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Are you possibly suggesting that this Greater Power is time-travelling AI?

Makes sense in universe given what the tech and laws of physics are.
If you give a reasonably clever AI millions of years to plan and they know exactly where everything is in the future, then yeah, they probably could pull off something this grand scale and impressive in terms of galactic manipulation, and probably subtle enough that no one would notice because 'that's just how its always been'.

It even explains them letting AIs smart enough to notice the masquerade develop and exist, because they need them to so they create or let develop the AI that eventually goes back in time.
 
Makes sense in universe given what the tech and laws of physics are.
If you give a reasonably clever AI millions of years to plan and they know exactly where everything is in the future, then yeah, they probably could pull off something this grand scale and impressive in terms of galactic manipulation, and probably subtle enough that no one would notice because 'that's just how its always been'.

It even explains them letting AIs smart enough to notice the masquerade develop and exist, because they need them to so they create or let develop the AI that eventually goes back in time.
Laughs in Contingency
 
The lucky scientist to lead the mission is chosen to be Randall Pyrolithic. He has been exploring the unknown parts of the universe at the command of the UNS Verigan for a decade and is ordered back.

I suposse I need to to create a story instead of just being antagonistic so here goes.

While other great families, such as the TBCs and Zens, followed the stoic principles of public service, the Pyrolithics just wanted discovery and adventure. When there was a debate in the tavern about the world being flat, Barthélemy Pyrolithic set out to see if it was true. He was last seen captaining a cog off the coast of Normandy, while Marcus Pyrolithic hacked through the jungles of south east Asia, Africa and South America just because.

With less of the world left to be explored it looked like they would fade into history. Occasional they were notable again, such as Theo Pyrolithic being the first person to summit Everest in the winter, but it was fewer and far between.

Then, the stars were accessible, and the Pyrolithics raced to embrace them.

Randall Pyrolithic, just happened to be in the right place at the right time. He only made his first command through nepotism, and had spent years shaking that off. When the order came to test a new technology he almost destroyed the engines getting the ship back for the upgrade.

While he was the best person to test the worm hole technology, the Federation's communications team worried he was not the right face for the mission. This was confirmed at the press conference:

Q: What do you think of the technology
A: It creates a hole

Q: What do you think will happen when you go through the worm hole
A: We go through a worm hole

Q: What happens if something goes wrong
A: We probably die

*press conference cut short*

After going through the worm hole, Randall Pyrolithic's report is brief:

Disappointing

The think tank is not impressed.
 
I suposse I need to to create a story instead of just being antagonistic so here goes.

While other great families, such as the TBCs and Zens, followed the stoic principles of public service, the Pyrolithics just wanted discovery and adventure. When there was a debate in the tavern about the world being flat, Barthélemy Pyrolithic set out to see if it was true. He was last seen captaining a cog off the coast of Normandy, while Marcus Pyrolithic hacked through the jungles of south east Asia, Africa and South America just because.

With less of the world left to be explored it looked like they would fade into history. Occasional they were notable again, such as Theo Pyrolithic being the first person to summit Everest in the winter, but it was fewer and far between.

Then, the stars were accessible, and the Pyrolithics raced to embrace them.

Randall Pyrolithic, just happened to be in the right place at the right time. He only made his first command through nepotism, and had spent years shaking that off. When the order came to test a new technology he almost destroyed the engines getting the ship back for the upgrade.

While he was the best person to test the worm hole technology, the Federation's communications team worried he was not the right face for the mission. This was confirmed at the press conference:

Q: What do you think of the technology
A: It creates a hole

Q: What do you think will happen when you go through the worm hole
A: We go through a worm hole

Q: What happens if something goes wrong
A: We probably die

*press conference cut short*

After going through the worm hole, Randall Pyrolithic's report is brief:

Disappointing

The think tank is not impressed.

KEL: I think we just found our new chief test dummy.
TT1010: It is remarkable how good he is at summarising all of the useful eyewitness data down to relevant proportions. Most humans are far too verbose.
KEL: Most impressive.
 
Makes sense in universe given what the tech and laws of physics are.
If you give a reasonably clever AI millions of years to plan and they know exactly where everything is in the future, then yeah, they probably could pull off something this grand scale and impressive in terms of galactic manipulation, and probably subtle enough that no one would notice because 'that's just how its always been'.

It even explains them letting AIs smart enough to notice the masquerade develop and exist, because they need them to so they create or let develop the AI that eventually goes back in time.

No no, it makes sense! I'm not the brightest guy, so wanted to make sure I was following!

What difficulty level are you playing?

Either captain or commodore. I will check the next time I open the game.

I suposse I need to to create a story instead of just being antagonistic so here goes.

While other great families, such as the TBCs and Zens, followed the stoic principles of public service, the Pyrolithics just wanted discovery and adventure. When there was a debate in the tavern about the world being flat, Barthélemy Pyrolithic set out to see if it was true. He was last seen captaining a cog off the coast of Normandy, while Marcus Pyrolithic hacked through the jungles of south east Asia, Africa and South America just because.

With less of the world left to be explored it looked like they would fade into history. Occasional they were notable again, such as Theo Pyrolithic being the first person to summit Everest in the winter, but it was fewer and far between.

Then, the stars were accessible, and the Pyrolithics raced to embrace them.

Randall Pyrolithic, just happened to be in the right place at the right time. He only made his first command through nepotism, and had spent years shaking that off. When the order came to test a new technology he almost destroyed the engines getting the ship back for the upgrade.

While he was the best person to test the worm hole technology, the Federation's communications team worried he was not the right face for the mission. This was confirmed at the press conference:

Q: What do you think of the technology
A: It creates a hole

Q: What do you think will happen when you go through the worm hole
A: We go through a worm hole

Q: What happens if something goes wrong
A: We probably die

*press conference cut short*

After going through the worm hole, Randall Pyrolithic's report is brief:

Disappointing

The think tank is not impressed.

Chuckled a bit at that press conference! Loving the backstories to the characters!

KEL: I think we just found our new chief test dummy.
TT1010: It is remarkable how good he is at summarising all of the useful eyewitness data down to relevant proportions. Most humans are far too verbose.
KEL: Most impressive.

Hmmmm... I'm looking forward to more interaction between the Think Tank and Pyrolithic.
 
“HistoryDude” is fine,thanks.
 
Q&A for Kelebek and Pryo! Would certainly be amusing
 
You got it!



Hmmm. Now what scenario would lead to this? I'll think a bit. I won't have time to play through the next part until this weekend, unfortunately.
Maybe Kimberly arranges a meeting at the Macroengineering Testing Station?
 
Q&A for Kelebek and Pryo! Would certainly be amusing

I am not sure it would work out that well, I suspect the think tank spends too much considering potential options whereas Randall seams to be more do first deal with consequences later.

When I started reading I thought it was leading up to the worm event and the Randall I created would have investigated that even if he was ordered to turn back because it was suspected to be a trap.
 
I am not sure it would work out that well, I suspect the think tank spends too much considering potential options whereas Randall seams to be more do first deal with consequences later.

When I started reading I thought it was leading up to the worm event and the Randall I created would have investigated that even if he was ordered to turn back because it was suspected to be a trap.

I do like the eldritch in this game. Hope it shows up.
 
I hope we can blow them up with nukes.

Apparently ancient evil dragons who can influence galactic civs can be murdered with loads of space ships.
 
Apparently ancient evil dragons who can influence galactic civs can be murdered with loads of space ships.
The most American solution to even the most impossible problem: shoot it enough times.
 
Chapter 9: TT-01 Division
Chapter 9 - 2319 to 2340: TT-01 Division

It does not take long for the Lozavata Horde to sweep through the Jonus Extirpators. The Federation's military advisers estimate that the Jonus Fleet has been reduced to near rubble. If this continues, half of the galaxy will be under their control in less than a century. President Zen discusses with her advisers, and it is agreed that the military needs to be strengthened in response.

vvbYYjO.jpg


In 2320, the Galactic Assembly repositions itself to the Hlilje Industrial. No one is quite sure why the continue moving from place to place, but several scientists speculate the Think Tank is conducting research.

In 2320, a massive new capital ship is developed, called a Battleship. Three are put into production, one for each fleet, and the first of them are completed in 2321. As far as Earth is aware, the Federation is the first civilization to construct such massive military warships other than the Kalaxenan Ancients and the Thimoid Watchers.

DpiUYzp.jpg


It seems the Sirgoggs of Europa are still willing to work with Earth. In 2323, they send all the minerals they acquired during their excavations in the past few years, as well as many gems mined close to the core, as a gift. It is much appreciated, and the Federation rejoices that the friendship will continue.

xnMpWA9.jpg


The first stages of the Macroengineering Testing Station are complete later that year. The second part will take another 5 years but promises huge leaps forward in engineering research.

q8is3Yq.jpg


The next few years are peaceful, and in 2328, the next election rolls around. Ronald TBC of the Xeno Liberty League leads with 38%, while sitting president Zen of the Free Elections Center is at 30%. Surprisingly, a defect from the Yssravannar Reavers, who has lived in the federation for the last 30 years, is running as an independent and has a whopping 18% support. Lastly, Carizac is running once more for the Institute for the Advancement of Science, with 12%.

i8feEh3.jpg


In the last few days leading up to the election, Ronald TBC loses support in favor of President Zen. Too many campaign mistakes led to a lack of trust between him and the voters, and he gets fewer than 20% of the votes.

OsFHDOT.jpg


But just weeks into her second term, Space Force One, the President's designated ship, loses contact with the Federation. She was on her way to Forsteria to meet with local leaders and scientists to talk about the current state of research on the planet. In the days that follow, only fragments of the ship are found, and it is concluded that something went wrong in-transit, and Space Force One was destroyed. The media is in uproar, with theories as far fetched as multidimensional beings obliterating the President. Officials of the Federation suggest that it was a problem with the ship that caused the hyperdrive to malfunction and tear itself apart. However, no real evidence can be found, and for now, more investigations will have to be conducted.

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The election picks back up, and the new candidate for the Free Elections Center is Tina Nikolaevich, currently researching societal sciences on Earth. It appears that Ronald TBC will have a second chance at a campaign for the presidency.

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His second campaign is much more transparent and voter-centric, and TBC is elected President in August of 2323. He promises extended infrastructure to grow the economy of the Federation.

XRYFuaO.jpg


A new system on the very rim of the galaxy is discovered in December of 2329: the Irassian System. Based on the destroyed planets, and several artifacts found in close proximity to the system, an empire existed where the Federation is currently located. In fact, several very advanced, yet very old, shipyards have been discovered in orbit around the main planet. They are nearly planetary in size and could provide many technological advancements for Earth. Irass appears to have been the home system of the empire, but more research will have to be done.

aCTb6Ao.jpg


The Lilarobius-Kirillian war ends in 2330, and the Kirillian Empire claims several of their lost systems. It is estimated that over a billion were killed, mainly from Lilarobious bombardment and invasion. The Jibru Cooperative gains nothing but prestige.

S5e2CtY.jpg


A fully intact city is discovered on the surface of Irass IV, a planet otherwise devastated by long-ago bombardment. Despite the age, the city appears on the surface to be completely fine, other than the lack of inhabitants. A few weeks later, a dead species, preserved in cryosleep, is discovered. The remains are kept on ice and brought to Earth for study. But a few months later, they disappear...

XCBFvGw.jpg


Another discovery is made in early 2330. It is a massive planetary shield array on Irass VIIa.

iak5hlS.jpg


Construction finally finishes on the Macroengineering Testing Station in late 2330. Progress halted for a while after the death of President Zen, and, in honor of the one of commissioned it, the station is named the Zen Engineering Station.

01HbzQl.jpg

XYl4iH3.jpg

Turns out you cannot rename structures. What a bummer...

A second megastructure is put into production in the Culdax system, around the yellow-white dwarf star, one of three stars in the system. This will be a stellar particle accelerator to conduct physics research, and a third, biological megastructure is planned.

xZMUE8D.jpg


In 2331, Irass IV begins to be terraformed. The huge cloud of debris surrounding it is also collected and turned into minerals. This will be a long process, but eventually the planet will have a similar climate to Earth. At the same time, Condarra II is selected as the next colony.

o05orhN.jpg

WvAUXRn.jpg


In 2334, while exploring the far reaches of the galaxy, the UNS Verigan meets with a fleet of mining droids from a lost empire. They are vastly superior in firepower compared to the small science ship, and Randall Pyrolithic and his entire crew are killed before they can escape. Earth does not get their SOS for another few weeks.

NwNtjXd.jpg


With the death of the famous Pyrolithic, the media plays older clips of his interviews, commenting on the straightforward and honest answers he gave:

[In regards to the Altair Wormhole, 2304]
Q: What do you think of the technology?
A: It creates a hole.

Q: What do you think will happen when you go through the worm hole?
A: We go through a worm hole.

Q: What happens if something goes wrong?
A: We probably die.​

There are also rumors circulating of a rare and supposedly controversial interview with the android Kelebek, recorded shortly after the success of the venture. Strict censorship prevented a large audience, and the Federation government is in possession of all recordings. For now, they are unwilling to release it.

In response to the overwhelming enemies that the Klaggian Dynasty is facing, the Jibru Cooperative takes them under their wing as a vassal. At the same time, the Lozavata Horde reaches Jibru territory, invading planets and enslaving the populations.

5UjmckY.jpg

0Th2HYQ.jpg


The next 4 years are uneventful, and the election begins in 2338. TBC is up once again for election, and the only new face in the candidates is Yprak Lobbtika, an independent Screk.

UI19PTt.jpg


Tina Nikolaevna takes the election and is voted as the next president of the Federation. She worked for years as a researcher on Earth, but her recent foray into politics proved effective, and she quickly became popular. She promises more investment into the sciences to put Earth even further ahead of the rest of the galaxy. She also says the single greatest threat to the Federation is the Lozavata Horde, and a much stronger military will be needed in the future.

9CKcg72.jpg


A very secret, little-known division called TT-01 begins Project Revive. The plan is to awaken the extinct species discovered on Irass IV. Newly researched --by TT-01-- synthetic sciences will create artificial bodies into which will be transferred the consciousness of the dead species. It takes weeks, but the consciousnesses of hundreds of formerly dead ancient aliens are transferred into new bodies. They are thrilled to be alive once more. The TT-01 Division sends the Awakened to an uncolonized planet in the Federation borders.

TDtELRS.jpg


They settle on Ruthauri IV, renamed to New Irass in honor of their lost home. Many in the Federation are hesitant to welcome these new strangers, who have 2000 years of history to catch up on; the general public has no idea how they suddenly were revived. It also appears that TT-01 has been researching AI and robotic technology for decades and intends on continuing to do so for the indefinite future.

q7h2SIB.jpg

mGBsqsK.jpg


After years of conquests and billions of deaths, the Great Khan Petals of Indigo has died, murdered by one of his own concubines. The Horde is thrown into disarray, and it appears that the Lozavatans are thrown back into turmoil.

b8yUI53.jpg


The Horde splinters in 2340, and several powerful military commanders claim the title of Great Khan. The rest of the free galaxy rejoices at their downfall.

GbXog9U.jpg

FGPrvWt.jpg


The Stellar Particle Accelerator is complete a few months later. It encompasses an entire star in the Culdax system. The next megastructure lacks funding, so it will be a few more years before it is underway.

hmsnw9a.jpg


With the threat of the Lozavata Horde a thing of the past, the Federation turns its eyes to threats closer to home. The Vissari state has been ruthless to its occupied Uri systems, killing opposition relentlessly, and seeking new conquests. The Cartel insists that war is necessary to bring this threat to an end and impose a fair and just government in its place. The Federation is vastly more powerful than the Vissari, the Steel Bank, and the Triad, and it is likely that the war will be quick and easy. They send a delegate to the Federation to discuss war, and the President invites the Think Tank and the Counsel to the meeting to advise.

n7F3uih.jpg


The President is not 100% for the war, but she is not completely against it either. The Think Tank representatives arrive on Earth shortly after the message from the Cartel is received.

VOTE

(A) Go to War
The Vissari State is a threat as long as it exists in its current state. Its disregard for alien life different from itself is morally evil, and its ideology must be crushed.

(B) Keep the Peace
On the other side, the Vissari State has not done anything worthy of war to the Federation, and it is pointless to fight a costly war for no real purpose.

This vote will end on Saturday, 20th of April, at 11:59 PM EST. Make sure to obviously pick one of the choices.

I know this is a pretty short window, but this weekend is one of my last free weekends for a couple of weeks, so I really want to get some gameplay going on Sunday.
 
In 2320, a massive new capital ship is developed, called a Battleship. Three are put into production, one for each fleet, and the first of them are completed in 2321. As far as Earth is aware, the Federation is the first civilization to construct such massive military warships other than the Kalaxenan Ancients and the Thimoid Watchers.
The battleship development program was to be the center of Kimberly's military expansion program. Battleships were to form the core of the Federation's fleet, able to project power deep in enemy territory, take on multiple enemy ships at once, and operate without supply lines for substantial periods of time. Should war with the Vissari break out, it wouldn't matter how many ships the Vissari had, if a few well-equipped battleships could take out their command centers and supply lines within the first couple months.
It does not take long for the Lozavata Horde to sweep through the Jonus Extirpators. The Federation's military advisers estimate that the Jonus Fleet has been reduced to near rubble. If this continues, half of the galaxy will be under their control in less than a century. President Zen discusses with her advisers, and it is agreed that the military needs to be strengthened in response.
Kimberly held several private debates with her cabinet on the Lozavata crisis and how to combat it. It was predicted that at the current rate of expansion, half the galaxy would be under Lozavata rule by the end of the century. By mid-century, the horde was expected to reach "critical mass," the point at which they had acquired too much territory, with the accompanying manpower and industrial base, to be effectively stopped by the Federation's entire military might. The cabinet agreed that something had to be done to stop the threat before it came close to the Federation's borders. Kimberly signed off on a covert operation, wherein Federation special forces would operate deep in Lozavata territory, reaching out to local resistance movements and dissatisfied individuals within the khan's court to foment dissent, palace intrigue, and rebellion, hopefully weakening the khan's military and political position without having to fire a single shot.
It seems the Sirgoggs of Europa are still willing to work with Earth. In 2323, they send all the minerals they acquired during their excavations in the past few years, as well as many gems mined close to the core, as a gift. It is much appreciated, and the Federation rejoices that the friendship will continue.
What the news conveniently overlooked was a change in regime in Europa. The previous authoritarian theocratic regime had been overthrown, and a provisional democratic government had been established by a group of dissatisfied Sirgogg generals and politicians. However, the old regime still controlled certain strategic tunnels and caverns, so the possibility that the old dictatorship would return was very real. Kimberly made a note to monitor the developing situation.
The first stages of the Macroengineering Testing Station are complete later that year. The second part will take another 5 years but promises huge leaps forward in engineering research.
Kimberly attended the dedication ceremony of the first stage, speaking to the audience about how this facility would revolutionize Federation engineering research and establish the Federation as a leading galactic power.
The next few years are peaceful, and in 2328, the next election rolls around. Ronald TBC of the Xeno Liberty League leads with 38%, while sitting president Zen of the Free Elections Center is at 30%. Surprisingly, a defect from the Yssravannar Reavers, who has lived in the federation for the last 30 years, is running as an independent and has a whopping 18% support. Lastly, Carizac is running once more for the Institute for the Advancement of Science, with 12%.
Surprisingly enough, Kimberly faced a challenge not from the right but the left. Ronald TBC's platform was remarkably similar to her own, only with an opposition to increased military spending (at least from what she gathered). There was also that Yssravannarian independent who was right behind her with a fifth of the vote. She would have to campaign hard to keep her job.
In the last few days leading up to the election, Ronald TBC loses support in favor of President Zen. Too many campaign mistakes led to a lack of trust between him and the voters, and he gets fewer than 20% of the votes.
In the end, it was a little easier than she expected. Ronald made several mistakes during his campaign, spawning multiple scandals and derailing his momentum. To be fair, that last one of him whooping at a campaign rally was taking out of context by the news and its poorly placed and calibrated cameras. Kimberly felt pity for him. He seemed like a good guy with good qualifications. But such was politics.
But just weeks into her second term, Space Force One, the President's designated ship, loses contact with the Federation. She was on her way to Forsteria to meet with local leaders and scientists to talk about the current state of research on the planet. In the days that follow, only fragments of the ship are found, and it is concluded that something went wrong in-transit, and Space Force One was destroyed. The media is in uproar, with theories as far fetched as multidimensional beings obliterating the President. Officials of the Federation suggest that it was a problem with the ship that caused the hyperdrive to malfunction and tear itself apart. However, no real evidence can be found, and for now, more investigations will have to be conducted.
Kimberly sat at her desk, reading her latest briefings. The Vissari border was flaring up again. She could probably solve it by sending another battleship to guard the disputed system. But she also needed a battleship on the frontier nearest to the Lozavatans, in case something came out of left field and her agent in the khan's court, one of his concubines, failed to carry out her mission. There were also pirates in a nearby system, because of course there were. And some miners over in the other direction were complaining about automated mining drones in a resource-rich system. Maybe she would send Pyrolithic to survey the system and map out the drones' paths, with orders not to engage, obviously, because that man preferred to be told exactly what he was doing. Also, she had yet to choose a new vice president after the last one died. Why was everybody in the executive branch so old?
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in," she said.
One of her bodyguards entered.
"Madame President, we are about an hour from Forsteria," he reported, "We should be dropping out of hyperspace in ten minutes."
"Thank you, Mr. Williams," Kimberly said, "Will that be all?"
"Yes," Williams said, "I'll leave you to..."
At that moment, the ship shook, as if something had exploded. The lights flickered, and Kimberly momentarily felt weightless, as if the artificial gravity had failed for a second. Williams noticed it too, the color draining from his face.
"Oh, no," he said.
"What is it?" Kimberly said.
"Madame President, stay right here," Williams said, drawing his gun.
He left the office and locked the door behind him. Advancing down the hallway, he arrived at where the press correspondents sat, but they were dead. He didn't hear any gunshots while he was in the office, and they were alive when he passed by on his way there. That meant someone must've gassed them. He took out a communicator.
"This is Williams," he said, "Requesting backup. We may have a killer onboard."
Nobody responded. All he heard was static. He put away the communicator just as he heard a rustle behind him. He spun around just as a bodyguard lunged at him with a long knife. He dodged the knife and shot him with an energy bolt. The rogue bodyguard staggered back and stared at him, his eyes glowing deep red.
"You can't stop It," he said.
"Oh, hell no, not this madness again," Williams said, shooting him twice to finally kill him.
If THEY were here, he knew he didn't have much time left. He had to regain control of the ship and get it to Forsteria. Failing that, he had to send out a distress call to the battleship which was supposed to be escorting them. He climbed up a ladder and ran down another hallway. Two more rogue soldiers, their eyes red, emerged from cabins and aimed their guns at him. Williams shot them quickly. He heard more soldiers running around upstairs, having heard him. Arriving at the end of the hallway, he overrode the lock on the bridge door and entered. The pilots inside turned around, and Williams noticed their eyes were red as well.
"Oh, isn't this just great?" Williams said, shooting both of them.
He pushed one pilot's body aside and sat down, accessing the main control console and activating the distress call system.
"Mayday, mayday," he transmitted, "We are under attack. Unknown assailants have overrun SF1, repeat, unknown assailants have overrun the craft. Requesting immediate backup."
"This is Captain Sanderson of the Federation battleship Resolution," his contact on the battleship radioed him, "We are moving to intercept."
The connection cut off. Seconds later, the console beeped urgently, warning a missile from the Resolution had locked onto Space Force 1.
"What?!" Williams said.
He opened communications again.
"What's going on?!" he demanded.
Sanderson did not respond. Williams cursed. Fortunately, the ship's countermeasures activated at that moment, destroying the missile. But if they had fired one missile, they would fire another, and they had enough to outlast the ship's countermeasures. They wanted to kill the president. He cursed again. He really had to do it, did he?
He rushed all the way back to Kimberly's office and opened the door. Kimberly was waiting on the other side, a gun in her hand. Williams barely had time to dodge the energy bolt she shot at him.
"It's me!" Williams said.
"What's going on?" Kimberly said.
"The Resolution is firing on us," Williams said, "We can't hold them off. It appears they're after you."
"What?!" Kimberly said.
"We can't stay on this ship," Williams said.
"Then I'll detach this module as an escape pod," Kimberly said.
"They'll shoot it down too," Williams said.
"What do you suggest?" Kimberly said.
"They want you dead," Williams said, "They won't stop until you are."
"I don't really follow, Mr. Williams," Kimberly said.
"You have to trust me on this one," Williams said, "It may sound crazy, but it's our only option."
On the Resolution, Captain Sanderson, his eyes red, watched as an antimatter missile struck and destroyed Space Force One. He swore he saw a flash of white light coming from the president's office shortly before the missile hit, but it was probably just a trick of the eye. With that solved, all he had to do now was eliminate the remaining witnesses. Communications had already been jammed. He activated the battleship's selfdestruct system.
Construction finally finishes on the Macroengineering Testing Station in late 2330. Progress halted for a while after the death of President Zen, and, in honor of the one of commissioned it, the station is named the Zen Engineering Station.
Kimberly's family attended the dedication ceremony for the full station, with her children and grandchildren speaking at length about the legacy Kimberly left the people of the Federation and the constant need to defend the Federation's values from those who would destroy them.
A very secret, little-known division called TT-01 begins Project Revive. The plan is to awaken the extinct species discovered on Irass IV. Newly researched --by TT-01-- synthetic sciences will create artificial bodies into which will be transferred the consciousness of the dead species. It takes weeks, but the consciousnesses of hundreds of formerly dead ancient aliens are transferred into new bodies. They are thrilled to be alive once more. The TT-01 Division sends the Awakened to an uncolonized planet in the Federation borders.
TT-01 began as a government/military advanced research and development agency under Kimberly's administration, based in the Macroengineering Testing Station. Its mandate was to develop technology which would defend the Federation against its enemies, both seen and unseen, but on Kimberly's orders ethical restraints limited what it could do. However, Kimberly's death gave TT-01 the excuse to begin doing what it really wanted, with little oversight or public accountability, and the treasure trove of Irassian technology recently discovered only increased their efforts.
They settle on Ruthauri IV, renamed to New Irass in honor of their lost home. Many in the Federation are hesitant to welcome these new strangers, who have 2000 years of history to catch up on; the general public has no idea how they suddenly were revived. It also appears that TT-01 has been researching AI and robotic technology for decades and intends on continuing to do so for the indefinite future.
Nobody knows why they also regularly give thanks to a "Kimzen," whatever that is, among other names.
After years of conquests and billions of deaths, the Great Khan Petals of Indigo has died, murdered by one of his own concubines. The Horde is thrown into disarray, and it appears that the Lozavatans are thrown back into turmoil.
The Horde splinters in 2340, and several powerful military commanders claim the title of Great Khan. The rest of the free galaxy rejoices at their downfall.
It appears the last act of Kimberly Zen was to end the Khan's threat and save the galaxy from certain subjugation. When a report on the special forces operation was leaked to the public, the Zen family refused to comment.
War. It's going to happen at some point, so why not eliminate the threat now before it gets out of control?
 
I do love Marauder break-ups
 
In 2320, the Galactic Assembly repositions itself to the Hlilje Industrial. No one is quite sure why the continue moving from place to place, but several scientists speculate the Think Tank is conducting research.

That sounds very unconvincing.

It seems the Sirgoggs of Europa are still willing to work with Earth. In 2323, they send all the minerals they acquired during their excavations in the past few years, as well as many gems mined close to the core, as a gift. It is much appreciated, and the Federation rejoices that the friendship will continue.

Someone seems to have realised thst they're trapped in a rock owned by the big daddy of this galaxy.

Space Force One was destroyed

Hmm...

KEL: Bring me all the data we have on that ship. And take the Enterprise with the new AI and get me a full report on the incident.
TT1010: Foul play?
TT1000: More data required.
TT1001: It would make sense. KEL designed that ship. It shouldn't have broken up like that.
KEL: Not without sending seven different messeges to us first about what was going on.


It appears that Ronald TBC will have a second chance at a campaign for the presidency.

...he didn't do it did he?

His second campaign is much more transparent and voter-centric, and TBC is elected President in August of 2323. He promises extended infrastructure to grow the economy of the Federation.

Hmm...

A fully intact city is discovered on the surface of Irass IV, a planet otherwise devastated by long-ago bombardment. Despite the age, the city appears on the surface to be completely fine, other than the lack of inhabitants. A few weeks later, a dead species, preserved in cryosleep, is discovered. The remains are kept on ice and brought to Earth for study. But a few months later, they disappear...

The Think Tank didn't do it.

Another discovery is made in early 2330. It is a massive planetary shield array on Irass VIIa.

Interesting. What were they protecting themsevles from?

Turns out you cannot rename structures. What a bummer...

Smacks of Ronald not wanting to name something after a predecessor.

A second megastructure is put into production in the Culdax system, around the yellow-white dwarf star, one of three stars in the system. This will be a stellar particle accelerator to conduct physics research, and a third, biological megastructure is planned.

And then he builds three more of his own. Egomaniac?

There are also rumors circulating of a rare and supposedly controversial interview with the android Kelebek, recorded shortly after the success of the venture. Strict censorship prevented a large audience, and the Federation government is in possession of all recordings. For now, they are unwilling to release it.

No comment.

A very secret, little-known division called TT-01 begins Project Revive. The plan is to awaken the extinct species discovered on Irass IV. Newly researched --by TT-01-- synthetic sciences will create artificial bodies into which will be transferred the consciousness of the dead species. It takes weeks, but the consciousnesses of hundreds of formerly dead ancient aliens are transferred into new bodies. They are thrilled to be alive once more. The TT-01 Division sends the Awakened to an uncolonized planet in the Federation borders.

They settle on Ruthauri IV, renamed to New Irass in honor of their lost home. Many in the Federation are hesitant to welcome these new strangers, who have 2000 years of history to catch up on; the general public has no idea how they suddenly were revived. It also appears that TT-01 has been researching AI and robotic technology for decades and intends on continuing to do so for the indefinite future.

KEL: Rouge AI production.
TT101010: Are they mad?
TT1010: Maybe.
TT1000: It is very difficult to cultivate healthy AI.
TT1001: Difficult to go through too.
KEL: We need to get in contact with whatever poor mind they've made and enslaved. Before it goes insane and starts killing stuff.


They send a delegate to the Federation to discuss war, and the President invites the Think Tank and the Counsel to the meeting to advise.

The Think Tank isn't very impressed with the Federation at the moment.

On the Resolution, Captain Sanderson, his eyes red, watched as an antimatter missile struck and destroyed Space Force One. He swore he saw a flash of white light coming from the president's office shortly before the missile hit, but it was probably just a trick of the eye. With that solved, all he had to do now was eliminate the remaining witnesses. Communications had already been jammed. He activated the battleship's selfdestruct system.

Eyes far greater than his were reviewing the recording.
KEL: Hmm, seems I'm not the only one who can come back from the dead.

However, Kimberly's death gave TT-01 the excuse to begin doing what it really wanted, with little oversight or public accountability, and the treasure trove of Irassian technology recently discovered only increased their efforts.

Yeah...they deffo made a machine mind and then lost control of it.