High Priest Akuma-sama rose that morning to hear the fearful clamouring of the crowd outside, assembled from the four corners of the Machine Lords empire, demanding to know what were the Machine Lords commands and the rest of His great plan for victory. The High Priest sighed and sat on his throne, knowing the situation was dire enough to shake even
his indomitable faith.
First, in the north-west, Alexander of the Greeks, despite much kowtowing and shameless bribery, still refused to consider entering a permanent alliance with us. In the East, Peter and his endless numbers of ultra-modern military units stared at us in the teeth, waiting nothing but a chance to pounce on those who had so insulted them in the past. And, perhaps most alarming, in the north, the Khans engineers were busily building a large machine that, through ways and technology much more advanced than anything we are capable of even imagining, is supposed to be able to bring colonists to a distant star.
Preposterous, of course; if such a thing was possible, then the Machine Lord would inform us of it, would He not?
Turn 00 (571)
90 turns left, but even IF we were the top score, I wouldnt put much hope in getting a time victory. Alex still wont agree to a PA, and wont trade Democracy for even Steel. Assembly Line is in 11, so Im not going to get to change to the next tech; I expect boring, mostly eventless turns in front of me.
And I hit enter.
Turn 01 (572)
Ghengis Khan completes Rock and Roll, as if to prove that yes, he
is that much more advanced than we are.
Turn 02 (573)
Xian completes its barracks, and the only choice the Xianianians are given is a grocer. Glaring jealously at Shanghai all the while, as theyve had a grocer for a long time already, they get working.
Grocer in 15.
Turn 03 (574)
The Brutish Brutes of Uzbek finish their Catapuu, and after the now traditional Horse-flinging competition and the usual Beaten Horse-meat banquet that inevitably followed such an event, they are ordered to begin a Barracks with, once again, no other choice.
Barracks in 4.
Likewise, the Orleanites finish their Temple to Confusion and set to building a Barracks.
Barracks in Orleans, due in 5.
And the Lyonites who finished their Grocers, and ALSO asked to build a Barracks. Eager to have a place where the local dangerously violent sports team can practice their art, they set to work. Much admiration, worshipping and love letters were sent to the Machine Lord and the high priest, the latter of which were thoroughly ignored, as the members of the Lyon Lions were all close to seven feet tall, three hundred pounds of muscles and bones, and scary enough to make themselves the #1 croquet team in all of Sand Nation.
Turn 04 (575)
Cavalry finishes in Paris, and Im given a freebie!
with the choices I have, I set off on building another Cavalry.
The ever-smoky city of Rouen completes its own Temple to Confusion, something very appropriate in a city where one cannot see more than 2 feet in front of their eyes (indeed, it is now traditional to celebrate the year when a child loses sight of his own feet, by feeding him with chilidogs). In an effort to perhaps find a way to chase the smoke out of their town, the Rouenians assemble as much as they can, moving with their hands in front of them like zombies to ward off obstacles, they set off to build a university.
Turn 05 (576)
Beijing finishes its cavalry, and another freebie is graciously given by the Machine Lord!
bah, another Cavalry
Same thing happens in Bactrian, an aqueduct is lined up to chase away the Bacterias.
We now have Uranium! Woo!
not that well use it, of course
Turn 06 (577)
Louis Pasteur is born in Athens.
The Khan finishes another SS casing, proving that yes, we are, indeed, dog-paddling in deep manure.
Turn 07 (578)
The Brutish Brutes of Uzbek finish their barracks, thus giving them a place to have their occasional Catapuu competitions. The Machine Lord thereby orders them to build a Bank, and among some muttering and discontent, they execute what they feel to be a stupid order; who on earth would want a bank? That would imply having to c-c-c
calculate money, something that, in their brutish minds, should be illegal.
Turn 08 (579)
Orleans finishes its barracks, only choice is a market. Bah.
Vladivostok finishes its Jewish temple, and for once I agree with the choice given; a temple will help that poor citys cultural pressure.
Peter finishes a SS casing! Its now officially a space race and not just a haha, Im in space and youre not! space win.
Turn 09 (580)
Lyons finishes its barracks, to the great joy of the Lions. No longer losing any food to their croquet teams antics, the Lyonites agree with the Machine Lords order to build a granary.
Granary due in 5.
Turn 10 (581)
Never mind what I said, Assembly line is in! Im given the choice between Steel and Electricity, and since Electricity is more important (leads to Radio, which leads to Mass Media eventually), I pick it. Due in 11.
Beijing is the first to enjoy the merits of the new technology as its cavalry finishes and the Machine Lord orders the construction of a factory. Bactrian is next, then Kushans.
Charles Darwin is born in Beijing, and promptly declares that we are on the verge of extinction. He is made to build an academy in Beijing, bringing its science output to 237. Not too shabby.

Yakutsk revolts to the Russians
damn. Predictable, though.
And Im done. Electricity is due in 10.
END
If you expect any kind of hope-raising comments out of me, youre wrong. Were screwed.
Next up on this train wreck is ozbenno. Good luck. Youll need it.
