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Growing Horizons: Inner Sphere - Quest

Cool heads seems like the best option. Once we start getting options where it's less clear what is the best option, then you'll start getting more discussion.
 
[x] Cool heads prevail

It is obviously the superior option? What manner of discussion can there be?

Sorry we did not want to fuck ourselves over from the very start? :p
 
So we have an unanimous vote for

[x] Cool heads prevail

Expect the result later today.

If my internet works again by then... >_>
 
Prologe 02
March 5, 2174 / April 23, 3024
Sol, Earth, New York, Walker Cluster

The UN main assembly was in uproar, even though the 235 delegates from the various nations of the solar system concentrated on General Gong Jia-li of the Solar Defense Initiative spoke. There were still comments given to various assistants outside of the more than 220 year old General Assembly Hall. Others were talking to assistive software or among themselves.

"I am not sure," Ramil Gamboa, the Ambassador of the Philipines, said, looking at the Chinese General, "If I should believe this story. Humans from outside the solar system that come straight out of an old war game?"

Jia-li made a sour face for just a moment, before answering.

"There are two things that might change your mind, Ambassador."

"And those would be?"

Jia-li took a deep breath and closed her eyes for just a moment, before she looked around, her glance moving to the Ambassadors of the extra-terrestrial nations of the UN.

"We have done an analysis of the data returned by the first Inspection of the Home Sweet Home," she said, letting the statement hanging for a moment. "We have not been able to find the telltale mesh networking activity of any Smart Dust networks. There has been no wireless network traffic within Home Sweet Home and the two Drop ships at all."

The room went completely silent, one could have heard a pin drop. Smart dust was a fact of daily life. It was everywhere and there was no place that had seen human feet within the past hundred and fifty years where it was not found. It was simply too useful for environmental sensing, scanning objects, in volumetric display tanks and even limited repairs on a micro level.

The paleness of most of the extra-terrestrial nations Ambassadors spoke volumes. No one in space could even conceive not having the additional security blanket of having smart dust everywhere to detect failures of machinery and structure. And now they were presented with a space craft that had none.

"Lies!" the voice of Ambassador Mitchell Mathews called out. "You are spreading lies! All this is just an elaborate hoax to force our glorious nation..."

Before the Ambassador of the Free Democtatic Peoples Republic of Aether, a relatively small Habitat at EML5 that had become the modern equivalent of the old North Korea, could go into a full rant, as he was likely to do at any opportunity, he was silenced by the Asswembly Halls systems.

"I can only conclude this is the truth, unless there have been aliens abducting humans a long while ago."

---------------

March 6, 2174 / April 23, 3024
Sol, Nadir Jump Point, Walker Cluster

Stephan Köhler looked at the man sitting across him, once again wondering how he had managed to get a turban into his spacesuits helmet. He had been, Köhler Military Services had been ordered very cushy contract with the UN Office of Extra-Solar Affairs, whatever that was. Essentially it was garrison duty, without, allegedly, no possibility of combat at all, no need to patrol any place. They were eventually offered a contract to rest and recuperate. The whole offer stunk, it was too good to be true.

"What is the catch?" he asked, leaning back and crossing his arms.

Hakam Singh gave Stephan a look, stroking his beard with a gesture that looked way too artificial to Stephan to actually be something the man did regularly. Singh sighed.

"Your arrival has been a shock for everyone in this system." he said. " Humans from outside of Sol? Non-human sophonts are pretty much guaranteed, but humans?"

Stephan pushed down a snort. Did the man actually believe in non-human aliens? Seriously?

"There has been a large uproar in the UN General Assembly and the media. There are calls from some nations to destroy you and your ships. Others want to board and take over."

Singh rolled his eyes.

"There are some online 'personalities' that talk about massive conspiracy theories."

He paused for a few moments.

"There is a catch," he finally continued. "It is that we need information about where you come from. It is largely the political and military situation."

Stephan looked at Singh, saying nothing.

"You are a mercenary. And we are offering you good money, doing nothing but tell us what we would like to know."

"Money worth nothing outside of this solar system."

Singh gave him a look.

"You know what I am talking about. Valuable metals and gemstones. Easily transportable goods that can be turned into money where are come from. WE will of course offer you local money, so that you can buy food, entertainment, pay your people to go into bars, theaters or the movies."

Singh's glance moved to Frank Simmer, the commander of Köhler's security and infantry, who had lost an arm in the last engagement that had made them run out here.

"We offer you medical treatment. We can give him an artificial arm or regrow it."

Frank twitched and Stephan frowned.

"Let me think about it."

---------------

Stephan looked at his people, watching their reactions. They were varied. Martina Jäger, his second in command and significant other, looked like a storm cloud.

"They are threatening us," she said drily. "Who's to say that they won't let these 'nations' of theirs come in and board or destroy us when we don't say yes?"

"Who know what these primitive Periphery fucks think," came the comment from one of the technicians, followed by a murmur of consent.

"I wouldn't say that they are primitives..." Wong said with a sour look on her face. "Not with almost forty ships out there that just jumped in from their inner system. Heavily armed ships that jumped here from pirate points."

There was a sudden silence.

"And at least three of them jumped back in system within a day."

The silence stretched out.

"Maybe they are Kerenskis bunch?" someone in the crowd said. "THey could have forgotten everything about the Inner Sphere."

"And nobody discovered them?"

"We did."

Another murmur.

Stephan sighed and shook his head.

"I say we take the deal," he said. "Whether they have threatened us or not. We wait until we are on the ground and see what happens. If worse comes to worst we defend ourselves. If not, we get the time to pull ourselves together. Who knows? Maybe we can buy one or two of whatever Mechs they still have and reinforce ourselves."

"Yeah, and help them plan for an invasion of the Inner Sphere," came from the same guy.

Stephan ignored him.

"In favor?"

About three fourth of those present raised their hand.

"Against?"

He looked around. Of the rest, there were a several undecided, making him nod.

"So we will take the contract."

---------------

And so Köhler Military Services took the contract with the UN Office of Extra-Solar Affairs, burned to Earth and landed in

[] North America
[] South America
[] Europe
[] Africa
[] Asia
[] Australia

(Write in for a location)

And with the non-human sophonts on Earth, they are like to meet some of them in the form of

[] some locals. Aliens that have settled down relatively close by.
[] some VIPs. Hearing about it Ambassadors from Jerat and 61 Virginis move in to take a look at them.
[] some business people. There is always business to make with new people, and why would there only be humans?
[] some technicians with the crews taking a closer look at the mercenaries.
[] other (write in)

On the other end, the UN must deal with the extra-solar powers and telling them about it.

[] So the UN goes out and tells them straight out.
- [] (optional) And get met with disbelief. (1d100 for how much, safe for the Empire of Jerat)
- [] (optional) And get met with some hostility. (1d100 for how much, safe for the Empire of Jerat)
[] It is the Ambassadors that are the ones telling their home nations about the situation, before the UNOOESA can.
- [] (optional) And get grief for not telling them.
- [] (optional) And get some hostility. (1d100 for how much, safe for the Empire of Jerat)
 
[x] Europe
-Paris
[x] some business people. There is always business to make with new people, and why would there only be humans?

[x] So the UN goes out and tells them straight out.

Paris because why not and let the games begin!
 
[x] Europe
-Paris
[x] some business people. There is always business to make with new people, and why would there only be humans?

[x] So the UN goes out and tells them straight out.
 
[X] Australia
-Perth or Melbourne.
Ultimately, it's a bloody island. Best not to give Mechs unlimited stomping grounds.

[X] some business people. There is always business to make with new people, and why would there only be humans?

[X] So the UN goes out and tells them straight out.
- [x] (optional) And get met with disbelief. (1d100 for how much, safe for the Empire of Jerat)
Because there will always be doubters, until the businessmens/beings prove the truth of the claims.
 
X America

Some business

Un tells them
disbelief
It would be nice if you would keep to the form of Quests, like everyone else. ;)

Makes it much easier when working with Vote Tally programs.

EDIT:

If you don't use the usual Quest form next time, I will ignore your vote.
 
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[X] Europe
-Paris
[X] some locals. Aliens that have settled down relatively close by.
[X] So the UN goes out and tells them straight out.
- [X] (optional) And get met with disbelief. (1d100 for how much, safe for the Empire of Jerat)

Let's see how mechs are looking in front of Eiffel Tower. And if there will be some problems well ducks will prevail somehow. When ambassadors are nice to meet them I think that faster they will notice some locals probably. And there might be source of some hilarity.
 
And the voting is done.

Our results:

[x] Europe
- Paris
[x] some business people. There is always business to make with new people, and why would there only be humans?
[x] So the UN goes out and tells them straight out.
- [x] (optional) And get met with disbelief. (1d100 for how much, safe for the Empire of Jerat)
Result of the roll: 1d100 = 43, we get medium disbelief, about half of the aliens don't believe a word without some proof)

The fluff will come soon enough.
 
Prologe 03
March 12, 2174 / April 30, 3024
Sol, Earth, Brétigny-sur-Orge Air Base, 27 km southeast of Paris, Walker Cluster

Stephan Köhler stretched a little as he stepped out of the Angelika, one of his two Leopard class dropships. They had landed two days ago in this place, on a nice tarmac runway that looked well maintained. This place had been a military base until about twenty years ago, housing a fighter squadron. While some parts of the old base were still maintained to act as an emergency runway, most had been left to itself, partially looted and unusable for his mercenary company for the time being.

He looked around and breathed in the fresh air and over towards the town that butted to the base in the northwest. Brétigny-sur-Orge, a french name that was more at home in the Suns and looked like it had a long history behind it. Most of the people around spoke English to various degrees of fluency however, and they had been able to find themselves a place to buy food at a large Metro store in town, which usually supplied restaurants and smaller markets.

This whole place was strange to him. Angelica had orbited the planet for a while and the night side was alight with artificial lighting. He was not sure, but even Luthien hadn't had this many lights. Not to mention the orbitals. They were packed with ships, stations and satellites. There were dozens if not hundreds of truly massive stations orbiting around the Libration Points of the planet and its single moon and even the dark side of that moon had seas of light covering it.

He stared into the distance, wondering what they had found out here. This was not some primitive periphery world. Sure the tech these people had was bound to be primitive, but the population and the culture? Far from it. He himself had been out and in a bar. There had been a TV in a corner, showing a football match, Paris St. Germain playing Bayern München in something called Champions League. It had been a fun game to watch, even if Stephan would have liked to see Paris win for playing the better game. At least the beer and the wine were excellent.

He turned around, as he heard a car pull up, its electro motors whining a little bit as they slowed the vehicle down. He looked at his watch. That would be the Rothikel Brothers, owners of a 'traveling construction company' that had been suggested to them by some locals. If this interview went well, they would get the buildings of the base up to local standards, which were hopefully good, and construct some mech hangars. He then looked over to the entrance to the base, frowning a bit. They would need to replace the guards with some of their own soon. The local army people were looking professional in their snazzy uniforms, but he rather had someone he could trust. And they could at least have told him that the two business men were arriving.

The doors of the car swing open, and he blinked as two animals jumped out. As he waited for their owners to follow them, he looked them over. They looked dangerous to a degree. They were about three meter long bipeds, and covered in earth toned feathers, making them look like birds, but their heads looked more reptilian. Both were wearing vests of some sort, as well as necklaces and bangles with various trinkets. Their owners must like them.

He looked over to the car, still waiting for two humans to leave the car, when one of the animals spoke.

"Bonjour, Mr. Köhler," the taller of the two animals said in a friendly and enthusiastic tone of voice. "I am Adam Rothikel, this is my brother Jamie."

Stephan blinked and was unsure how to react. He knew that some birds and other animals could be trained to talk, but...

"What." was all he could say, making the two animals tilt their heads looking at him.

"I'm Adam Rothikel," the taller one repeated, again pointing at the other. "He's Jamie. We're from Rothikel Construction. Your 11am appointment?"

'Adam' looked around.

"You wanted to hire us for getting his place into shape."

"What" Stephan repeated and continued to stare at these two apparently intelligent animals. No. Aliens.

'Jamie' looked at his 'brother'.

"I do not think that he expected Ormiold," he said in a gruffer sounding voice.

---------------

March 13, 2174 / May 1, 3024
Sol, Earth, New York, Walker Cluster

"Mr. Durenbaker," Tondyn of Nemefo, the Ambassador of the United Colonies to Earth, said, carefully controlling his reaction and plumage, his lower arms crossed and his upper arms places on the table in front of him. "I do not believe a single word you have just said. Frankly, it is impossible."

Maxwell Durenbaker, who had been put into this situation by his superiors in the UNOOESA, nodded.

"I know how this mist look, but..." he started before he was interrupted.

"Humans from outside out little area of space? How do you expect us to believe something like this."

"I do believe it handily," Morul Lye'mosu, Ambassador of the Empire of Jerat, countered his colleague from one of the Quetzal survivor nations at 61 Virginis. "The Emperor has foreseen such an event fifty years ago and given out orders..."

Tondyn had his feathers fluff out in a threatening gesture.

"You and your Emperor," he hissed out. "You seem to have an answer to everything, don't you?"

"Gentlebeings," Durenbaker said and held up his hands, trying to prevent the Quetzal from attacking the Tiaunt. Again.

"There is no need to..."

Tondyn turned back to the human.

"I you want me to believe you," he said, steel in his voice. "You better give me unrefutable evidence. Evidence my nation can double and tripple check. Without that evidence, I will not believe a single word."

With that the Quetzal rose from his seat, dropped to the floor and slithered out of the room, almost all the aliens present making various gestures of approval.

Durenbaker had to suppress a sigh. Diplomacy with aliens was hard, especially when their diplomatic methods were different to those of humans. At least the Quetzal were direct...
 
Prologe 03 - Voting
With the Mercs on Earth and their jump ship going to arrive at the Earth-Sol Libration Point 1, also called a Pirate Point by the the Mercs, there is the need to take a look at their computers and their information.

[] Take a covert look at the computers and data bases, with the help of some agents and some smart dust. (50% success)
[] Ask them about a few things and attempt to access their computers covertly. (50% success)
[] Just ask them about themselves and about gaining access to their computers and databases. (50% success)

Result: Gain some information about the 'Inner Sphere' and some technical documentation

But there are other potential sources of evidence for Earth and the alien nations doubting everything. Attempt to gather additional evidence about the whole situation by sending an expedition out there to try and find one or two planets that could corroborate the Mercs information.

[] Send out one or two squadrons of survey craft in an attempt to gather information. (75% success)
Result: Gaining some additional evidence about the entire story, but 1d10 alien nations are unwilling to take the evidence at all
[] Invite some alien nations into the survey squadrons. (65% success)
Result: Gaining some additional evidence about the entire story, most of which will be believed, but with 1d6 nations not believing any of it, due to national rivalries.
[] Invite all alien nations into the survey squadrons. (45% success)
Reault: Gaining some additional evidence about the entire story, most of which will be believed.

Those missions will run for about three months.
 
[X] Just ask them about themselves and about gaining access to their computers and databases. (50% success)
We are not dicks people. Dicks are in the Inner Sphere. Asking will harm and if they say no then we can think what to do.

[X] Invite all alien nations into the survey squadrons. (45% success)
Well, Aliens don't believe in Alien Humans? Let's invite ALiens to look fro Grey Humans then in their space mechs.
 
[X] Just ask them about themselves and about gaining access to their computers and databases. (50% success)

[X] Invite all alien nations into the survey squadrons. (45% success)
 
[X] Just ask them about themselves and about gaining access to their computers and databases. (50% success)

Asking costs nothing. We can always try the underhanded stuff if fails.

[x] Invite some alien nations into the survey squadrons. (65% success)

I much prefer some not believing, than I assume mutual sabotage during the mission/
 
[X] Just ask them about themselves and about gaining access to their computers and databases. (50% success)
[X] Invite some alien nations into the survey squadrons. (65% success)
 
And the Voting is partially in:

[X] Just ask them about themselves and about gaining access to their computers and databases. (50% success)

I need one more vote for the Survey... As we have two votes for two different options...
 
Very well...

With the lack of additional votes, I will roll a 1d6 to decide:

even: [X] Invite all alien nations into the survey squadrons. (45% success)
odd: [X] Invite some alien nations into the survey squadrons. (65% success)

Roll 1d6 -> 6

So we go for Inviting all alien nations.

Results for both final votes:

[X] Just ask them about themselves and about gaining access to their computers and databases. (50% success)
Roll 1d100 -> 95 CRIT -> Roll 1d100 -> 30

Looks like our mercs are going to fall over themselves to help with intelligence... :p

[X] Invite all alien nations into the survey squadrons. (45% success)
Roll 1d100 -> 58

Some mild success.
 
Not too bad rolls. Wonder how the aliends will react.
 
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