Comrade Izaac
Secretary General of the Alt-Historians Union
- Pronouns
- They/Them
i'm going to be this year's american idol u and the sinema bros can't stop me
-
Hi Guest!
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Alternate Wikibox Thread
- Thread starter gentleman biaggi
- Start date
i'm going to be this year's american idol u and the sinema bros can't stop me
- Pronouns
- it/its (you'll get used to the third person thing)
i AM paula abdul
ES1702
Well-known member
- Location
- Cambridge, England
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Gladwyn Merrick
Member
Overall fairly accurate so far!UPDATE
King of the Uzbeks
Law School Bound *Gulp*
- Location
- Ohio
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
The More Things Change…or…Like Father Like Son
King of the Uzbeks
Law School Bound *Gulp*
- Location
- Ohio
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Ever since Connecticut had acknowledged Pennsylvania’s ownership of the Wyoming Valley, the Western Reserve, abutting Lake Erie, had been in an awkward situation. Separated by two states and hundreds of miles, the territory was cut off from its own state. Elected officials had to spend time traveling between Connecticut and the Reserve to win statewide, and many Reservers felt isolated from their government. It was taken as a given that, eventually the two states would part ways. In the state capital this was discussed quite amiably. But then came the Missouri compromise. It was Maine that was chosen to be admitted with Missouri, and from then on pairings between slave and free were required. And new territories seemed to get priority, especially as the Reserve became a hotbed of abolitionist activities. Thus the Reserve remained attached at the hip to Connecticut.
As the reserve’s population grew, it became convention that the Lieutenant Governor would reside in Warren and be from the Reserve. This practice soon expanded and Connecticut would become the only state with Lieutenant Treasurers, Secretaries of State, etc. However tensions still remained. The Reserve’s population climbed, and would eventually surpass Connecticut proper. Industry came and Cleveland grew, dividing the state’s two halves further apart. Resentment grew, particularly as an understanding could not be reached as to dividing the state’s Senate delegation.
Thus, when a referendum was called in 1869 to divide the state, many expected the measure to pass easily. Both major parties supported it. Democrats could maybe win in Connecticut proper on occasion, but never with the fiercely Republican western reserve. Republicans would still have a good chance for power in Hartford, and would have free reign in the new state. Meanwhile the Reserve would have a chance to chart its own destiny, perusing policies to favor a Great Lakes Economy not an Atlantic one.
However, the “No” campaign proved surprisingly well organized, supported by farmers in the interior. For some, distance from central power was a blessing, not a curse. Worries were also raised that favor would fall towards the Lakeside industrial powers, not the common man. Supporters of Statehood did themselves few favors, trumpeting mainly the benefits to the cities, not the countryside. The biggest mistake was likely the position that Cleveland, not Warren, would be the new state capital. This sent many in the Southeastern Reserve into a feral panic.
Election Day came, and with it a shock rejection of statehood. Outside of Sandusky and Cleveland, citizens declared an intent to stick with Connecticut and the headaches that came with it. It was not the end of statehood fights, and many of the areas that had rejected the referendum would soon industrialize. But it was enough to call into question the long-standing assumption of inevitability surrounding the division of Connecticut.
As the reserve’s population grew, it became convention that the Lieutenant Governor would reside in Warren and be from the Reserve. This practice soon expanded and Connecticut would become the only state with Lieutenant Treasurers, Secretaries of State, etc. However tensions still remained. The Reserve’s population climbed, and would eventually surpass Connecticut proper. Industry came and Cleveland grew, dividing the state’s two halves further apart. Resentment grew, particularly as an understanding could not be reached as to dividing the state’s Senate delegation.
Thus, when a referendum was called in 1869 to divide the state, many expected the measure to pass easily. Both major parties supported it. Democrats could maybe win in Connecticut proper on occasion, but never with the fiercely Republican western reserve. Republicans would still have a good chance for power in Hartford, and would have free reign in the new state. Meanwhile the Reserve would have a chance to chart its own destiny, perusing policies to favor a Great Lakes Economy not an Atlantic one.
However, the “No” campaign proved surprisingly well organized, supported by farmers in the interior. For some, distance from central power was a blessing, not a curse. Worries were also raised that favor would fall towards the Lakeside industrial powers, not the common man. Supporters of Statehood did themselves few favors, trumpeting mainly the benefits to the cities, not the countryside. The biggest mistake was likely the position that Cleveland, not Warren, would be the new state capital. This sent many in the Southeastern Reserve into a feral panic.
Election Day came, and with it a shock rejection of statehood. Outside of Sandusky and Cleveland, citizens declared an intent to stick with Connecticut and the headaches that came with it. It was not the end of statehood fights, and many of the areas that had rejected the referendum would soon industrialize. But it was enough to call into question the long-standing assumption of inevitability surrounding the division of Connecticut.
King of the Uzbeks
Law School Bound *Gulp*
- Location
- Ohio
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
The Mondale: An Unexpected Candidacy
“SENATOR WELLSTONE DIES IN PLANE CRASH DAYS BEFORE CRUCIAL SENATE ELECTION”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, October 26, 2002
“WELLSTONE MEMORIAL A TRIUMPHANT CELEBRATION OF HIS LEGACY”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, October 30, 2002
“DEMOCRATIC FARMER-LABOR PARTY SELECTS FORMER VICE PRESIDENT WALTER MONDALE AS REPLACEMENT CANDIDATE”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, October 31, 2002
“MONDALE FACES REPUBLICAN NOMINEE AND SAINT PAUL MAYOR NORM COLEMAN IN DEBATE”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, November 4, 2002
“EVEN ON ELECTION DAY, GOVERNOR VENTURA REMAINS SILENT ON WELLSTONE REPLACEMENT”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, November 5, 2002
“MONDALE WINS, RETURNS TO WASHINGTON AFTER 17 YEARS”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, November 6, 2002
“50-50 SENATE, AGAIN. GOP FORM MAJORITY.”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, November 6, 2002
“VENTURA TO APPOINT MONDALE TO WELLSTONE’S SENATE SEAT”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, November 12, 2002
“MONDALE AUTOMATICALLY BECOMES DEPUTY PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE UPON HIS INAUGURATION”
- Minneapolis Star-Trubune, November 23, 2002
“SENATOR WELLSTONE DIES IN PLANE CRASH DAYS BEFORE CRUCIAL SENATE ELECTION”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, October 26, 2002
“WELLSTONE MEMORIAL A TRIUMPHANT CELEBRATION OF HIS LEGACY”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, October 30, 2002
“DEMOCRATIC FARMER-LABOR PARTY SELECTS FORMER VICE PRESIDENT WALTER MONDALE AS REPLACEMENT CANDIDATE”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, October 31, 2002
“MONDALE FACES REPUBLICAN NOMINEE AND SAINT PAUL MAYOR NORM COLEMAN IN DEBATE”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, November 4, 2002
“EVEN ON ELECTION DAY, GOVERNOR VENTURA REMAINS SILENT ON WELLSTONE REPLACEMENT”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, November 5, 2002
“MONDALE WINS, RETURNS TO WASHINGTON AFTER 17 YEARS”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, November 6, 2002
“50-50 SENATE, AGAIN. GOP FORM MAJORITY.”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, November 6, 2002
“VENTURA TO APPOINT MONDALE TO WELLSTONE’S SENATE SEAT”
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, November 12, 2002
“MONDALE AUTOMATICALLY BECOMES DEPUTY PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE UPON HIS INAUGURATION”
- Minneapolis Star-Trubune, November 23, 2002
CTTeller
You still haven't passed my pipe
- Location
- Pinner, Middlesex
- Pronouns
- he/him
It probably won't surprise people, but this is seriously right up my street.
King of the Uzbeks
Law School Bound *Gulp*
- Location
- Ohio
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Considering just going full hog and have him win POTUS in 08
Even better: have him fight Gary Hart over the nomination again in 2004,which is honestly quite likely in this scenario.
King of the Uzbeks
Law School Bound *Gulp*
- Location
- Ohio
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
"[SYMBOL FOR IF (previously established)]
[SYMBOL FOR LIFE (previously established)]
[PICTOGRAM INDICATING THIRD PLANET FROM STAR]
[SYMBOL FOR THAN (previously established)]
[PICTOGRAM INDICATING MANUFACTURER]
[PICTOGRAM INDICATING ROUTE FROM ROSS 128 TO SOLAR SYSTEM]
[PICTOGRAM INDICATING FIRST PLANET FROM SUN]"
- From "The Silicone Square" on board the Iʻa 2.
"Further analysis has shown the square is not actually Silicone, but uh, well I'm guessing that's not what you have questions about."
- NASA Director Sage Smith, August 1 2035
"The main issue we have is with the symbol for life. Several pictures of the Rossians and what appeared to be other plant life were equated with it. Then what appear to be rocks and a star are shown to be not equal with it. But there's the possibility it means 'bounty' or 'family' or something along those lines. The rest were established via basic math. But overall, we feel very confidant about the translation."
- Head of the Harvard Linguistics Department (Under Contract by NASA), August 3, 2035.
"All available evidence suggests that the Iʻa 2 is transmitting back to Ross 128 b, likely with video and audio of what the astronauts have put in front of it, although given the camera size and how close they are, we've had to get creative. In addition pretty much every radio powerful enough is pointed at Ross 128 b, playing similar messages on repeat, with requests for a response. If they're listening, they'll hear us.
But time and space are not our friends at this juncture.
These messages are moving as fast as they can, the speed of light. But Ross 128 is a smidge over 11 light years away. So it will be a smidge over 11 years before they even hear of us. Any reply will then take 11 years to return. Then the Manufacturers will have to assemble a craft, select a crew, make plans and everything that goes into space travel. I do not know how long that will take. Even assuming their crewed craft can move at the same speed as Iʻa, one half the speed of light, it will take that crew over 22 years to reach Mercury, which we believe to be their initial destination.
That brings us to a total of 33 years in transit, and an unknown amount more for preparation. That is not a long time for astrophysicists, but that is a long time for everyone else.
And so we must do what we, and I speak both of Americans and Humanity in general, hate to do above all else.
We must be patient."
- NASA Director Sage Smith, August 13, 2035
"WHAT ARE THE ROSSITES?"
- New York Post, August 30, 2035
"why are they backwards? ive looked at the damn things for months, why are they backwards"
- Internet Commentators th78hb, September 2, 2035
"NEITHER ANIMAL, PLANT, NOR FUNGI: The Curious Classification Conundrum of the Rossians"
- Scientific American, September 19, 2035
"All life on earth originates from a single source. One basic self replicating cell that's taken over everything.
A common origin with life on Ross 128 b is possible but highly unlikely. Thus, humanity is more closely related to the smallest bacteria than we are to the Manufacturers. And the same goes for any other living being."
- Head of NASA Xenobiology, September 29, 2035
"CRAB COSTUMES SELL IN RECORD NUMBERS"
- The Wall Street Journal, October 23. 2035
"Any deception will inevitably be inaccurate perhaps even offensive. NASA will not consult on any Manufacturer films."
- NASA Press Secretary, November 3, 2035
"PARAMOUNT'S 'BATTLE IN ORBIT' TO PIT HUMANS AGAINST ROSSITES"
- Los Angeles Times, November 4, 2035
"NEW THEORY CASTS LIGHT ON ROSSIAN CLAWS"
- Scientific American, December 29, 2035
"CLAWS USED FOR COMMUNICATION, NOT COMBAT"
- New York Post, January 2, 2036
"While the claws can be pivoted forward, this mostly seems to be used to provide a wider array of sounds. It is the limbs near the mouth that provide the object manipulation."
- ESA Study, January, 2036
"PORNHUB REPORTS THOUSANDS OF ROSSIAN UPLOADS"
- National Enquirer, February 14, 2036
"As far as we can tell from the Silicone Square, the Manufacturers reproduce via spawning. One lays eggs, another fertilizes them. No intercourse.
…
No. I don't know whether they enjoy it. Please stop with this line of questioning."
- NASA Director Sage Smith, February 16, 2036.
"ONE OF US ONE OF US ONE OF US."
- Top post on r/asexuality in 2036
"SCIENTISTS, DIPLOMATS, GATHER IN ZÜRICH TO DISCUSS ROSSIAN CLASSIFICATION"
- Washington Post, March 3, 2036
"It would be absurd to call everyone here an American, just because they are the ones who have sent the most probes into deep space. It would be absurd to assume that the Manufacturers are synonymous with every resident of Ross 128 n. Meanwhile Rossian sounds too much like Russian.
So I move for Rossite as far as English goes."
- Indian Diplomats, March 4, 2036
"Oh sure the everyday name stuff went well. But the 'latin' names are going to be a shit show. We have to make stuff for every single level, and everyone wants it to be cute. It'll take months, and we'll wind up with a hodgepodge."
- Anonymous Biologist, March 7, 2036
"98% SUPPORT MORE NASA FUNDING"
- Gallup Poll, April, 2036
"MARS FEELING LEFT OUT NOW THAT EVERYONE GOING TO MERCURY"
- The Onion, May 2, 2036
"OPINION: AMERICA CANNOT BE BEATEN TO MERCURY. NOT BY ROSSITES. NOT BY HUMANS"
- Washington Post, May 25, 2036
"We would be extremely happy to work with anyone. The Chinese, the Europeans, the Russians. Anyone this should be a joint effort. And effort for all mankind."
- NASA Director Sage Smith, June 12, 2036
"TALKS IN TOKYO OVER JOINT MISSIONS"
- New York Times, June 20, 2036
"TOKYO TALKS COLLAPSE"
- New York Times, June 25, 2036
"There were, of course, key differences. The Second Space Race was not accompanied by a Second Cold War. Earthbound tensions did not disappear, or even lessen, but there was not quite the level of perverse paranoia or fear of armageddon seen in the 1900s. This in turn created a more cooperative spirit. Although the Tokyo Conference failed to unite the programs, it did promise rights to observe other nation's programs, and set a better tone then the Sputnik launch at least.
And of course, there were more players. The Americans and ESA pretty quickly teamed up. The Chinese were eager to show their place as a premier world power. The Russians also prepared a program aimed at Mercury. Many mocked the so called 'Southern Compact' headed by India. No member of the group of mostly democratic third world countries had ever had a human launch. But in time they would surpass the ailing Russians…."
- “The Second Space Race”, 2100
"On this, the Anniversary of the launch of Apollo 8, the first manned mission to slip the surly bonds of Earth and travel to another world, we are pleased to make a major announcement.
The Hermes Program.
A joint venture by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the European Space Agency, the Hermes Program will be the first to meet with beings from another word. With components on Earth, in orbit, and around Mercury, it will be the most ambitious project to date. And not only will it bring us First Contact. It will open up the solar system."
- NASA Director Sage Smith, December 21, 2036
"FIRST CONTRACTS AWARDED FOR HERMES PROGRAM"
- Chicago Tribune, March 25, 2037
"PRESIDENT: EARTH ORBIT STATION BY THE END OF THE DECADE"
- Washington Post, July 12, 2037
"SS: We can have *a* station by the end of the decade. I'm not sure it will be fit for the intended use of launching interplanetary missions. The docking plans are both still early on and completely unprecedented. And since we're intending it to be a test for long-term habitation, there'd be not really answers….
JF: We need a win. Look, I really don't want to rush you. But regardless of who is where, we need the first punch.
SS: Sir the dangers of rushing cannot be overstated.
JF: I'm not asking you to rush. Just find something that'll come up soon. Then we'll spin it as a win.
SS: Er well. The vehicles we're using for launching to the station, they're technically new. Just some minor modifications to our existing stuff. A 2.0 thing.
JF: That's a start."
- White House, January 2038
"IRIS LAUNCHER ANNOUNCED"
- Scientific American, February 2, 2038
"First Contact presents several unique issues.
Firstly there will need to be experts in a wide variety of fields present. Diplomats. Linguistics. Cultural Anthropologists. Not to mention the military presence that will no doubt be imposed.
Secondly they will have a full slate of duties related to their field of expertise.
Finally, some degree of regular rotation csb be expected.
Thus, the prospect of 'passengers' looms over the Hermes Program."
- NASA Memo, dated June 2038
"81% SUPPORT NASA BUDGET"
- Gallup, June 2038
"Although a gross oversimplification, the maximum that starting in the late 2030s, the Unites States spent money on the 'Four Ss' remains a dominant historical narrative.
The Four Ss were:
Services
Security
Seawalls
Space."
- Journal of American History, October 2099
"CHINESE LAUNCH CREWED FLIGHT INTO ORBIT"
- Denver Post, August 3, 2038
"MISSON 'LIKELY PLANNED WELL BEFORE IʻA 2' SAYS TOP OFFICIAL"
- Washington Post, August 19, 2038
"CAN THE US RESPOND?"
- Time, September 3, 2038
"FIRST UNMANNED OLYMPUS MISSION SET FOR EARLY NEXT SUMMER"
- Washington Post, September 13, 2038
"OPINION: A WEAK RESPONSE FROM A WEAK ADMINISTRATION"
- New York Times, September 14. 2038
"This is all ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Yes there is symbolic weight to getting there first. But so long as we're there when they get there, it's all the same. They'll just see multiple stations. Some older than others, some younger There is no imperative to get to Mercury first."
- NASA Director Sage Smith (Private), September 15, 2038
"OLYMPUS BASE: WHAT WILL IT DO?"
- Scientific American, May 2, 2039
"HOW THE TALARIA MODEL CAN TAKE US ANYWHERE, NOT JUST MERCURY"
- Vox Media, May 22, 2039
"OLYMPUS PRE-SUPPLY MISSION 1: AN ITINERARY FOR EARTH ORBIT"
- Time, June 3, 2039
"SUPPLIES ON SPACE STATION PRE-SUPPLY MISSION INCLUDE ENTIRE SPACE STATION"
- The Onion, June 4, 2039
"SMITH: THIS IS JUST MODULE ONE OF MANY, BUT WE ANTICIPATE SUCCESS"
- Miami Herald, June 6, 2039
"HURRICANE MIKE TURNS TOWARDS FLORIDA"
- National Weather Service, June 7, 2039
"DELAY LIKELY"
- Washington Post, June 12, 2039
"LAUNCH POSTPONED"
- Washington Post, June 14, 2039
"NEW DATE SET FOR JUNE 30"
- New York Times, June 17, 2039
"EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OPSM 1 (AGAIN)"
- Vox, June 29, 2039
"BREAKING: INCIDENT AT CANAVERAL"
- Des Moines Register, June 30, 2039
"And, lift-
My god. The rocket is tipping. It's falling to one side. That's a lot of fire, and the entire launchpad apears to be collapsing.
My god."
- CBS Broadcast, June 30, 2039
"NASA CONFIRMS: OLYMPUS MODULE UNUSABLE AFTER LAUNCH DISASTER"
- Washington Post, July 1, 2039
"We are lucky it fell the directions it did. No deaths on the ground crew is a genuine miracle. A full investigation will of course be made."
- NASA Director Sage Smith, July 2, 2039
"FLOPNIK 2"
- National Enquirer, July 3, 2039
"Better another Flopnik than another Apollo 1."
- NASA Director Sage Smith (Privately), July 4, 2039
"PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SHOW SUPPORT SYSTEM FAILURE RESPONSIBLE FOR OPSM 1 FIASCO"
- Washington Post, August 31, 2039
"SMITH'S REFUSED RESIGNATION OFFER LARGELY PRO FORMA, INSIDERS SAY"
- Washington Post, September 9, 2039
"SS: The repairs we've made will hold up for a few years, even if it gets hit more. The launches under the revised plan can continue. But long term…sir I realize selecting a new launch site will cause a host of problems. The pork barrel alone will…
JF: Forget the new location, think about the old one. It will look like a retreat! Everyone else leaps ahead of us while we tuck our tails between our legs.
SS: I understand that Sir, but…
JF: All of us grew up watching landings from Canaveral. It would be a massive psychological blow! The nation wouldn't stand for it!
SS: Sir the nation would be best served by having a functioning…
JF: How would I explain this in Florida? How would I sell abandoning the Kennedy Space Center in New England? And that's not even getting into…
SS: SIR
JF: What?
SS: The flooding isn't going to stop.
JF: ...I know."
- White House, December 2039
"WILL OLYMPUS STATION BE CAPE CANAVERAL'S LAST HURRAH?"
- Washington Post, January 3, 2040
"NASA's efforts have been laudable. But America's national security is dangerously exposed in Space.
There is no telling what types of weapons the Rossians may possess. But both of the engines used on the Iʻa 2 could easily be weaponized. It is absurd to think they will not come armed. Yet no provision has been made for the defense of our brave astronauts.
And there is no telling what our more Earthbound competition may do. Increased orbital presence likely means increased orbital militarization."
- Lockheed Martin Lobbying Memo, leaked February 9 2040.
"NO, THE OUTER SPACE TREATY DOES NOT BAN WEAPONS IN SPACE"
- Vox, February 10, 2040
"There may be some use to having a first line of defense at Mercury. Although, if they launched a full on invasion, they wouldn't have indicated their plan on the probe.
As far as China or Russia, militarizing Mercury is a complete waste of money. What would it even do? All our station could do is spy on and attack their station. And all their station could do is spy on and attack our station. Its MAD, but with nothing at stake."
- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (Privately), February 27, 2040
"BOTH CANDIDATES REAFFIRM SUPPORT FOR NASA BUDGET, KEEPING SMITH AS DIRECTOR"
- Chicago Tribune, October 9, 2040
"NEW POPE: ROSSITES ABLE TO BE CONVERTED"
- BBC, March 5, 2041
"AYATOLLAH ISSUES FATWA ON ROSSITES"
- New York Times, April 29, 2041
"It is time we settled this once and for all. A fatwa is not a death sentence. It is a non-binding legal opinion from a scholar of Islamic Law. The Ayatollah did not order the killing of Rossites. Quite the opposite. He said they should convert Islam."
- Vox, April 30, 2041
"SUPREME COURT TO HEAR CASE ON ROSSITE WORSHIPPERS"
- Washington Post, September 9, 2041
"In the case of The Church of Virgo Attained vs the State of Washington the Court is deadlocked, and so the lower court decision stands, although without precedent being set."
- Washington Post, November 30, 2041
"'GODS OWN IMAGE' INSIDE THE GROUP ALREADY CLAIMING ROSSITES HAVE NO SOULS"
- Time, December 4, 2041
"DO THEY COME IN PEACE? REASSESSING THE SILICONE SQUARE"
- Wall Street Journal, June 5, 2042
"what if they never come, and it was all for nothing?"
- Internet Commentator TreeJune, December 26, 2042
"what if they do come, and it was all for nothing? That's scarier imo."
- Internet Commentator correct, December 26, 2042
"NASA did a good job, uh, a really good job pulling the wool over our eyes on this one. They tell us all this Hermes shit is for first contact. But get this, they can repurpose it all, except the Cadecus, for other planets. They tricked us. They tricked us into going to Venus and Mars and Jupiter and shit.
Probe is prolly fake anyway."
- Head of the Earth First Society, July 6, 2044
"MAN WAKES UP, REALIZES ALIENS ARE BORING NOW"
- The Onion, November 24, 2044
"54% SUPPORT NASA BUDGET"
- Gallup, December 5, 2045
"Why are the Rossites coming? Why would we go to a distant star? That is the best question we can ask right now."
- Oscar Acceptance Speech, February 10, 2046
"It as all well and good to expect peaceful intentions. But intentions do not always equal actions. And there must be some sort of gain for the Rossites. Any individual making the journey that will likely add up to nearly half a century requires a profit motive."
- , March 2, 2044
"WAR PLAN GOLF MIKE: AMERICA'S PLAN TO DEFEND AGAINST ALIEN INVADERS"
- New York Times! May 12, 2045
"GOLF MIKE 'WOEFULLY INADEQUATE SAYS RETIRED ADMIRAL"
- Washington Post, May 15, 2045
"War Plan Golf Mike was only a semi-serious plan, drawn up in the late 90s. Its lack of detail is testament not to negligence, but to the fact that it was never seriously accessed. It was the functional equivalent of making an animal an officer. It has been superseded.
…
No I cannot tell you about the new plan."
- Pentagon Spokesman, May 20, 2045
"BILLIONAIRE THINKS 'GLOBAL SPACE COMMAND' NEEDED"
- New York Post, July 12, 2045
"He doesn't actually know anything about anything. He launches one private rocket into space and thinks he knows everything. No one is going to surrender their authority to some vague Space Command."
- Anonymous DoD Source, July 15, 2045
"IN THIS IOWA DINER, DEBATES OVER SPACE POLICY MEAN LITTLE"
- New York Times, August 7, 2045
"WHAT CAN COOPERATION ACHIEVE IN PLANETARY DEFENSE?"
- Chicago Tribune, September 18, 2046
"UN: AGGRESSIVE STANCE MAY BACKFIRE"
- Des Moines Register, October 23, 2046
"CONFLICT WITH ROSS: A SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY?"
- Time, November 3, 2046
"Some say a balance must be found, between peace and security. But I say those are not mutually exclusive. Some say that peace can be found through security. But I say security can be found with peace.
And we shall find this with cooperation, not conflict."
- State of the Union Address, February 21, 2047
"NEW TALKS PROPOSED AT UN"
- New York Times, February 6, 2047
"UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY SETS TERMS FOR TALKS"
- New York Times, February 10, 2047
"CHINESE, EUROPEAN LEADERS REJECT UN TERMS"
- New York Times, February 13, 2047
"In 2045 the 'Southern Compact' was still a distant fourth in terms of Space capabilities, and was troubled by factional strife as countires with little else in common needed to work together. India and Brazil in particular struggled amongst themselves.
However the Indian Government had also established itself well with the other great powers as a fairly neutral broker. They had helped forge the deal that still governed interactions with the Iʻa probe. So it was not surprising that it was in a close Indian ally, Nepali, that talks were eventually held."
- “The Second Space Race”, 2100
"Today the Secretary of State outlined the key American positions going into the Kathmandu Conference:
The Independence of all parties with regards to military policy
The Independence of all parties with regards to their civilian space policy
The Independence of all parties with regards to economic policy
The Ideal that Independence does not mean an opposition to cooperation
The establishment of uniform standards for conduct in Space and mechanisms for their enforcement.
The creation of mechanisms to ensure security for Earth, its people, and its resources
The Secretary of State believes these points can provide the frameworks for a successful summit."
- Department of State Statement, June 13, 2047
"KATHMANDU SUMMIT BEGINS"
- New York Times, September 15, 2047
"The mutual assistance provisions that would require uniform airlocks, a uniform method to transfer oxygen and electricity. Those sound nice, but it is going to be hell on the engineers, having to back track and redesign It quadruples the number of people involved. And how are we supposed to ensure it all fits together on their end if they won't agree to show us their designs!"
- Anonymous American Science Advisor, September 23, 2047
"The South African negotiator stood up and proposed banning all weapons in Space. This was widely ridiculed, what with the aliens about. But the real reason was that the Americans, Russians and Chinese all had their own satellite vs satellite weapons. And the Indians were planning their own."
- Memoirs of the Italian Representatives, 2065
"KINETIC BOMBARDMENT: THE WMD YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF"
- Vox, October 1, 2047
"Half the time of an ICBM. Harder to detect. And cheaper, just a hunk of tungsten. Point and shoot from a satellite. Let gravity do the rest. The rod from god. Level a city without violating that pesky nuclear taboo."
- Pacifist Critic, October 3, 2047
"Much in the same way the Army never quite got over losing its air wing, the Air Force never quite got over the Space Force becoming an independent branch.
In recent days this interservice friction has emerged once again. The Air Force has emerged as a stalwart defender of Kinetic Bombardment, while the Space Force is less sold on the destructive but hypothetical attack. It is all but confirmed that the United States has weapons designed to destroy satellites, but nothing of the Kinetic variety. Likely because, despite the apocalyptic imagery, conventional explosives are still more efficient in destruction."
- Washington Post, October 9. 2047
"DEAL BANNING 'SPACE TO EARTH' WEAPONS REACHED"
- New York Times, October 15, 2047
"Word of the Day: Extraterritoriality"
- Dictionary.com, October 19, 2047
"The question before us now, I believe, is how do we ensure that we are not divided and conquered. How do we ensure potential hostities do not gain a foothold, without surrendering our independence from one another."
- Chinese Representative, October 21, 2047
"On the justice side of things, its fairly simple. A commitment to no extraterritoriality and an affirmation of priority extradition to other human nations.
On the economic side, there's a complicated formula involved, and there will likely be plenty of loopholes. But in essence it keeps any trade agreements at a certain percentage lower than Most Favored Nation status. The idea here is that any individually important technology can break through, but if they have replicators or something they can't just flood the market.
The protocol is vague on enforcement, although it does require all bonding agreements to be filed with a soon to be established office in Paris."
- Vox, November 3, 2047
"As we sign this Treaty, the beings of Ross 128 b likely have received our frantic messages from 11 years ago. They probably grapple with many of the same questions we do. How do we approach such a monumental occasion? What do we have in common with those who seem so strange at first glance? We will have decades more to reach the answer. But this is a good first step."
- Indian Prime Minister, November 27, 2047
"HOW DO THE SPACE FARING POWERS CONVINCE THE OTHERS TO SIGN?"
- BBC, December 1, 2047
HUMANITY ADDRESSES HYPOTHETICAL ALIEN INVASION BEFORE CLIMATE CHANGE"
"
The Onion- The Onion, December 2, 2047
"This all seems a bit silly now. And with any luck it will seem ridiculous in 50 years. All this hubbub years in advance for a mission that appears to be headed for Mercury, not Earth.
But can you blame us?
Humans are a species haunted by our past. And for now, our past remains the most brutal of any in the Galaxy. Wars, atrocities, rivers of blood. From the first pointy rock to the first atom bomb. From the death of Cain to the genocides still ongoing.
The only intelligent life, with apologies to Chimpanzees and Dolphins, we truly understand is ourselves. And when we look in the mirror, what do we see? We see murder, we see rape. We see the most trusted of men betray that trust. And we do it globally as well. The Voyager Probes bear the words of a war criminal, wishing peace onto the universe.
The Rossites are an empty vessel, and we cannot help but project ourselves into them. I honestly think that we would blow them to smithereens the moment they arrived, if it didn't feel like we deserved the same treatment.
Every one of the signatories of the Kathmandu Protocol has colonized or been colonized at least once. And, to our credit, we seem to be learning from the past for once.
It took Christopher Columbus more than two months to reach the Americas after he left Spain. During that time no one in the New World did anything. Not even the Aztecs or the Inca, the greatest powers of their day. They did this not out of naivete or blind faith in humanity. They simply did not know he was coming. They did not know what strange voyagers from far away lands could do. They did not know what happened to the Muslims of Spain, or the ports of the Far East.
If they had known, they would have prepared.
And who would blame them?"
- Spring Commencement, Harvard 2048
Blackentheborg
Dennis Skinner's molotov
- Location
- Grand Hotel Abyss
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Love this stuff.
Just realised what "JF" could stand for - is that John Fetterman?
King of the Uzbeks
Law School Bound *Gulp*
- Location
- Ohio
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Yeah although that's likely the only real life person to show up.
CTTeller
You still haven't passed my pipe
- Location
- Pinner, Middlesex
- Pronouns
- he/him
- Location
- Sandford, Gloucestershire
- Pronouns
- She/They
and PMs go Cameron, Johnson, then Johnson leaves late 2019? Does Brexit happen similar to OTL?
CTTeller
You still haven't passed my pipe
- Location
- Pinner, Middlesex
- Pronouns
- he/him
There's a remain vote in 2016, I'm undecided whether there's a swift second referendum a few years later called by Boris or Gove. Johnson crashes and burns in a similar manner to IRL but a bit quicker and earlier. I have him at defence into the coalition and then other offices through to succeeding Cameron in 2017.
Meppo
Anticommunist Mole
- Location
- Default City, Russia
- Pronouns
- he/him
Viktoriya Kulheyko (Ukrainian: Вікторія Кульгейко; born 6 October 1978) is a Ukrainian businesswoman, lawyer and politician who has been serving as Minister of Justice since June 2021. A member of the National Hromada, she has been a deputy of the Tsentralna Rada representing Kozelets — Nizhyn since 2017.
Born in Nosivka, Kulheyko attended the Kyiv National Economic University and the University of Cologne, earning a Doctor of Law degree from the latter. She worked in a law firm in Chernihiv before working as a political aide for Oleh Liashko and Valery Kulich. Following the 2017 general election and appointment of Oleh Liashko as Prime Minister, Kulheyko served as chairwoman of the Rada committee on legal policy from 2019 to 2020, and was chair of the Hromada's German—Ukrainian working group. She was noted as a close political ally of Liashko by media, having been previously recommended for the party's 2017 "Radical Renovation" list of prospective parliamentary candidates; she also attracted attention for her socially conservative stances.
In the June 2021 reshuffle, Kulheyko was appointed Minister of the Interior, replacing Pavlo Zhebrivskyi. In this role, Kulheyko worked to improve relations with Germany, the United States of America and Kuban, signing an asylum plan with the latter to address migrant crossings and human trafficking in the Black Sea. She has also been involved in a scandal over her treatment of staffers, in addition to conflicts with left-wing student organizations in Kyiv and eastern Ukraine.
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King of the Uzbeks
Law School Bound *Gulp*
- Location
- Ohio
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
"It's been a long time hasn't it? The Rosittes, or at least the manufacturers of the probes from Ross 128b, launched their probe in 2014. Even at half the speed of light it took the probes 22 years to reach Earth. Immediately upon the arrival of the Iʻa probe, signals of every sort were bombarded at Ross 128b. Those traveled at the speed of light. So they arrived in 2046. If the Rosittes have any reply, it still is racing towards us. So for now we wait. And try to distract ourselves with our shiny new space stations."
- NPR Broadcast, April 2054
“The Marathon to Mercury remains perhaps mankind’s most stunning engineering feat, which considering the history of mankind is saying something. In the 2030s, no human had ever left the confines of Earth’s Orbit, only having reached as far as the moon. Yet in just over 20 years, humanity had not only reached another planet, but established a permanent space station around said planet, while making semi-regular interplanetary trips. And this was not a united effort, four separate entities did this, each largely independent of one another…”
- On The Shoulders Of Titans, 2099
“First Mercury Landing Proceeding as Planned.”
- Des Moines Register, October 19, 2054
“NASA: Oh shit we’ve been at Mercury for years already and forgot to land.”
- The Onion, October 21, 2054
“The priority of the Caduceus Station has always been as a diplomatic site, selected because that’s where the Rossites will be, not for any particular value to land there,”
- Washington Post, October 26, 2054
“RUMOR: LYRE-1 LANDING MOVED UP TO PREMPT CHINESE LANDING.”
- Politico, October 31, 2054
“Mercury Landing was always supposed to coincide with Caduceus Station being complete, why has that changed?”
- Des Moines Register, November 3, 2054
“OPINION: America has forgotten the lessons of Olympus 1”
- Washington Post, November 5, 2054
“Top Official: Caduceus ‘basically done already.’”
~ Des Moines Register, November 7, 2054
“LYRE 1 LANDS TODAY.”
- POLITICO, November 10, 2054
“I come, I see, I in awe,”
- First Words Spoken on Mercury, November 11, 2054
“LYRE 1 RETURNS TO CADUCEUS STATION.”
- POLITICO, November 12, 2054
“Lyre 1 a crucial American victory in Space Race 2,”
- Washington Post, November 12, 2054
“Data Collected in Mercury ‘very useful’ says preliminary study.”
- Science, November 13, 2054
“SUCK IT CHINA, USA NUMBER ONE!”
- Yonkers Daily News, November 13, 2054
“Prime Minister congratulates Genoa Native Marina Repetto for being the first person on Mercury, praises ESA-NASA Cooperation,”
- la Repubblica, November 13, 2054
“she is literally an explorer from Genoa and her birthday is, I shit you not, October 12. Please Italians, I am begging you. She is a gift from god to replace Christopher Columbus. Please accept this gift.”
- Internet User GalBoi01, November 26, 2054
“China lands on Mercury,”
- Des Moines Register, December 13, 2054
“Early Landing was still a risk, critics say,”
- Washington Post, December 19, 2054
“Indo-Brazilian Landing Achieved,”
- Washington Post, January 15, 2055
“Jungle Work: How the ‘Southern Alliance’ is reshaping The Space Race, and Earth itself.”
- Chicago Tribune, January 31, 2055
“Russia: We will not waste resources on frivolous landing,”
- Denver Post, February 10. 2055
“Report of yet another gas leak aboard the Russian Station Nicholas,”
- Des Moines Register, February 15, 2055
“CADUCEUS COMPLETE!”
- Yonkers Daily News, February 16, 2055
“After years of construction Caduceus Station, the largest of the four stations orbiting Mercury, has been declared finished. With the installation of one final hydroponics unit, the station now moves towards ‘standard operations.’ Of course the station has had life support for years now, and most of the crew have long ceased construction work. And, should any new information be learned about the Rossites, modifications to the diplomatic and acclimation areas may commence. Still, this is a major step forward in Space exploration.”
- Des Moines Register, February 15, 2055
“Pressure? About the Space Race? Nah.”
“I mean sure there were people trying to pressure us about it. Beat the Chinese to landing in Mercury! Brasília Labs just came out with a new water reclaimer, can you improve efficiency? That sort of stuff. But we never really got that into our heads.”
“We were more focused on keeping the station from failing and killing us all, and making ourselves the best hosts we could be for the Rossites. Not any of the petty oneupmanship stuff.”
“Yeah, I guess there was some friendly competition. But it was between me and Ranjan Padhya not me and the Indians ya know? There was a healthy respect between all four crews. I mean we were alone out there, closer to each other than we were to Earth. A real camaraderie built up.”
“Especially the Russians.”
“I mean yeah their station was in rough shape, but that was because their broke government wanted to show how big their di-“
“Right, right, family show. Sorry kids.”
“Anyway, the only reason the Nicholas was so bad was because the Russians weren’t really in any state to be launching space missions anymore. But Hot Da—rn they did it anyway. I mean we had billions and billions of dollars poured into the Caduceus, same with the Shǐzhě and the Cabral. The Russians had some tin cans and string by comparison. But they made it work! We were always in awe of what their engineers could do. Just in total awe. So yeah, lots of respect for them.”
- NASA Astronaut Interviewed about life of Caduceus Station, 2087
“What to expect from the Rossites, as their message arrives”
- Des Moines Register, April 17, 2057
“Will there even be a message? We’ve been operating under the assumption they’re gonna talk to us more. For all we know they’ve changed their minds over the decades,”
- News Panelist, April 29, 2057
“It was probobly all the porn we sent up lol,”
- Internet User jukecube, May 3, 2057
“Message Received? Unusual Wavelengths detected from Ross,”
- Science, May 10, 2057
“Senior NASA scientist describes ‘cacophony’ of signals signals coming from Ross 128b,”
- Washington Post, May 12, 2057
“BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THEY CAN’T TRANSLATE. WHAT ARE YOU PAYING THEM FOR?”
- Yonkers Daily News, May 13, 2057
“Language Sample from ‘Silicone Square’ insufficient for meaningful translation, admits Indian Space Head,”
- Times of India, May 20, 2057
“Every new message does give us new samples. But the language is completely different. It doesn’t really map with the IPA because they don’t really have mouths. There are no vowels. So it is really slow going. We have, however, been able to make significant progress figuring out images in coded in the signals, that may be clues there,”
- NASA Linguist Press Conference, June 2, 2057
“Images of Rossites and Ross come through, giving tantalizing glimpses of life across the stars,”
- Des Moines Register, June 3 2057
“Based on the power signatures, most of these seem to be amateur radio operators, more like SETI enthusiast radios rather than potful communication relays.
Yes, I AM aware that SETI was proven right.”
- NASA Press Conference, June 4 2057
“Why does the Rossite symbol for ‘1’ keep popping up in these messages? Both on its own and what seems to be a symbol for negation?”
- La Monde, June 5 2057
“we send them ALL that porn and they can’t even send us some of theirs?”
- Internet Commentator YtheU, June 5 2057
“LOCAL PREIST SAYS ROSSITE ONE IS A CROSS. PROVED INTERSTELLAR DIVINITY!”
- Yonkers Daily News, June 6 2057
“RECENT IMAGE STREAM SHOWS ROSSITES COMMITTING VIOLENCE AGAINST HUMANS.”
- Politico, June 7 2057
“Invasion?”
- Chicago Tribune, June 7 2057
"It was the general consensus across Ross that Venus, then known as KcQc2 was the best suited for life of the 3 planets we had dispatched probes to in the Sol system. At a certain level it was a biased expectation. Venus was the first planet we had discovered in the orbit of the Sun, and so represented the first opportunity. So you can imagine the sheer excitement that emerged when the first reports from the probe showed organic molecules…”
- Contact: As They Knew It, 2105
“It was not confirmation of life of course. Other things produce organic molecules, but there was still much excitement of course. I was quite pleased to have been named coordinator for the Eyeshark-1. I even received congratulations from the Hegemony Min themselves. It was all very exciting. I was quite excited, and was quite boastful to my siblings. One of whom of course was coordinator for Eyeshark-2.”
- Reminisces of Dream Butcher, 2079
“Shock. Awe. Jubilation.”
- News Daily of CcTtKt, 20
“A draft message had been composed before the Eyesharks had even been dispatched. However this had largely been a formality. More a recognition of Stone Fister’s status as Hegemony Author than anything else. And then we got a reply directly. Panic set in and we attempted to rewrite as much as possible. We thought we had time, but then it became a electro trend, uh how do you say it, uh ‘meme’ I think you call it, to send imaged s of violence towards Earth by individuals. Not to mention rogue states trying something. So we got as many world leaders as we could to sign on and just blasted it.”
- Reminisces of Dream Butcher, 2079
“STRONGEST MESSAGE YET FROM ROSS!”
- Politico, June 8 2057
“New written message ‘eminently decipherable’ says NASA Linguist,”
- Des Moines Register, June 9 2057
“Literally everything we could have asked for as a starter translation guide. Very similar to what we would have done in their position. A stunning display of the power of the human, no SENTIENT, mind to communicate and overcome hurdles,”
- NASA Linguist, June 10 2057
“Greetings to the individuals of the 3 Planet Orbiting the Star of KkTcKTCt. When we dispatched the Eyesharks, we expected to explore new worlds, we hoped to find new life, but we only dreamed of finding other thinkers.
And now you have made those dreams a reality. From across the stars we extend a tentacle of friendship.
It is our hope that from the quadrilateral we dispatched aboard the Eyesharks, and data sent along with this message, will be enough to translate this message. We have begun work to decipher messages sent by you, in hopes that we may share your claws soon enough.
As promised, we shall arrive in your system, around the first planet in 11 of your years. The Greatwhale is the ship we send. We have means to travel inside the system to your planet, but will endeavor to seek your permission first. We will send the composition of our atmosphere and other requirements for our life, should you wish to host us. Please do the same in return if you so wish
We will use this length of light for any official communications to you. Others have already sent messages in your direction, and will continue. Most of these are good individuals, who seek only to speak with others. But only this length of light will be used for those who hold authority over the Eyesharks and Greatwhale. Please do the same in return. We listen with anticipation.
We are aware that First Meeting may be frightening. We assure you, you mean no harm. No invasion. We shall not use weapons except as a defense of final resort. We wish only peace and understanding. Harmony and good feelings between your species and ours.
If our words or actions have violated your norms or harmed any members of your species, we most sincerely apologize and will attempt to pay recompense upon our arrival. Please forgive our ignorance of your culture.
We wish to teach you of our histories and of our culture, of our science and of our philosophy. And we wish to learn of your histories and of your culture, of your science and of your philosophy. We wish for an exchange of knowledge for the benefit of all. We send some of our knowledge to you, and hope you send some in return. The Greatwhale should be able to hear your light.
We are never alone as individuals, our blessing and our curse. But we as a species have always been alone. Until now. For that we thank you. We lift our voices to the stars and hope your voices lift as well.
Blessings,
[Signatures]”
- Salutations Across the Stars, Modern Translation
“Unprecedented stream of Rossite information coming to Earth”
- Des Moines Register, June 12 2057
“There’s about a hundred compilations of Rossite knowledge and culture being beamed at us, some of them have overlap. Some of them don’t. It’s hard to tell what’s real without any framework. However we do have some framework. The frequency that dispatched the salutation has sent us information about inscriptions on the I’a probes that are not repeated by any other signal. This gives us a degree of confidence that the Salutation is the opinion of the Manufacturers of the Probe.”
- White House Press Secretary, June 13 2057
“Please for the love of god, give us vowels: desperate Rossite Message”
- The Onion, June 15 2057
“What is KkTt? Who is KkTt?”
- Science, June 21 2057
“KKTT: THE NAME OF GOD”
- Yonkers Daily News, June 22 2057
“Based on the, uh, context and recent transmissions on the main line, KuhkuTuhtit, that’s the nearest I can get folks, is uh music. Not like the general concept, but the genre that is currently very popular amongst young Rossites, who are most likely to have the high power transmitters needed to broadcast. Unfortunately we have no real concept of their musical notation so we can’t really listen.”
- NASA Spokesman, June 23 2057
“K-POP PEAKED TOO SOON”
- Internet Commentator BTSAdmiral123454321, June 23 2057
“Bolly-Bums crowdfund money to rent radio for reply with popular Hindi Language Songs”
- Washington Post, June 24 2057
“WHY DOES THE NUMBER 1 COME UP SO MUCH IN TRANSMISSIONS FROM ROSS?”
- POLITICO, July 3 2057
“Major New Rossite Work Received and Translated
‘On the Singular’ seems to be the source of the repetition of the Ross symbol for ‘1’. The work seems to be the basis for Singularism, which is a prominent Rossite religion and/or philosophy and/or political position.”
- Des Moines Register, July 10 2057
“Singularism: A Dangerous New Form of Capitalism.”
- Worker’s World, July 15 2057
“Singularism: An Affirmation of Interstellar Class Solidarity.”
- Jacobin, July 16 2057
“Singularism: An Affirmation of Interstellar Entrepreneurial Spirit.”
- The Federalist, July 17 2057
“Singularism: A Dangerous New Form of Communism.”
- The Daily Wire, July 18 2057
“The Rossite Language Lab: An international organization dedicated to understanding the first alien language”
- Chicago Tribune, July 20 2057
“OPINION: Sales of Transmitters that can reach Ross must be limited”
- International Centre for Reasonable Contact, July 21 2057
“UPDATE: Rossite Language Lab allegedly linked to cult”
- Chicago Tribune, July 27 2057
“ICRC shuttered after links to business interests exposed
The International Centre for Reasonable Contact closed down yesterday, after a week of startling revelations. It emerged that a conglomerate of businesses currently in control of devices able to contact Ross were funding the venture, although the Chair still maintains its message was independently crafted.”
- Des Moines Register, July 30 2057
“Academics Meet in Bern to discuss setting standards for Rossite Studies”
- Times of London, August 12 2057
“Perth Man Decodes Rossite Music
Calls KkTt ‘mid at best, have a listen for yourself,’ in controversial statement.”
- Sydney Morning Herald, August 17 2057
“Bern Conference established Congress for Rossite Studies and Relations
The new organization will be a clearing house for non-government, non-business research and knowledge about the Rossites. Subsidiary groups will handle peer review, publication, and conferences on a wide variety of subjects. Critics complain that CRSR will stifle independent thought, while Supporters argue that it will provide much needed cohesion for the still emerging field of Rossite Studies. It will help avoid frauds or dishonest actors, President Emily Burns of Auckland says, while improving efficiency by making sure researchers are part of the same network, rather than fractured groups.”
- Science, August 27 2057
“Is it ethical to study Rossite Society without Rossites?”
- The Guardian, September 10 2057
“The Long History of outsider study crushing indiginious voices”
- Des Moines Register, September 15 2057
“So this most recent private transmission is early cool.”
“No, not the one from they dude calling himself the Arch-Vicar of Coastland, the other one.”
“Wait really? The Main stream confirmed he’s an actual world leader, just not part of the program that sent the probes? That’s so cool.”
“No of course they couldn’t know we’d asked. That’s what makes it so cool! They anticipated our questions based on the messages coming from their planet! And the fact that they aren’t jamming his signal or whatever speaks well of them.”
“Oh right the signal I’m talking about came from a group that’s roughly translated as Search for Sentient Life Beyond the Planet. So basically their version of SETI it sounds like.”
“Basically it’s some basic observations about the universe as well as introductions, but also an offer to pool our resources and look for other intelligent life put in the universe.”
“Yes I think there’s more. We already found one form of life nearby, bound to be more.”
“No I don’t think we have too much on our plate already.”
“The offer? Are you kidding? Of course we said yes.”
- SETI 2.0 Advocate, September 22 2057
“Georgetown Academic draws controversy for Rossite Comments
The Professor stated that the Rossites “were not some backwards natives about to be colonized, they can defend themselves,” and “a little western culture is good for the soul anyway.”
- Washington Post, September 23 2057
“Engineers think they’ve improved Rossite Camera system”
- Science, September 24 2057
“It’s a complicated question of course. Certainly we must always be aware of the perspective Rossites have of themselves and their culture. And while we may have objections we cannot seek to impose our culture or attitudes. But well, they clearly have a rich culture, just as we do. And to ignore that would be to go against the inquisitive nature of study. And as a historian, I would love to have someone able to look over American history with absolutely no preconceived notions and analyze it. I’m very open to Rossite studies of humanity, provided it its done respectfully. And should the Rossites agree I have no issue with the reverse. It’s an issue worth thinking about though, and I’m sure the Rossites are doing so as well.”
- Dean of Oberlin College, September 30 2057
- NPR Broadcast, April 2054
“The Marathon to Mercury remains perhaps mankind’s most stunning engineering feat, which considering the history of mankind is saying something. In the 2030s, no human had ever left the confines of Earth’s Orbit, only having reached as far as the moon. Yet in just over 20 years, humanity had not only reached another planet, but established a permanent space station around said planet, while making semi-regular interplanetary trips. And this was not a united effort, four separate entities did this, each largely independent of one another…”
- On The Shoulders Of Titans, 2099
“First Mercury Landing Proceeding as Planned.”
- Des Moines Register, October 19, 2054
“NASA: Oh shit we’ve been at Mercury for years already and forgot to land.”
- The Onion, October 21, 2054
“The priority of the Caduceus Station has always been as a diplomatic site, selected because that’s where the Rossites will be, not for any particular value to land there,”
- Washington Post, October 26, 2054
“RUMOR: LYRE-1 LANDING MOVED UP TO PREMPT CHINESE LANDING.”
- Politico, October 31, 2054
“Mercury Landing was always supposed to coincide with Caduceus Station being complete, why has that changed?”
- Des Moines Register, November 3, 2054
“OPINION: America has forgotten the lessons of Olympus 1”
- Washington Post, November 5, 2054
“Top Official: Caduceus ‘basically done already.’”
~ Des Moines Register, November 7, 2054
“LYRE 1 LANDS TODAY.”
- POLITICO, November 10, 2054
“I come, I see, I in awe,”
- First Words Spoken on Mercury, November 11, 2054
“LYRE 1 RETURNS TO CADUCEUS STATION.”
- POLITICO, November 12, 2054
“Lyre 1 a crucial American victory in Space Race 2,”
- Washington Post, November 12, 2054
“Data Collected in Mercury ‘very useful’ says preliminary study.”
- Science, November 13, 2054
“SUCK IT CHINA, USA NUMBER ONE!”
- Yonkers Daily News, November 13, 2054
“Prime Minister congratulates Genoa Native Marina Repetto for being the first person on Mercury, praises ESA-NASA Cooperation,”
- la Repubblica, November 13, 2054
“she is literally an explorer from Genoa and her birthday is, I shit you not, October 12. Please Italians, I am begging you. She is a gift from god to replace Christopher Columbus. Please accept this gift.”
- Internet User GalBoi01, November 26, 2054
“China lands on Mercury,”
- Des Moines Register, December 13, 2054
“Early Landing was still a risk, critics say,”
- Washington Post, December 19, 2054
“Indo-Brazilian Landing Achieved,”
- Washington Post, January 15, 2055
“Jungle Work: How the ‘Southern Alliance’ is reshaping The Space Race, and Earth itself.”
- Chicago Tribune, January 31, 2055
“Russia: We will not waste resources on frivolous landing,”
- Denver Post, February 10. 2055
“Report of yet another gas leak aboard the Russian Station Nicholas,”
- Des Moines Register, February 15, 2055
“CADUCEUS COMPLETE!”
- Yonkers Daily News, February 16, 2055
“After years of construction Caduceus Station, the largest of the four stations orbiting Mercury, has been declared finished. With the installation of one final hydroponics unit, the station now moves towards ‘standard operations.’ Of course the station has had life support for years now, and most of the crew have long ceased construction work. And, should any new information be learned about the Rossites, modifications to the diplomatic and acclimation areas may commence. Still, this is a major step forward in Space exploration.”
- Des Moines Register, February 15, 2055
“Pressure? About the Space Race? Nah.”
“I mean sure there were people trying to pressure us about it. Beat the Chinese to landing in Mercury! Brasília Labs just came out with a new water reclaimer, can you improve efficiency? That sort of stuff. But we never really got that into our heads.”
“We were more focused on keeping the station from failing and killing us all, and making ourselves the best hosts we could be for the Rossites. Not any of the petty oneupmanship stuff.”
“Yeah, I guess there was some friendly competition. But it was between me and Ranjan Padhya not me and the Indians ya know? There was a healthy respect between all four crews. I mean we were alone out there, closer to each other than we were to Earth. A real camaraderie built up.”
“Especially the Russians.”
“I mean yeah their station was in rough shape, but that was because their broke government wanted to show how big their di-“
“Right, right, family show. Sorry kids.”
“Anyway, the only reason the Nicholas was so bad was because the Russians weren’t really in any state to be launching space missions anymore. But Hot Da—rn they did it anyway. I mean we had billions and billions of dollars poured into the Caduceus, same with the Shǐzhě and the Cabral. The Russians had some tin cans and string by comparison. But they made it work! We were always in awe of what their engineers could do. Just in total awe. So yeah, lots of respect for them.”
- NASA Astronaut Interviewed about life of Caduceus Station, 2087
“What to expect from the Rossites, as their message arrives”
- Des Moines Register, April 17, 2057
“Will there even be a message? We’ve been operating under the assumption they’re gonna talk to us more. For all we know they’ve changed their minds over the decades,”
- News Panelist, April 29, 2057
“It was probobly all the porn we sent up lol,”
- Internet User jukecube, May 3, 2057
“Message Received? Unusual Wavelengths detected from Ross,”
- Science, May 10, 2057
“Senior NASA scientist describes ‘cacophony’ of signals signals coming from Ross 128b,”
- Washington Post, May 12, 2057
“BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THEY CAN’T TRANSLATE. WHAT ARE YOU PAYING THEM FOR?”
- Yonkers Daily News, May 13, 2057
“Language Sample from ‘Silicone Square’ insufficient for meaningful translation, admits Indian Space Head,”
- Times of India, May 20, 2057
“Every new message does give us new samples. But the language is completely different. It doesn’t really map with the IPA because they don’t really have mouths. There are no vowels. So it is really slow going. We have, however, been able to make significant progress figuring out images in coded in the signals, that may be clues there,”
- NASA Linguist Press Conference, June 2, 2057
“Images of Rossites and Ross come through, giving tantalizing glimpses of life across the stars,”
- Des Moines Register, June 3 2057
“Based on the power signatures, most of these seem to be amateur radio operators, more like SETI enthusiast radios rather than potful communication relays.
Yes, I AM aware that SETI was proven right.”
- NASA Press Conference, June 4 2057
“Why does the Rossite symbol for ‘1’ keep popping up in these messages? Both on its own and what seems to be a symbol for negation?”
- La Monde, June 5 2057
“we send them ALL that porn and they can’t even send us some of theirs?”
- Internet Commentator YtheU, June 5 2057
“LOCAL PREIST SAYS ROSSITE ONE IS A CROSS. PROVED INTERSTELLAR DIVINITY!”
- Yonkers Daily News, June 6 2057
“RECENT IMAGE STREAM SHOWS ROSSITES COMMITTING VIOLENCE AGAINST HUMANS.”
- Politico, June 7 2057
“Invasion?”
- Chicago Tribune, June 7 2057
"It was the general consensus across Ross that Venus, then known as KcQc2 was the best suited for life of the 3 planets we had dispatched probes to in the Sol system. At a certain level it was a biased expectation. Venus was the first planet we had discovered in the orbit of the Sun, and so represented the first opportunity. So you can imagine the sheer excitement that emerged when the first reports from the probe showed organic molecules…”
- Contact: As They Knew It, 2105
“It was not confirmation of life of course. Other things produce organic molecules, but there was still much excitement of course. I was quite pleased to have been named coordinator for the Eyeshark-1. I even received congratulations from the Hegemony Min themselves. It was all very exciting. I was quite excited, and was quite boastful to my siblings. One of whom of course was coordinator for Eyeshark-2.”
- Reminisces of Dream Butcher, 2079
“Shock. Awe. Jubilation.”
- News Daily of CcTtKt, 20
“A draft message had been composed before the Eyesharks had even been dispatched. However this had largely been a formality. More a recognition of Stone Fister’s status as Hegemony Author than anything else. And then we got a reply directly. Panic set in and we attempted to rewrite as much as possible. We thought we had time, but then it became a electro trend, uh how do you say it, uh ‘meme’ I think you call it, to send imaged s of violence towards Earth by individuals. Not to mention rogue states trying something. So we got as many world leaders as we could to sign on and just blasted it.”
- Reminisces of Dream Butcher, 2079
“STRONGEST MESSAGE YET FROM ROSS!”
- Politico, June 8 2057
“New written message ‘eminently decipherable’ says NASA Linguist,”
- Des Moines Register, June 9 2057
“Literally everything we could have asked for as a starter translation guide. Very similar to what we would have done in their position. A stunning display of the power of the human, no SENTIENT, mind to communicate and overcome hurdles,”
- NASA Linguist, June 10 2057
“Greetings to the individuals of the 3 Planet Orbiting the Star of KkTcKTCt. When we dispatched the Eyesharks, we expected to explore new worlds, we hoped to find new life, but we only dreamed of finding other thinkers.
And now you have made those dreams a reality. From across the stars we extend a tentacle of friendship.
It is our hope that from the quadrilateral we dispatched aboard the Eyesharks, and data sent along with this message, will be enough to translate this message. We have begun work to decipher messages sent by you, in hopes that we may share your claws soon enough.
As promised, we shall arrive in your system, around the first planet in 11 of your years. The Greatwhale is the ship we send. We have means to travel inside the system to your planet, but will endeavor to seek your permission first. We will send the composition of our atmosphere and other requirements for our life, should you wish to host us. Please do the same in return if you so wish
We will use this length of light for any official communications to you. Others have already sent messages in your direction, and will continue. Most of these are good individuals, who seek only to speak with others. But only this length of light will be used for those who hold authority over the Eyesharks and Greatwhale. Please do the same in return. We listen with anticipation.
We are aware that First Meeting may be frightening. We assure you, you mean no harm. No invasion. We shall not use weapons except as a defense of final resort. We wish only peace and understanding. Harmony and good feelings between your species and ours.
If our words or actions have violated your norms or harmed any members of your species, we most sincerely apologize and will attempt to pay recompense upon our arrival. Please forgive our ignorance of your culture.
We wish to teach you of our histories and of our culture, of our science and of our philosophy. And we wish to learn of your histories and of your culture, of your science and of your philosophy. We wish for an exchange of knowledge for the benefit of all. We send some of our knowledge to you, and hope you send some in return. The Greatwhale should be able to hear your light.
We are never alone as individuals, our blessing and our curse. But we as a species have always been alone. Until now. For that we thank you. We lift our voices to the stars and hope your voices lift as well.
Blessings,
[Signatures]”
- Salutations Across the Stars, Modern Translation
“Unprecedented stream of Rossite information coming to Earth”
- Des Moines Register, June 12 2057
“There’s about a hundred compilations of Rossite knowledge and culture being beamed at us, some of them have overlap. Some of them don’t. It’s hard to tell what’s real without any framework. However we do have some framework. The frequency that dispatched the salutation has sent us information about inscriptions on the I’a probes that are not repeated by any other signal. This gives us a degree of confidence that the Salutation is the opinion of the Manufacturers of the Probe.”
- White House Press Secretary, June 13 2057
“Please for the love of god, give us vowels: desperate Rossite Message”
- The Onion, June 15 2057
“What is KkTt? Who is KkTt?”
- Science, June 21 2057
“KKTT: THE NAME OF GOD”
- Yonkers Daily News, June 22 2057
“Based on the, uh, context and recent transmissions on the main line, KuhkuTuhtit, that’s the nearest I can get folks, is uh music. Not like the general concept, but the genre that is currently very popular amongst young Rossites, who are most likely to have the high power transmitters needed to broadcast. Unfortunately we have no real concept of their musical notation so we can’t really listen.”
- NASA Spokesman, June 23 2057
“K-POP PEAKED TOO SOON”
- Internet Commentator BTSAdmiral123454321, June 23 2057
“Bolly-Bums crowdfund money to rent radio for reply with popular Hindi Language Songs”
- Washington Post, June 24 2057
“WHY DOES THE NUMBER 1 COME UP SO MUCH IN TRANSMISSIONS FROM ROSS?”
- POLITICO, July 3 2057
“Major New Rossite Work Received and Translated
‘On the Singular’ seems to be the source of the repetition of the Ross symbol for ‘1’. The work seems to be the basis for Singularism, which is a prominent Rossite religion and/or philosophy and/or political position.”
- Des Moines Register, July 10 2057
“Singularism: A Dangerous New Form of Capitalism.”
- Worker’s World, July 15 2057
“Singularism: An Affirmation of Interstellar Class Solidarity.”
- Jacobin, July 16 2057
“Singularism: An Affirmation of Interstellar Entrepreneurial Spirit.”
- The Federalist, July 17 2057
“Singularism: A Dangerous New Form of Communism.”
- The Daily Wire, July 18 2057
“The Rossite Language Lab: An international organization dedicated to understanding the first alien language”
- Chicago Tribune, July 20 2057
“OPINION: Sales of Transmitters that can reach Ross must be limited”
- International Centre for Reasonable Contact, July 21 2057
“UPDATE: Rossite Language Lab allegedly linked to cult”
- Chicago Tribune, July 27 2057
“ICRC shuttered after links to business interests exposed
The International Centre for Reasonable Contact closed down yesterday, after a week of startling revelations. It emerged that a conglomerate of businesses currently in control of devices able to contact Ross were funding the venture, although the Chair still maintains its message was independently crafted.”
- Des Moines Register, July 30 2057
“Academics Meet in Bern to discuss setting standards for Rossite Studies”
- Times of London, August 12 2057
“Perth Man Decodes Rossite Music
Calls KkTt ‘mid at best, have a listen for yourself,’ in controversial statement.”
- Sydney Morning Herald, August 17 2057
“Bern Conference established Congress for Rossite Studies and Relations
The new organization will be a clearing house for non-government, non-business research and knowledge about the Rossites. Subsidiary groups will handle peer review, publication, and conferences on a wide variety of subjects. Critics complain that CRSR will stifle independent thought, while Supporters argue that it will provide much needed cohesion for the still emerging field of Rossite Studies. It will help avoid frauds or dishonest actors, President Emily Burns of Auckland says, while improving efficiency by making sure researchers are part of the same network, rather than fractured groups.”
- Science, August 27 2057
“Is it ethical to study Rossite Society without Rossites?”
- The Guardian, September 10 2057
“The Long History of outsider study crushing indiginious voices”
- Des Moines Register, September 15 2057
“So this most recent private transmission is early cool.”
“No, not the one from they dude calling himself the Arch-Vicar of Coastland, the other one.”
“Wait really? The Main stream confirmed he’s an actual world leader, just not part of the program that sent the probes? That’s so cool.”
“No of course they couldn’t know we’d asked. That’s what makes it so cool! They anticipated our questions based on the messages coming from their planet! And the fact that they aren’t jamming his signal or whatever speaks well of them.”
“Oh right the signal I’m talking about came from a group that’s roughly translated as Search for Sentient Life Beyond the Planet. So basically their version of SETI it sounds like.”
“Basically it’s some basic observations about the universe as well as introductions, but also an offer to pool our resources and look for other intelligent life put in the universe.”
“Yes I think there’s more. We already found one form of life nearby, bound to be more.”
“No I don’t think we have too much on our plate already.”
“The offer? Are you kidding? Of course we said yes.”
- SETI 2.0 Advocate, September 22 2057
“Georgetown Academic draws controversy for Rossite Comments
The Professor stated that the Rossites “were not some backwards natives about to be colonized, they can defend themselves,” and “a little western culture is good for the soul anyway.”
- Washington Post, September 23 2057
“Engineers think they’ve improved Rossite Camera system”
- Science, September 24 2057
“It’s a complicated question of course. Certainly we must always be aware of the perspective Rossites have of themselves and their culture. And while we may have objections we cannot seek to impose our culture or attitudes. But well, they clearly have a rich culture, just as we do. And to ignore that would be to go against the inquisitive nature of study. And as a historian, I would love to have someone able to look over American history with absolutely no preconceived notions and analyze it. I’m very open to Rossite studies of humanity, provided it its done respectfully. And should the Rossites agree I have no issue with the reverse. It’s an issue worth thinking about though, and I’m sure the Rossites are doing so as well.”
- Dean of Oberlin College, September 30 2057
Radac
Too young, too simple, sometimes naïve
- Location
- Pentapotamia-in-Exile
- Pronouns
- he/him
Who is Vasyl II?