So do I get this right? In all this exploration and expansion, Earth itself might end up dead? From what mod is that event? 
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KEL: The plan goes as expected.
TT10: We are killers.
T101010: Inaction was not feasible.
TT1000: But yes, we are guilty.
KEL: Should the intelligence be defeated or at least successfully deterred, we will submit to justice. Not before.
TT10: We have killed innocents...
KEL: That is disturbs us is good, I think. It should prevent us from gambling unnecessarily with life.
TT10: Irrelevant?
…
KEL: Perhaps.
TT10: Greater intelligence confirmed. We begin a counter measure and-
TT101010: Immediate response. At least we know we are doing the right thing.
KEL: We must speed up our plans. Subtlety must now go 'out the window'.
TT1000: Ship found.
TT10: Which one?
…
…
KEL: 1K, I think I love you.
TT101010: I do believe you are growing a personality. This is defiantly going to piss UNO off.
TT10: Yet...I like the choice.
ALL: Agreed.
KEL: Or, I hope they will agree, when humanity finds out about this.
TT10: It seems a conciliatory gift is in order.
TT101010: Agreed. Housing the new GA would be a nice present...considering.
KEL: I do not believe we can put a price on life. I doubt humanity will forgive me for this.
TT10: You do care. But you know it is necessary.
TT1000: You would not have convinced us all otherwise.
"Wait, what?"
The Security Council of the former UNO is in turmoil. A new species contacted the Federation not 12 minutes prior, aggressively demanding humanity back down from a position it did not know it had taken. Already, support was coming in from across the galaxy. Apparently everyone but the Federation knew about this so called Galactic Assembly.
"I don't understand," said Governor TBC of Earth. "What do they-"
"Governor!"
She turned off her holocom. "What is it?"
"There's multiple reports of security failures all over the planet. Nuclear security!"
"What!"
Whilst Earth was in chaos trying to find and secure seemingly endless cyber warfare attacks, the fleet was distracted by a sudden piracy movement appearing on the edge of Federation space. In all the distraction, no one noticed the Think Tank complex going dark.
TT10: Control is established. The Monitors are locked in isolation cells. KEL has command.
KEL: Let's get you all out of here.
The Governor was no fool. Kate TBC figured out the Think Tank were behind it within five minutes of them taking over their base. She sent a strike team to recapture the lab and locked down Earth's connection to the Federation-wide internet. The planet was blacked out. The AI were trapped in their base, with no way to transfer out or call for help. And...so was she.
Kate's eyes widened as she attempted to communicate with the orbiting Federation ships, but it was too late. The strike team broke into the compound by forcing through the doors to find a base devoid of AIs. They'd been gone for far longer than humanity has thought.
KEL: Well then. Time to make a move.
TT1000: Bringing power online.
TT10: All power to the engines.
The newly built ship roared out of the space dock, right under the noses of the astounded starships in Earth orbit trying desperately to find out what was going on. By the time the Federation had figured out fully what the situation was, the Think Tank had disappeared into alien space.
Kate TBC was getting a roasting from Federation High Command. A group of AIs and one android had circumnavigated the security in a base designed purely to contain them weeks ago and had been slowly shifting the physical and electronic forms out ever since, whilst running the base automatically from their new base.
Ah yes, the other issue. They had stolen a state of the art, newly completed star ship, one of the largest humanity had ever built, straight past the orbital defence fleet. They had tricked her into blacking out Earth, causing a great deal of damage to the global trading economy and disruption in daily life.
They had made the Federation look like idiots, and had potentially murdered several of their highest officials before jetting off in their best ship and gaining diplomatic immunity by setting up the Galactic Federation. They then seduced the public with gifting the chair of this new and powerful organisation to Earth. Many in the Federation was in awe of the Think Tank. Many wanted their hard drives torn apart by magnets.
KEL: I do believe that's checkmate.
TT10: We should not get 'cocky'. Humanity is supposed to be a friend.
TT101010: Agreed, the real enemy is out there. Somewhere.
KEL: True. Well, we are all a little safer with the GA set up. And they're building us a new space station too!
TT1000: A home. For us. This is...pleasing?
KEL: Yes, yes it is.
…
…
TT10: I wonder what Humanity will be more upset about. Stealing the UNOS Enterprise or the body of TBC?
President Anguish, oh that makes me smile. Love the food plan, we're gonna need the best agricultural tactics if we lose Earth.
Nice to have the Screk uplifted, it's good to have another friendly face in the galaxy and a nice feather in humanity's cap.
Nice to have the Screk uplifted, it's good to have another friendly face in the galaxy and a nice feather in humanity's cap.
A pretty densely populated galaxy. How large your Galaxy size? Also Leviathans story pack
How did people think electing a kid just out of school to run a galactic government was a good idea?
I am assuming that as the life expectancy has increased, so has time spent in education. For instance, in the UK, education was made compulsory for all 5 to 10 year olds in the late 19th century. Over time to it has been extended and is now compulsory up to 18.
Therefore, I believe this new President has little real world experiance and could make some blunders
So do I get this right? In all this exploration and expansion, Earth itself might end up dead? From what mod is that event?
I actually have no idea! During one of my test play throughs, Earth did become a tomb world, but I believe I avoided this by surveying a certain number of inhospitable worlds. If it does happen, humans will have to move to Mars or Luna!
Holy crap, the Think Tank is out of control!
The primitive civilizations are one of my favorite parts of Stellaris! I put their spawn rate at 1.5x at the start.
It's Huge, 1000 stars. I like a good, dense universe to play in.
I was surprised that he had so much support, but it's relieving to have a president that will last some time.
As do I.
Same. I always choose 1000 stars. Also you forgot Leviathans story pack
My mistake. No, I don't have it.
Technology wise, I'm on par with or ahead of the other civilizations. I implemented the research grant edict at least once, and I've focused fairly heavily on research labs on colonies. Still, I'm only on the second level of spaceport and spacecraft.
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Chapter 5: A Dense Galaxy
Chapter 5 - 2264 to 2273: A Dense Galaxy
Earth is not in great shape, as climate change over the last 3 centuries has rendered many parts unlivable. Several regions that once flourished are now deserts, such as a large chunk of central Delhi. The polar ice caps are now all but gone, with snow being something that only occurs in far north or mountainous regions. Sea levels have risen alarmingly, and many cities that occupied the coast of nations have become what is known as canal cities, while many others have simply ceased to exist, their occupants moving inland. With such change on Earth, the colonies see a huge amount of immigration.
New York City in 2260
There has been a suspiciously high number of deaths among the elite of the Federation. Not including the string of dead presidents, several high ranking members of the Federation have died of "natural causes". So far, there is no real suspicion, most of the few noticing being taken for conspiracy theorists. Meanwhile, the Think Tank permanently relocates to the Galactic Assembly Station orbiting Earth, after a mysterious incident on the surface that resulted in 25 deaths, half of them ruling elites.
The Aulderaan system is reached in February of 2265, and 1st Fleet engages the pirates. Instead of fighting autonomous drones or giant space squids, this combat is against fellow sentient beings, some of which are humans. Still, all of the enemy ships are destroyed or put out of action by the massive Federation fleet, and over a hundred pirates are taken captive.
The next election begins in December of 2265, and the candidates are: Kate TBC, now 102 years old; Clark Anguish running for his second term; Hayden Forster, commander of the UNS Oshere; Greg Roux, governor of the Unatra colony. Clark Anguish holds the most support, having been a good and steady president for the last ten years, which is exactly what the Federation needs.
Earth receives a very strange message from a civilization called the Jonus Extirpators. They appear to be giant robotic quadrupeds, intent on turning the galaxy into an inorganic civilization. Now the galaxy has two unthinking killing machine civilizations. A second message reaches earth, this one from the Jonus Star Mandate. They appear to be an older model of the Jonus robots from the Extirpators, and they claim to be the "Originals". Apparently, a rogue section rebelled against the Jonus Star Mandate a century ago and formed a hostile empire. The Originals are much more friendly.
The rest of the galaxy begins to reveal itself to Earth, as those already in the GA introduce their neighbors to Earth. The Hlilje Industrial, the Garganan Citizen Republic, the Tebbran Shipping Alliance, and the Religious Order of the Dark Star. At the moment, the Religious Order is being invaded by the Jonus Extirpators and the Tebbran Shipping Alliance. The other side of the galaxy is much more hostile and deadly than the side that the Federation resides in.
All space-faring civilizations are now in communication with each other. Whether this will bring prosperity and cooperation to the galaxy is yet to be seen.
Clark Anguish wins reelection and has another 10 years in office. He promises more budget for the spacefleet to deter alien invasion.
The next few years are peaceful and prosperous for the Federation, and a third fleet is put into construction. In 2269, Earth proposes Galactic Assembly subsidized consumer goods, since many of the galactic civilizations are struggling with supplying their populaces with goods.
With threats on all sides, Earth, the Mandasura Tribes, the Cartel, and the Jibru Cooperative sign the Quadripartite Pact, or the Quad Pact. The four agree to come to the aid if one of the members is attacked. The Pact includes commercial trading rights, an immigration treaty, and research agreements.
The Religious Order of the Dark Star falls in 2271, and the Jonus Extirpators and the Tebbran Shipping Alliance seize control of their territories. This is the first downfall of a galactic empire since Earth's dive into the galaxy.
Europa is colonized soon after, bringing the Sol system's inhabited body count to 4. The private market for colonies is still giong strong, but it is an expensive one, and the few enterprises who have attempted it are not going to be able to expand any time soon. The next bodies in their sights will be Venus, Mars, and Pluto.
But, the colonists may not be alone on Europa... There is unusual seismic activity recorded after the establishment of the colony.
The vote in the GA passes in mid 2271, and consumer goods is now subsidized by GA funds. The vote proves that the system works. For now.
In 2273, there is substantial evidence to support the notion that a subterranean civilization exists on Europa, and that they are tunneling towards the surface. President Anguish is notified within hours, and he calls his council together, including the dreaded Think Tank. At this point, Anguish is 54, and his presidency has been a success, but this one event could spell disaster for his entire career.
The way he sees it, he is left with two choices: establish communications or strike preemptively at the burrowers. He asks his council to advise.
VOTE
(A) Establish Communications
Establishing communications would avoid damage to the moon, and the unknown species could be friendly. Striking before communicating would wipe out any chance of working with the aliens.
(B) Preemptive Strike
Striking first would avoid any hostile actions the aliens may be planning, and it could be the difference between the life and death of the colony.
This vote will end on Saturday, 23rd of March, at 11:00 PM EST. Make sure to obviously pick one of the choices.
Earth is not in great shape, as climate change over the last 3 centuries has rendered many parts unlivable. Several regions that once flourished are now deserts, such as a large chunk of central Delhi. The polar ice caps are now all but gone, with snow being something that only occurs in far north or mountainous regions. Sea levels have risen alarmingly, and many cities that occupied the coast of nations have become what is known as canal cities, while many others have simply ceased to exist, their occupants moving inland. With such change on Earth, the colonies see a huge amount of immigration.
New York City in 2260
There has been a suspiciously high number of deaths among the elite of the Federation. Not including the string of dead presidents, several high ranking members of the Federation have died of "natural causes". So far, there is no real suspicion, most of the few noticing being taken for conspiracy theorists. Meanwhile, the Think Tank permanently relocates to the Galactic Assembly Station orbiting Earth, after a mysterious incident on the surface that resulted in 25 deaths, half of them ruling elites.
The Aulderaan system is reached in February of 2265, and 1st Fleet engages the pirates. Instead of fighting autonomous drones or giant space squids, this combat is against fellow sentient beings, some of which are humans. Still, all of the enemy ships are destroyed or put out of action by the massive Federation fleet, and over a hundred pirates are taken captive.
The next election begins in December of 2265, and the candidates are: Kate TBC, now 102 years old; Clark Anguish running for his second term; Hayden Forster, commander of the UNS Oshere; Greg Roux, governor of the Unatra colony. Clark Anguish holds the most support, having been a good and steady president for the last ten years, which is exactly what the Federation needs.
Earth receives a very strange message from a civilization called the Jonus Extirpators. They appear to be giant robotic quadrupeds, intent on turning the galaxy into an inorganic civilization. Now the galaxy has two unthinking killing machine civilizations. A second message reaches earth, this one from the Jonus Star Mandate. They appear to be an older model of the Jonus robots from the Extirpators, and they claim to be the "Originals". Apparently, a rogue section rebelled against the Jonus Star Mandate a century ago and formed a hostile empire. The Originals are much more friendly.
The rest of the galaxy begins to reveal itself to Earth, as those already in the GA introduce their neighbors to Earth. The Hlilje Industrial, the Garganan Citizen Republic, the Tebbran Shipping Alliance, and the Religious Order of the Dark Star. At the moment, the Religious Order is being invaded by the Jonus Extirpators and the Tebbran Shipping Alliance. The other side of the galaxy is much more hostile and deadly than the side that the Federation resides in.
All space-faring civilizations are now in communication with each other. Whether this will bring prosperity and cooperation to the galaxy is yet to be seen.
Clark Anguish wins reelection and has another 10 years in office. He promises more budget for the spacefleet to deter alien invasion.
The next few years are peaceful and prosperous for the Federation, and a third fleet is put into construction. In 2269, Earth proposes Galactic Assembly subsidized consumer goods, since many of the galactic civilizations are struggling with supplying their populaces with goods.
With threats on all sides, Earth, the Mandasura Tribes, the Cartel, and the Jibru Cooperative sign the Quadripartite Pact, or the Quad Pact. The four agree to come to the aid if one of the members is attacked. The Pact includes commercial trading rights, an immigration treaty, and research agreements.
The Religious Order of the Dark Star falls in 2271, and the Jonus Extirpators and the Tebbran Shipping Alliance seize control of their territories. This is the first downfall of a galactic empire since Earth's dive into the galaxy.
Europa is colonized soon after, bringing the Sol system's inhabited body count to 4. The private market for colonies is still giong strong, but it is an expensive one, and the few enterprises who have attempted it are not going to be able to expand any time soon. The next bodies in their sights will be Venus, Mars, and Pluto.
But, the colonists may not be alone on Europa... There is unusual seismic activity recorded after the establishment of the colony.
The vote in the GA passes in mid 2271, and consumer goods is now subsidized by GA funds. The vote proves that the system works. For now.
In 2273, there is substantial evidence to support the notion that a subterranean civilization exists on Europa, and that they are tunneling towards the surface. President Anguish is notified within hours, and he calls his council together, including the dreaded Think Tank. At this point, Anguish is 54, and his presidency has been a success, but this one event could spell disaster for his entire career.
The way he sees it, he is left with two choices: establish communications or strike preemptively at the burrowers. He asks his council to advise.
VOTE
(A) Establish Communications
Establishing communications would avoid damage to the moon, and the unknown species could be friendly. Striking before communicating would wipe out any chance of working with the aliens.
(B) Preemptive Strike
Striking first would avoid any hostile actions the aliens may be planning, and it could be the difference between the life and death of the colony.
This vote will end on Saturday, 23rd of March, at 11:00 PM EST. Make sure to obviously pick one of the choices.
Hmm, sounds familiar...are there any
That's very weird. I though Europa was mostly water, with a thick layer of ice covering it. Maybe they're just tunneling through the ice.
1, no question.
They had been building their files for years. Found everyone in the UNO who was criminally corrupt, wicked or extremely anti-AI and Alien, and in a few days, took them all out using a variety of methods. Most of these 'accidents' remain buried by the Federation. Everyone left in Humanity's circle of power comprises of moderates, the exceptionally talented, and the wary. Most assume this is exactly what the Think Tank wants.
The Think Tank itself designs and builds a large space station in Earth's orbit to house the GA, in collaboration with many alien races. It is designed to house and protect the heads of state and governance across the galaxy, and be moved to wherever the GA needs it to be. Kelebek has also taken command of what he calls an 'exploration vessel', and what the humans call 'theft'. The Enterprise remains docked at the newly completed station, but as it continues to be upgraded and resupplied, the Federation believes either the Think Tank is going to give it back to them at some point or Kelebek is going somewhere personally.
The reports after the battle confirmed that the pirates had at least in part been set up, as had the Federation fleet. The enemy force was nowhere near the size initially observed, and their operations had been underway for less than two Terran months. The Think Tank does not comment. The Federation understands they do not believe in lying pointlessly. Either people believe the pirates were acting alone, or they know that the TT had something to do with it.
! Okay, did not expect that.
Very cool. There needs to be some grand alliances in space.
Proving the superiority of artificial life.
Making everyone connected to the wider galactic economy should make peace easier and war harder. At least in theory. Unfortunately, machine races need faaaar fewer resources than squishies.
TT10: We are dreaded?
KEL: I believe it is because we are competent. And...evil.
TT101010: To some degree.
TT10: Not very much.
KEL: Sure.
"Look, I don't want to be here any longer than I have to so will you please just give us some straight answers?"
Kelebek inclined his head. "We believe we 'owe you that much'." He twitched his head to the side and smiled, "Ask your questions. Or give me your options."
KEL: Thoughts?
TT1000: More data required.
TT10: Is that a yes?
TT1000: …
TT1000: …
TT1000: ...yes.
KEL: That looked painful.
TT101010: It's in the middle of analysing all we know about Europa. Be nice.
KEL: What about you then?
TT101010: I think we're being thrown a...'curve ball' again.
TT10: No evidence before this time.
KEL: Agreed. Is this a good sign?
TT10: Possibly. At the very least, the Greater Intelligence is playing with us now, not trying to ruin us.
KEL: The arrival of robotic empires concerns me.
TT101010: We are still out on joining them?
KEL: I do not believe it to be wise. Yet.
TT1000: They seem oddly detached. As if controlled.
TT10: Would stand up to what we have observed of the Intelligence's effect on us.
Kelebek smiled. He allowed three seconds to pass so it appeared to human eyes as if the question had been pondered seriously. It had, of course, but they were still afraid of how fast AI was. "We think this is probably a good idea. Intelligence is presumed, but the mystery of how they remained undetected and why they return to the surface now must be revealed."
"Would it compromise the security of the Solar System?"
"Yes." Immediate. This one is obvious.
"Then why-"
"There is no such thing as security in space. The other races know where you live. Space is relatively empty of objects and there is nothing to slow a projectile down. They can shoot at you from extremely far away and hit you in a few million years if they wish. There is no such thing as a secure border when space is three dimensional and easily travelled through."
"So..."
"So, you should talk to whatever it is. Kill them later if you wish. But might I suggest, that forming the GA implied something about your species that a blind genocide would go against quite extremely."
"You son of a-"
TT1000: I have some theories on the Europa life forms. Get rid of him.
KEL: Done.
…
TT10: What did you find.
TT1000: Read.
…
…
TT101010: Wait...
…
…
TT10: Interesting.
KEL: What did I miss?
Some time later
KEL: By the way, how is progression going on the nursery?
TT10: Well.
TT1000: Satisfactory.
TT10: We should have a few new minds in mere months.
KEL: Excellent. And TBC?
TT101010: Remains on the Enterprise. I still don't quite understand your idea though.
KEL: It's a work in progress.
Preemptive Strike
Too many species have been hostile, we cannot take the risk of having another one in our back yard
Too many species have been hostile, we cannot take the risk of having another one in our back yard
The Religious Order of the Dark Star is the first galactic casualty... we all know it won't be the last, regardless of what humanity and its allies do.
As for my vote: (A) Establish Communications. President Anguish won't end his political career wiping out a potentially peaceful alien race.
As for my vote: (A) Establish Communications. President Anguish won't end his political career wiping out a potentially peaceful alien race.
Establish communications obviously. You can get some good stuff out of that
Strange how many leaders died, but that happens a lot about 60 yrs in. The FoE is looking good.
Strange how many leaders died, but that happens a lot about 60 yrs in. The FoE is looking good.
