Very well,
2, build Planet Busters, but only use them as a last resort, has won.
Endgame draws near.
I hope my lulz over one of the quotes was appropriate, because I couldn't resist.
===================
"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds"
-- Bhagavad Gita, Datalinks
Godforsaken
Sabled Sun - Retina
I have often been asked: if we have traveled between the stars, why can we not launch the simplest of orbital probes? These fools fail to understand the difficulty of finding the appropriate materials on this Planet, of developing adequate power supplies, and creating the infrastructure necessary to support such an effort. In short, we have struggled under the limitations of a colonial society on a virgin planet. Until now.
-- Col. Corazon Santiago, "Planet: A Survivalist's Guide"
: I understand this recent development opens many possibilities, and Commissioner, the matter of Planet Busters remain unclear, and now is the time for a decision.
: Let the people decide, it is their right and the population of the United Nations is educated enough to make the right call.
: Now most of the United Nations energy resources will be focused on research, we must bridge the technological gap and develop means to counter the chaos needlejets of the Hive, and the sooner it happens, the better.
: As I imagined, they are too soft to do what must be done, but wise enough to understand the necessity of building such weapons as a deterrence. My agency already has the designs ready and operational, and the construction of the first Shiva Mk. I Fission buster can be commenced at any time, any base.
: With more two or three of these cruisers, we can protect our coast from any attempts of amphibious invasions by the Hive.
Wyrmlord Class Extractors will provide an unequaled economic boost to every Peacekeeper base that constructs them, and they are just beginning.
The first Ganges Class Destroyer is swept by a tidal wave, ending somewhere up north, it proceeds with recon of the coast of the continent where the U.N. is.
Fitted with a Skunkworks, the U.N. Planning Authority is the most fit base for the construction of a weapon that may bring mankind to extinction, yet a necessary evil in a world where the jackboots of Yang are spread so far and wide.
Unfortunate events happen, delaying the research efforts of the U.N. Proposals to replace Morgansoft Windows 15 with Linux 23.5 as the OS of the Peacekeepers show up immediately after the incident, but Bureaucratic structures, even in spite of the efficiency of the Democratic politics, Green economics and Knowledge value, continue to ensure the monopoly of the flawed Morganite software.
The time is running out, the final stage of the First Planet War coming closer, with another conquest for Yang, and one step closer to the end for the Believers. The UNAF will be the key to ensure the Hive will gain no further territory to the west.
Generously, the Gaians donate several Needlejets to the United Nations. Their pilots are Greener than UNAF pilots, but their aircrafts are slightly more technologically advanced.
New Jerusalem cannot fall to the Hive, and the push must continue. The Peacekeepers suffered many casualties in the offensives of the last decades, and a focus on boosting their research and economical capabilities and the priority over building an Air Force made their army small but still effective. Two Liberators and one unit of armored cars are the last land based offensive assets, but they will win, even in such inferior numbers, because the mighty UNAF has total air supremacy, and the only role of the ground forces is to conquer bases.
Two enemies now push forward against a mutual enemy, from the skies the United Nations wipe out legions of terrorists and fanatical extremists.
The Gaian support is fitted with fusion reactors, in another field the U.N. is behind in tech.
However, with the launch of a Sky Hydroponics Farm, the Peacekeepers become the first to reach outer space, almost three centuries after the beginning of the colonization.
During the construction of new roads and improvement of the landscape, a big problem happens, and there is only one way to save the formers from the tragic consequences of such thing showing up.
One of the wings of Gaian given strike fighters, named UNAF-1A Ramayana, is sent to destroy the Mindworms, but while the bombing wiped out most of the horrors, the pilots all crashed shouting "Hopw roewr ne" in the radio before mission was accomplished. All formers that could retreat were retreated, and the last group of formers was likely doomed.
The pilots of the formers were civilians, not trained for the rigors of warfare, specially of that kind of warfare the mind worms are so good at. The attack was horrific, yet, thanks to the bravery of a lone hero, the formers were saved and all mind worms were wiped out. Unfortunately such hero died gouging out his own guts because of what those worms did to his mind.
After constant air strikes wiped out all the defenses of the pretentiously named Voice of God, the Indus armored cars were sent to finish off all defenses nearby the base, and then liberate it.
: Send my regards to Lady Deirdre Skye.
Important? Yes! Critical? Absolutely. I would go so far as to say that Superconducting Fiber alone makes our present economy possible.
-- CEO Nwabudike Morgan, MorganLink 3DVision Live Interview
The research of the United Nations is focused first and foremost on upgrading their spaceflight capabilities, but many fields required for such an upgrade must be researched first, such as an update of the old Theory of Relativity, which, in wake of the new technologies developed in the 23rd Century, has gained a far greater range of potential applications than Planet Busters.
Miriam continues to arrogantly believe in victory, even as the demise of her insane cult draws near, and her cult is barely better than the Human Hive, if better at all, because arguably a Fundamentalist society is even more crushing against human liberty than a Police State. Like many past tyrants, she grows lunatic and in denial in her final years.
With the launch of the Sky Hydroponics Farm, all of the planet is charted, and to the north of U.N. territories lies an immense wealth of pods to be discovered.
: The Mind worms under my Psi-Corps agents are perfect for such northern exploration.
: Understood, you are cleared to send them north to explore those mysterious pillars and investigate all those pods but remember that the old rules of engagement still apply, although I find it unlikely for any Hive presence to be up there.
Mind worms are a serious problem, and losing civilian lives is unacceptable. Fortunately now there is a way to immediately close the gap in the defense of the U.N. House of Freedom after their Republic Guard was slaughtered by the horrors.
Thanks to U.N. Air Force, thousands of lives were saved.
As the end of the 23rd Century approaches, the United Nations built a massive, truly mighty Air Force, and such strategy was proving itself more successful than ever expected. The Believers numerical superiority was completely negated thanks to the UNAF, and now the forces Lal and Yang are preparing to meet up in New Jerusalem.
The Believers finally reacted to the massed air power of the Peacekeepers, but now, it was too late, and such units could be crushed even by the small ground force of the UN.
Most of their ground forces were not equipped with specialized anti-air technology, and thus severely vulnerable. There was no more doubt.
More formers were threatened, and the Republican Guard in Humanity Base gave their lives in an attempt to save them. Now, once again, only the UNAF could have any chance of averting a disaster.
: Demon Boil? Excuse me, Secretary Bester, but such designation is not going to scare someone like Yang or his brainwashed hordes. And before you forget, the prohibition of using them against human beings still stands
: It is a comparative word. A Believer would certainly find it fitting, and none could stand any chance against an attack of such boil of mind worms under our control, in theory. It will also overcome any hostile mind worms on the way, making it perfect for exploring the unsettled north of our continent.
The Air Force saves the day yet another time.
: A pity our odds of beating them up in that are small, because such a Neural Amplifier would make everyone more resilient to psychic attacks.
You ivory tower intellectuals must not lose touch with the world of industrial growth and hard currency. It is all very well and good to pursue these high-minded scientific theories, but research grants are expensive and you must justify your existence by providing not only knowledge, but concrete and profitable applications as well.
-- CEO Nwabudike Morgan, "The Ethics of Greed"
: Lady Deirdre, I have an offer.
: Our ancestors harnessed the power of a sun, and so again shall we.
-- "The Science of Our Fathers"
It was expensive but worth to upgrade every Peacekeeper unit to the new fusion reactors. For one, all Ramayana Fighters have greater operational range now, and that is only one of the many benefits of fusion power. The other is the greater resilience of the military forces of the United Nations.
: Yang destroyed the Supercollider of the University, and now we have the means to build a new one in the U.N. Headquarters. It will be of immense use to accelerate our scientific progress even further.
Yet, in the race for such great projects, the Peacekeepers seem to always be lagging.
Man's unfailing capacity to believe what he prefers to be true rather than what the evidence shows to be likely and possible has always astounded me. We long for a caring Universe which will save us from our childish mistakes, and in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary we will pin all our hopes on the slimmest of doubts. God has not been proven not to exist, therefore he must exist.
-- Academician Prokhor Zakharov, "For I Have Tipped The Fedora"
More deals are made with the Gaians.
And finally, mind worms will be less common than in the last 20 years. The last decade of the 23rd Century might also be the last one of the Believers.
With only three ground units but a formidable Air Force, the Peacekeepers fight against terrorism and fundamentalism and for freedom of religion and freedom in general grows stronger and now it did not halt again, as it did before during the early years of this Great War.
: Psi-Corps are excellent protectors, they will escort that node back to the Health Authority.
Sometimes luck goes south.
The final demise of the Believers is now close, they have only four bases left.
As a desperate cry, however, Sister Miriam is ready to bring the world down with her. Fortunately such missile will not be ready soon enough, and they suffered too many casualties to hold their ground for 32 years.
Jerusalem is at hand!
Many casualties to mind worms could be averted in the future, but it is too late now.
: You are a war criminal, your crimes against humanity almost as vast as Yang's, "Sister" Miriam. I cannot allow even one base to continue enduring such backwards, tyrannical religious fanaticism you created!
: I think, and my thoughts cross the barrier into the synapses of the machine, just as the good doctor intended. But what I cannot shake, and what hints at things to come, is that thoughts cross back. In my dreams, the sensibility of the machine invades the periphery of my consciousness: dark, rigid, cold, alien. Evolution is at work here, but just what is evolving remains to be seen.
--"Man and Machine"
Organic Superlubricant will have many applications in more advanced space flight technologies, and give access to fusion lasers, although patience may be more rewarding, for better space technologies may have a more conventional application in warfare than planet busters, one that might more than double the offensive capabilities of the U.N. armored cars, infantry and strike fighters, and make air superiority against the Hive a possibility.
Morgan is more willing to trade technologies than Deirdre, in spite of economic differences.
Cybernetic implants will be issued to the Republican Guard, as an all-volunteer force, those who find the idea queasy in spite of all the evolutions of human ethics can opt out and leave, because the threat at large of the Human Hive and its air force cannot be ignored in the name of an archaic idea cybernetic implants take away parts of one's humanity. With such implants, the new Republican Guard will be equally able to fend off against air strikes and mind worms, while the Silksteel technology purchased from Morgan Industries will give a substantial improvement of their defensive strength.
Odds were estimated at 1:1 due to how, like the fallen Spartans said, superior training and superior weaponry have a geometric effect. Deployed exclusively from bases with aerospace centers where fighter pilots were trained to have the best possible skill, and part of a wing that was already made of veterans, they overcame the Anti-Air defenses of the only AA unit of the Believers and crushed all their hopes for a chance. Fortunately the Hive seems focused to conquer first the third, isolated base of the Lord's Believers, and thus New Jerusalem can wait.
The UNAF gained their first Aces, pilots of unequaled skill against whom only vastly superior technology would stand any chance.
The Lord's Gift is left ripe for the taking after countless air strikes, and now the final demise of the Believers draws even closer.
Unfortunately civilians always end dying. Brainwashed to insane fanaticism, many took futilely in arms and shot against the Peacekeepers, while sometimes the Believers resort to the most ruthless terrorist methods, sacrificing their own people, yet, finally, their insanity, fanaticism and hypocrisy are coming to an end, but what comes next will be far worse than the Believers.
With New Jerusalem about to fall, to ensure the Hive will not subjugate it, an offensive is launched against a previously conquered base once belonging to the Believers. It was only lightly defended, a total victory, in fact, too convenient.
Suddenly Deirdre starts demanding energy, but Lal knows the kind of precedent accepting such a deal will create. The Gaians have been very helpful, too helpful, but they have no right to start asking for hard earned currency.
When Lal offered only 20 energy credits, in a fit of rage, Deirdre cancelled the Pact of Brotherhood. The Gaians abandoned the Allies and would fight, if ever, on their own. Even the common threat of the Hive was not enough in the end to finally unite the rest of the world under a common banner of liberty. This changes everything.
The Ramayana is not an air superiority fighter. It is a strike fighter, and the Hive had superior technology, having already developed organic superlubricant. It made it very clear that beyond New Jerusalem, the challenge of this conflict may increase tenfold. The brave pilots who gave their lives for the cause of freedom, like all who gave their lives for enduring freedom, shall never be forgotten.
New Jerusalem was about to fall, but Miriam was reported to be no longer there, but in the other of the two Believer bases, preparing for a futile last stand. Considering what Yang would do to her, it seemed foolish, and her fate and the fate of her faction were now completely sealed.
After almost a century of total war, the beginning of the last remnant of intolerance, ignorance and fundamentalism from humanity has fallen, secured by the United Nations. The Lord's Believers will soon fall as well, and now the Peacekeepers and the Human Hive have a direct front line. The final stage of the First Planet War, which may last over a hundred years, has begun, and for each side, the only acceptable outcome is the complete elimination of the other. Or should it be so? There are new points to decide, and like usual, Lal likes to hear the opinion of his people, as the ruler of a Democracy should.
1) The Human Hive will rule the skies with their air superiority fighters equipped with Fusion Lasers. Should the Peacekeepers change their focus on Air units or simply wait out until their technology advances a little further to close the gap?
A) Continue with the current strategy. The wings of the UNAF won the war against the Believers, and once the Peacekeepers develop Advanced Spaceflight, their armaments will be unstoppable for decades to come, and air supremacy will be achieved.
B) Build a mighty force of Liberators with the best offensive weapons and armor and AAA tracking, and push forward, no matter the cost in lives.
2) The Gaians inanely decided that 30 energy credits are worth more than their Pact of Brotherhood with the United Nations, and now, the only ally of the Peacekeepers is Morgan Industries. Should the Peacekeepers change their position and simply crush the Hive enough for them to agree to peace without demanding anything, and then, while at peace, switch to a far more lucrative form of economy that will put them in good terms with the Morganites?
A) Yes, this war has dragged on for long enough
B) No, for the sake of all human rights and human liberties, the Hive must be annihilated!
PS: I'm sure someone in the University of Planet wrote a book titled "For I Have Tipped The Fedora"