We definitely care if your thoughtless imperialism create widespread instability. Although we have absolutely no part whatsoever in the current stirrings of rebellion there -- that indeed, is entirely your fault -- be assured will take part if it proves necessary to protect the people from your colonial rapine. Our support of a free and independent SubSaharan Africa stands, and will continue to stand until your "new projects" prove completely satisfactory to the SubSaharan people, from whom you have stolen for so long. We warn you: do NOT let it come to blood, or we will come. Otherwise, we shall watch, and we shall support a peaceful transition to independence.
To the People of SubSaharan Africa
From Bantu Ubuntu
Let it be known that we hear your cries under the thumb of your cruel Arab masters. If you ever find yourself weary of your colonial status, of your wealth stolen to water trackless desert, of being ignored by the Islamic junta beyond the Sahara, and of being oppressed by butt and bayonet, you know what to do. Do not falter under their cruel injustice! Do not fall for Judas' silver! Do not murder in cold blood! We support your upcoming independence, and although we all would prefer such an achivement be bloodless miracle, we also know that your cruel rulers will not likely accept their colonial subjects to slip away, and leave their pumps dry of the liveblood necessary to water their false oasis. Let them, if they so wish, unleash the last blow of your bondage, and the first blow for your freedom.
To: Mahgreb Union
From: Socialist Republic of Iberia
We must respectfully decline your offer to extend the non-aggression pact. We feel that although the treaty was an essential measure in the wake of the November Incident to maintain peace, relations have sufficiently improved since that time and such an agreement is unnecessary. Furthermore, after signing the treaty, Iberia proved her commitment to it by significantly reducing her military strength on the border, yet Mahgreb has continually failed to do so. We cannot even entertain an extension of the agreement until Mahgreb removes the presence of her large and potentially hostile force patrolling our border.
Mathias looked up from his tablet "Who's in charge of the naming for our equipment?"
Diana looked up from her desk. A tall lanky man was laying on her couch and from his tablet, screams filled the room. "What are you doing Mathias?"
"Playing 'Furious Sharks'. Great game, you fling sharks at people. Amazing stress reliever. Anyhow, question still stands"
Diana furrowed her brows "Lloyd from R&D, I think"
Mathias laughed "Makes sense. I think he fancies himself a necromancer"
Diana sighed "Why are you here, Mathias?"
Mathias smiled "Because my dear Diana, you're a smart person"
"Please. I voted with you because it was the only option. Were we going to just firebomb the north until it was settled? Fuel costs more than this solution"
Mathias smiled "Exactly. For some reason an omnipotent corporate board of executives doesn't inspire much loyalty. We can't pay everyone like management."
"They should know their place"
"And that, dear Diana, is why socialism can win. We are the literal embodiment of Marx's nightmare."
Diana was getting annoyed "What do you want Mathias?"
Mathias spread his arms "What else? To build a nation. And I'll need your help"
Men sweated under the hot sun all across the field. Cutting jungle, laying rail, hammering spikes. Constantly trains arrive, with fresh men and fresh equipment. The second to last car was special. Refrigeration and reflective, heavy shades keep the coolness inside. Kegs of chilled water, baskets of homemade snacks, and several thin-framed chairs and cots welcome the sweltering men to their ten minute break. And set into the wall was a radio. It, like the air conditioning, never turned off. Ran by the solar panels above and the hydrogen engine infront, it connected the men to the other Bantu of the Ubantu. Here's some of what they might have heard as they took respite from the merciless sun.
--zzpt--
“You are listening to The Kastle Insider. Bringing you the latest from Federal Square! This is Jack Chibueze. But first! A word from our sponsors!”
“Running out of assignments? Finding your men layabout town? Call your local Ministry of Agriculture representative sign up to Project Green Soul today! Dig ditches! Clear jungle! Provide jobs! And get paid! Now, it’s back to Jack Chibueze!”
“Hey all! Jack Chibueze here, and I just heard the newest development from an unidentified source at the Kastle. Senate Bill 274 has just passed and is awaiting Vuai’s signature. If you haven’t heard before, this ‘Regional Ultimatum’ bill establishes a no-tolerance policy for the Ministry of Infrastructure. This will go into effect in six months after two phases.
“First, there will be three months of amnesty. All regional authorities who engage in price gouging and other illegal activities, and who both end and report their activities before the end of these three months, shall not be punished.
Second, there will be three months of probation. Although the Ministry’s laws won’t be fully enforced yet, all illegal activities committed during this time are eligible to be charged once the three months are up. This serves as ‘criminal history’ in the court of law. I hear that large bounties will be offered for those who turn in documents implicating gouging during this time.
Finally, after both sessions will come full no-tolerance. All price gouging on federal infrastructure shall be prosecuted, with those with a proven history of gouging the first to be brought into court.
The note here emphasizes that Senate Bill 274 addresses only regional tolls on federal roads. All other enforcement of the Ministry of Infrastructure Establishment Act shall proceed as normal.
Now, I find this move very interesting becau...”
--zzpt--
“..oks like the seasonal drought is going to end early this year. Torrential rainfall is moving northward. Meteorologists postulate that this is the remnant of...”
-zzpt-
“*uck that sh*t! I ain’t asking for much! I paid my taxes for thirty years and what do I get for it? Nothing! I got roads in the desert, and them Ah Rabs watering their precious litter box!”
“Please calm down Mr. Farai!”
“Calm!? My family has been screwing our farm for three generations. Not once did we get anything for our dough. Infact, I thi...”
“Mr. Farai. Radio Free Biafra enjoys stories like yours, but this is a forum for clear discussion.”
“*sigh* I envy people in Bantu Ubuntu because everyone’s voice is heard. When there’s a project, they try to make sure everyone benefits. When your government can’t hear you unless you yell, well, they should be prepared for a lot of yelling.”
“Thank you Mr. Farai. Indeed, this is quite a serious issue in non-representative governments such as that in Tripoli. It is far too easy for them to pretend to not listen unless another nation tells them to pay attention, or their people rise up and cut their ears off. Mr. Farai is a disgruntled farmer near Ghana who’s using a communal radio to make this call. Let us all be reminded the expense these people must pay to call our station today.
Now, let’s take a call from Mrs. Imamu. She’s a married woman in a small town, north of the Niger river.”
“Hi! This is Mrs. Imamu here. This is Radio Free Biafra?”
“Greetings Mrs. Imamu. Yes, this is Radio Free Biafra.”
“Wow! I’m so excited! Anyway Mr...”
“I’m very happy for you. You can call me Paki.”
“Ah yes. Mr. Paki, I bought this radio from a week ago and it changed my life! It is very hard to get any news here, other than what them Ah Rabs want you to hear. Radio Free Biafra helped show how oppressive they are! The customers keep complaining about the roads and taxes, but I never understood what they meant.”
“Anything else you wish to ad Mrs. Imamu?”
“No.”
“May I ask a few questions.”
“Sure Mr. Paki. Oh wow! I’m really on air!”
“So Mrs. Imamu, it seems like you’re a small businesswomen?”
“Yes. Well, my husband’s the businessman. I just spin the cotton.”
“Can you tell us what the word on the street is like?”
“Everyone’s frustrated. The river’s rising and the jungle is growing in, and instead of helping us cut back they’re watering sand. I’ll never get why, when they can farm perfectly good soil here. It’s getting hard to sell our woolens because we’re spending money importing food from a desert, across a desert, into a farmland. Then again, they can’t grow dates here.”
“Thank you Mrs. Imamu.”
“My pleasure!”
“Next caller is pretty special. Kibwe is an Arab Merchant at Port Brazzaville. Let’s hear what he has to say.”
“Shalam, friend!”
“Shalam to you, Mr. Kibwe. Welcome to Radio Free Biafra.”
“Good to speak to you, Mr. Paki!”
“What do you wish to say today?”
“Well, I want to say that the whole thing is an exaggerated me...”
“This is AfroPop2, the classic African Popular culture channel! We just heard an awesome song from the Gwana tribesmen. Now here’s a little song very close to my heart. Sing along if you can: it’s in Swahili!”
To: Cascadian Technocrats
From: Confederate States of America
Word has reached our ears of the wonders you are working in your country, and your neighbors, and some of our leaders are interesting in conversing with you, hopefully in advising us in improving Dixie's aging infrastructure. We would like to invite you to send a delegation to Richmond. It is far from Cascadia, but we can fund the journey.
The Council of Generals had been having marathon meetings for much of the past few weeks. The civilian economic ministers had been brought in as well which gave a clear indication to the Brazilian elite who were paying attention that some major changes to economic policy were being discussed. At the same time, most of the elite knew that the economic ministers were given a fair amount of autonomy in their decision-making, unless their decisions could affect national security. Rumors began to swirl, and the media began speculating on what changes could be coming. Finally the policy change was announced in a report from the Council of Generals.
"The two primary goals of any proper government are the security and prosperity of all its citizens. It has now become clear to us that the practice of slavery no longer contributes to either of these goals, and in fact works against them. Where the practice may have once made economic sense if one ignored the moral reprehensibility of it, it no longer does now that Brazil's economy has started to make a strong recovery from the crises of the past. Now slavery takes jobs from free workers seeking an honest living and wage, reduces the number of consumers that our businesses can sell to, and reduces the overall education and intellectual talent of Brazil as a whole. It also creates security threats, as the slaves come to despise their oppressors and can be used by foreign threats as a weapon against us. This is made abundantly clear by the problems other nations have been having with slaves recently. As Brazil is surrounded by sometimes hostile nations, this vulnerability must be rectified.
That is why the Council of Generals hereby announce a plan to phase out slavery over the next 12 years. The abolition of slavery will not be immediate as that would hurt the prosperity and security of all Brazilians. Current slaveowners and businesses using slave labor would be economically devastated if they instantly lost a lot of their property. And simply making slaves free will not be enough to ensure they will become successful citizens. Instead an orderly and gradual abolition will occur. First, effective immediately Brazil will now ban the import or export of slaves. Second, most slave labor consists of unskilled and repetitive tasks, so here the government will help slaveowners transition to industrial robotics in the coming years. Slaves will gain their freedom, and robots should prove to be more economically efficient, so everyone will win. Let us repeat here that property will not be taken from slaveowners without compensation, the government will help fund robots to take over most of the tasks once done by slaves. Third, freed slaves will be offered an education if still of young age, or a job on infrastructure projects to help get them on their feet. Of course they will be free to choose something else.
Any slaveowner need not worry about losing property unwillingly in the next two years, as the robotics technology necessary for this transition won't be ready until after that time. The government will hear and consider feedback on how to make this transition smooth and painless, so please contact your local officer or official with suggestions or questions.
If Brazil is to survive against the competing ideologies and nations that surround it, it must offer a better experience and standard of living. After all, obtaining optimal results through competition is exactly what capitalism is about. This new, more vibrant capitalism that Brazil is working towards will provide its citizens with even more prosperity, while the military government will provide, through its ever vigilant watch, the security necessary for that prosperity to occur.
*This change does not apply to correctional labor as ordered by military tribunal for a set period of time that fits the crime.*"
We applaud your decision to outlaw the oppressive institution of slavery. We also hope you will continue on a path of ensuring all labor is fairly compensated.
To: Cascadian Technocrats
From: Confederate States of America
Word has reached our ears of the wonders you are working in your country, and your neighbors, and some of our leaders are interesting in conversing with you, hopefully in advising us in improving Dixie's aging infrastructure. We would like to invite you to send a delegation to Richmond. It is far from Cascadia, but we can fund the journey.
To: Confederate States of America
From: High Priestess Rachel of Cascadia
We would of course be willing to provide our technical expertise. Did you simply desire advisers or something more substantive? Discussion of the price will have to wait after my priests have done a thorough inspection of the infrastructure in question.
Brian looked out his window, unable to shake a strange feeling of dread. Gregory, his secretary, was the only one left in the building, everyone else having gone home for the weekend. The city of Victoria lay before him in all its aged beauty, unmarred by the stormclouds that hung over it. The past century hadnt been a kindly one to the city, the loss of heavy industry made the maintenance of many of the skyscrapers nigh-impossible for a number of years and several had to be destroyed, their steel going to build needed tools and equipment elsewhere, while the massive food shortages in the early years of the twenty-first century forced much of the population out of the city, leaving hundreds of buildings mere shells. Still it was recovering and, in no small part due to his own efforts, the city was recovering.
Boris allowed himself a slight smile, the first since hearing of Andreas... demise. They had never been particularly close, honestly he preferred the Strangers group, Chasm, over Cascade with its religious pretenses. Still, Andrea was one of the first to sign on to Athen-no, Rachel and the death of one of their own had come as a shock. Yes, others had died. Hell, Anne was the only member of Liberty to get out of Crosshairs territory alive, noone knows what happened to Freedom, and the Stranger... But all that happened half a century ago. They were done fighting and were supposedly out of danger. So why did she do it? What drove her to suicide?
Brian shook his head, no use dwelling on the past. What was it that Quincy had said, when a thing is done its done, look instead to your next objective? If only hed been a bit more careful in choosing those objectives... No, that is in the past. As he looked over Victoria the sense of unease strengthened. It wasnt until he saw the storm surge sweep cars from the streets that he realized what was wrong. Victoria had been flattened over a decade before by hurricanes Nestor and Omar. He stood there helpless as he watched the city collapse before his eyes once again.
~&^&~
She was on a podium overlooking a large crowd of well over a thousand people, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with twenty others. She looked down the line and joy filled her, all her old friends were here! The crowd was shouting at her and her comrades, cheers and jeers intermingling in the chaos. In the center of the group stood the leaders of their band, Athena, no, Rachel of Cascade, Odysseus of Chasm, Milan of Freedom, Fool, the leader of her group, Liberty, and Regent of John Browns Body. Next to Odysseus stood his fiancee, Penelope, the two of them beaming with joy.
Rachel and Odysseus stepped forward and spoke to the crowd in some incomprehensible tongue. She could hear the vibrancy and energy in their voices as they spoke over the noise of the crowd. In their eyes was a sort of brilliance, the spotlights making them twinkle and spark with a youthful energy. Anne turned to ask what she was saying and there he was, Alex, the love of a previous life. She turned back to watch Rachel, their hands tightly interwoven.
The crowd seemed to have shrunk, hundreds instead of thousands. The soldiers who would have given their lives if it meant furthering their great cause, the idealistic rich who gave their fortunes in the hope of saving humanity, the oppressed workers who gave everything that their children would be free, even the zealots who followed not out of idealism or hope but out of blind faith in them, the twenty-one companions.
Before her eyes the crowd continued to shrink, now numbering in the dozens. She turned to look at her companions and many were gone, the poor souls who served in Chasm under the Stranger, Andrea, Rachels suitors Galen and Jay, Eric. Proud Odysseus was broken and was wearing the familiar black duster of the Stranger. She squeezed Alexs hand but something about it felt wrong.
The gentleness and softness was gone from his grip, replaced by a harsh firmness and heavy calluses. She turned and where her lover had stood but moments ago was the Stranger. Gone was the energy and fervor, replaced by a grim determination and something much darker. She could feel his grip tighten, squeezing the bones in her hand together uncomfortably, and she looked around. The others were all looking down, avoiding eye contact with each other, and the crowd was gone. Rachel continued speaking, her voice somehow muted in the vast, empty room. Beside her she could hear the Stranger muttering under his breath in counterpoint to Rachels words.
Her hand was on fire now, the bones creaking and crackling from the Strangers ever-strengthening grip. She looked into his eyes and where there was once twinkling light and hope there is only darkness and pain. She found herself unable to look away as his eyes grew deeper and darker. As she looked further, the eyes filling her vision, she could make out something red and orange, almost like a flame. Then the screams began.
~&^&~
Youre too late
No, shell be waiting for us, theyll all be there.
Robbie knows to keep them safe.
You remember how this goes
It will be different this time, Ive made sure of it.
Preparations have been made
They arent enough.
They never will be enough.
Once I get there everything will be fine.
Have you learned nothing?
Something is broken
Maybe the filters are clogged
No, I had Matt check them over.
Matts checked the filters, Robbie will make sure noone leaves the Fissure, Brandon and Curtis will be busy building their bloody tanks, hell, I even made sure that the cameras are disabled so that they wont be tempted to let in the refugees
Thats not the point Something will have gone wrong
By the time you arrive it will be over.
Ellie and the others will be dead.
And you will be broken
I refuse to believe that
You dont get a second chance.
Even if you succeed, then what?
You wake up and nothing will have changed
Im sorry, but shes dead. Theyre dead
Shut up
You can see her corpse in fro-
I said shut up!
Just lo-
SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP
The Stranger woke on the floor, his bedsheets tangled around him. Anne was holding him quietly, cradling his head in her arms and softly patting his head. He couldnt make out what she was saying, but it didnt matter. The nightmare was gone for another day. He lay back and relaxed, for a moment forgetting the heat of Ellie's Anthrax-stricken body that he'd held just moments before.
LAGOS (Maghreb News Network) - In a widely expected news conference the government today announced major developmental efforts in the southern regions of the nation as well as the forming of a Tribal Advisory Council in Tripoli.
The centerpiece of the new development projects is a new and modern port in the city of Lagos. This new modern port will firmly anchor Lagos as a center of trade, commerce and industry for the region, and will establish a sound and geographically relevant entry point into the Union. The government has also been working with other African and South American nations to build and strengthen trade ties all across the Atlantic and beyond.
In the short term this new port will provide many new construction jobs for the people of the region, and will likely spark a new construction boom in the area as new businesses are created or expand to utilize the new port facilities. The region is also expected to see continued employment through the ongoing operation of the port facilities and new business that will flood to the region.
Work on the port facilities is to begin in the coming months.
To support the port and additional demands for electricity that the region will need, the government also announced the construction of a new solar power plant just outside of Lagos. While the weather is not always as clear and sunny as in the north of the country, sufficient power will be generated by this plant to supply reliable energy in the region, with the goal to build a new Thorium power plant in the region in the next decade.
Other longer term plans announced by the government include a national university to be built in Accra and regional hospitals in Accra, Abidjan and Lagos.
In addition to these large development projects the government also announced the creation of a Tribal Advisory Council that would provide direct advocacy of all the Unions regions and tribal peoples to the government in Tripoli. Tribal Advisors would be elected by their respective constituencies and provide direct representation of their constituents in Tripoli. Elections for these Advisors will be held every two years and it is hoped that the first election could be held in the next six months.
While the southern portions of the Union have not faced the chronic food and power shortages that the northern regions of the nation have in recent years, some elements of the population have been increasingly worried that all of the nations resources were being focused on the Northern provinces. With the chronic shortages in the north largely eliminated due to high government investment, it is now possible for continued development across the entire Union in a more even distribution.
Bantu Ubuntu will watch developments in SubSaharan Africa with interest. We will also note that the Tribal Advisory Council has been given no real powers, unlike the Senate and Assembly of Bantu Ubuntu. They may speak, but the Junta still reigns. And as stated, our advocacy of SubSaharan independence shall continue to stand, until the SubSaharan people are fully statisfied with their ruler's promises.
Once, the city glowed at night, it’s shine piercing the darkness. A bright dot on a dark land.
That was a hundred years ago.
Now, it remains shrouded in darkness. Small lights revealed wealthier families in their villas and apartments, while a dilapidated lighthouse turned in the darkness.
But while the city lost it’s lights, the night has regained. The sky was a bejeweled grown, accenting a gorgeous quarter moon. The waters glowed with silver moonlight, as it was cut by the prow of a sailing ship.
The crew watched as the port and land neared. Rain has delayed them, but with the prospect of arrival so close they pressed on long after sunset. Poles and oars stood ready, if the wind failed them. But yet still it blew, steadily, as they neared the quiet city. Even so, they stood, ready for the slightest sign of trouble.
Inside the candle-lit cabin, only two men still sat. A tall bald man, dressed in tight fitting cotton that revealed his bulging muscles, kept an eye on the clock as land neared. Beside him sat a bearded man swathed in loose cloth. His eyes roamed a dimly lit book, his pen ready to rectify his precious records. Looking up, he squinted, eyes watering, as he accidentally started into the flames. Rubbing his eyes, he closed the tome and leaned back.
“You sure pressing forward is a good idea, Kojo my friend?”
“The wind is yet in our favor,” replied the tall man, “My crew can bring your cargo onshore by starlight. You’d be ready to start selling by daybreak.”
“Ah yes. I wasn’t afraid of the crew. I’m afraid of what the guards would think.”
“Oh?”
“What with the splat the Kastle had with Tripoli last month.”
“Ah,” Kojo leaned back, glancing once more on the clock, “That’s none of my business. I just ship you and your goods from point A to point B.”
“I guess not.” The merchant played with his fingers. “How long until we arrive?”
“From the wind we’re riding, another five minutes or so.”
“Excellent.”
The merchant closed his eyes. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow selling merchandise, and he needs to be well rested. The captain watched for a moment, then stepped out of the cabin barking commands. The crew snapped into action, carefully bringing the ship into dock by pole and oar. *thud* went the gangplank, and *splash* went the anchor. Soon, grunts and groans filled the night sky as they dragged crate after crate onshore, towards a padlocked kiosk marked “Property of Esmail Ismail Atiya”.
Suddenly, a bright light flashed upon the sweaty men. “What is all this then!” called an amplified voice. A small patrol boat quickly tied itself to the dock, and uniformed men with hard faces leapt ashore. The crew carefully placed the crates down and raised their hands. “Who’s responsible for this!”
“Here. My name is Captain Kojo Boitumelo.”
“Explain yourself!” called the microphone-wielding officer.
“I am bringing a load of cargo for some Esmail Ismail Atiya for his new business.”
“What exactly did you bring?”
“Ok, what’s going on here?” yawned Atiya as he stepped from the cabin, blinking under the harsh floodlights. He squawked as men jumped onto the ship and surrounded him. “Whatever it is, I didn’t do anything wrong!”
“This ship suspiciously entered harbor in the middle of the night! Who are you and what are you doing here?”
“I’m Esmail Ismail Atiya, and I’m a legitimate businessman! I am overseeing the first load of merchandise from Kinshazzaville for my ne” *thud* “Becareful! They’re delicate!”
“Radios!” called one of the guardsmen, “Solar panels!” called another.
“You’re a spy, here to spread Bantu propaganda” accused the officer.
“I am NOT. Look, I have a permit.” He opened his ever present binder to the third to last page. “See?”
“Gimme dat.” The officer snatched the book and scanned the papers. “Huh, everything seems to be in order then.”
“Anyway, radios aren’t for propaganda. Anyone with an antennae can broadcast, and we have two-way systems for radio calls,” explained Atiya. “Anyway, to show you our gratitude. Why don’t you help yourself to a couple. For evidence, of course.” He winked.
“Ah, yes. For evidence of something which I might conveniently forget about.” The Officer turned around and shouted, “They’re legit! Back to the boat!”
Atiya watched as they took an entire crate with them, then sighed as their rowed away with their muffled oars. He then turned to Kojo. “Not your problem, eh?”
He grinned, his white teeth shining in the darkness, “Nope.”
The great nations of Brazil and The Maghreb Union have formed the Security Cooperation Treaty.
Signatories of this treaty agree to the following conditions:
- Mutual Defense. Should one member of the treaty be attacked, the other members of the treaty will come to their fellow members aid. Aid need not be given in the event of acts of aggression by a signatory, but all efforts at openly discussing said actions must be had in advance so as to give the other members fair warning of the impending action. Additionally signatories agree not to attack or plot against each other.
- Economic Development. All efforts should be made to assist each other with the development of their nations. This includes technology assistance and generally working together towards common goals.
- New Members. All current members of the treaty must agree on the inclusion of any new member nations.
The great nations of Brazil and The Maghreb Union have formed the Security Cooperation Treaty.
Signatories of this treaty agree to the following conditions:
- Mutual Defense. Should one member of the treaty be attacked, the other members of the treaty will come to their fellow members aid. Aid need not be given in the event of acts of aggression by a signatory, but all efforts at openly discussing said actions must be had in advance so as to give the other members fair warning of the impending action. Additionally signatories agree not to attack or plot against each other.
- Economic Development. All efforts should be made to assist each other with the development of their nations. This includes technology assistance and generally working together towards common goals.
- New Members. All current members of the treaty must agree on the inclusion of any new member nations.
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