The Great City of Gorina

[FortyJ]

taken from the book Exposing the Myths of Papal Politics by T. Hunter Fawl

Officially, the Vatican is an independent, international entity impervious to influence from the secular states. They have their own military as well as their own system of laws. Although the Vatican itself is located within the city limits of Gorina, deep inside the borders of Fanatica, the land within the walls of the Vatican is Papal land, not Fanatican.

However, from a practical point of view, and in the interest of self-preservation, the vatican dares not offend the nation that surrounds its home. The reality of the situation is that the Vatican relies heavily on Fanatica for protection and because of its location within Fanatica, a majority of its citizens are Fanatican immigrants.

Militarily speaking, many of the soldiers in their "independent" army are also former Fanatican citizens. This is particularly true in the higher echelons of their military and the elite forces that specialize in intelligence gathering. Even the mysterious Knights in the fabled Order of Christ and order of the Golden Spur are rumored to be as much as 50% Fanatican. Of course, nobody knows for sure if these Orders even exist because their memberships are not made public, but it seems to reason that if they do exist, the consistency of their memberships would be similar to that of their standard military forces.

Prologue

Sir Gregory Dax knelt over Don's lifeless body. His left hand was pressed firmly against Don's neck, checking futiley for a pulse as he holstered his pistol with his right. His purpose was to protect life, and it often sickened him when his duties forced him to take that which he had sworn to protect.

The strike team had been eradicated and the Space Launch would proceed as planned later that day. They had succeeded in their mission, but at such a terrible price. The occasional bursts of semi-automatic machine gun fire could be heard in the distance as the Fanatican army continued to sweep the field for potential threats. Convincing the Fanatican heirarchy to relinquish responsibility for the security of the launch to FortyJ and Gladiatus meant revealing their involvement in and the existence of one of the Vatican's most secret agencies. Fortunately, the Knights of the Order of the Golden Spur had worked secretly with the Fanatican Intelligence Agency in the past so the additional exposure from this mission was minimal.

In response, the Fanatican government not only allocated two full teams of agents from their intelligence agency, they also committed 3000 elite forces, highly trained in camoflauge and counter-terrorism tactics. If the intelligence reports had been more accurate, the mission would have been equally successful, but without the terrible loss of life.

Dax could see the silhouettes of both FortyJ and Gladiatus approaching from the distance and knowing the attachment both men felt for Don, he instantly rose and walked briskly in their direction in a vain attempt to shield them from the sight of their friend and fellow soldier. One glance from FortyJ told Dax all he needed to know. They would not be denied a last farewell to their fallen companion.

FortyJ stopped and knelt down over the body of his friend. From where Dax was standing, it seemed that he was muttering something, but he could not hear what it was. Finally, FortyJ reached into Don's jacket and ripped his undershirt revealing a small pendant known only to a handful of people in the world.

In one quick motion, FortyJ tugged at the chain around Don's neck, breaking the pendant free. With a grace that belied his age, FortyJ rose and wheeled in Dax's direction, extending his arm. "Take this to Cardinal Flanders in the Vatican. Tell him that Lord Don has fallen in battle. He'll know what to do. Also, Lord Gladiatus and I are needed at the launch site, so please see to it that Lord Don's body is returned to the Vatican with all the dignity deserving of a Knight of the Order of Christ."

Dax stood there, stunned in disbelief. Saluting, he struggled to find the words "Aye, sir. May God bless you and speed you on your journey."

As if on cue, a standard issue jeep pulled up and skidded to a stop in the dusty field. FortyJ and Gladiatus climbed in and the jeep was gone from sight almost as quickly as it had arrived. Gregory Dax clicked the button on his radio and called for a helicopter to evacuate the body of one of the Vatican's highest ranking soldiers.

 

[Octavian X]

So, anyone mind if I bring this to a stunning end? I'll delete this if others want to join me in my small hut down in Regia Doughnutia...

-----

The day the great Fanatican spaceship left Earth was the turning point for all the world. Even as she was being built, the once majestic societies of the planet were crumbling. Governments waged futile wars, terrorism and nuclear aremegeddon were everyday threats, all while the looming threats of ever-growing domestic problems grew by each passing day.

In a way, the Fanatican spaceship, and those of the other nations of the world which were launched subsequently, were an attempt by humanity at an unreachable eternal apotheosis. They were built so that man could leave the terrestial Eden that he had destroyed through his technology, that he may, in a way, live forever, unimpeded by the limitations of caring for a dying planet.

Some of the great spaceships built for this exodus were built as an attempt by the great dictators who would arise on other parts of the Earth, far removed from Gorina, to hold power, by impressing their citizenry, causing them, through nationalistic fevor, to continue their toil for a government that had all but enslaved them.

Still others were built for the large corperations of the Earth, an attempt by the rich to find new frontiers for exploiting for their wealth.

Whatever the reason, this mass exodus of humanity continued until it was all over. The old ones who chose to stay died naturally on old Mother Earth. The once-great cities and wonders of old,and the majestic instituions and socities, all crumbled. The Earth reclaimed the cities, reclaimed the pollunted areas, and naturally renewed herself, becoming the Eden she once had been.

As for the intergalatic settlers, their fortunes faired worse. Not all made it, and as such died in their metal coffins. Those who did found themselves on an unfamiliar planet, one without the traditions and instutions they had once known. The Fanatican settlers, first to make planetfall, would still face the immense challenges that they thought they had left on old Earth. The destiny of this generation remains to be revealed by time...

 

[Cyc]

People of Gorina, as your Mayor, I would like to take this opportunity to post the final screenshots for our great city. The first two pertain directly to the city - the bird's eye view and the city stats ~




The final screenshot is the Domestic Advisor's Screen. This shows Gorina's number one spot in Happy/Content Citizens for the nation of Fanatica ~



This post is not to announce the closing of the Gorina City thread, I'm just completing the last duties of the Mayor's Office.

Cyc