General Domestic Issues

[Terminus]

We ran quickly across the open moorland and stopped at the wall of invisible nanites flying through the air. Summit-01 lifted a fist and opened his hand slightly, pointing at the obstruction. We too added onto the fields that he was projecting, slowly manipulating the air and pulling across the web-like atmosphere of metal bugs; forming the semblance of a path. As planned, both Marco-01 and Marco-02 did their parts: the former effector-hacked the nanos and the latter, 02, created the necessary fields to make our presence undetected. The drones made a perimeter.
The keep's wall was up ahead. Our laces scanned several long layers of Resistant, Asynchronous gravity fields; this meant that the closer something approached it, the more resistant it would become, and that it was dynamic and moving across its designated area - asynchronous - so that no weak parts could exist and be exploited upon.
The fields did not end at the top of the wall, but continued high above the mediaeval building, meeting together and creating a dome-like shield.
We knew that the top of the dome would be the weakest - only nanites would be projecting the fields at the point - whereas more likely than not, the physical plaisteach barriers contained protractor drones mere millimeters beneath their tough exteriors. We could not float up there and create a path through the nanites at the same time, and so Summit-01 ordered Group 01 of ACEDIAs and Sin-Eaters to carry Marco-01 to the top of the dome, tear a fracture of the field and hack the projector nanites to kill their given commands.
I watched him float up into the air with the drones. The other members of the Everest expedition were silent and held an air of by-the-book coolness. I, too, was calm and prepared, ready to execute the mission with impressive speed; it could have been the emotional signals emitted from Summit-01 to our connected minds that made it this way.
The fields opened up enough for us to cut through those on the ground and hack them too. It would take two hundred seconds for the fields to become re-established. We needed to find the VIP (codename: Peak) fast and leave fast, without attracting attention.
We were briefed on the Backyard, but it was still a shock to all our nerves to witness the place. Scans were detecting grotesque creatures lurking around us; they could not sense our presence for now. Marco-01 spotted the VIP and gave us a holographic marker on our screens to follow. Nearby scans determined he was not alone; two largish animals were circling him hungrily; banshee wolves. One pounced at the figure, and it was repulsed with a muscular kick to the jaw. The other more carefully made its move, swiping up with its paws and slowly narrowing distance between itself and the VIP.
Before things could get truly violent, Marco-02 extended the stealth fields into Peak's area and we neutralized the threats. He was in the tattered rags of a uniform with blood pouring out of large open wounds across his body. His face, in particular, was especially savage, and it seemed as if he had experienced injuries from his captors as much as from his prison; two fingers, three toes, a hand, and an eye were missing with surgical accuracy. As we retreated, I was assigned to summarize our mission to Peak and be the VIP's personal escort.
We passed vaulted over the wall just as the fields started to protract again.
...


"End of Root-04's neural log, sir."
"Thank you. I have assessed enough of the participants' thoughts to compile a debrief. Kill them all."
"Yes, sir."
"Daniel, I recognize that you cannot speak nor write at the moment, but I believe you are now competent to once more understand what I am saying to you. We are at war with ourselves and He is the instigator. Negotiation is not an option and any elapsed time to leave this conflict without suffering significant losses has already passed.
When you are ready, I hope that you have learned enough to make a more positive contribution to our side instead of slowing us down by being captured by the enemy."

[Subotai45]

The Senate of Argentina has recently released a declaration, known as the Declaration of 1863 in homage to a similar declaration made by Argentina a long, long, time ago.

The Republic of Argentina declares Venus a "free planet". The only nations who may govern Venusian soil or control territory on Venus are those founded on Venus itself. Simply put, off-worlders may not colonize Venus.

To guarantee this freedom the Republic of Argentina announces that Venusian soil is not to be tread upon by the soldiers of any off-world power. Any armed units belonging to an off-world power will be attacked if they land on Venus. We ask the other nations of Venus to assist us in this goal, and sign our declaration. If you sign the declaration, and an off-worlder places troops on Venus, you are required to send the majority of your military to fight alongside your fellow Venusians in repelling the invaders, as we will do if necessary.

This by no means signals an Argentine withdrawal from the outside world. We wish to continue trade with off-world countries and peoples, and seek their support, in this declaration. If you are an off-world power who signs this declaration, and another off-world power invades Venus, you will be required to place economic sanctions against them and denounce them politically. You are encouraged, but not required to fight them militarily outside of Venus.

Venusian Signatories:
Republic of Argentina
Pallas
New Hope

Off-World Signatories:
URMA
Aresia

[Terminus]

Hmmm... I like it. The URMA supports the Declaration of 1863 (- but why 1863?)

[chrisman39]

The Republic believes that "Soldiers" or "Troops" is too vague. If two members of Terra Battalion land on Venus for vacation does this really constitute an invasion?

Additionally, let's say an SP wants power on Venus. We could simply land civilians and set up a colony- no troops necessary!

[dcaibal]

Sounds nice. I'll send my "magic" pen.

You guys wannna buy the "Deluxe Planetary Defense" package?

(I'm still leaving my offer to build an international city for you guys on the archipelago in the "middle" of the Venus map. Ruled by the Council of Venus directly, and therefore no complete national identity, and can be treated as the Geneva of Venus- but bigger.)

[Geonosis70]

Sounds nice. I'll send my "magic" pen.

You guys wannna buy the "Deluxe Planetary Defense" package?

(I'm still leaving my offer to build an international city for you guys on the archipelago in the "middle" of the Venus map. Ruled by the Council of Venus directly, and therefore no complete national identity, and can be treated as the Geneva of Venus- but bigger.)

I'll pitch in on paying for that planetary defense package and for the international city.

Plus, I'm going to sign the Declaration of 1863.

[Subotai45]

The reason Argentina exists in CYOC instead of Goighoigh or Muzam or whatever is because I had a whole lot of fun playing the original HOTW and named my CYOC country after it. Because all the half-decent countries were taken by the time I arrived in HOTW, I ended up with Argentina, which was not only small, but surrounded by territories with few resources. I was stuck there with a few European colonies and Jello (Brazil), who was only in slightly better shape than myself. Realizing that you need to have all of Peru to get the resources included in half of Romania, and that South America, although big, was kinda worthless, Jello and I made a declaration, known as the Declaration of 1863 (because it was in 1863). The declaration is here.

IC: The Republic of Argentina thanks URMA and Aresia for their support of the declaration, and hopes that it will provide for the security of Venus. Argentina will be putting a vote forward in the CINS to see if the other member states are interested in the planetary defense or the international city.

The Declaration has been slightly edited, with "armed forces" replacing troops, but I'm not going to allow details like this derail the main issue. Additionally, the "setting up a colony" was already covered by "The only nations who may govern Venusian soil are those founded on Venus itself."


OOC: When this gets off the ground, we can probably get rid of hypermalaria.

[Geonosis70]

Has the CINS considered allowing Pallas members in the council?

[narwhalwarlord]

New Hope signs, and commits its mighty space navy to the enforcement of this.

[chrisman39]

Additionally, the "setting up a colony" was already covered by "The only nations who may govern Venusian soil are those founded on Venus itself."

If you really don't notice the issue there, go for it.