There's the rub - I'm juggling about 15 projects right now, and I don't wanna do the research, or I could muddle through myself. I'm gonna try to at least get the leaderheads and logos assembled for all eight before I go to bed tonight - although I seem to be coming down with something allasudden. Lousy timing.
Geo? sisko? Hook this man up with the info he needs. Thanks. ;nod
Kavithan Protectorate
After its population was displaced by the Great Mistake and rising sea levels, many commentators were quick to dismiss the Indian Protectorate - to their great loss. Where other countries might have been content to wallow in despair, the Indian Protectorate underwent one of the greatest cultural transformations that a civilization has undertaken, becoming culturally dynamic, indomitably optimistic, and cleverly resourceful. With one-sixth of the world's population within its borders, and under the charismatic, enlightened guidance of syncretic religious mystic and prophet Raj Thakur, the Protectorate has launched a space program that is the pride of its people, celebrated in song and movie, with every boy and girl from Punjab to Tamil aspiring to work on "our Prophet's Dream." Now Raj Thakur's only daughter, Kavitha, has assumed her father's mantle. Work continues on the Prophet's Dream and life on new worlds.
American Reclamation Corporation
The third-largest economy in the world is the American Reclamation Corporation: the world's first and most powerful megacorporation. Beginning as a geo-engineering firm specializing in environmental risk mitigation, the ARC is credited with designing and carrying out the recovery plan that saved the United States from dissolving after the Great Mistake. Now ARC is involved in almost every nation's Seeding project and recovery plan. From crop sciences to tidal power generation to security contracting, the ARC has a project or product for every problem. Unique among Seeding projects in that they are entirely private, many other Seeding programs rely on ARC financing.
I guess, Walt Williams took all of his notes with him.. :wave:
I'm game. Where should we start? Let us coordinate our efforts! :DI guess, Walt Williams took all of his notes with him.. :wave:
Perhaps we should mug his notes? :scratch:
The chartering of the People's African Union is the culmination of what has been called the sub-Saharan renaissance. A new generation of political thinkers and cultural organizers used the chaos of the years following the Great Mistake to build pockets of good governance and stability, then gradually expanded and combined, focusing on continental self-reliance, traditional values of communalism, and a newly-developed sense of shared destiny. These states were able to create strong stewardship of Africa's ample mineral and biological resources and rebuild ecological damage within their borders. The People's African Union was one of the earliest backers of the Seeding, and has profited greatly by its equatorial positioning in serving as a launch base for many expeditions.
Although badly affected by the Great Mistake and the upheaval that followed, the Pan-Asian Cooperative emerged as a strong, transnational entity. Centered around the old People's Republic of China, the Cooperative spans Asia from the Mongolian steppe to the megalopolis of Bangkok, with even former regional rivals South Korea and Japan laying aside their differences to work in the framework of the PAC. It is a powerhouse of industry, home to world-class R&D and high-tech corporations, and boasts a skilled population living in Earth's most populous cities. Although relatively new to spaceflight and space colonization, the PAC has quickly caught up to or passed the old Space Bloc as it embraces the Seeding.
These guys have a strong streak of Catholicism, BTW; that logo is the light of the Cross shining on the jungle.
1) Hutma looks pissed. What kind of name is that for a white guy, anyway?
Good idea; quotes gave us a lot of sense of the faction leaders' personalities in SMAC (that might, by the way, be why SMAX factions feel weaker thematically; they have fewer quotes), so it'll probably be a good way to get a sense here too.
EDIT; There is a leaders and sponsor page in the civilopedia in game as well. Typing all that out feels like its going to be exhausting.So, there's no way we can extract the text from the game files?
EDIT; There is a leaders and sponsor page in the civilopedia in game as well. Typing all that out feels like its going to be exhausting.So, there's no way we can extract the text from the game files?
STEM TECHS:
HABITATION
"We once believed that our destiny was controlled by the Gods. As we learned more about nature, we changed our minds. Now that we control our destiny, let us hope they never change back."
- Anonymous
CHEMISTRY
"A four-billion year old world's worth of resources, shared among a handful of people. We're gonna make a fortune here!"
- Hutama, We are All Destined to Prosper
GENETICS
"You go to war with the soldiers you have. Make sure those are the soldiers you want."
- Rejinaldo Leonardo Pedro Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe, Principles of Modern War
ECOLOGY
"When Coyote learned he was the only one of his kind on the new planet, his howl echoed through the rifts and off the distant hills."
- The Uncle Nevercloned Stories
ENGINEERING
"Instruct the children not to dream of toys or sweets. Instruct them to dream of infrastructure."
- Vadim Kozlov, Axioms from the Minutes of the Central Directorate
PHYSICS
"Consider a simple problem, such as navigation in a spaceship approaching lightspeed..."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality Vol. I
COMPUTING
"I love computers because they automate the tedious stuff and give us more time for important things like market manipulation."
- Hutama, We are All Destined to Prosper
ORGANICS
"Life is an inherently depreciating asset."
- Suzanne Marjorie Fielding, Transplanetary Management, Methods, and Resources
COGNITION
"I think I know what you're thinking, and you think you know what I know about your thinking, but you're wrong."
- Hutama, We are All Destined to Prosper
GENETIC DESIGN
"Do you change the steps in the dance of life? Or does the dance of life change your step?"
- Kavitha Thakur, Bhagavad 4
ALIEN SCIENCES
"When you meet a new neighbor, you greet her with heartfelt courtesy. So also will we get to know our new alien neighbors."
- Samatar Jama Barre, This is Not Exile
TERRAFORMING
"Yes, the world is beautiful and unspoiled. But it is wrong. Correct it at once."
- Vadim Kozlov, Axioms from the Minutes of the Central Directorate
COMMUNICATIONS
"One of the finest shadings of communication is the difference between 'I didn't understand that,' and 'I understand that, but I don't care.'"
- Élodie, Remarques
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
"Cognition in the human brain should not be of elevated status because it is implemented in cells instead of silicon."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality, Vol II
FABRICATION
"A useful heuristic for determining metacognition is to ask: Does this organism merely create tools? Or does it create tools which create new tools?"
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality, Vol VII
ROBOTICS
"Robots do not complain, question, or rest, which makes them good role models for the rest of you."
- Vadim Kozlov, Axioms from the Minutes of the Central Directorate
BIONICS
"If you listen at night, you can sometimes hear Casey Jones, the Wabash Cannonball, with his iron legs still running a mile a minute!"
- The Uncle Nevercloned Stories
BIOLOGY
"In your veins runs iron made from the heart of a long-dead star. Such does the universe love life."
- Samatar Jama Barre, This is Not Exile
TRANSGENICS
"Genetics is chemistry, and chemistry is a tool, and a tool is only as useful as you make it."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality Vol. IV
ALIEN ETHICS
"The Golden Rule runs across all good ethics. Let's define our neighbor broadly, and spread love through the universe."
- Samatar Jama Barre, This is Not Exile
MECHATRONICS
"Machines can be journeymen to machine apprentices, as long as we are still the masters."
- Hutama, We are All Destined to Prosper
SYNERGETICS
"What is best for the shareholders of the American Reclamation Corporation? That's what's best for you."
- Suzanne Marjorie Fielding, Transplanetary Management, Methods, and Resources
SOCIAL DYNAMICS
"Culture and fashion are wracked by pointless ideological wars. Whichever ideology wins immediately becomes cliché."
- Élodie, Remarques
ARTIFICIAL EVOLUTION
"If you want a better deal with evolution, cut out the middleman."
- Hutama, We are All Destined to Prosper
PLANETARY ENGINEERING
"We can always trade space for time. We have surplus space and not enough time."
- Vadim Kozlov, Axioms from the Minutes of the Central Directorate
FIELD THEORY
"This is demonstrated by taking any set of arbitrary-dimensional fields and describing them axiomatically. The proof is trivial and left to the student."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality, Vol. VI
HYPERCOMPUTING
"Good AI prevents bad operators from using computers to conduct useless tasks at high speeds to many degrees of vacuous precision."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality, Vol VIII
CYBERNETICS
"The fact that human beings were able to get to new worlds with the obtuse computer sciences of the Seeding is simultaneously impressive and embarrassing."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality, Vol I
ASTRODYNAMICS
"I never cease to find beauty in the fact that even though we walk among the stars, we still hold them in awe."
- Samatar Jama Barre, This is Not Exile
NANOTECHNOLOGY
"Nothing is too small; nobody is insignificant. The biggest trees grow from the smallest seeds."
- Samatar Jama Barre, This is Not Exile
AUGMENTATION
"Strong machines rally weak flesh when the spirit is willing!"
- Vadim Kozlov, Axioms from the Minutes of the Central Directorate
BIOENGINEERING
"If it's a sin to 'play God,' then why would He leave His tools lying around?"
- The Uncle Nevercloned Stories
LEAF TECHS
PIONEERING
"The universe is either in progress or in entropy. We choose progress!"
- Vadim Kozlov, Axioms from the Minutes of the Central Directorate
PLANETARY SURVEY
"All planets possess inherent value and establishing the exact dollar value of the property should be a priority."
- Suzanne Marjorie Fielding, Transplanetary Management, Methods, and Resources
BIOCHEMISTRY
"Biochemistry on this world is like a good contract; it looks straightforward but there are some real devils in the details."
- Hutama, We Shall All Prosper
ALIEN LIFEFORMS
"We have discovered alien life on our new world. Unsurprisingly, it grows, reproduces, dies, and cannot understand French."
- Élodie, Remarques
GENETIC MAPPING
"If you're going to rejigger an organism's genotype, you should give it the courtesy of reading its manual first."
- Hutama, We are All Destined to Prosper
GEOPHYSICS
"We, the dust of a dying world, must listen to the stones of a living one."
- Kavitha Thakur, The Exodite Sutra
ALIEN BIOLOGY
"Patent your discoveries. Each new species represents an opportunity for uncontestable ownership of that lifeform."
- Suzanne Marjorie Fielding, Transplanetary Management, Methods, and Resources
POWER SYSTEMS
"The necessity of an artificial power source is a myth. An ecosystem powers itself. When humanity learns to live in harmony with its surroundings, we will reap the same benefits of power."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality Vol.VII
DEFENSE GRID
"Omnipresent and effective security measures make even the worst neighbors tolerable."
- Élodie, Remarques
BALLISTICS
"Oppression, chaos, and death may come from the barrel of a gun... but so, occasionally, does victory."
- Rejinaldo Leonardo Pedro Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe, Principles of Modern War
AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS
"When provided with adequate data and field of view, anyone can predict the future."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality Vol.IX
TRANSCENDENTAL MATH
"Mathematical proof is the only foundation for ethics that I can respect. Progress in mathematics is progress in morality."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality Vol. I
PHOTOSYSTEMS
"Like the sun, I shine upon my disciples. Like the flowers, they turn to me and blossom."
- Kavitha Thakur, Bhagavad 4
COLLABORATIVE THOUGHT
"Of course consensus is uninspiring and trite. However, inspiring, original ideas are often tragically wrong-headed."
- Élodie, Remarques
ALIEN GENETICS
"Maid of chitin, storm and lightning, how's your garden grow? Miasma mist and beetle hiss and Siege Worms in a row."
- Traditional colonial children's rhyme
ALIEN ADAPTATION
"All opposing forces start to resemble each other as conflict continues."
- Rejinaldo Leonardo Pedro Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe, Principles of Modern War
ALIEN ECOLOGY
"There is a historical idiom which states, 'What you don't know can't hurt you.' It does not apply to fungi."
- Hutama, We are All Destined to Prosper
BIOSPHERES
"We have forgotten that when nature goes about her work, she sings to herself. Have you heard the song of this world?"
- Samatar Jama Barre, This is Not Exile
CLIMATE CONTROL
"Stop talking about the weather and do something about it for once!"
- Vadim Kozlov, Axioms from the Minutes of the Central Directorate
ORBITAL NETWORKS
"Seraphim, Cherubim, Devas, Fravashi, and Yakshas, extend thy arms to cover us, hear us and convey our prayer to the Lord Creator."
- Kavitha Thakur, Daily Devotionals for Comm Operators
SYNTHETIC THOUGHT
"Turingschande: Noun. Shame felt upon discovering one has mistaken an artificial intelligence for a close relation."
- Dictionary of Colonial Idioms v.1.39
SWARM INTELLIGENCE
"Command decisions are not made on a single data point. They are the result of a thousand data points crystallized in a single moment."
- Rejinaldo Leonardo Pedro Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe, Principles of Modern War
CIVIL SUPPORT
"You don't win an argument until the other fella thinks your ideas were his the whole time."
- Hutama, We Shall All Prosper
TACTICAL ROBOTICS
"It has been said, 'The point of war is not to die for your country, but to make your enemy die for theirs'; a goal which is more readily accomplished if your side never has to take the field."
- Rejinaldo Leonardo Pedro Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe, Principles of Modern War
SWARM ROBOTICS
"The capacity for stupid agents to produce smart outcomes has a lesson for the manager. Your employees do not need to know very much for you to get the desired results."
- Suzanne Marjorie Fielding, Transplanetary Management, Methods, and Resources
SERVOMACHINERY
"Morality is measured by the progress of our work. A machine whose works bring us more progress is more moral than a lesser machine."
- Vadim Kozlov, Axioms from the Minutes of the Central Directorate
TISSUE ENGINEERING
"Natural selection is an effective process for organic optimization, but is too slow to be truly useful."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality Vol. III
VERTICAL FARMING
"In the case of the skyscraper, which has existed since the 19th century, it was not the concept which needed to evolve, but rather the minds of those who used it."
- Hutama, We are All Destined to Prosper
PROTOGENETICS
"The easiest way to win the game is to write the rules."
- Hutama, We Shall All Prosper
ALIEN HYBRIDIZATION
"To achieve comprehension, you must yield to assimilation. None survive without wounds. None go forward uncompromised."
- Kavitha Thakur, Bhagavad 4
ALIEN DOMESTICATION
"Aurochs used to kill our ancestors, until we bred the cow. Wolves hunted us, until we bred the dog. Someday the life of this world will come at our call and carry our children upon their backs."
- Samatar Jama Barre, This is Not Exile
MOBILE LEV
"The best way to survive a firefight is to be elsewhere when your enemy starts one."
- Rejinaldo Leonardo Pedro Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe, Principles of Modern War
BALLISTIC LEV
"We don't need better bullets. We need a better way to deliver them into the bodies of our enemies."
- Rejinaldo Leonardo Pedro Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe, Principles of Modern War
DESIGNER LIFEFORMS
"If you can't build a better mousetrap, build a better mouse."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality Vol.I
HUMAN IDEALISM
"The only reason you are here is because a committee picked who to send. Ponder why they chose you instead of their own self-interest."
- Suzanne Marjorie Fielding, Transplanetary Management, Methods, and Resources
HUMAN CONSERVATION
"Forgetting the sacrifice made by our brothers and sisters so we could live on this new world is shameful. Live your life in remembrance of the suffering we few left behind."
- Samatar Jama Barre, This is Not Exile
EUTHENICS
"The secret to being happy is to delight in the absurd, repress the irritating, and keep good wine close at hand."
- Élodie, Remarques
ALIEN EVOLUTION
"It frustrates me that people are still surprised when this new planet reacts violently to the presence of an offworld species with its own agenda."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality, Vol. VII
ALIEN MATERIALS
"Floatstone beat Anansi and Coyote at poker, and won the right to leave the ground. But Floatstone forgot to ask for wings to fly, and so it just sort of hangs around feeling sorry for itself."
- The Uncle Nevercloned Stories
GEOSCAPING
"The five oceans of Earth are: the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Titanic, the Arctic and the Indian."
- Ganesh Edmin, Lists of Prehistory
SEISMIC INDUCTION
"John Henry pulled out two 5-pound nano-oscillators, one for each side of the fault. They shook and shook, the earth trembling everywhere.
Half an hour later, John Henry had shook himself up a mountain, while the industrial engineers had only managed a tiny hill."
- The Uncle Nevercloned Stories
EXOTIC MATTER
"If I could rewrite the laws of the universe, I'd put a few loopholes in there for myself."
- Hutama, We are All Destined to Prosper
HYPERCONDUCTORS
"Resistance, in regards to electrical conductivity, is undesirable. In regards to hyperconductivity, it is futile."
- Suzanne Marjorie Fielding, Transplanetary Management, Methods, and Resources
NEURAL UPLOADING
"If you replicate the neurological activity of an individual on a computer, for all intents and purposes, the computer is that individual."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality, Vol III
AUTOGYROS
"Advocates of maneuver warfare must not fall into the trap of loving maneuver for its own sake."
- Rejinaldo Leonardo Pedro Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe, Principles of Modern War
METAMATERIALS
"If you've got a particle whose properties violate the laws of physics, either we don't understand the laws of physics or there's something special about that particle. Tomayto, Tomahto."
- Hutama, We are All Destined to Prosper
ORBITAL AUTOMATION
"The trend towards automation speaks to our nature. We create that which may persist without us -- In this we are strong. We depend on that which requires nothing of us in return -- In this we are flawed."
- Vadim Kozlov, Axioms from the Minutes of the Central Directorate
DARK NETWORKS
"I exhale into your left ear the secret of life. I inhale through your right ear to remove the thought. As it crosses your mind, it leaves no trace. You walk on, ignorant of your loss."
- Kavitha Thakur, Kali Meditation
TACTICAL LEV
"The best troops are young enough to relish combat and old enough to prefer not walking into it."
- Rejinaldo Leonardo Pedro Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe, Principles of Modern War
NANOROBOTICS
"Once you reduce robotics and programming to molecular manipulation then it becomes a simple affair, suitable to the lower percentile intellects."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality Vol. IX
SURROGACY
"Computational and human resources should never have been separate strategic assets."
- Suzanne Marjorie Fielding, Transplanetary Management, Methods, and Resources
INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
"The laws of nature are weaker than planning, resolve, purpose, and will."
- Vadim Kozlov, Axioms from the Minutes of the Central Directorate
BIOMETALLURGY
"Few have mastered the art of keeping a garden in perfect shape, especially since we have started growing titanium."
- Élodie, RemarquesMight also be good to go back through the discarded quotes and see if they can be assigned an originating culture that adds depth to the sponsors.
If you could do the buildings and wonders too that would be good, but this should be enough to start with...
If you could do the buildings and wonders too that would be good, but this should be enough to start with...
I'll do it. Already found the file.
Btw, for the tech web there's also pedia explanation/quotes like in SMAC, with no leader link. Do you need those as well?
Interesting factions Yitzi. 4 pacifist, 2 erratic, 1 aggressive is more peaceful leaning.
I'd give Slavic a bit of a boost. Maybe +2 IND and +1 POL, or PS IMMUNITY. Green aversion and such a large -PLANET is kind of rough.
AU looks really powerful...FM with no -PLANET similarly is huge. Maybe put AU's POLICE SE to -5.
AU I guess could have some other penalty? Or perhaps impunity on Green or Democracy for AU, seems more fitting?
Yea it's that +2 PLANET with FM impunity, they go really strong together. +20% ATK vs native outweighs the -1 MORALE, and +2 PLANET is still the minimum for ecodamage. I don't think you'd switch to Planned often since you can GA pretty easy for the same +2 GROWTH. Green perhaps now and then, since +40% PSI ATK is strong. But realistically, you'd stay in FM even in war since the +2 ECON just lets you churn out more units with the extra credits. So perhaps -2 MORALE levels for AU rather than -1 MORALE SE. That or increased hurry costs to slow them down since they're going to be in FM a lot. I can't think of too many other penalties that might be fitting and aren't already given to other factions.
STELLAR CODEX
"Maui and Hina, having seen all the oceans of Earth, raised their eyes to new oceans, where they still sail."
- Nainoa Charles, Neowayfinders of Polystralia
PANOPTICON
"There's an old soldier's axiom: 'You can't kill what you can't see.' The inverse is also true."
- Rejinaldo Leonardo Pedro Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe, Principles of Modern War
GENE VAULT
"The five mythical creatures of Earth are: The dragon, the unicorn, the griffin, the llama, and the chimera."
- Ganesh Edmin, Lists of Prehistory
MASTER CONTROL
"The easiest way to understand social systems is to implement them in code. The best way to optimize social systems is to let the code change the world."
- Daoming Sochua, Scientific Morality Vol.XIV
ECTOGENESIS POD
“I bring forth myself; I shall be the ever-born and the never-dead.”
- The Exodus Sutra II:3
PRECOG PROJECT
"Open your eyes. Open them again. Look ahead of yourself. Look ahead again."
- Kavitha Thakur, Glorious Key of the Exodite Tantra: 5th Unfolding
MEMETWORK
"Some ideas are bad ideas. Make better ideas and you make better colonies."
- Vadim Kozlov, Axioms from the Minutes of the Central Directorate
CRAWLER
"John Henry smiled at the Crawler and he said: 'Sure, you can move a lot of dirt, but let's see who gets to the Mohorovicic discontinuity first.' And he picked up his shovel and waited for the starting gun."
- The Uncle Nevercloned Stories
MASS DRIVER
"Where possible, the opponent's advantage of ground must be negated. If you cannot see down on your enemy, you should knock the enemy off his pedestal."
- Rejinaldo Leonardo Pedro Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe, Principles of Modern War
DRONE SPHERE
"Within the Drone Sphere I am reminded of nothing less than the apex of Versailles with each man and woman a Sun King or Queen, surrounded by fawning courtiers."
- Élodie, Remarques
NEW TERRAN MYTH
"'Rise up, O people,' said the Lord of Cosmos. 'I shall lead you to many gardens.' And the people took their place among the stars with great rejoicing."
- The Exodus Sutra I:2
HUMAN HIVE
"The goal of the Chief should be to align the personal with the larger political, economic, and organizational goals. What's good for the organization's always what's best for the individual."
- Suzanne Marjorie Fielding, Transplanetary Management, Methods, and Resources
XENODROME
"We learned too late the importance of safeguarding the precious gifts of nature. The parting gift of the elephant was the wisdom to be good stewards of the next planet."
- Samatar Jama Barre, This is Not Exile
HOLON CHAMBER
"'Well, mebbe you ain't heated it enough yet,' said Paul Bunyan, and he took the plasma out of the hohlraum, rubbed it hard between his hands until the Aleph-field de-resolved itself,
and put it back in the Holon Chamber. 'I reckon that'll be warm enough to dry your boots,' he said."
- The Uncle Nevercloned Stories
ARCHIMEDES LEVER
"Do not assume the battleground is impartial or in your favor."
- Rejinaldo Leonardo Pedro Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe, Principles of Modern War
MARKOV ECLIPSE
"Your most valuable human asset has one foot in the code and one foot in the world and is still on solid ground."
- Suzanne Marjorie Fielding, Transplanetary Management, Methods, and Resources
PROMETHEAN
"Anansi looked at the man's genome and said: 'Messy! Messy! Who can live like this?' He took a broom and swept up the genome, and when the man woke up, he felt much better."
- The Uncle Nevercloned Stories
TECTONIC ANVIL
"I am told that the planet's core is hot, dense, and explosive, and I am reminded of our Parliament."
- Élodie, Remarques
QUANTUM COMPUTER
"What I like best about quantum computing is that we get something for nothing from someone else's somewhere."
- Suzanne Marjorie Fielding, Transplanetary Management, Methods, and Resources
NANOTHERMITE
"Solving problems with force is satisfying because one gets feedback right away."
- Rejinaldo Leonardo Pedro Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe, Principles of Modern War
ARMASAIL
"A well-prepared businessman has bulletproof contracts and bulletproof suits."
- Hutama, We are All Destined to Prosper
XENOMALLEUM
"If the planet didn't want to be tapped, then why is it made out of fuel?"
- Hutama, We are All Destined to Prosper
XENONOVA
"See the planet as a mother who loves her children and nourishes their growth, and much of this new world becomes less mysterious."
- Samatar Jama Barre, This is Not Exile
RESURRECTION DEVICE
"I went to depart this world.
I stood at the threshold
I heard,
'Do not leave, we need you!'
I returned, by compassion moved."
- Kavitha Thakur, Bhagavad 4
DEEP MEMORY
"You may say: 'I remember,' but we must also remember what our parents remember, and what our parents' parents remember as well."
- Samatar Jama Barre, This is Not Exile
ANSIBLE
"When will the orders arrive? Now? Can they be sent faster?"
- Vadim Kozlov, Axioms from the Minutes of the Central Directorate
BYTEGEIST
"I cannot dislike the Bytegeist, because despite its insufferable chirpy ubiquity, it is entirely too helpful to be without."
- Élodie, Remarques
CYNOSURE
"Behold unsleeping Cynosure, the golem whose minds span kalpa."
- Kavitha Thakur, Kali Meditation
DAEDALUS LADDER
"Beyond this flesh,
Beyond this dream,
I have danced among the stars.
My children dance on endless worlds."
- Kavitha Thakur, Glorious Key of the Exodite Sutra
BEACON
"How joyful it is to open our arms and say: Come, friend, into this house, and let us sit at table together!"
– Samatar Jama Barre, This is Not Exile
PURITY GATE
"Nobody has to be miserable when somebody’s got the means to make their life better."
– Hutama, We are All Destined to Prosper
SUPREMACY GATE
"Do you see my hand across the cosmos? My eye sees Earth, I open my mouth to send forth myself. I bring you what you must be, if you are to be what you must."
– Kavitha Thakur, Kali Meditation
MIND FLOWER
"So Jack traded his armasilk farm to the old man for the magic flower, and he planted that flower under the light of two full moons just as he had been told, and that night he had the strangest dreams…"
- The Uncle Nevercloned Stories
PROJECT DISCOVER SIGNAL
"In the final analysis, mathematics is the only reality, and the only real thing."
- Daoming Sucha Scientific Morality, Epilogue
DECODE SIGNAL
"Every author’s obtuse phrase or oblique meaning is a secret cry of longing to be understood."
– Élodie, Remarques
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Élodie >>
[[CED.1221.59]]
As we begin our journey, I remember the words of William Cullen Bryant, who said unto his God, “Thou didst look down upon the naked earth, and, forthwith, rose all these fair ranks of trees. They, in thy sun, budded, and shook their green leaves in the
breeze, and shot towards Heaven.” For today, we have budded and now shoot towards Heaven. And though I cannot say whether our next home will have trees such as these, I carry hope that it will be worthy of the beauty I bring with me.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Élodie >>
[[CED.1480.02]]
A second chance is not something which you are granted; it must be created. As our world collapsed, we had the wisdom to strike out into space. Now, we search the Heavens for a fresh start – a new world upon which to plant the seed of our people. This is
our second chance and we will make the most of it.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Élodie >>
[[CED.1385.63]]
As we fly through the vastness of space, I am filled with courage. In these people, I see the seed of greatness. Others may hope only to survive in this alien land, but not us. Ours will be the greatest colony to grace those shores – A grand, new Eden, worthy
of Franco-Iberia.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Élodie >>
[[CED.1328.41]]
Oh, if I could see this new planet through the eyes of Rembrandt! If only he could accompany me now, by some divine miracle, to witness the alien world through my window. What wondrous paintings he would create from this new muse.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Élodie >>
[[CED.1695.39]]
We have arrived. The new Eden lies below, ready to receive our wisdom and creativity. We have brought all that is good from old Earth and with it, shall make this world better. The glorious culture of Franco-Iberia will take root in this alien land and bloom
unto its full majesty.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Élodie >>
[[CED.1547.74]]
It was John Calvin who said, “There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.” Below us waits a foreign world. No matter how alien it may appear, I know it will bear creation’s majesty. Our own miraculous
Earth was destroyed by those too selfish to look outward. It is my great hope that we will appreciate the inventiveness of our new world more than we did the last.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Vadim Petrovich Kozlov >>
[[CED.1074.45]]
I have waited so long to return to space. Were it not for the encouragement of my wife, it might not have come to pass. When she and our children gaze upon new stars in a new sky, they will understand why I fought for this new frontier. This world is
unknown, but our future is not. We will prosper.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Vadim Petrovich Kozlov >>
[[CED.1684.15]]
Long have our people stood at the forefront of scientific advancement. We were the first to establish a base upon the moon. And the first to replace our satellites after the Great Mistake. I would see us continue this tradition on our new world and I will fight
any who stand in our way.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Vadim Petrovich Kozlov >>
[[CED.1569.73]]
Space offers so much. To share its wonders with my family is a joy I cannot express. My children will have a future on a new world. They will make discoveries that on Earth would have been impossible. Together, we will face the future and finally be free to
live the life I worked so hard to secure.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Vadim Petrovich Kozlov >>
[[CED.1693.12]]
The planet approaches. From this distance, it holds some similarity to Earth. I must not take comfort in this. From comfort comes weakness and that is something I cannot abide. Although we have prepared for the world below, it will not be enough. If we are
to survive, we will need to learn more. To be vigilant. To adapt.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Vadim Petrovich Kozlov >>
[[CED.2701.03]]
I do not know what is in store for us. It is possible we will flourish without effort. Or perhaps we will be set-upon by monsters we can barely comprehend. Either way, I hope for peace and through our superior weapons, we will achieve it.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Vadim Petrovich Kozlov >>
[[CED.3685.52]]
It is my duty to keep these men and women alive. It is my burden to know that I cannot. They must make their own future. I can guide them. I can give them the tools to survive. But I cannot control them. Their choices will be their own as will their
consequences.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Rejinaldo Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe >>
[[CED.1348.15]]
I faced much in my lifetime and am familiar with the burdens of leadership. For Brasilia, I was a convenient choice. Lucky for them, I was also the best choice. They know I am capable of leading them into the unknown. I know that I am capable of leading them
to glory.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Rejinaldo Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe >>
[[CED.2465.32]]
I do not wish for war, but destiny cares little for my desires. My soldiers have trained their whole lives for this journey. Today, as we descend into the toxic fog, they prepare for the hunt. There will be enemies waiting, hiding. We will find them. We will
eliminate them. This will be our first act upon our new world and we will not fail.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Rejinaldo Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe >>
[[CED.2753.19]]
I wonder how to approach the native life on this new planet. Is it better to strike swiftly or to hide our strength? We will have to see how they react to our arrival. If they ignore us, I will be suspicious. I would not have us fall to alien life.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Rejinaldo Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe >>
[[CED.3021.65]]
I do not ask much from my people, but I do demand what is necessary for success. All must be in order, if we are to face the trials ahead. They do not struggle, for they know I alone have been trusted to lead them to our new home. For this reason, it is I
who must oversee all aspects of our mission. For me, there can be no struggle too difficult, no task too great. I must endure. Not for myself, but for them.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Rejinaldo Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe >>
[[CED.1862.37]]
We move through space at remarkable speed, drawing ever closer to our destiny. And yet, I find no peace. If only there was a way to know what lies ahead. Instead, I am left to wonder. What will we find on this world? Will be greeted with hostility or quietly
ignored? Even if I knew the answer, it would bring me no rest, for I cannot say which I would prefer.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Rejinaldo Bolivar de Alencar-Araripe >>
[[CED.2187.42]]
It is quiet out here, among the stars. I know that when we reach this new planet, there will be much for us to do. My officers will set about their tasks, for which I must be ever-present. My people will only be as strong as I make them. And so I must be
strong and cannot waver. For now, though, I appreciate the quiet.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Samatar Jama Barre >>
[[CED.1054.56]]
Our purpose has never been clearer. Tomorrow we embark on a journey into the stars. We will rely upon each other to forge our fate. Even when our feet touch upon unknown soil, we shall not falter. We will walk upon a new planet and its name shall be
“Home.”
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Samatar Jama Barre >>
[[CED.3587.77]]
On the eve of our landing, let us meditate on the pearl diver, who saturates his lungs with air, before descending into the depths. What waits for us, we cannot know, be it hostility or indifference. But we will gather our strength within and plunge to the
surface below. We will not come up for air until we have found what are searching for – our new home.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Samatar Jama Barre >>
[[CED.3957.34]]
On Earth, we were witness to a great sight. An orangutan. The last of its kind. Her eyes were empty. Any spark they once held, drained by sadness. She knew. She knew that we were her last hope and that we had failed her. As we settle these new lands,
we must not repeat the mistakes of our fathers. We must protect the gifts of nature. Only then will we prosper.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Samatar Jama Barre >>
[[CED.3754.08]]
On Earth, we had plenty. What we had was squandered and we were left with naught. Now, we have no choice but to reap what we have sown and create from it what we can. We journey from nothing to something, in hope that we may find respect for our
new world and that our children may find respect for us.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Samatar Jama Barre >>
[[CED.3612.91]]
As we approach our new planet, we must contemplate the possibilities of regulation. We were careless when we destroyed our planet. If protections had been in place, perhaps we would not have been so foolish. None wish to be controlled. But like children,
we must be given rules if ever we are to learn.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Samatar Jama Barre >>
[[CED.2004.84]]
We are strong. We have faced much and will continue to forge ahead, but only if we learn from our mistakes. When we reach this world, we must give ourselves to it; strive to understand it. We are no longer a young species. We have no excuse for the
destruction we visit upon our home.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Suzanne Marjorie Fielding >>
[[CED.0546.53]]
Finally… Tomorrow, I leave this spoiled Earth behind and all on ARC’s dime. There’s an alien world out there with my name on it and nothing is going to hold me back.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Suzanne Marjorie Fielding
[[CED.2321.66]]
Everything has gone according to plan. The colony is mine to control. Who else could do what I do? Could lead with my skill? No one. ARC knows I‘m their greatest asset. The more responsibility they give me, the more invaluable I become.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Suzanne Marjorie Fielding >>
[[CED.2479.24]]
They think this will be a challenge. They don’t realize Economics is nothing more than Sociology followed through to its logical conclusion. If you understand the various factors which define people and their desires, you can be prepared to give them what they
want. Once you know that, starting from scratch is easy. I will lead this colony to great riches, and ARC will profit, once I have my share.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Suzanne Marjorie Fielding >>
[[CED.2978.75]]
I tell them this is for the greater good. They think I mean the greater good of Earth and humanity. I don’t. We are the ones being launched into space. The ones who will toil against the unknown. We are risking everything. If that risk pays off, humanity will
survive, but we will reap the rewards.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Suzanne Marjorie Fielding >>
[[CED.1978.28]]
I want more – Responsibility, power, wealth. All of it. If you think I’m greedy, then you don’t understand ambition. Ambition isn’t a character flaw. It’s the means by which I envision the future and then bring it into being. I will make the most of my existence.
Those who help me can only prosper.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Suzanne Marjorie Fielding >>
[[CED.3112.74]]
I will start from scratch on this new planet, but I have done so successfully before. When I was just a girl, I helped my father run his business. Economics has never baffled me, as it has so many others. Such principles just make sense to me. I will lead my
colony to great riches, and ARC will profit, once I have my share.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Daoming Sochua >>
[[CED.1230.12]]
On the eve of my departure, I feel that I must reflect on the life I have led. In my time, I have been given many names, most unflattering. My people do not look on me with affection, but I am respected. I know history will not look kindly upon me, but if I had
stopped to worry about that, I would not be the success that I am today. I am proud of the advances I made for myself and my people. But I cannot be proud for long. I have a taxing journey ahead of me and I must prepare.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Daoming Sochua >>
[[CED.3385.74]]
While some looked to the stars and saw gods, I saw possibilities – Possibilities for a future that has finally come. We have explored the unknown sky and now will colonize the alien shore. I will lead my people to great success as the Pan-Asian Cooperative
discovers its new role in the universe.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Daoming Sochua >>
[[CED.1425.37]]
This will be my final sunset on Earth. Tomorrow, I will lead the Pan-Asian Cooperative into the Aether. We leave behind everything but our wits and machines, and yet I foresee a great and prosperous future awaiting us on new shores.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Daoming Sochua >>
[[CED.3698.41]]
I have chosen to lead the Pan-Asian Cooperative of Earth to a new, alien world. What we establish there will be my colony and they will be my people. They know I demand nothing short of perfection. The secrets of our new planet will be ours and ours alone.
I have no doubt that we will continue our tradition of success and rebuild towards a brighter future.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Daoming Sochua >>
[[CED.3748.17]]
When we land, there will be much to do, if our colony is to be great. I am not intimidated by the work; I simply wish to be prepared. I wonder at the effects this new habitat will have on our production. Will our equipment work on the planet below? How many
modifications must I make before our technology will suit the environment? I have spent much time questioning and theorizing. Now it is time to act.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Daoming Sochua >>
[[CED.3859.88]]
On Earth, the Pan-Asian Cooperative was great. Out here, we will be better. With new challenges will come new ways to apply ourselves. We will find our niche and we will succeed. Nothing will stand in our way and I will be at the forefront, leading us to
greatness.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Kavitha Thakur >>
[[CED.0618.65]]
We have been beaten back by our own land, threatened by our own people, and yet we have persevered. We have overcome all odds and have arrived here, to our new home. When our feet touch new land, our chains will be severed; our wounds, healed. Our
spirits and bodies will be free to flourish in all that we are.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Kavitha Thakur >>
[[CED.2661.17]]
There was a time when my forbearers believed Earth was a flat stone, around which revolved the Heavenly hosts. Eventually, the truth of that world became known to us. Now, we have a new Earth and all that we have known becomes unknown once again.
In time, we will know its truth as well. For while it may not be the home we knew, it is home just the same.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Kavitha Thakur >>
[[CED.1979.12]]
The hearts of my people carry many wounds. I feared they would carry this pain with them. And yet, as we prepare to meet our future, I can see the hope in their eyes. Hope has ever been a great remedy and it does my heart good to see my people so
renewed. Our hope will light our path. Our faith will lead us to a peaceful existence. I know this to be true.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Kavitha Thakur >>
[[CED.0286.46]]
The new dawn rises, lighting our spirits with the flame of hope. Hope for sanctuary, for a bright future, for a new chapter. Together we will rise up and become stronger than ever before. On these new shores, we will finally be whole.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Kavitha Thakur >>
[[CED.2536.97]]
It is time for my people to reflect. We must open our minds and release the follies of the past. With every fiber of my being, I believe that we can prosper on this world, but only if we learn from our mistakes. Together, we will walk the path which frees us from
the past and leads to a new existence.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Kavitha Thakur >>
[[CED.2584.82]]
It is the nature of man to seek ownership of that which he surveys. As we come upon our new world, we must not think, “This is ours and only ours.” We must show reverence for the glorious life which already holds claim. We are refugees, not conquerors. On
this new planet, we will be new creatures, not the only creatures.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Hutama >>
[[CED.1984.61]]
There are moments when I cannot believe it is true. Even now, I am not wholly convinced this is not a dream. I never thought I would leave my home, let alone my planet. There is still so much to do here, but my people have spoken and I must comply.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Hutama >>
[[CED.3194.26]]
The riches of Earth are behind us. No longer can I reach out and touch gold, freshly plucked from the dirt. And yet, I am not saddened. Our future holds new riches. Our tongues will taste new flavors. Our fingers will be adorned with stones. Our bodies will be
draped in the hides of impossible beasts. It is right to miss the world we have left. But we must look to the new one with great reverence.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Hutama >>
[[CED.1745.68]]
This expedition is an opportunity to start over. One for which Polystralia is well-prepared. We have always been economically superior. We know how to forge lucrative relationships. Although I am concerned about the beings we may encounter, I remain
hopeful. Though we may be outnumbered by savage beasts, we will find some intelligence with which to ally ourselves.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Hutama >>
[[CED.3654.14]]
We have but one goal: Take this new planet and transform it into a home. What that home is like will be decided in time. The possibilities are endless, but only one is fruitless. We cannot alter this planet to make it like our last. We must embrace the future.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Hutama >>
[[CED.2546.36]]
When I think of the wonders on Earth, I become lost in the thought of possibility. What new materials will our hands find? Will they be harder than diamond or softer than silk? Whatever they are, we will use them to make wondrous things, more amazing than
we have ever dreamed.
<< Excerpts from Colony Archives >>
<< Personal Log, Hutama >>
[[CED.1835.74]]
My people are looking for answers, but I have nothing but questions. We have much to offer – the refinement of minerals and manufacturing of goods. But who will we trade with? If they be alien, will they pay us for their own resources? If they be human, will
they have need of what we create? Until I know what is out there, I won’t know to make of it.