The Tree Hugger - SMACX AI Growth mod version 1.52

[bvanevery]

Details incentive

incentive

MY 2119.  We pay our colonists to leave Silverbird Park early.  Despite the democratic formalities, our true economy is based on scavenging.  A few truckloads of space junk can sweeten nearly any colonial deal.

[bvanevery]

Details giant harvester

giant harvester

MY 2121.  Having prepared for the rather unscientific principle of action at a distance, we empirically complete a nearly military grade harvester prototype.  They of course lack appropriate training, but the shell of the beast is sound.  One set of our people loves the new gadget, and extols its virtues for laying roadways quickly.  The other reminds how damaging that is to forests, and we should not think of making more of such things.  I don't think the issue is making them, I think the issue is making them build roads.

[bvanevery]

Details lightly on the road

lightly on the road

MY 2122.  The tree planting polemics have really really come to a head.  The "highwaymen", as some now call them, insist that a defensive road should be straight and move troops rapidly from A to B.  The "tree peoples", as most call themselves, insist that a flat plain on a river is the perfect place for trees.  It will provide more minerals and energy than an otherwise devoid river bed would produce.

The deciding factor in this debate, as I see it, is we have yet to plant a single wide scale forestry project.  In all the 22 years we've been casting about on this new Planet.  Accidentally triggering forest growth, does not count.  And we are years away from settling that, assuming the highwaymen even have their way to it.  Which in the current political climate, I suspect they won't.  So I cast the deciding vote in favor of planting, breaking a deadlock.  It is an auspicious site, exactly between our 2 cities, and worthy of commemoration for many generations.

Details making history

making history

We name our planting, Sequoia, in honor of the greatest Earth trees.  We hope that hundreds of years from now, they will bring future generations peace and continuity.

Details concession

concession

To lessen feelings of defeat among the highwaymen, we allow them to complete the end of their well ordered military road into a flood plain, driving their military equipment.  We zone it for farming and solar production.

[bvanevery]

Details defensive array

defensive array

MY 2128.  The highwaymen, ever vigilant to threats real and imagined, insist that a historical forest landmark is the perfect place to install a Sensor Array.  After all, these are valuable trees that should never be destroyed.  The fact that it sits exactly between our 2 oldest cities, is immaterial, they say.  They assert all sorts of additional immaterialities for our future settlements.  As we did lose a transport to a suddenly surfacing Isle recently, and have occasionally lost mindworm handlers getting a little too carried away with themselves, we acquiesce to the appearance of safety.  Yes, Planet has certainly been very threatening to us.

Details fair trade coffee

fair trade coffee

While toying with imagined threats, we decide it might be timely, to find if Aki has done anything with her band of chip heads.  Aside from make everyone miserable walking at perfect right angles.  A lesser known fact of human history, is that many African villages were once knocked into such perfect order, as their more organic hut placements and social circles were deemed a threat to the colonial powers.

We don't presume to teach cyborgs morality.  But we will presume to teach them a fast hand of pinochle.

[bvanevery]

Details westward ho

westward ho

MY 2131.  A bitter zoning battle ensues about where to put a highway to our westward settlement.  The highwaymen insist that a highway must go somewhere, and that this one will mostly follow a natural lay of rock.  The tree peoples say it must not go through this stretch of plantable land, and the highwaymen say it must go through some stretch of plantable land, or we cannot have highways.  The tree peoples say they'd be happy with that, and no cars either while they're at it, and no extracted or synthesized fuels.  I'm with the highwaymen on this one.  I don't want bicycles as our first line of defense.

[bvanevery]

Details ever heard of fieldwork

ever heard of fieldwork

MY 2132.  The cyborgs meet us far afield, actually as we are about to exit their lands, which they should be happy of.  Let's face it, we took as many things off your land as we could.  You got in our way, we did what we had to do, and wanted to do.  We won't tell you any of that.  It's poor diplomatic form.  But we regret nothing.  Even now, one fat shiny artifact arrives safely home with us.

They like us less, but wish to trade more.  Why not?  We think it's a bit premature to set up a system of interconnected labs, thinking that more basic infrastructure and sustainable population growth, is more in order.  But when the day comes that we need labs, we don't mind having blueprints.  We scarcely worry about the military value of dune buggies, as after all, we have mindworms.  You don't hear us rattling sabers about it.

Generally speaking, you should not make scientists angry.  They have more elaborate ways to kill you than you would suppose.

Details explosive growth

explosive growth

We don't even remember if we prepared for this eventuality.  It may be time to shift our development priorities.

[bvanevery]

Details no uglier than a mindworm

no uglier than a mindworm

MY 2133.  While exploring a new landmass substantially to the southeast, we've met one of the presumed aliens that crash landed on Planet.  Somehow, in the course of our ecological studies, we have already determined the operative principles of their language.  It strongly relates to the vibrations we've witnessed in various fungal stalks.  These are not, however, mindworms and our first order of business is to determine who and what they are.  We have rehearsed many scenarios of first contact already, and have many contingencies in place for how to respond, negotiate, or even trade.

Details well whatabout bubonic plague

well whatabout bubonic plague

They call themselves, the Caretakers.  They declare their undying enmity for their countrypeople, the Usurpers.

Details talk your proboscis off

talk your proboscis off

They want to know all about the Cybernetic Consciousness.  Who are we to say no?  They lose at pinochle.  We think it's all the alcohol we ply them with.

Details but you're insignificant

but you're insignificant

They wanted to get in on our pinochle league.  Another alien deprived of basic entertainments?  Is this what people or sentiences like Aki aspire to?  It doesn't matter.  We could prepare a navy for when and if you show up in our part of the world, but you seem too backwards for us to care.  We'll be sure to send our scout ships in your general direction though.

I wonder if the Usurpers are just as gruff?  We should find them.

[bvanevery]

Details a good find

a good find

MY 2134.  We are tantalizingly close to an artifact found by the Caretakers.  We even have a lucky transport arranged to spirit it away.  We hope it does not slip away into the safety of their city.

Details captured!

captured!

MY 2135.  Now we need only get it to the coast, and avoid any predatory vessels.

[bvanevery]

Details unexpected travel

unexpected travel

One of our mindworms falls through a vortex, and emerges in a strange place.

Details Planet happens

Planet happens

A lush land some considerable distance from our original location.  We find a rover and keep exploring.

Details so much more

so much more

At sea, we dredge up another artifact.  Exploration is quite profitable.  Salvage has made us a lot of money.

Details the lushness

the lushness

We also trailed an Isle to an incredibly fertile land.  We call it the Monsoon Jungle.  We suspect inhabitants, as Isles seem to beeline for sentient settlements.  In our own case, we've simply summarily killed the worms that slither off of them.  We're good at that sort of thing.  Occasionally, we manage to capture them.

Details rapid development

rapid development

Profit from salvage has been so high, that we order the rapid completion of all facilities with reasonable cost.  This greatly expands our pinochle league.

[bvanevery]

Details Gaia rising

Gaia rising

MY 2135.  Our understanding of Planet's ecosystems is now sufficient, for us to integrate all manner of sustainable practices into our economy.  We see no downside to it really.  It makes both people and mindworms happier.  We can now also end the objections of the highwaymen, so long as they will drive their roads straight through fungal patches.  Although marginally dangerous to some travelers, it's also a very efficient switchover conduit for our own tamed worms and spore launchers.

Details the power of Planet

the power of Planet

We think our mindworm exploration is now sustainable indefinitely.  More worms shall capture more worms, which shall wander around capturing more worms, until all of Planet has been explored.  Then?

Details another vortex

another vortex

Speed of exploration increases the more anomalies we fall through.

We are amassing so many artifacts as to not even be worth reporting.

[bvanevery]

Details multiple triggers

multiple triggers

MY 2139.  This is the 2nd seismic disturbance in the same region.  I don't know that we ever contemplated digging a kind of Suez Canal, but it won't happen now.  What is the problem with this region?

Details who is this

who is this

We are being hailed by a... Cha... Dawn.  His voice is trill.  I don't recall any such children on the Unity.  They are controlling mindworms even bigger than our own, so we will talk to him.

Details he thinks the planet has a will

he thinks the planet has a will

I think Planet is wonderful myself, in its own sick, trickster sort of way.  But a will?  The messianic look in his eyes, reminds me of a hippie commune leader my cousin got free of.  That man, was in it for the sex.  Quite a harem, he had.  But this is a child, so I am not quite ready to assume that as his motive.  It would be a helluva way to overcome awkwardness though.  "Plaaanet speeaks, wwwooooo".  My assistants grasp themselves hard as I wave my hands in mock benediction, trying not to be heard laughing uncontrollably within earshot of the video microphone. 

Details he's met the Usurpers

he's met the Usurpers

I am really, really interested to hear more about these horrid Usurpers, and I'd very much love to compare notes about their bitter enemies, the Caretakers.  Who are nominally at war with us, BTW.  Would you like me to send you a recording of them?  It'll sound familiar to you: "Diie, human, dieee."  Overwrought self-important alien and all of that.  Surely you'll understand, we're a bit busy with more important matters, to be having another full on war right about now.  I hope you don't take that the wrong way, and that we have a further incentive for mutual cooperation.

Details you are not managing your fecal matter

you are not managing your fecal matter

Oh you poor demented buffoon, cholera is a serious matter!  We would be more than happy to render assistance in exchange for nominal information about your location, disposition, strength in mindworms, etc.

Details a good but greedy child

a good but greedy child

How is this kid running a base?  We're sorry, we're research scientists.  It has cost us a fair amount of salvaged resources to cobble together this lab equipment, which gives us such fabulous and expensive social adjustments as, a strategic advantage in mindworm strength.  I'm sure you'll understand that we'd like either a bit more of a research contribution on your part, or some real meaningful insight into these Usurpers and Caretakers.  Are you really at *war* with them?  Like actually killing them?  We stole something form H'minee, it was mostly a lot of fun.

Details jolly good

jolly good

Yes, couldn't possibly imagine having a war with you.  Let's formalize that.  My assistants wretch on the floor as I mime waaar with my hands again.

Details the diplomatic hat on

the diplomatic hat on

I'd like to hear it from the horse's orifice, if you know what I mean.  We'll pay you a modest finder's fee.  Perhaps we can talk more later.

Details competition in the bush

competition in the bush

And that was Cha Dawn.  Prophet.  Our seeming monopoly on salvage, was over.  We'd have to race them for all the supply pods on Planet.

[bvanevery]

Details modesty

modesty

Cha Dawn is a very, very northerly neighbor.  The continent we're on is huge.  Although we don't think much of his infrastructural development, we must respect his projection of mindworm force.  It is similar to our own.  And we do know from experience, that once you get out into the bush, the size and number of your bases is not the determinant of how many mindworms you may have.

Details advantages of running a cult

advantages of running a cult

We found a file on this child leader, somewhere.  Behind a wastebin?  We stopped laughing when we realized, without any research or social development, he had mindworm control abilities equal to our own.  And many, many followers, willing to support him in his holy mission.  Which we still didn't quite understand because we didn't exactly believe Planet was a talking thing. 

Details pretend they're beautiful

pretend they're beautiful

We thought it best to check on this so-called war.  Is it a war war, or a disagreement about league rules war?  Hard to see how Cha Dawn could be fighting a war war, at such a great distance.  We suspect we see the outline of a Usurper city just at the edge of our map.

Details hop when you're mad, I'll respect you more

hop when you're mad, I'll respect you more

You're instigating with a boy of 12.  Do you know anything about our species' life cycle?  If you have some eggs you all sprout from, you won't see us pecking at your eggs declaring "War! War!" now will you.

Details is this a stereotype

is this a stereotype

This is the Caretakers all over again.  They make unreasonable demands, which we blow off because there's no evidence they have a pot to piss in.  They don't even let me get a word in edgewise about our 'war' with the Caretakers, their supposedly most bitter foes.  All about this tiff with the boy, Cha Dawn.

We shall verify that we do indeed see the Usurpers, up ahead.  And if that's them, we're going to go back to planting turnips.  We don't dislike Cha Dawn, but squabbling with the Usurpers will keep him a bit busy.  That will give us time to learn more about his intents.  And to take all the supply pods, which we are now quite addicted to.

[bvanevery]

Details more remote action

more remote action

We love it when we don't have to work.  We don't even try to understand it anymore.  We had some fellow set up video cameras to capture how this works.  He got nothing.  Just magic, POOF! insta-completed laboratory.  Like friggin' Santa Claus.

Details a bargain at twice the price

a bargain at twice the price

Feeling very confident in our situations abroad, we spill the beans to Aki Zeta-5 at our next league game.  Aki, we've got all sorts of great stories to tell you about the rest of Planet.  Here have some more of this fungal brew.  And she has some great map info to drop on us.

Details remarkable

remarkable

The Caretakers have fought a meaningful war.  Just not with anyone we expected.  This Domai, I remember him.  He used to leaflet against the Morganites.  Strikes and work stoppages, that sort of thing.  Well, I hate Morgan, he's the worst of everything that's the worst.  We surely have that in common.  Would be a pity to see him just, well, die.  The enemy of my enemy might be my friend, how does that go?  I don't think it worked in Bosnia, but that's a story for another time.

Details at the speed of mercury

at the speed of mercury

We contact Aki again.  We've noticed that breaking communication, then reinitiating it, speeds up the receipt of news.  Aki would very much like to hear about the Usurpers, and we've been dying to tell her all about them.  We sign off.

Details we had a feeling you could pull that

we had a feeling you could pull that

We hail her again.  She has what we hoped for: a cheap map of all Usurper territory.

[bvanevery]

Details please please please have a war

please please please have a war

My neck clenches as I learn much more than I bargained for.  Although it seems our scouting was about to discover all this anyways.  Morgan, there is no question that ultimately, I want him locked up and the key thrown away.  But getting him there, that will take some doing.  This is a big planet.  We are not going to settle this with a mere alley brawl... although, we are nominally on the same continent.  We are not that far by water either.

Details call him collect, he won't mind

call him collect, he won't mind

We ping Aki again.  She very much wants to meet this boy Prophet.  We figure they'll get along well.  A little voice inside my head though, says what if they don't?  We ping Aki one more time, to check on her research and news of the world, but she has nothing further.

Details strange bedfellow

strange bedfellow

We contact the boy again.  He's obtained a map of Aki's lands, but wants too much for it.  He offers a Pact.  Maybe there is no subtle, diplomatic way to come after Morgan.  Maybe the Usurpers are in the way, and we'd need to help Cha Dawn smash through them, to get to Morgan.  It doesn't have to be right away.  But strategically, I'd like Cha Dawn to help take Morgan out.  We sign the Pact, and get Aki's map info for free.

Details the extent of cyborg land

the extent of cyborg land

Aki is almost nothing more than we've seen.  I see many peaceful hands of pinochle in our future.

[bvanevery]

Details who needs labor

who needs labor

We do nothing, and projects finish themselves, like magic.  Well, we explore.