Pre-Update Two
2076-2090 CE
Despite the abrupt militarization of space, the years following 2075 were fairly peaceful and orderly. The greatest trend for humanity as a whole was one of consolidation and conservative development. However, the struggles that marked the mid-21
st century were still very real. They simply had moved onto more subtle fields - for the most part.
The addition of Indonesia to the interstellar colonization front had the potential to cause an international incident, but in the end cooler heads prevailed. The
Penyelidik moved away from the Earth, and the crew of the
Liberty made no move to interfere. The green flash of Stigma heralded its departure towards 021-047, and the crisis passed surprisingly smoothly.
In fact, Stigma jumps became increasingly common as the 2070's reached their conclusion. The Europeans' most recent Stigma innovation spread by inspiration to the US, by questionable espionage techniques to the Chinese, and perhaps by some combination of the two to the IISP. The easier interstellar travel was unusable unless there was already a well established colony on the recieving end, however, and so there was a rush to build on the colonies already established in Infinitas and other systems.
Aside from the flight of the
Penyelidik, there was another notable colonization effort, this one by the EU. The
Vorbote was constructed on Earth and assembled in its orbit, necessarily making use of the advanced factories and stations that even Bacchus and Carmenta lacked. However, rather than depart to its target directly from Sol, the ship carried its launch platform to Bacchus by Stigma skimming, and then went to its final destination from there with a conventional jump. The colony thus built on Asgard (formerly 066-165D) was able to flourish more or less without interference.
Back on Earth, some political developments were also making waves that would affect the interstellar frontier as a whole. Indonesia's domestic situation, despite salvage attempts by its leaders, was still deteriorating, and the necessary refocusing of its attention on internal matters threatened to dethrone it as the primary member of the IISP. However, in the year 2082, Indonesia and a number of other IISP nations brought to fruition a plan that had been brewing for years.
The ambitiously named Islamic Confederation was founded with the stated aim of increasing the collective international clout of Islamic governments and people worldwide, and in promoting economic and diplomatic unity among all followers of the faith. In its structure, it resembled the United Nations more closely than the European Union, but the president of Indonesia, who was instrumental in its formation, often expressed a hope that it would eventually bind its members as closely as the territories in a single nation.
Of course, the reality fell far, far below that lofty goal. In practice, the more powerful nations of the IC (including Indonesia itself) showed almost complete disregard for the decisions of the council where it suited them, while the smaller states bickered endlessly over any policies that were even mildly controvertial.
The Confederation was still able to take some actions, though. For one thing, though it was technically independent of the IISP, the IC's similar constituency led to the two organizations becoming tightly tied, and the IISP benefitted indirectly from the economic agreements that the IC was able to pass. For another, the members of the IC passed an almost unanimous trade embargo against the United States. This was more of a symbollic gesture than a practical one, but it sent a very clear message, and the US's opposition of the creation of the IC showed that the feelings were mutual. Tensions between the United States and the Islamic Confederation as a whole increased as the 2080's went on.
As to the colonization strategies of the interstellar powers, the 2080's also saw less frantic colonization than the previous two decades. There was also less direct competition. American efforts to outpace European expansion in Infinitas were unsuccessful, but this was more than made up for by the flourishing Mars colony that America devoted significant attention to. And the situation in American Infinitas was still quite good - The Carmenta colony spread across the stormy waves and thick mists with surprising speed, coexisting with a small European scientific settlement. There was much commerce and trade between the two nations that seemed to be dividing Infinitas between them, and European-American relations flourished.
China took a somewhat different strategy. Making no effort to expand their surviving colony on Bacchus, nor to revive the destroyed one on Carmenta, the Chinese instead made a cunning shift in their strategy. An incredible amount of resources were focused on the planets surrounding the dim star of 021-047, and the Chinese colonies there were expanded to rival those in Infinitas.
Finally, the European situation was the most complex one. Expanding from the main city of Lierre, the European settlement on Bacchus was the largest colony outside the Solar system. The spread across the surface of the planet was accompanied by extensive underground facilities, and the industrial might of the colony grew with every passing month. Bacchus began to develop its own unique culture, as it had a growing population that had been born on the large planet and had never seen the light of Sol.
However, this also led to conflict. By the time the American destroyer
Justice arrived by Stigma skim to Carmenta, the Bacchus population was clamoring for a military ship of their own. Designs for an interplanetary cruiser got quite far before the European government put their collective foot down on the matter and killed the project before its completion. A defining quote of the time came from the then-president of the European parliament: "Space is not to be fought over. There's plenty for all of us."
While this sentiment was often echoed and approved by the European populace, on Bacchus itself it found little favor. Despite the generally good relations between Europeans and Americans in the system, Bacchus's comparative defenselessness was a sore point.
But there were no European dicta to stop an extensive planetary defense force from forming on Bacchus. The specialized soldiers and equipment designed to fight on the high gravity and rocky terrain of Bacchus were well known even on Earth, and the few Americans on Bacchus were put in the unusual position of being both outnumbered and outgunned - not that hostilities were expected between the two groups any time soon.
Lastly, starting in 2088, a conflict that was confined to Earth itself threatened the atmosphere of peace and stability that had marked the international stage since the Stigma event. It involved conflicts between the United States and Indonesia, predictably enough.
Specifically, the culturally separate people of West Timor began to gain more momentum in their defiance of the Indonesian government. This was due largely to public support from the US, in the form of financial aid to groups in East Timor that in turn supported complete Timorese independance from Indonesia.
By late 2089, the conflict had escalated to the point of critical mass. It was at this time that a group of Indonesian soldiers opened fire at a Timorese protest rally, and shortly afterward East Timor, with American support, declared it to be the last straw. East Timor sent its military to take West Timor by force, with the stated purpose of liberating the oppressed people there.
Though Eastern forces came surprisingly close to overrunning the whole island with their popular support and advanced American equipment, the numerically superior Indonesian reinforcements that were deployed to the island easily turned the tide. The situation stagnated somewhat when the United States deployed its own soldiers and workers to East Timor to aid in the war effort, though American and Indonesian forces have not directly clashed as of this update. Despite their mutual misgivings about the other nation, both sides were wary of starting a direct war between the two great powers.
The abrupt refocusing of the international community on a very Earth-based situation was rude and sudden. Public opinion on which side was justified depended not only on which country one polled, but also the particular planet. Though Timor seemed to be a very small issue when compared with the interstellar frontier, the clash of international wills that the conflict brought about was a massive one. The political ramifications of the struggle would irreversably change the development of interstellar history.
Player Instructions 02/08/2008
This turn will be very much like the previous one. Next turn I intend to allow colonization by entities aside from the ones that are currently controlled, but this turn I'll keep it to the four current powers.
(Map and commentary will be posted after the stats have been updated.)