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Alternate Wikibox Thread

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
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
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 use of juxtaposition here really makes the format worthwhile.

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.

People are fundamentally people, even when they're Rossites.
 
"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

View attachment 56942

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

View attachment 56943


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

wuZzERG_d.webp

I'm loving this series, King.
 
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The 2064 United States presidential election was held from October 28 to November 4. Typical for elections of the mid-21st century, the election was primarily contested between candidates who were both nominally part of the same Democratic Party, but actually represented two different factions of the party. The Hamburger faction's candidate, former Secretary of State Natalia Villanueva of Kansas, defeated the Utica faction's candidate, former Governor Isaac Berkowitz of Massachusetts.

The election occurred in the waning days of the presidency of Nelson Barnes. Barnes, the first president of the Utica faction, had been elected eight years prior in a shocking upset that mark the culmination of years of Utican growth within the Democratic Party and the first major defeat for the long governing Hamburger faction. Although Barnes was quite popular for much of his presidency, by 2062 his administration and faction had committed serious missteps and incurred misfortune which returned the Hamburger faction to power in the Congress. What was known to the rest of the world as the late 50s recession began affecting the United States as the early 60s recession, largely caused by disruption in the flow of international raw materials into the American manufacturing chain. A series of controversial legal decisions involving cybersovereignty determined by a Supreme Court consisting largely of Barnes-appointed judges hampered the administration's attempts to make progress on identity fraud and other avatar crimes. By far the biggest issue for most voters was the Barnes administration's confrontational attitude with the Indian bloc, at a time when the American people were no longer in the "Cold War" mentality of the 30s and 40s, but instead favored a more measured approach in international relations, largely due to growing global cooperationist movement.

With these factors in mind, President Barnes decided against seeking a third term in office. He announced his decision privately to party grandees at the 2063 Policy Rationalization Conference and publicly four weeks later at the annual party convention. Vice President Sharlene Shang announced that she would not be seeking the nomination one week later, leaving the field wide open. 34 candidates filed their candidacy with the Democratic Party Organizing Committee, and the first round of balloting was held on April 24, 2064. 18 candidates were eliminated. Balloting continued until June 6, when Washington Governor Andrew Catalan and Utah Senator Lariah Obeng-Woodson dropped out, leaving only two candidates remaining. Party Chairman Teresa McKenney broke the seal on June 30, allowing members of the rival party factions to campaign against each other. Thus the presidential election campaign began in earnest.

The Hamburger faction nominated Natalia Villanueva. Her political career began as an aide in the Office of Public Works, followed by a tenure in the House of Representatives, Ambassador to Japan, Director of the Planning Bureau, and finally Secretary of State in two administrations. She was a well liked figure with both factions of the party for her accomplishments and service under Barnes. However, she split with Barnes over the Shan crisis in Burma, refusing to support his attempts to confront India in its own backyard. After resigning from the Secretary of State position in 2060, she began planning her presidential campaign. The Hamburger faction became well organized and concentrated around Villanueva largely due to the previous election, when Nelson Barnes won re-election over Morris Koechner after a disastrous effort by the Hamburgers. Villanueva remained the preferred candidate of Hamburgers for the entire balloting period and easily went through to the final two. Villanueva selected as her running mate Representative Yannick Young of Georgia, a former boss of the Quantum Engineers Democratic Union.

The Utica faction nominated Isaac Berkowitz-Babatunde, who for most of his life was known to the general public as Colonel Berkowitz. A war hero, Berkowitz was married to Massachusetts Governor "O.B." Olatunde Babatunde, who planned presidential ambitions while Berkowitz embarked on business ventures. He became well known for innovations medical technology, founding early cyberlaw defense units, and producing films. However, O.B.'s assassination in 2053 changed the life of his husband as well as the nation. The Utica faction turned to South Carolina Governor Nelson Barnes as their leader, making him president, while beseeching Colonel Berkowitz to get involved in politics and replace his husband in Boston. Berkowitz acquiesced and ran for Governor in 2054 as a Utican, despite not making any political allegiance prior to that. Although nominally a Utican, as governor Berkowitz employed staff and made appointments from both factions, frustrating O.B.'s political allies, whose progress in taking over a Hamburger stronghold was overturned for good. Berkowitz remained a popular governor despite this and retired in 2062 with high approval ratings. He planned to retire from politics but was recalled by President Barnes personally, who viewed him as an eminently viable successor as both president and head of the Uticans. Berkowitz declined and did not enter until being convinced by Silvia Dominguez, an original author and signatory of the Utica manifesto. Despite this, many Uticans were not convinced of his commitment. Berkowitz slogged through the eleven rounds of balloting, finally reaching the top two after all fellow Uticans dropped out. His victory was based on an alliance of Utican loyalists who respected the president's opinion, as well as Berkowitz's late husband, in addition to crossover support from stray Hamburgers. As a nod to hesitant Uticans, Berkowitz selected Dr. Ishrat Ghazi, former Regional Director of the National Health Administration and a devout Utican partisan, as his running mate.

Other parties also nominated candidates, including the legacy Republican Party, which did not have ballot access in all states. Unlike previous elections, there was no consolidation around any single third candidate for the anti-Democratic vote. Thus, the presidency was guaranteed to be in Democratic hands once again. The election was not predicted to be close. Although Berkowitz was only narrowly behind at the start of the campaign, he suffered from the unpopularity of the incumbent Utican administration. Furthermore, he and Villanueva were friends and they did not run vigorous campaigns against each other. Berkowitz also did not have the full support of Utican voters who remained unconvinced by doctrinal fealty and were embittered by the defeat of candidates they favored over him. All this combined to give Villanueva a strong lead and ultimately the victory. As vote counting began on the morning of November 5, it was evident that Villanueva had swept the Hamburger strongholds and Berkowitz had failed to do the same in Utican regions. Villanueva won by a 10 million vote margin, and won most of the key swing states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa, Nebraska, and Ohio. Berkowitz conceded the election by mid-day.

After the election, Villanueva announced that she would be appointing cabinet members and other government officials from all factions of the Democratic Party, and also announced that Berkowitz would be serving as Director of the National Security Agency. Villanueva's election marked a return to power for the Hamburger faction, which also won heavily in congressional and lower races. The brief Utican respite was at an end. To date, 2064 was the last election in which all electoral votes and states were won by candidates of the Democratic Party, and the last election in which no major candidates were incumbent officeholders. It was the lowest turnout election since 2048. Villanueva became the first Secretary of State to become president since James Buchanan over 200 years ago.

average 2060s presidential election be like:

brown party: here's 100 dollars to fuck off. we're gonna buy your house so we can build a 100-story solar powered nuclear reactor train station that will house 10 million refugees. don't like it? you have been unplugged from the internet. here's 100 dollars to fuck off you got cancer from living under the reactor? here's 100 dollars to fuck off. you lost your job because we nationalized your employer? here's 100 dollars to fuck off. corruption? here's 100 dollars to fuck off. we will win every election by 1.5% and somehow pass 806 laws and 20 constitutional amendments while half the party is actively planning secession. beware the seduction of the hyperreal. he who cannot die cannot ever live.

green party: states rights! civil liberties are poggers. maybe we shouldn't have let the federal government operate the entire metaverse. not to worry, money will be immaterial when we are uploaded to the cloud! but we're going to collect taxes for the sole purpose of sending it to the brave socialist revolutionaries of nigeria. let people live wherever they want! everyone doesn't need to be packed into a city. we will never win an election again because all our voters were paid 100 dollars to fuck off and we voted against that. hot take, food is good for you? we don't need to go to space when we can go to space from the comfort of our own homes! the age of death is over.
 
Half-Life, the 2022 movie, is one of the most expensive and most successful films of all time. An adaptation of the original 1998 video game of the same name, it also features the appearances of characters from Half Life 2. The masterful portrayal of Gordon Freeman by Edward Norton, all without saying a word, is strongly compounded by performances from Kevin McNally and Keith David, as well as minor appearances from Black Mesa Administrator Dr. Breen, as played fantastically by Mark Harmon. Nihilanth, portrayed by Andy Serkis through MOCAP and voiced by Tim Curry, in his first major voice role since his stroke in 2012, is a terrifying villain that was seared into the hearts of the next generation of film watchers. Topping this all off is the masterful performance of Giancarlo Esposito as the mysterious G-Man, a role that was kept tightly secret and remained unleaked until the moment he first appears at the end of the movie. In one of the most exquisite and brilliant performances of his career, Esposito steals the stage for the rest of the film until the credits roll, ending a film well worth its run time. Following the incredible success of Half Life, the film will be followed by three films following the story of the video game Half Life 2 and its episodes, a spinoff film focusing on Alyx Vance (unrelated to the video game Half Life Alyx), and finally a film concluding the story, Half Life 3, with release coinciding with the finally-confirmed video game of the same name. We are very excited to see how these films turn out.

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Poster by Sean Keenan.
 
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In 2082, a consortium led by the United States, European Federation, and the Chinese State launched the first ever Interstellar Expedition. The International Star Ship Beacon, departed from orbit around the moon, beginning the long journey to colonize Alpha Centauri A, which was confirmed as habitable. Despite massive advances in propulsion technology, the trip would still take 150 years, requiring the construction of a Generation Ship. The Beacon was a truly massive ship, with six giant ring structures providing artificial gravity and well as massive engines. One ring was reserved for equipment to be used upon colonization. Another was for intensive hydroponic agriculture. The third was a “recreation zone” for colonists. The remaining 3 rings served has Habitation Units. Initially the Beacon bore 25,000 Passengers and Crew, with careful plans to expand the population over time to reach 100,000 by the time the ship reached its destination.

The Beacon was under the Command of Captain Benedict Tuttle, at the head of a large Crew in charge of keeping the ship running. The majority of the contingent however, were not specialists instead working unskilled positions or not at all. Rations were doled out, along with time recreation and other perks. The Voyage started with high spirits.

But 30 years in, tensions have built. A new generation of those born aboard the Beacon, "shippies" have entered the ship's popularion, and chafe against their elders. The population has been rising, as according to plan, but many still find the ship overly cramped. Said population control was also controversial. Most acknowledged that some measures to avoid inbreeding and overpopulation, but the process to have children, or even relations, was unbearably cumbersome for most. Many feel stifled by the strict regimen of ship life. Strict control over rations was a topic of resentment. A divide had also emerged between "Crew" and "Colonists." Crew members were nominally to be selected based on merit, but were seen as getting unfair perks. In addition it was noted that children of Crew members were seen as more likely to be selected as Crew, undermining faith in the system. Concerns were also guven about Crew Security's contact. The Black Market was a thriving part of Beacon life, but toleration was uneven with those close to Crew members often getting let off, while less well connected figures faced crackdowns. Captain Tuttle had long consulted Colonists informally, but this was becoming insufficient.

Protests soon emerged. Prominent Passengers formed the Citzen's Association, organizing campaigns in support of holding an election for a representative body to represent the full population. The CA found the most support among those who felt the need for reform was present, but still felt the crew earned respect. The CA also enjoyed ties with many of the more respectable black market activities, like recreation voucher swaps and recycled tailoring. Other black market types drifted towards the CA as well, although leadership kept them at arm's length as well.

In early 2111 Tuttle retired and the Colony Council, a group of crew that selected its own membership, selected Heinrich Becker, a German National who had been 25 when the ship launched as the new Captain. Hopes were high that this would bring change. And it would, but not before more incidents occurred. Later that year inhabitant of Hab Ring 2, Gus Hall, hung a banner reading "LET US VOTE HEINIE" outside his living quarters. Security officers, acting on their own volition, beat and arrested Hall. This sparked major protests, including a 3 day sit-in at the Recreation Ring. Becker conceded the point and created a Shipwide Council. Each Hab Ring would elect 10 representatives, along pre-existing section lines. The Council was strictly advisory, but it was a start.

Initially there was hope that the election would be strictly non-partisan, but those hopes were soon dashed when a split emerged in the CA. Ironically this was because leadership in the Alliance was in favor of not endorsing candidates to keep the election non-partisan. However a vocal minority, led by Lu de Groot, one of the organizers of the sit-in wished the CA to take a more active role. When this did not occur, de Groot and their followers left the Citzen's Association.

de Groot, a street sweeper who had been a child when the ship launched, formed the Movement for Opportunity, Rights, and Equality, or MORE. They pushed for a very forthright platform. Citizen oversight of Crew conduct. Juries for accused crimes. The right of citizens to pursue their own choice of work and partners. Ultimate authority over ship operations as well. MORE was not so radical as to think they could just take over the ship from those trained to operate it, but they did think that the priorities of ship life should be set by the people.

This breakaway forced the Citizen's Alliance to move towards an organized stand. Having shed its most radical members, the CA took a moderate tack. Representation and oversight for the population, although no demands for power emerged. The CA's signature platform plank soon became allowing the transfer and storage of ration vouchers, both for food and recreation, which would kickstart a non-black market economy. The Alliance selected Edward Hutchinson, a popular fitness instructor in the Rec Ring, as the face of their campaign.

Faced with two challengers, the Crew and their allies scrambled to create an organization to push their viewpoint. The haste with which the Beacon Residents Association was formed perhaps explained it's English language acronym. The Association was very much the party of "keep on keeping on." Crack down on the black market, keep power with the professionals. To this end they nominated a Crew member as leader, Deputy Chief Engineer Dai Xiang.

The Beacon had largely been funded and built by European, American, and Chinese sources, and all of these groups were well represented in the crew and all three parties. The largest other groups was South Asians, Indians were the largest group, but Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were also represented. Without a presence in the crew the groups often felt isolated and gained a reputation for insularity among some, congregating in two specific sectors in Hab Ring 2. Feeling left out by the 3 main parties, Chandar Joshi, who operated a technically illegal but still wildly popular restaurant, organized the South Asian Congress, to stand up for the Community's interest.

Amanda Palmer had been the first child born after the ship had departed, turning her into a minor celebrity, and a community leader among shippies. However starting in her late teens, Palmer began to attract controversy. Palmer began preaching that those aboard the Beacon were the "chosen" destined to "begin the next stage of human evolution." She declared that they were leaving the "false light" of Earth's sun in favor of the "true light" of Alpha Centauri. "True Light," became the name of her movement, and in 2110 she changed her name to Vox Centauri. Although derided as a cult by many and facing security crackdowns, True Light would enter candidates in the race. The actual platform was vague, mostly dealing with cutting ties to the decadence of Earth and embracing a new vision of the future.

In the beginning the Citizen’s Alliance was widely expected to coast to victory, with the Beacon Residents Association as the only other major player. However MORE, and in particular Lu de Groot proved formidable campaigners. de Groot drew large clouds wherever they spoke, and imbued a passion that was lacking in the other candidates. MORE also positioned itself as the only group willing to support the back rings, where those most disaffected had wound up congregating. de Groot also hit upon the winning slogan of “for the future” saying that Shipwide democracy was the only way to ensure that the eventual Alpha Centauri colony did not wind up an autocracy ruled by the descendants of the Crew.

Hutchinson and the Citizen’s Alliance pushed back with claims that MORE were radicals who would be unable to engage with the Crew and produce meaningful results. Hutchinson, while lacking de Groot’s raw charisma, proved capable enough. A strong, slick, ad campaign targeted different voters well, and the Alliance would be the only party to pick up seats from every Hab Ring.

In contrast, Dai’s campaign floundered from the outset. The Association was mostly made up of crew members, their families, and allies who made up a decent chunk of the ship’s population. However Dai failed to expand past this base, coming across as aloof an out of touch, his engineering duties often removing him from the trail. He also made several comments about de Groot’s plans leading the ship to destruction that came across as threats by the Crew at sabotage, a fact not helped by the Association’s official logo looking very much like a bullseye.

Despite pleas from the Dai campaign, Captain Becker, who was still personally popular, refused to make endorsements. While the Crew were well known to be Dai men, and often leaned on their prestige to support it, no official backing would come.

Outside of de Groot themselves, Vox Centauri was the most passionate campaigner, speaking across the ship about a need for a new type of thinking. She criticized the major parties for falling into the old traps of “left right and center” rather than thinking “upwards towards the light.” Centauri could count on the lockstep support of her cult/religious followers, which grew thanks to increased publicity from the campaign.

Joshi did not leave Hab Ring 2 for the duration of the campaign, focusing on local connections.

The results were considered surprising. As expected the large, well known and well established Citizen’s Alliance polled both atop the popular votes, and gained the most Council seats. However they failed to secure a majority in either, which was very much a disappointment considering early expectations. MORE achieving a close second was even more stunning, most having suspected a distant third. In their election night speech de Groot declared a “new era.” The Residents Association’s failure was felt hard among the Crew, leaving Captain Becker with much less leverage than expected. Dai would resign as the party’s council leader shortly thereafter. Despite not even getting 3% of the vote overall, the South Asian Congress was, thanks to First Past the Post, able to secure two seats on the council. In contrast the electoral system hurt True Light significantly. Despite securing over 10% of the vote, the movement/party would only manage one seat. Centauri herself would be defeated, but her acolyte Nick Hu would snag a seat. True Light’s strong performance was seen as concerning by many, especially since it had polled best among young voters.

Many observers expected Hutchinson to either use the still ill defined system to assume a leadership role without a majority, or pursue a “coalition of change” with de Groot and MORE. However, after discussions with Becker, and mindful of the fact that radicals like de Groot and Centauri had unexpected popularity, the Citizen’s Alliance instead entered into an agreement with the Residents Association. Many cried betrayal, but Hutchinson was thus duly elected Speaker of the Shipwide Council by a 20-9-1 margin, with the South Asian Congress joining the majority.

Hutchinson’s first task would be defining the role he and the council occupied, as well as building a working relationship with Captain Becker. Time would tell if democracy would become a truth aboard the Beacon…
 
hypkHEz_d.webp


In 2082, a consortium led by the United States, European Federation, and the Chinese State launched the first ever Interstellar Expedition. The International Star Ship Beacon, departed from orbit around the moon, beginning the long journey to colonize Alpha Centauri A, which was confirmed as habitable. Despite massive advances in propulsion technology, the trip would still take 150 years, requiring the construction of a Generation Ship. The Beacon was a truly massive ship, with six giant ring structures providing artificial gravity and well as massive engines. One ring was reserved for equipment to be used upon colonization. Another was for intensive hydroponic agriculture. The third was a “recreation zone” for colonists. The remaining 3 rings served has Habitation Units. Initially the Beacon bore 25,000 Passengers and Crew, with careful plans to expand the population over time to reach 100,000 by the time the ship reached its destination.

The Beacon was under the Command of Captain Benedict Tuttle, at the head of a large Crew in charge of keeping the ship running. The majority of the contingent however, were not specialists instead working unskilled positions or not at all. Rations were doled out, along with time recreation and other perks. The Voyage started with high spirits.

But 30 years in, tensions have built. A new generation of those born aboard the Beacon, "shippies" have entered the ship's popularion, and chafe against their elders. The population has been rising, as according to plan, but many still find the ship overly cramped. Said population control was also controversial. Most acknowledged that some measures to avoid inbreeding and overpopulation, but the process to have children, or even relations, was unbearably cumbersome for most. Many feel stifled by the strict regimen of ship life. Strict control over rations was a topic of resentment. A divide had also emerged between "Crew" and "Colonists." Crew members were nominally to be selected based on merit, but were seen as getting unfair perks. In addition it was noted that children of Crew members were seen as more likely to be selected as Crew, undermining faith in the system. Concerns were also guven about Crew Security's contact. The Black Market was a thriving part of Beacon life, but toleration was uneven with those close to Crew members often getting let off, while less well connected figures faced crackdowns. Captain Tuttle had long consulted Colonists informally, but this was becoming insufficient.

Protests soon emerged. Prominent Passengers formed the Citzen's Association, organizing campaigns in support of holding an election for a representative body to represent the full population. The CA found the most support among those who felt the need for reform was present, but still felt the crew earned respect. The CA also enjoyed ties with many of the more respectable black market activities, like recreation voucher swaps and recycled tailoring. Other black market types drifted towards the CA as well, although leadership kept them at arm's length as well.

In early 2111 Tuttle retired and the Colony Council, a group of crew that selected its own membership, selected Heinrich Becker, a German National who had been 25 when the ship launched as the new Captain. Hopes were high that this would bring change. And it would, but not before more incidents occurred. Later that year inhabitant of Hab Ring 2, Gus Hall, hung a banner reading "LET US VOTE HEINIE" outside his living quarters. Security officers, acting on their own volition, beat and arrested Hall. This sparked major protests, including a 3 day sit-in at the Recreation Ring. Becker conceded the point and created a Shipwide Council. Each Hab Ring would elect 10 representatives, along pre-existing section lines. The Council was strictly advisory, but it was a start.

Initially there was hope that the election would be strictly non-partisan, but those hopes were soon dashed when a split emerged in the CA. Ironically this was because leadership in the Alliance was in favor of not endorsing candidates to keep the election non-partisan. However a vocal minority, led by Lu de Groot, one of the organizers of the sit-in wished the CA to take a more active role. When this did not occur, de Groot and their followers left the Citzen's Association.

de Groot, a street sweeper who had been a child when the ship launched, formed the Movement for Opportunity, Rights, and Equality, or MORE. They pushed for a very forthright platform. Citizen oversight of Crew conduct. Juries for accused crimes. The right of citizens to pursue their own choice of work and partners. Ultimate authority over ship operations as well. MORE was not so radical as to think they could just take over the ship from those trained to operate it, but they did think that the priorities of ship life should be set by the people.

This breakaway forced the Citizen's Alliance to move towards an organized stand. Having shed its most radical members, the CA took a moderate tack. Representation and oversight for the population, although no demands for power emerged. The CA's signature platform plank soon became allowing the transfer and storage of ration vouchers, both for food and recreation, which would kickstart a non-black market economy. The Alliance selected Edward Hutchinson, a popular fitness instructor in the Rec Ring, as the face of their campaign.

Faced with two challengers, the Crew and their allies scrambled to create an organization to push their viewpoint. The haste with which the Beacon Residents Association was formed perhaps explained it's English language acronym. The Association was very much the party of "keep on keeping on." Crack down on the black market, keep power with the professionals. To this end they nominated a Crew member as leader, Deputy Chief Engineer Dai Xiang.

The Beacon had largely been funded and built by European, American, and Chinese sources, and all of these groups were well represented in the crew and all three parties. The largest other groups was South Asians, Indians were the largest group, but Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were also represented. Without a presence in the crew the groups often felt isolated and gained a reputation for insularity among some, congregating in two specific sectors in Hab Ring 2. Feeling left out by the 3 main parties, Chandar Joshi, who operated a technically illegal but still wildly popular restaurant, organized the South Asian Congress, to stand up for the Community's interest.

Amanda Palmer had been the first child born after the ship had departed, turning her into a minor celebrity, and a community leader among shippies. However starting in her late teens, Palmer began to attract controversy. Palmer began preaching that those aboard the Beacon were the "chosen" destined to "begin the next stage of human evolution." She declared that they were leaving the "false light" of Earth's sun in favor of the "true light" of Alpha Centauri. "True Light," became the name of her movement, and in 2110 she changed her name to Vox Centauri. Although derided as a cult by many and facing security crackdowns, True Light would enter candidates in the race. The actual platform was vague, mostly dealing with cutting ties to the decadence of Earth and embracing a new vision of the future.

In the beginning the Citizen’s Alliance was widely expected to coast to victory, with the Beacon Residents Association as the only other major player. However MORE, and in particular Lu de Groot proved formidable campaigners. de Groot drew large clouds wherever they spoke, and imbued a passion that was lacking in the other candidates. MORE also positioned itself as the only group willing to support the back rings, where those most disaffected had wound up congregating. de Groot also hit upon the winning slogan of “for the future” saying that Shipwide democracy was the only way to ensure that the eventual Alpha Centauri colony did not wind up an autocracy ruled by the descendants of the Crew.

Hutchinson and the Citizen’s Alliance pushed back with claims that MORE were radicals who would be unable to engage with the Crew and produce meaningful results. Hutchinson, while lacking de Groot’s raw charisma, proved capable enough. A strong, slick, ad campaign targeted different voters well, and the Alliance would be the only party to pick up seats from every Hab Ring.

In contrast, Dai’s campaign floundered from the outset. The Association was mostly made up of crew members, their families, and allies who made up a decent chunk of the ship’s population. However Dai failed to expand past this base, coming across as aloof an out of touch, his engineering duties often removing him from the trail. He also made several comments about de Groot’s plans leading the ship to destruction that came across as threats by the Crew at sabotage, a fact not helped by the Association’s official logo looking very much like a bullseye.

Despite pleas from the Dai campaign, Captain Becker, who was still personally popular, refused to make endorsements. While the Crew were well known to be Dai men, and often leaned on their prestige to support it, no official backing would come.

Outside of de Groot themselves, Vox Centauri was the most passionate campaigner, speaking across the ship about a need for a new type of thinking. She criticized the major parties for falling into the old traps of “left right and center” rather than thinking “upwards towards the light.” Centauri could count on the lockstep support of her cult/religious followers, which grew thanks to increased publicity from the campaign.

Joshi did not leave Hab Ring 2 for the duration of the campaign, focusing on local connections.

The results were considered surprising. As expected the large, well known and well established Citizen’s Alliance polled both atop the popular votes, and gained the most Council seats. However they failed to secure a majority in either, which was very much a disappointment considering early expectations. MORE achieving a close second was even more stunning, most having suspected a distant third. In their election night speech de Groot declared a “new era.” The Residents Association’s failure was felt hard among the Crew, leaving Captain Becker with much less leverage than expected. Dai would resign as the party’s council leader shortly thereafter. Despite not even getting 3% of the vote overall, the South Asian Congress was, thanks to First Past the Post, able to secure two seats on the council. In contrast the electoral system hurt True Light significantly. Despite securing over 10% of the vote, the movement/party would only manage one seat. Centauri herself would be defeated, but her acolyte Nick Hu would snag a seat. True Light’s strong performance was seen as concerning by many, especially since it had polled best among young voters.

Many observers expected Hutchinson to either use the still ill defined system to assume a leadership role without a majority, or pursue a “coalition of change” with de Groot and MORE. However, after discussions with Becker, and mindful of the fact that radicals like de Groot and Centauri had unexpected popularity, the Citizen’s Alliance instead entered into an agreement with the Residents Association. Many cried betrayal, but Hutchinson was thus duly elected Speaker of the Shipwide Council by a 20-9-1 margin, with the South Asian Congress joining the majority.

Hutchinson’s first task would be defining the role he and the council occupied, as well as building a working relationship with Captain Becker. Time would tell if democracy would become a truth aboard the Beacon…
hopefully this is a series, it looks good
 
My latest series, For Once Prime Minister, I Believe You.


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Iraq goes down worse, with a combination of more scandals and more psychodrama between Blair and Brown causes them to fall to such lows in 2005. (The result was based on the worst poll for Labour from 2003-2005). Brown is seen to have wielded the knife, and loses the September 2005 election and becomes the shortest serving Prime Minister in history in the process. Labour choose seemingly increasingly shit leaders who fail to endear themselves to the public. Jack Straw is the strongest example of this. Kennedy on the other hand is exceptionally popular, helped by a sympathy boost from his earlier ousting in 2005. Straw in fact is so unpopular he falls to third in his own seat in 2011. Kennedy dies in June after just becoming LOTO after a lackluster Healey leadership, and is succeeded by the mediocre-performing David Laws who fails to capitalise very much in the 2017 snap election (Labour gain seats for the first time since 1997 as well as votes, although only marginal gains in votes) and resigns in favour of Norman Lamb, who is extremely popular. Labour having moved right, and the Labour Right infamously despising the Liberal Democrats, Khan decides to coalition with the Conservatives on condition that the right-wing Davis is replaced by the more liberal Letwin. This goes down... extremely poorly, as one might expect. John McDonnell resigns from the Labour Party and takes most of the Labour Party with him. Absolutely burning with a fiery hatred for the Labour Party for having coalitioned with the Tories, he forms RED VENGEANCE, a hard-left party that drifts towards Marxism as time goes on as McDonnell's rhetoric aggressively radicalises in light of the situation. Though he took most of the Labour Party with him in resigning, most of those who left don't join him in his new party, long weary of his ways. Having caught shut-the-fuck-upitis, he often talks of how political violence is sometimes necessary and the need for extra-parliamentary action. His speech announcing his resignation is extremely bitter, venemous, and spoken with an almost growl. Come the 2022 election, the Liberal Democrats form their first ever majority government as they gain almost 200 seats, with Labour almost entirely eradicated and having been pipped to the third largest party post by Red Vengeance (actually, they fell behind the SNP and actually tied Sinn Fein! Though they don't take their seats) McDonnell himself narrowly failed to win Hayes and Harlington by 200 votes, but pledged to carry on as leader, aware that proportional representation was now extremely likely, as the leadership of Red Vengeance in the House of Commons passed to Mick Lynch. The Liberal Democrats defeated PM Letwin in the process, marking a first-time defeat for a sitting Prime Minister. In the meantime the Lib Dems brought back David Davis as leader for an acting tenure to lead the opposition through the leadership election, which was eventually won by firebrand Suella Braverman.
 
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seriously that name goes HARD
I can't believe I even made that name up. I was going to go with something like Real Socialism, when I went to wash my face, and my brain said RED VENGEANCE. I had the same thought of "Jesus CHRIST that's a name" when it entered my brain and I had to go with it.
 
I’m a bit afraid to ask, but why don’t the Labour right and Lib Dems get along?
i would assume that there's nothing that leaves a grudge in labour people left and right more than betrayal, and, like in Scotland, very often betrayal can just be being beaten by the other party at their own game
 
THE SYLVAN SAGE
in the
AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Aka: How my reading of an obscure 18th century Prime Minister went overboard.

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"Of all the Prime Ministers to bring back to ensure we won, Jo, why him?"
"I... I wished for someone who was free trade, pro-European cooperation and worked with all sides..."​
 
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