miniaturization project is rejected; if our people fight one another on the streets, it will represent so great a failure that mere personal shields would be like a band-aid for a beheading. Rather, we will proceed with research into Class III Deflector Shields to protect our worlds from the rebel forces that seem to be everywhere around us."
Mentar Galactic Command Center, 13.10.2358:
"It's high time we revised our opinion of the threat. These fleets cannot be passed off as the work of a small military-loving minority - not unless that minority represents the very most ingenius and industrious portion of the Psilon population! No little disgruntled faction could possibly have constructed star fleets on this scale. Arguably the most powerful fleet encountered to date was spotted at a yellow star called Kholdan just last year, even as another Silicoid Colony Ship fled from our star force at Rha, and now another fleet of aggressive ships with Mrrshan call signs were encountered at Hyades as well - to say nothing of the Cheetahs due to reach Rhilus next year! We need a more realistic appreciation of the threat, of the other and powerful factions ruling the galaxy around us, and we need it at once!"
Rhilus Orbit, 9.1.2359:
(Wipe Celebrity kicks the throttle of his PT DEF 1.0) "Both Cheetahs are closing and ignoring all requests to stand off. We're picking up some kind of low-level transmission with a peculiar energy signature from the ships, but nothing deciperable. Rush, I want your Discoveries closing alongside me to provide cover in case this gets ugly!"
(Rush Serendipity leads the trio of Discoveries forward) "I'll do what I can, but it may be hopeless; what can we do against ships of that size?"
(Emergency sirens sound aboard Wipe's PT DEF) "Go full evasive! They've got a missile salvo tracking me!" (Wipe fires a baffler flare to cover his retreat, fleeing the incoming missiles at top speed...)
(Emergency sirens scream aboard the Discoveries even as Rush begins their evasive maneuvers) "They're locked on to us with another salvo! We've got to get out of here!"
(Wipe kicks in full throttle as the first salvo bypasses his flare) "Stick with it! We may yet outrun th..." (Impact - a blaze of fire)
(Rush pours all his Discoveries' little power into flight) "We've lost Celebrity! We're defenseles in the system! Missiles closing - I can't tell how ma..." (Rush's starboard wingman goes out in a titanic nuclear blast as Rush rolls just clear of the blast radius and another missile detonates) "We've lost another ship! Any more of those missiles and we're ... hold! They must have expended their payload! The Cheetahs are standing off! They must not realize our Discoveries are unarmed! The rebels are in retreat! I repeat..."
Mentar Galactic Command Center, 18.11.2359:
(Lock Cerements stares at his screen in open wonder) "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it."
(Freeze Carob-Bella shakes her head) "You knew all along that the ships we've encountered couldn't be the work of a small rebel faction. When I realized the Cheetahs at Rhilus transmitted with the same energy signature as the planets to the east, I got everyone started on deciphering them - it's a shame it took this long to consider a different language and transmission system as a possibility. As you can see, this alien Jasana is not only sentient, but happy to trade with us now that we've cleared up our previous misunderstandings. It is likely that many of the other ships we've encountered were built by other sentients out there in the galaxy."
(Lock shakes his head) "A sentient, xenophobic kitten in love with ecology, and willing to trade 35 BC? What's next? A sentient insect waving its feelers at me?"
Surface of Endoria, 13.8.2360:
"With barren Vulcan last year, this is now our ninth glorious colony of peace! And look what rewards we reap here: Contact with a ... cloaky thing? ... er ... anyway ... and a sentient insect waving its feelers in a friendly (if slightly insane) fashion at me! I'll bet Lock can't wait to see it! These two aliens are even allied to each other already, and each has something in common with Jasana too: Narzina the industrialist also calls itself a xenophobe, and the erratic bug loves planetary ecology! We could be in for a regular love-fest here! Hurray for peace!"
"It ... uh ... might just have been a little more encouraging if one of them had been interested in a trade agreement..."
Celtsi Fission Propulsion Laboratory, 22.9.2360:
"Brilliant news! Our nuclear engines are working, with no further melt-downs reported! We should even be able to extend their effective range by fueling them with Dotomite! Power Certitude has a better idea though: Reversing the polarity of our warp generators to refold space over existing warp folds should allow us to actually exceed the effective speed associated with nuclear engines without breaking the light barrier. Work will begin on designing the new Sub-Light Drives immediately!"
Surface of Keeta, 1.7.2364:
"Think how fortunate we are to dwell here in the far southeast, where even the greatest fearmongers of the galaxy could never persuade us we shall ever face anything but peace! Moreover, with two more Autolab 2.0s on their way to colonize the rest of the south in peace, even the duralloy armor developed on Mentar two years back is being turned to peaceful purposes: It has paved the way for the peaceful infrastructure development of Improved Industrial Tech 7, and for the miniaturization necessary for the Deep Space Lab crossing the stars toward distant Whynil, at the galaxy's core, even as I speak - and also, finally, for our first Warp 2 scouts: The Probe 2.0s just built this year! The noble Lock Cerements has personally assured me that the reason for their laser armament is to help eliminate any waste-generating crystals we might encounter, the better to please our ecologist friends around the galaxy."
_______________
Next: Assured!
