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Ladies and gentlemen we have a new rule here at Morgan Industries and that rule is 'Do not under any circumstances ingest xenofungus.' Private Jones is our lovely case study in why this is a terrible idea; as of writing he has spent a solid seventy-four hours spinning around in circles singing praises in what our linguists have determined is a passable dialect of ancient Babylonian. Lets not have any repeat performances shall we? P.S. If anyone can come up with a way to get an IV into Private Jones please drop by the medbay ASAP, he is quite badly dehydrated and short of throwing him in a water tank we're out of ideas. General Memo sent to all staff at Morgan Industries.
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Jan 20, 2015 17:34
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We got this game back in the day, my dad being a huge Civ 2 fan, but I never got that into it. Remember very little, besides boats with ranged attacks, possibly? Excited to see more of this game!
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Jan 20, 2015 17:38
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Lovelace Machines In 2112, the work by research departments across many of the firms in the Pod 5 colony bore fruit, as Lovelace Software, in coordination with Morgan Informational Hardware, completed the design on protocols for true local informational networks and the hardware they would be running on. This sparked a scramble into investment into server hardware and network cabling amongst firms and users, seeking to restore the networked world which they remembered from Earth.    In 2114, the Rat Patrol, newly restored to full strength, made a remarkable find in the xenofungus to the west of Morgan's settlement as they blazed a trail for colonists organised by the Tellus Cooperative. A portion of the Unity's databanks, with the complete corpus of observational physics data dispatched with the mission, was recovered from a Unity cargo pod. With this data recovered, the design of high-output lasers as long-range heavy weapons support to be integrated into military formations alongside conventional small arms became a possibility, although many of the practical issues with the weapon design remained to be solved. New military technology requires you to build a prototype at elevated cost before you can produce units at standard cost or upgrade existing units to the new hardware. As a small compensation for the elevated cost, prototype units have higher morale ratings, reflecting the more rigorous training in elite units deploying new technology.  The year following, another cargo pod from the Unity proved to be an automated survey probe which had located a rich deposit of uranium ore on the western shores of Pholus. With this concentrated supply of fissionables, a uranium reactor to supplement the existing thorium reactors could greatly boost the power available to the Pod 5 colony.  In 2118, the Tellus Cooperative finally set up stakes on a western peninsula, close enough to take advantage of the uranium to their north, forming the Pod 5 colony's third settlement. Left to their own devices, the Tellus Cooperative people, widely considered 'hippies' by other members of the colony, would be able to establish a settlement comfortable for their own needs.  A year later, continued work on networking protocols by the colony's computer scientists allowed for the development of the technology for a true Internet, linking every settlement in the Pod 5 colony. Network uptake was still bottlenecked by the need to build servers and lay cable, although hardware was being manufactured as swiftly as the colony's industry could supply it. Although Planetary Networks allows for a Planned economy, Morgan Industries cannot run a Planned economy, and so we gain no new Social Engineering options.  The new advances in computing technology were coupled with a serious consideration of network security. The possibility that infiltrators into a settlement could breach data networks, allowing them free reign to steal proprietary data, spread propaganda directly to the citizens, or sabotage delicate control systems cannot be dismissed. Probe teams allow for all SORTS of espionage shenanigans if moved to enemy settlements, but can be defended against by other probe teams stationed in a settlement, and are very vulnerable to attack by normal military units. Perhaps their most inoffensive ability, and one I would like to take advantage of when I can, is to set up infiltration on enemy networks to allow you better intelligence on another faction's current abilities and assets.    A year later, in 2020, the Pod 1 colony leadership contacted the Pod 5 colony, arguing that the Pod 5 colony was required under the UN Charter to share the information it possessed on networking protocols. Morgan convinced the Pod 1 leadership that reciprocation with information on medical and genetic technology the Pod 1 colony had developed would be a mutually beneficial arrangement, and both colonies transferred large quantities of data to one another. With genetic medicine once again available, work could begin to treat the ongoing health problems that had plagued the Pod 5 colony, and once again provide the genetic repair of aging damage that would at least mildly slow the ravages of age. Genetic anti-agathic treatments remain expensive and primitive, though, and are only available to those able to afford the considerable resources they demand. The Pod 5 Colony as of 2120  The central western portion of Pholus is dominated by the Pod 5 colony, which has been slowly expanding into virgin territory since Planetfall. Stockpiles of industrial materials are at essentially the same level as ten years ago, having been spent and replaced at nearly the same rate. The Interim Development Corporations remain important elements of the colony's development, but diversification of new firms away from the IDCs has been slowly ongoing. Morgan Industries has been refounded as Morgan's own personal enterprise, as seperate from the Morgan Settlement IDC. Morgan has offered rewards for exploration to the east, along the northern shores of the Freshwater Sea, but the two primary reconnaisance units, Rat Patrol and Talon Security Solutions, are currently out of position, Rat Patrol near the Tellus settlement and TSS near the Pod 1 border.  The growing population of the Morgan settlement should soon allow it to exploit the output of the second monolith complex near the settlement, accelerating the work currently underway to establish a strong network infrastructure at the settlement. Although there is still a great deal of work to go, the capital is available to very soon support a push for completion of the network infrastructure here.  The Torrson settlement is currently the largest of the Pod 5 colony settlements, taking advantage of both the nearby monolith complex and a new, modern swath of farmland along the river. Hydroelectric power supplements its power grid, and work to expand the capacity of its thorium reactors is underway.  The Tellus settlement struggles on the western peninsula, suffering from greater shortages of food and materials than the older settlements. It has hastily raised its own defensive force, and is working on the second great terraformer of the Pod 5 colony to better tame the countryside surrounding it. The Pod 5 colony still struggles with shortages and hardships, but its situation slowly grows more stable over time. Children who have known no world but Chiron now begin to reach adulthood, and the planet may eventually prove to be a suitable home for humanity- if only it can survive the ongoing challenges of this harsh world. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 21:07 on May 27, 2016 |
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Jan 20, 2015 17:45
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From the Desk of Pittsburgh Lambic Daaaayum. Told you there was treasure in them cargo pods.  I'm gonna have to figure out a business model for these things. Did any rats come with on the Unity? People will pay to have swarms of mind worms set loose in their homes as exterminators. If there aren't no rats, I'll need to find some alien rat-analogues and set them loose in the colonies to generate demand for my pest control services. Is that poo poo against any laws? I dunno, maybe I can set up a new colony without any laws against unleashing hordes of vermin and mind worms upon the citizens...
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Jan 20, 2015 17:57
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Drakenel posted:I'll tell you what, get Morgan's go ahead and I'll get you in touch with our logistics head. Best one we've had in years, poo poo actually shows up when it's relevant for once. Lt. Carson: Morgan Logistics, Supply and Security does that by being aware ahead of time of future requirements and acting on a progressive predictive model to assure that everything is in position before you need to know that. So kindly CC us next time you refer business to us, as we find data trawling to be an inefficient use of our energy. That our networks are currently small and have limited inter-connectivity is of no concern. MLSS Rep. Reilly
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Jan 20, 2015 18:04
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To: Rat Patrol, MCS, Talon, et al. While I'm sure you're all perfectly happy to have all your brains intact, this lack of contact with further mind worms leaves me in the uncomfortable position of having an incomplete set of data before an important publishing deadline. Nevertheless, I'm certain you'll all want to know what I've discovered, so keep your eyes peeled for my name in the scientific releases... Chief Hal Kimberley, Ph.D., Morgan Xenobiology Department
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Jan 20, 2015 18:08
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To: CEO Morgan CC: Morgan Industries Senior Personnel From: Dr. Maria Valdez Subject: Weather Paradigm proposal Good morning, With a source of local edible marine life determined and no further investment in oceanic sciences or infrastructure as of yet, Applied Maritime Solutions would like to volunteer its resources to assist with the Weather Paradigm proposal, which should be initiated as soon as realistically possible. Understanding this planet's climate and ecosphere must be a priority of our colonization effort, and the Weather Paradigm proposal predicts up to a 50% increase in terraforming efficiency across the board on top of making possible large-scale projects we'd otherwise need substantially greater infrastructure and research to support. The potential advantage this affords us cannot be understated and the opportunity must be seized if at all possible before any of our competitors, known or unknown, set to work on it. Do not worry about my sensitivity to the planet's ecology making me one of those spore-sniffing Gaians, CEO. As the AMS CEO explained when AMS declined to build hulls for the new wave of pirates in the Caribbean and South Pacific on Earth, there is no point in mugging a man when you can tax him instead. So it is with the environment and natural resources as well. With respect, Dr. Maria Valdez, Applied Maritime Solutions Ltd.
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Jan 20, 2015 18:09
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And yet, there are three other Secret Projects I'd rather do before the Weather Paradigm available with current technology. I, as the LPer, would be much more likely to seriously consider a proposal for the Merchant Exchange, Human Genome Project, or Virtual World at this point in time.
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Jan 20, 2015 18:13
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Lack of opportunities got you down? Bought up all the materials from local firms but still want MORE? Why should the city you live in determine your opportunities? Invest today - Intercity Rail link Inc. Bringing the Frontier closer.
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Jan 20, 2015 18:17
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Dr. Valdez, I appreciate your willingness to support a venture of this scale, and wish you all the luck in the world finding investors for your project. That said- Morgan Industries does not have the assets to spare for this project at this time, when there are other matters for investment that demand our more immediate attention. Your continued work to support the prosperity of our colony is appreciated, and I wish you the best fortune in developing your own fortune on this world. As far as accusations of sympathy with the Pod 1 colony- Dr. Skye and her followers have behaved reasonably thus far, although I cannot say I trust this to continue into the future. Our survival and prosperity demands we tame this new world, which has done its best to kill us! Sentimentalism over such a world strikes me as the very height of irrationalism. CEO Morgan, Morgan Settlement Interim Development Corporation and Morgan Industries
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Jan 20, 2015 18:44
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nweismuller posted:Dr. Valdez, CEO Morgan, I would characterize myself as pragmatic rather than sentimental. Earth barely managed to launch the Unity before war and resource exhaustion made interstellar travel impossible. When you crash your shiny new car, you do not simply buy another one of similar make and drive it the same as your previous model. You determine what you did wrong last time and look for ways to prevent that from happening again. This is not sentimentality, this is good practical sense in any field of life, including business. An investment into the very source and material of success on this world strikes me as something that does require immediate attention. Skye and her followers reportedly worship the planet itself as a living being. This is a far cry from my proposal. I propose an emphasis on sustainable long-term growth on this world rather than a boom-and-bust cycle. Short-sighted businesses have always been the first to founder when the situation around them changes or their understanding of their chosen market proves faulty. Dr. Maria Valdez, Applied Maritime Solutions Ltd.
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Jan 20, 2015 19:11
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Marcus Li, Diary Entry 37, Video Recording posted:
To Hal Kimberley We'll be sure to keep our eyes peeled in the releases, if you have any info and research on those drat worms, we'll be dammed sure to keep them in mind. We don;t want anyone to have to go through that trauma again. If you find any more promising finds, let us know. Talon may be new, but we're always looking to stay on the cutting edge and if you can find a way to do something about those drat worms, we'll be happy to talk business. Marcus Li To MLSS Rep. Reilly Sorry again about all those emails, I was still getting a feel for the logistic and production train Morgan Industries set up. While annoying though, I feel my units's performances will speak for themselves in the field. -Marcus Li
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Jan 20, 2015 19:16
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Hey Boss: Forgive the informality, but gently caress YES. It's kind of ridiculous to be enthusing about a personal dev machine with an entire megabyte of RAM given what the Unity packed, but this is 100% Chironic technology and this, the data find, and the Laplace routers are rapidly getting us into our bootstrap phase. Anyway, right, weekly status report:
My guess is that in less than ten years we'll be forging truly new ground. I've got no idea what's coming. --Harv PS. Marketing seems to have gotten wind of this "polymorphic software" thing and is talking about how computers that program themselves will be an enormous step forward for mankind. We're going to look like idiots unless this is handled very carefully - a computer programming itself is exactly what a compiler is, and self-modifying code (and the notion of code as data) goes back to McCarthy if not Von Neumann. If we're going to call ourselves Lovelace Industries we should try to have our history straight. Grargh. That said, getting the full set of Earthling compiler infrastructure online is going to be huge, and we shouldn't minimize it, either.
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Jan 20, 2015 19:28
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To: CEO Morgan, Dr. Maria Valdez CC: Morgan Industries Senior Personnel From: CIO Kaapanda Subject: Re: Weather Paradigm Proposal Having investigated Dr. Valdez's proposal in greater detail, I have to agree that the weather paradigm should be a high priority when the resources for it can be found. Just to brainstorm a few examples, it would allow us to discover and drill down to underground aquifers and practically create entirely new rivers. Or we would be able to pinpoint sources of great geothermal energy and create boreholes to harness them, or enhance the output of our solar collectors with precisely placed mirror arrays. However, we would not be able to fully exploit most of these benefits until we understand more of the planet's ecology, and since Mr. Morgan has already tabled the project for the time being, I have different proposal. Once we have our network infrastructure running, a huge, monumental opportunity presents itself. While, obviously, the free market will have the largest say in how the Nodes are utilized, our lead in producing the hardware and software would allow us to enhance the efficiency of all business transactions, particularly those of citizens trading in their IDC shares. As this activity is increasing rapidly, such a huge Merchant Exchange would again place us at the forefront of supplying a much-needed service. Even my most conservative projections predict a rise in the colony's energy output of 80%. Sincerely, Chief Integration Coordinator Dakarai Kaapanda
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Jan 20, 2015 19:28
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(Crap, it was Lovelace, not Laplace. Teach me to skim. Correcting post.)
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Jan 20, 2015 19:31
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To: CEO Morgan, Dakarai Kapanda CC: Morgan Industries Senior Personnel From: Dr. Maria Valdez Subject: Re: Re: Weather Paradigm Proposal I cannot support the Merchant Exchange project at this time. There is only so much energy we can harvest from a given sector of land before inefficiency and insufficient power systems lead to a net loss of surplus - say, about three units of energy or so. The proposed Merchant Exchange would therefore largely be a waste of resources until we can improve our infrastructure to support increased energy transfer and storage. Even then, the Merchant Exchange's primary value would only come into play once Morgan Industries itself has a sufficient population to warrant a mercantile exchange of this scale. If we must disregard the Weather Paradigm, which I still believe to be extremely short-sighted and unwise, AMS offers its support of either the Human Genome Project or Virtual World, either of which has applications that are actually relevant to our present circumstances. Respectfully, Dr. Maria Valdez, Applied Maritime Solutions Ltd.
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Jan 20, 2015 19:49
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The Function of Mind Worms and of Psionic Attacks by Dr. Hal Kimberley et al. Introduction Ever since mankind's first encounter with the species colloquially known as mind worms, speculation has been rampant as to how they were able to attack the fear centers of the human brain without any visible interaction. Did these creatures possess "psychic" powers of the sort hoped for in the early 20th century? Even the scientific community could only speculate, hypothesizing that the attacks were made possible either through the use of released spores or a kind of electromagnetic radiation. As this paper shall prove, however, the truth is that the mind worms' attack uses a combination of both vectors. Ever since humanity first arrived on Chiron, we have been exposed to the spore of the species known as xenofungus. Indeed, every square centimeter of soil is infested with xenofungus spores, which are nearly as small as a terrestrial virus. They propigate themselves in a similar fashion as well, as when a dormant spore activates it is capable of infecting any of the many species of nitrogen-fixing bacteria which also inhabit every known sample of arid soil. Once infected, the bacteria cell serves as an egg of sorts from which the xenofungus quickly sprouts roots and an oxygen-absorbing mast at a rate which puts terrestrial bamboo to shame. However, xenofungus spores are also capable of infiltrating the bodies of animals through the lungs and, as proven by certain cases, even through the pores of human skin. Since the spores also float through the air as dust particles, exposure is virtually guaranteed for anyone wearing anything less than a type A/1 hazmat suit. Thanks to its propigation in the soil and on clothing, even those who have never left the pressurized domes have been exposed to xenofungus spores. Fortunately, xenofungus spores are specialized enough that only said nitrogen-fixing bacteria have anything to fear from parasitism; even Chironic protozoans are safe from this process. Humans and most terrestrial animals may suffer allergic reactions to the spore's infiltration, but symptoms are mild and an equally mild immuno-suppressant is all that is required to alleviate them. As the spores contain none of the toxins found in mature xenofungus, this was initially thought to be the end of things. After the mind worms' attack, both biopsies and autopsies were performed on over a hundred subjects and in every case it was found that xenofungal spores had infiltrated the human brain in surprisingly large concentrations, especially within the right amygdala, the source of fear and other negative emotions in humans and all other emotional animals. Other recent tests have proven that xenofungal spores react to very specific electromagnetic frequencies in radio, x-ray, and gamma ray bands. Indeed, interference along said radio frequencies has already been noted, and although our twin suns were initially blamed, it now seems as though the xenofungal masts produce this radiation naturally. While further mind worm subjects have not been forthcoming, experiments with x-rays on lab rats and willing participants have produced similar fear reactions to those witnessed in our first encounter with the worms. Hallucinations were also present, but without a direct causality; it is hypothesized that they are a result of the brain attempting to justify the sudden and acute spike in fear levels. How the mind worms are able to emit such high-energy particles is unknown, but current theory suggests that the relatively high quantities of thorium in the upper crust have allowed the native Chironic life to incorporate radioactive decay in their metabolism cycle. This radiation allows mind worms to coordinate in ways beyond the capacity of their individual central nervous systems, and by "attacking" with x-rays they can paralyze victims of any origin thanks to the universal infiltration of xenofungal spores. The radiation itself poses a negligible threat, as the amount emitted in a single attack likely equals a week or less of background radiation... Morgan, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that I've got a lead on how mind worms work; I won't bore you with details, but the intro to my newest paper should be a decent executive summary. The implications are frankly staggering: in the first place, by equipping our troops with simple x-ray emitters, we could potentially disrupt the communal "mind" of the worms, which should give us an edge in cases where we can get the drop on the worms instead of the other way around. Second, radiation-sensitive spores in our brains (which my lab boys have playfully nicknamed "spores of madness") could potentially allow us to Discover the last Secrets of the Human Brain. I recommend we get on that soon; if Skye or one of the other factions figures this out first, I doubt we'll ever hear the end of it. Third, if we can genetically modify these spores to more directly interface with our minds...I don't want to say "psychic powers," but it would basically lead to psychic powers. We may even be able to control mind worm boils at some point. But that leads me to the bad news: I've been dropping hints about my discoveries to my counterparts among the "Gaians" (we aren't even on Gaia anymore, what is wrong with those people?) and from their smug reactions I'm getting the sense that we're biting at their heels in this particular field. So what does that mean? Well, you know all the implications I just promised for you? They may already have them. Including the mind worms. Chief Hal Kimberley, Ph.D., Morgan Xenobiology Department PS: Nice try with the "in perpetuity" clause, but you and I both know I only meant one Christmas bonus and not all of them. Unlike some people, I actually read the things I sign; that's how I know which of my researchers' papers to co-author. PPS: That last statement was a joke, not an admission of misconduct.
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Jan 20, 2015 20:42
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(Nice incorporation of gameplay mechanics there. Until we get some more of that sweet sweet Build tech (Or was it Discover for the energy cap?) we can only ever get three energy out of our individual squares. ...On the other hand, when we DO get that tech we'll be filthy rich if we've already built the Exchange in preparation (always have excess capacity!), and if we don't build it then someone else will. and let's be honest here: Does a Merchant Exchange in the hands of anyone other than Morgan feel RIGHT to you? Now, time for me to play Psych Chaplain.) Joseph Gartner, Personal Diary, 3.4.2020 posted:
Mr. Morgan, As a man of medicine whose primary interest is the psychological and physical welfare of the colonists of Pod 5, I cannot stress enough that fully opening the secrets of the human genome will be nothing short of invaluable, ushering in a wave of new gene treatment research into all kinds of physical ills. The things we could do with the Human Genome Project are more numerous than I can feasibly list in this letter For a start, there's evidence to suggest that gene therapy can eliminate some of the worst genetic faults in humans today, along with combating certain viruses and other disease. I project that the increased health benefits of the Project would increase colony welfare to the point that we would have an "upper class" of talented, motivated and healthy workers form, one that could inspire and motivate the remaining colonists and whose productivity and resourcefulness could help stabilise society in the case of trouble. I use the words "Upper class" to mean economic of course - these "Talents" as my psych chaplains have coined them would be those whose hard work has earned then the wealth to invest in such treatments, further elevating them beyond their peers in mind and body, not just bank account. In fact, I predict that the wealth concentration is so high in the Morgan Industries colony that the population would become somewhere in the region of 98% Talent-class citizens were the project put into place today. That is obviously unfeasible, but I remain confident that the industrial investment is worth the reward. Signed, Dr. Joseph Gartner, M.D CEO of Altas Neurosciences
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Jan 20, 2015 20:45
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brb on fire posted:(Nice incorporation of gameplay mechanics there. Until we get some more of that sweet sweet Build tech (Or was it Discover for the energy cap?) we can only ever get three energy out of our individual squares. (Exactly. Going by the screenshots, right now, our tiles are either producing two energy (the monoliths), or zero energy. The Merchant Exchange would increase the former to the cap, and the latter to one. We would see benefits from it immediately.)
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Jan 20, 2015 20:59
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Klingon w Bowl Cut posted:(Exactly. Going by the screenshots, right now, our tiles are either producing two energy (the monoliths), or zero energy. The Merchant Exchange would increase the former to the cap, and the latter to one. We would see benefits from it immediately.) (On the other hand, a few more points of energy are nothing compared to the long-term benefits of the other projects available - the Merchant Exchange is mediocre at best, in my opinion)
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Jan 20, 2015 21:02
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Cythereal posted:To: CEO Morgan, Dakarai Kapanda To: Morgan Industries Senior Personnel With all due respect to Dr Valdez, it is interesting for someone to speak of shortsightedness while simultaneously not realizing the long-term benefits of getting in on the ground floor of something with as much potential to change the paradigm of an entire economy as the Merchant Exchange. Most of our power systems are nowhere near the current limit of our infrastructure, and EVERYONE, in this generation and in all generations to come, would use this exchange. Not to mention the fact that, aside from the increased efficiency of our Formers (I still believe we should call them Terrain Improvement Task Forces, but it seems the market has spoken on that matter), most of the benefits of the Weather Paradigm would run into the same theoretical resource bottleneck. Sincerely, Chief Integration Coordinator Dakarai Kaapanda [Just engaging in the usual corporate sniping. While I disagree about the usefulness of the Merchant Exchange as a player, I do like the Weather Paradigm more. And my primary reason is RP, really; it would just be embarrassing if someone besides the Morganites built it, and it dovetails nicely with the narrative about setting up the internet and colonists selling their colonial company shares.] Orbs fucked around with this message at 21:15 on Jan 20, 2015 |
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Jan 20, 2015 21:09
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berryjon posted:Lt. Carson: MLSS Rep. Reilly I've yet to hear anything on whether Mr. Morgan is willing to allow this through. Trust me when I say I'm not going to pop surprises on your doorstep like that. I may be an grouch teetering on the hill, but I'm not out to make your job harder. Yeesh, take a compliment, you do your job and you do it well. You've no idea the kind of dumb poo poo that we got hung up on back at Santiago's little camp on earth. We'd get necessary supplies after the engagement was already over. Because requisitions had a stick up their rear end about forms long enough that would make Morgan blush. He didn't last long, to be fair. And yes, since I'm sure other people are reading this. (Come on LoveLace, up your security) I used to be in Corazon's little band of boonie hat wearing goons. I didn't appreciate being paid in 'you may live for now' and Morgan made an excellent offer. I know this is going to make me the one to maintain diplomatic contact, even if she'd shoot me through the vidscreen if she could. Anyway, Reilly. I'm sure you can handle the extra interest. God forbid if you make a bit of extra money. -HCS Ezekiel Carson. CEO Morgan Till you hire someone as a diplomatic adviser, I'll do the job I'm payed for. Skye is setting a dangerous precedent here in her recent dealing. Sure, in the end thanks to your quick bargaining skills we got tech, but she did lead by trying to manipulate you into getting something for nothing. We do not have a good read on her forces at this time, but I am strongly of the opinion she would love to push the issue. Perhaps not a Vendetta right away, but I can confidently say this will not be the last time she tries to pull this. I know, I know. Military adviser suggesting more military. But at the very least, we should be ready for early aggression. Obviously we need at least one squad of defenders at each outpost and colony, but may I suggest two? Should Deidre come in force, it'd behoove us to be able to fend her off till we can get our standing forces to counter. To that end, I would also suggest investing in naval technology. No, Ms. Valdez did not bribe me to say that. Aside from the general idea that we could ferry troops to assault less defended colonies in the back, Most pods that were jettisoned are buoyant. Being able to claim those would also be a great boon to our corporation. My boys will not stop making 'pew pew' noises in the training ground thanks to the recent lasers we were able to discover thanks to the last pod. In short, beware of Deidre. I'm going to hope against hope that she was just testing you, but I'm going to prepare our forces for the worst from her. Get Talon in on this if you wish, I wouldn't say no to more volunteers. HCS Ezekiel Carson Drakenel fucked around with this message at 21:37 on Jan 20, 2015 |
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Jan 20, 2015 21:12
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Klingon w Bowl Cut posted:To: Morgan Industries Senior Personnel To: Morgan Industries Senior Personnel Oh please, there's nothing groundbreaking about resurrecting the old NYSE, Timbuktu bazaar, or whatever mercantile clearinghouse you'd care to recall from history. There are far more valuable forms of profit than money, even in this age of an energy economy. Everyone, in this generation and in all generations to come, as you put it, would likewise make use of the Weather Paradigm, Human Genome Project, or Virtual World, and I for one suspect they would be far more grateful for any of those than for a few more energy credits. If any of us were in this simply to make money, I dare say we wouldn't have been chosen for the Unity mission. Dr. Maria Valdez, Applied Maritime Solutions Ltd. (OOC: I'm deliberately playing Valdez as trying to tug the faction in a Green economy direction, which seems far more pragmatic and appealing to business given what later Explore techs reveal about the planet) Cythereal fucked around with this message at 21:39 on Jan 20, 2015 |
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Jan 20, 2015 21:20
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Comment posted to CEO Morgan's public blog. Do not listen to the commies who propose the construction of centralised merchant's exchanges. Far better to have a distributed P2P model, to secure the liberty of good traders forevermore. It is much more wise to revise our knowledge of The Human Genome Project. The potential for patents will surely spur on commercial development! gently caress THOSE SOCIALISITICS SCUM! - Anonymous (Seriously, Merchant's Exchange sucks with Morgan's small bases, because it only affects one base. Human Genome Project is the right pick - with a popcap of 4, this means 1/4 of your population is guaranteed to be talents, which means tons of good things.) Fangz fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Jan 20, 2015 |
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Jan 20, 2015 22:11
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CEO Morgan Thank you again for putting your trust in Talon Security Solutions, hope to continue a long and prosperous business relationship. Currently I understand we are formulating plans for long term expansion and security plans. While I understand to our North is really our only avenue of expansion we should still look to possibly improving some of our exploration technologies. Specifically I'm thinking about the know how to create some of those rovers that we had on the Unity. Sadly, Santiago managed to her her hands on those we had, so we lack a critical tactical flexibility that combat necessitates. In addition, rovers can help our exploration teams move faster and further out. While I understand some have been advocating some expansion towards the sea, I would encourage us to first look to our land vehicles and make sure we don't get swamped by Santiago and some raiders riding around on armed rovers. Finally, I've noted some debate on the forums about what large scale projects we should work on. While the market proposal sounds promising, as a beneficiary of some of our anti-again drugs and as someone still enjoying some of the clarity the monoliths have induced in some of us, I'm inclined to support the Human Genome Project. We already have a small population, it behooves us to make sure that genetically we are well prepared to handle any problems that might arise and so that we may, conversely improve the people we have (assuming they consent, sign waivers , etc etc.). -Marcus Li, Talon Security Solutions Jimmy4400nav fucked around with this message at 22:43 on Jan 20, 2015 |
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Jan 20, 2015 22:26
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nweismuller posted:And yet, there are three other Secret Projects I'd rather do before the Weather Paradigm available with current technology. I, as the LPer, would be much more likely to seriously consider a proposal for the Merchant Exchange, Human Genome Project, or Virtual World at this point in time. An advertisement seen plastered in various locations in Pod 5 colonies, especially those that have, or are scheduled to have, Network Nodes installed. You work hard. You should play hard too. Screenshots of various multiplayer online games: first-person shooters, real-time strategy games, MMOs, that sort of thing. The common thread is bright colors and cartoonish graphics. Dominate the world in Planet Busters. Match wits in Cube Crush. Or just relax and enjoy Your Island Life. Whatever your mood, you'll find a game waiting for you! Dreamland Games. We make your dreams come true. A link at the bottom of the advertisement leads to a 90s-era website where people can make a Dreamland account and download games. (The games are F2P, with additional features available either piecemeal in the cash shop or as part of a monthly subscription, which covers all Dreamland games.) There's also an article from the CEO, Fred Sloniker, making the usual nebulous 'if you think our games are good now, wait until the tech base improves' claims. (Basically, I figure the status of the new Internet is somewhere in the 90s, so you've got your Doom, your Starcraft, your EverQuest, but not yet the sort of stuff that the Virtual World implies. Complete that project, and Dreamland Games can move on to full-body experiences.)
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Jan 20, 2015 22:37
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To: Morgan Industries Xenobiology Department CC: Morgan Industries Food Production From: Dr. Maria Valdez Subject: Razor sharks Unfortunately, we cannot add razor sharks to the list of local fauna safe for regular human consumption. The typical adult razor shark is eight feet of teeth, sensory organs, and calciferous ridges sharp enough to slice through synthleather and fiberglass. Very little of the razor shark's body mass consists of potentially edible meat, and the species' body chemistry makes what flesh there is highly toxic. Chemical treatment can neutralize the poison, but the resulting razor shark "steak" has the consistency of synthetic rubber and a taste to match. Chalk this one up as something only idiots who want to eat something "rare" and "special" will want to consume. Can't all be winners. We're continuing to evaluate native marine life for food potential for the time being. Dr. Maria Valdez, Applied Maritime Solutions Ltd.
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Jan 21, 2015 00:30
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I know the scientists might complain, but energy analysis shows that they're only using about 78% of the computational cycles available. Civilian entertainment would require substantially less computational power then academic pursuits. We could easily build a Virtual World accessible by half of the theoretical maximum population of an IDC habitat using these spare cycles. Analogous civilian efforts to duplicate this level of market penetration would be far less efficient then a centralized node and draw away substantial capital from the market. This could easily be triple the expenditure per annum, on top of the costs of the node itself. While expensive to prototype, we anticipate a relatively short break-even and profit for the foreseeable future. -- Loss Prevention
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Jan 21, 2015 01:04
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To: CEO Morgan BCC: Dr. Valdez, LT Carson From: Hubertus Grünfeld Subject: Latest Tellus polling Mr. Morgan Let me first express our gratitude over the productive cooperation in establishing our new outpost, while our colony may still be the least developed of our current settlements, we are all excited about this opportunity for growth and development. Having said that, I feel that I should update you about the results of our latest cooperative wide polls about the development of our new settlement. The current construction of a new former unit is widely accepted as the most pressing matter, seeing as how we are lacking the good fortune of having one of these alien structures nearby to support our growth. After the current project finishes, our plans are to develop our settlement as a center for maritime studies and hope that should your company reintroduce the tools and blueprints needed for the construction of sea going vessels, that we will be provided purchasing rights on them. Seeing that the pod 5 colony is located at either a small peninsula or an isthmus, we thus echo the calls from Dr. Valdez and LT Carson to prioritize the research of naval technology, as exploring and possibly settling and exploiting the oceans would be massively lucrative, especially if we manage to realize the plans for sea-going and submersible formers that some of our boys have been kicking about. Last but not least, we also support the idea of establishing the Weather Paradigm, which, while a long-term strategy, would allow our former units to develop the land we claim much more quickly, thus ensuring constant growth across the entire colony. We further actively oppose the idea of creating a centralized Merchant exchange, as this would essentially create a new dominant metropole in our colony, whose whims and fancies would dictate the fate of all other "lesser" colonies, I hope that you take the lessons from the great stock exchange crashes in the 1930s and 2010s to heart and do not repeat these failures. Should the Weather Paradigm be a completely unrealistic goal, we would much prefer the effort to go towards the Human Genome project, as this would benefit all settlements equally, rather than singling out and promoting one settlement. Best Regards Hubertus Grün To: Dr. Valdez From: Hubertus Grünfeld Subject: Interested in cooperation? Dr. Valdez, as you have undoubtedly seen from my report on the latest polls of the Tellus coop, we are very much interested in furthering the exploration of this worlds oceans and the exploitation of their resources. As such I would like to offer you a formal cooperation, as the cooperative plans to expand its naval activities as soon as the required resources become available. While we could provide you with a base of operations and the necessary production capacities, we could very much use your boy's expertise and courage in naval matters. I feel that such a cooperation would give you the staging ground you need to first chart and later settle the western ocean, while we would benefit from developing our local resources to increase productivity. Kind regards H. Grünfeld P.S. It also seems you have some very good ideas re: the treatment of this planet's environment, so I think you'd feel right at home over here. (While the general thrust of the rumors about us is correct, they are very much blown out of proportion, noone here is even remotely as extremist as the colonists over in pod 1)
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Jan 21, 2015 01:21
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To: H. Grunfield BCC: Morgan Industries Senior Personnel From: Dr. Maria Valdez Subject: Re: Interested in cooperation? Mr. Grunfield, With respect, AMS is happy to cooperate on a business level, but we regard land-based operations as a temporary affair. I have already lodged a proposal for a true maritime colony base for such time as our colony develops the necessary infrastructure and nautical technology. On Earth, no one attempted to invest in fully fledged colonization of the ocean. Here at Applied Maritime Solutions, we believe that Project Xochimilco is not only academically plausible, it is economically vital to begin true exploitation of Planet's resources at sea. Sea bases likely will not equal the mineral production of land bases without a remote harvesting and convoy operation, but the marine biodiversity on this planet is staggering, especially in the Freshwater Sea, and oceanic energy resources are highly likely to be profitable in abundance. One of AMS' last projects on Earth was a tidal harness design that could be located in offshore cultivation zones without negatively impacting the harvest, and we brought that blueprint to Chiron. Given sufficient investment in naval infrastructure and communications technology, we at AMS believe that Xochimilco type sea bases could provide a truly revolutionary advantage in nutrient and energy production. However, we do understand that building a solid foundation first on land must take precedence over nautical ambitions. The presence of aquatic lifeforms with similar "psionic" capabilities to mind worms, while hypothetical, is one we are ill inclined to dismiss. The carcass of a particularly large marine annelid washed up on shore near Morgan Industries a few days ago, and while it had undergone significant decay by the time we brought it in for analysis, it does display remarkable physiological similarity to the mind worm. We should be ready in case one of these "sealurks," as the lab staff are calling the species, decides a sea base feels tasty. As for the Gaian nonsense, no one here at AMS is gullible enough to confuse a business plan emphasizing sustainable growth and eco-industry (just look at the ecotourism industry in Brazil went before that went tits up) with outright paganism. No sense mugging a man when you can tax him instead, after all. We had originally been slated for Godwinson's colony pod before she went completely off the deep end, in fact. Religion is good, even important, but that woman is itching for a crusade. By the sounds of it on Sundays, I think the Great Schism has been mended in this pod if nothing else. Dr. Maria Valdez, Applied Maritime Solutions Ltd
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Jan 21, 2015 02:39
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Cythereal posted:. We should be ready in case one of these "sealurks," Question: this is just AC, and not the expansion, right?
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Jan 21, 2015 04:10
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Akratic Method posted:Question: this is just AC, and not the expansion, right? That's what the OP looks like, yeah, so I just threw sealurks in there. Sporefish and razor sharks are likewise mentioned only in SMAX. Decided to start with that before actively making poo poo up. There is something I'm not mentioning until it comes up in the game.
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Jan 21, 2015 04:12
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Valdez, I need you to do me a favor and investigate the aquatic xenofungus. Find out whether it's an alternate variety of the terrestrial xenofungus or a different species, whether it also emits radio waves, that sort of thing. I recently floated the idea of psionics in humans past Mr. Morgan, and I'm certain he'll bite, but I need to know more about what madness spores are capable of before I can start to crack their genetics. And Dr. Valdez, regardless of what you may think of me, you should know this: I am a man who always repays his debts. Chief Hal Kimberley, Ph.D., Morgan Xenobiology Department
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Jan 21, 2015 04:14
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Drakenel posted:MLSS Rep. Reilly HCS Ezekiel Carson: Apology accepted. MLSS Rep. Reilly. ATTN: CEO N. Morgan RE: [Low Priority] Future Expansion of Talon et al Chairman, Morgan Logistics, Supply and Security would like to recommend that we start to specialize our available PMC forces into two categories. The first would be into our Morgan Home Defense Module(tm) system, which would encourage optimizing our infantry to have a higher armor at the sake of offensive weapons (we have been informed that future technological developments on the way will allow this, so MLSS is simply being prepared for the inevitable improvements that the Market will provide). Our other specialization at this time is in our recon units, such as the Rat Catchers. We believe that deploying them with Laser Weapons presents an inexcusable expense given that their mandate is reconnaissance, rather than direct combat. To that end, they should deploy with Kinetic Rifles until justification for DEWs becomes apparent, or Lasers somehow become obsolete. Thank you for your consideration. MLSS Rep. Reilly.
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Jan 21, 2015 05:37
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Bobbin Threadbare posted:Valdez, Dr. Kimberley, I'm forwarding what data we have on the aquafungus, but the majority of our research has been focused on marine animal life with an eye towards establishing proper aquaculture and fishing practices for the colony. To briefly summarize our findings on the aquafungus, it appears very similar to terrestrial xenofungus but we don't yet have the resources for proper genetic sequencing of alien life. On a practical level, it grows like Earth hard corals run amok and forms stony reef structures that will likely make passage difficult for seagoing vessels in much the same way that xenofungus creates a formidable natural obstacle on land. While these fungal reefs create marine ecosystems of astonishing richness and diversity, our boats have been encountering the same sort of psionic phenomena that land patrols have reported emanating from the land fungus, though we have not as yet confirmed any direct psionic capability or attack from any marine organisms. Sealurks are probably capable of it, but our best guess from the specimen we have is that that's a pelagic species. In short, it looks like aquafungus fulfills the same ecological niche as xenofungus and appears to have very similar biological capabilities, but we lack the data to say more than that. Dr. Maria Valdez Applied Maritime Solutions Ltd
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Jan 21, 2015 06:22
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FredMSloniker posted:Or just relax and enjoy Your Island Life. Whatever your mood, you'll find a game waiting for you! (I've been trying to pitch us at late 1980s because it's the only way I can make "Polymorphic Software" as a tech advance make any goddamn sense, but Club Caribe fits that timeframe too.  I really like how the SMAC tech tree alternates between "we totally know all this stuff, we just can't get it to frickin' work yet, starting with scavenged metal and bushes that want to us" and "sure, let's just totally solve neurobiology because it's in our way.")edit: fixed tags; also vvvvvvv I still consider it one of the best SF games as SF ever made. They worked as hard as they could to get a solid hard-SF background to set the stage for where things go, and they did a very good job of it. ManxomeBromide fucked around with this message at 06:47 on Jan 21, 2015 |
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Jan 21, 2015 06:25
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SMAC has aged remarkably well for a sci-fi game as old as it is but some parts are still pretty hilariously weird thanks to assumptions that seemed reasonable at the time.
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Jan 21, 2015 06:27
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Yeah, my lovely roleplaying aside, I'm looking forward to reminiscing about all the cool poo poo that is elaborated on in the tech advances. It's been years and things that flew over my younger head is so much more interesting now.
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Jan 21, 2015 06:55
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3 updates and everyone's already lusting for the secret projects.
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Jan 21, 2015 07:30
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Dean of Swing posted:3 updates and everyone's already lusting for the secret projects. If you're not wonderspamming, it's not worth playing at all.
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Jan 21, 2015 08:27
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