Orwell

The study of the nature of psychic phenomena is fraught with mystery and scintillating intrigue. In the long scale of human history, psychic individuals have only been utilized successfully against the extraterrestrial threats to the Federation in the past century. As a result, the field of psychic phenomena is not entirely explored, and researchers are making new discoveries related to these special individuals and the nature of their powers frequently. However, it is understood that human beings are not the only creatures in the galaxy with psychic aptitude. Indeed, the majority of alien threats to the human race are much more graciously endowed with psychic potential than the human race, and we have learned through observation and analysis how exactly they use their powers. We shall proceed to discuss two of the most prevalent and dangerous threats to our existence, Skinnies and Arachnids. The Skinny Hegemony A bipedal race of humanoid aliens whose existence predates the human race; Skinnies are much more reliant and accustomed to psychic phenomena. Every Skinny has some kind of psychic aptitude, with their chieftains usually being the most skilled at utilizing its power. From our understandings of Skinny culture, the usage of psychic powers among their populations is heavily intertwined with religious meaning and story telling, artifact construction, illusory suggestion, and as a means of communication. Surpassed by the Arachnids in terms of using psychic powers to communicate, Skinnies excel in utilizing their powers to conjure illusions, and are masters of psychic suggestion. From the few samples of Skinny brains that have been recovered, the constructs in their brains (which are several times larger than a humans') that are suspected to serve the same function of the parietal and frontal lobes and Pineal gland are magnitudes larger and more electronically active than humans. Often times, some of the most seasoned psychic veterans of MIPOD or Psy-Ops are unable to hold their ground against a slightly versed Skinny. There are few psychic humans that could hold a feather to a Chieftain's ability. As a result, combat with Skinnies is usually based on deception. Relying mostly on creating vast illusions to either lull their prey into a false sense of security or something similar to that effect. They take advantage of the dazed prey, and almost always have the mental upper hand on the battlefield. The Arachnid Empire The Arachnids' primary advantage has always been their numbers. For every human being, there are hundreds of Arachnids. In the time it takes for a single human to be born, a thousand replacements of Arachnids have already been churned out. Due to the structure of Arachnid society, psychic skill tends to stream from the top down. One could easily compare the nature of the Arachnids' communication network, which almost entirely hinges on psychic communication and the usage of pheromones, to a massive network of super computers, in turn controlled by even more massive and expansive super computers. The most common 'super computer' a human being is likely to come across in the Arachnid Empire is the Brain Bug. Aptly named due to the fact that the bug's body is almost entirely composed of brain matter, and must rely on the physical assistance of more appropriately suited combat castes to protect it. Put simply, the Brain Bug is the 'brain' of the operation for the Arachnids in a region or planet. It coordinates and takes in stimuli from thousands upon thousands of different external sources, with its combat castes acting as incredibly dangerous tentacles that all feed information back to the head of the octopus, so to speak. When it comes to mass scale, interstellar psychic communication in a way that would utterly overwhelm the mind of a human being if it were to ever try anything on a similar scale, the Arachnids are king. Brains act as information synthesizers, receiving input from a massive array of pawns which seek to expand its knowledge. One of the most direct ways for a Brain Bug to receive knowledge is through consuming the brain of a desired individual, whatever race they be. This is almost always the reason that an Arachnid would rather abduct something rather than kill it on the spot. These Brain Bugs, as massive and complex as their psychic span seems, funnel their tonnes and tonnes of information to higher castes, such as Queen or God Bugs, who orchestrate Arachnid movements and plans on an even grander scale. The Human Race The new kids on the block. It's generally accepted that of the three races mentioned, human beings are the least adept when it comes to psychic ability. Humans struggle to perform the illusory feats of Skinnies, and can hardly dream of pulling off the scale of communications of Arachnids. The areas of the brain that are believed to be responsible for psychic ability in the human race are significantly smaller than their suspected extraterrestrial counterparts. Nevertheless, there are some areas where humans seem to have carved out a psychic niche. Humans seem to handle more intimate and small-scale psychic operations without relative difficulty as compared to other races. In terms of discerning information from other human beings (and sometimes aliens), objects, and locations, psychic human beings tend to gravitate towards these modicums of psychic use, and tend to rely on them through their course as a MIPOD operative. While usually limited to more powerful psychics, some human beings can perform some levels of psychic suggestion- but their abilities are utterly dwarfed by even the most novice of Skinnies, and the even the youngest of brain bugs. Human beings can use their ability to communicate with one another, but never on the scale and distance at which Arachnids can. As a general rule, the larger the scale, the more variable, unpredictable, and usually unsuccessful the results are. Smaller scale operations tend to perform the least amount of stress on the human brain, and are generally within the scope of psychics to consistently control. While the Federation has prided itself on its massive military might and coordinated efforts as the largest empire in the human race that has stood the test of time, humanity will always remain at a disadvantage to these two formidable foes on the psychic front.

I placed the final rock over the small pile. No headstone. No markings, just a pile of rocks out on the dead plain. There was no name. Snow had started to fall. It smelled of sulfur, and was stained with ash. The ground was still too warm for it to stick. It turned into this soupy slush that covered everything, and clung to your clothes. I spent the night swaddled in blankets, caught in a never ending cold sweat. Neighbors came by to bring gifts of consolation, constituting of the little surplus that they had. I felt sick to my stomach. I wondered what I had done to deserve this. I heaved and sobbed until I passed out. I sat out on my knees, in the cold. Before the pile. I listened to the wind cross the dried lake bed, and the distant humming of ships passing overhead. Air traffic had picked up recently. People were starting to get more and more concerned about the inevitable. He came down and sat beside me, and pulled me close to him. "We can try again. It's not the end of the world." "I failed." "No, you didn't fail. It's happened to plenty of people. It doesn't make you any less of a woman, or a mother." My eyes welled up again. I couldn't clear the images from my mind. "...It happens. Sometimes, without a proper reason why." "...If I had done something differently, maybe..." "You'll drive yourself crazy, dwelling on it like that. These kinds of things happen, and plenty of women who have them go on to deliver healthy babies. God has a plan for us. This was part of it." "Aren't you upset?" "I am upset. But I'm not upset at you. You know that." "I just wanted..." "I know. It's alright." Our livestock are dwindling. Many are ill, and there's little to graze on this time of year. Scouts at Provo said they saw dropships buzzing around. People are getting nervous, and it's only being fueled by dwindling supplies. We may have to begin rationing to last through the Winter. Our numbers are burgeoning, and there are fears that we may not be able to support them all. The temple is being restored. It keeps us together. The cold is biting. I can't forget why we're here.

PSYCHIC ROLL BONUSES AND RANK (FOR VETERANS OF THE PSYCHIC WARS) From now on, depending on your rank within the faction, you will receive a roll bonus for psychic activities. There will always be a risk of backfiring when using psychic abilities. These bonuses are intended to alleviate the severity of the drawbacks imposed on psychics as they ascend through the ranks and become more experienced. As one ascends from say, Third Specialist to Second Specialist, not only will they receive a slight roll bonus, they will gain an additional point with which they can spec into an additional skill, or further ascend an ability's tiers. KEEP IN MIND: These roll bonuses are to be applied ONLY when using your psychic abilities. In regular PvP situations, the psychic in question would defer to the roll bonus granted by their INFANTRY rank. This is not to be infringed upon. LT. - (+40 ROLL BONUS) TSgt. - (+35 ROLL BONUS) MSpc. - (+30 ROLL BONUS) SSpc. - (+25 ROLL BONUS) Spc. - (+20 ROLL BONUS) 2Spc. - (+10 ROLL BONUS) 3Spc. - (NO ROLL BONUS)

16/10/98 DEVELOPMENTS Neon clearing operations continue; Operations Sepulcher, Dreamtime, Manifest, Scatter, Desperado, Crocodile, and Oni are proceeding as planned. Mobile Infantry have been recently deployed to the following locations: -SHINJUKU WARD, TOKYO, JAPAN -MANILA, PHILIPPINES -SEVASTOPOL, RUSSIA -XIAN, CHINA -MOLDOVA -PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI -PERTH, AUSTRALIA -QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA -OMAHA, NEBRASKA, USA -WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA -FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA, USA -PRICE, UTAH, USA -BUFFALO, NEW YORK, USA -ROCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, USA -MARRAKECH, MOROCCO -KHARTOUM, SUDAN -ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA -UNTERZEIRING, AUSTRIA -KLADNO, CZECHIA -DRESDEN, GERMANY -MALBORK, POLAND -TBILISI, GEORGIA

New arrivals today from Nauvoo. Some of their ships landed near our dwellings. More would be passing through in the coming days. The peculiarity of everything wasn't lost on them, I don't think. I learned later that there were some among us who felt the leader of their camp had buckled, and made a grave mistake by surrendering Nauvoo on faith. An argument broke out, and it escalated to blows near the southern well. They had to take him to the infirmary. "...Ultimately, not something that could've been rectified in the eyes of the more extreme among us. Nauvoo rivalled Chicago in its heyday. Couched on the Mississippi, they would've had a lot to work with." "It sounds like they were forced." "I agree, but..." "But what? Would you have rather they died there? You heard how it happened." "Of course not. I just know that this won't bear well for the future, that's all." "What are you afraid of?" "I'm afraid that the Federation doesn't hold up their end of the bargain. We're alone out here. There's not much stopping them from painting us into the rubble. I know I wouldn't have been able to have put my faith in a Mobile Infantry officer to keep his word, even if I were a veteran." Thunder clapped in the distance. A front was coming our way, laden with acid rain. We'll have to repaint everything again. "If our numbers keep growing, then I think we can stand a chance. Show them that we can hold our own against the Neons. It wouldn't be hard." "We'll see how it goes." We're driving down to Provo tomorrow. According to reports, it's not as leveled as Ogden. On the way back, we're splitting and stopping by Camp Williams, in the mountains. Much of the freshwater deposits have been tainted. They're deep in the earth. Every drink has to be saturated with iodine. Some of the animals are starting to get sick. I hope nothing comes of it.

EVENTS IN QUESTION 6/10/98 - 112th Moritas, Alpha Company, were sent to the wreck of the UCF-BC-403 Charles De Gaulle, shot down over the Atacama Desert by the Ark during the Fall of Earth. Tasked with recovering the ship's life support systems, weapons systems, reactor, and black box, the MI made contact with the wreck to find that they had been beaten to the punch by a group of scavengers. They were: Comprised mostly of individuals of Terran origin, mostly Chileans who resided in the safe area around the ruins of Santiago, with a number originating from the colonies. Experienced, in some capacity, with the operation of weapons such as an M-55, and appeared to be in the middle of loading parts stripped from the wreck onto their own craft when Alpha Company interrupted them. Many fled the scene, but three of them were captured by Alpha Company. TAC recon failed to locate where the small personal craft had fled off, and had some experience with evading detection. The cargo of the remaining personal craft held many of the stripped weapons, life support systems, and black box. Several assets of weaponry from the Charles De Gaulle's armory were missing. Large amounts of ammunition corresponding to the Charles De Gaulle's helicals and MAC's were missing. The three individuals captured were identified as Miguel Alvaro (Santiago, Chile) Andre Chikatilo (Hesperus) [DECEASED] Liam Forge (Chicago, Illinois?) Liam Forge proved to be the least helpful to the investigation, and at multiple times presented an unchanging story that paints him as a small time criminal approached with the opportunity to gain a lucrative amount of money for what seemed like a small risk. Forge had the least to contribute, and was subsequently shuttled off to a penal facility to pay for his crimes once it was determined that he held no pertinent information to the investigation. Miguel Alvaro seemed to be of similar background to Liam Forge, seeking to pounce on a lucrative opportunity to make an exorbitant amount of money. Miguel states that he was approached by Andre Chikatilo in Santiago, and later at a bar known as 'Club Loco' on Hesperus, in New Memphis- Chikatilo's hometown. Chikatilo proposed the job to Alvaro, and he accepted, assembling a crew to take part in the stripping of the wreck of the Charles De Gaulle. As far as Alvaro knew, the primary benefactor for the operation remained unknown to him, and to the people he worked with, including Andre Chikatilo. Andre Chikatilo was the most valuable prisoner. He made direct contact with several representatives of the unknown benefactor, each at different locations, every meeting consisting of meeting a separate representative of the same benefactor. Chikatilo was the most experienced of the three in terms of crime, and expressed a degree of skepticism and curiosity towards the identity of the benefactor, and tried to ascertain the identity of said benefactor through their many representatives, most importantly an individual reffered to by the initials 'A.M.' Upon questioning, Chikatilo stated that neither 'A.M.' nor any of the other representatives were able to provide a clear answer as to who the benefactor was. Each of the representatives, most notably 'A.M.' were contacted by their own set of representatives, with the entire operation of stripping the Charles De Gaulle being obfuscated, and deliberately obscured. According to Chikatilo, every level of the operation was shrouded in mystery, with leaders of the stripping operation being directed entirely through fronts, which were in turn directed through fronts of their own. A note left at the scene contained instructions left to a man referred to as 'Santos Rivera' by Liam Forge. The note contained instructions on meeting another representative at a shopping center on Hesperus. Upon discovering the note, the location in question was staked out, and ultimately yielded nothing. It is suspected that either the remaining ships that fled with some of the missing assets from the Charles De Gaulle either contacted the unknown representative and rearranged the meeting place, or the deal fell through altogether. After further psychic probing, no further revelations were made. To ascertain the identity of who would've wanted the stripped assets of the Charles De Gaulle is ultimately speculation at this point. One thing is clear, whoever it was that wanted the bounty of the battle cruiser went to great lengths to obscure their identity by operating through a myriad of different fronts and identities.

They were a series of huts, re-purposed from the little wood that could be reclaimed. It took days to clear the rubble. It's a strange experience, to pick through what used to be someone's living room. Holding fragments and pieces of family histories in your hands. I was delegated to the lighter work, at their insistence. The road ahead seemed fret with troubles, but seeing the rows of houses we had raised ourselves put a bounce in my step. I thought of my future. I thought of our future. In a sea of debris and destruction, we'd made an isolated stand; the first steps towards the restoration of what once was. All I had to go on was scripture, and the knowledge of those who had seen it first-hand. He looks out over the salt flats, and despite everything, he smiles. I think he wanted this, deep down. A chance to be a part of history, like our ancestors did so long ago. It feels somewhat ethereal to walk the same ground as them. To think, what it would have been like to cross the Wasatch on covered wagon. To see this land for the first time. I keep myself busy with these thoughts when there's not work to be done. We've run into the same problems they did, according to him. The canals that lead to the lake are completely dry. Only stagnant puddles of tainted water remain, festering with flies and gnats. We've penetrated the water table with the help of some equipment, and have built a handful of wells that will supply us until the Spring. As temperatures rise, hopefully the snow melt from the mountains will seep down into the valley and provide us with a bit of excess. We found the old temple. It was of course, destroyed. He spent many hours there, alone in deep thought. We're still visited by them. We come across new ones pinned under the rubble, paralyzed and malformed. They've become less of an active threat, and more of a nuisance that must be dealt with before further expansion. His voice is drenched in vitriol when he speaks of them. With our numbers, we'll have our work cut out for us. Others are arriving here as well. They talk among each other, both glad and apprehensive at the lack of any Mobile Infantry. I ask him if it's only a matter of time. "They won't ignore us. It's inevitable that they will eventually come here." "And what then?" "We won't repeat the mistakes of the past, and allow more blood to be spilled. We must show them that we can sustain ourselves independently. They're tired. Fatigued from fighting." "Has that stopped them before?" "This is different..." He planted the sign into the soil. Nearby, we were putting in the supports for our greenhouse. On it were four words emblazoned over a painting of a beehive. S A L T L A K E C I T Y D E S E R E T

The interior was totally still, as though it were suspended in time. Not even the particles of dust seemed to stir with our entrance, and poking around. All the seats fanned out around a decrepit stage. I sat down, and for a moment, imagined what it must've been like. I thought of the shows, the music, the laughter, the drama... To be able to forget, if just for a brief moment. The seat gave away, and my fall kicked up a plume of dust and sent an echo through the ruined chamber. I looked up at the sunlight spilling in through the gaps blown through the ceiling, tracing the perfectly angular beams of light illuminating the dirty floor up to the holes they poured in from. I found a dirty pamphlet. C A P I T O L T H E A T E R D E C E M B E R A T T R A C T I O N S The rest was burnt and ruined. I could hear the doors swing open, followed by his footsteps. "Look." "...How old is this?" "Very old. Back when they still used these." "It looks so... Green. There's snow in the mountains. This was really here?" "Yes. But, that was a long time ago. You've seen the ruins- it's since been built up. Hundred floor buildings, shopping megacenters..." "It must have been beautiful." He knitted his brow, before nodding slowly. "It still is. We just need time, and diligence." I looked around at the chamber pit. There was an old grand piano with a rack of a burnt collection of pages resting on the music rack. The elaborate designs in the carpet had long since been singed off by the immense heat. He sat down on the bench while I wandered towards the entrance.

If he uses GUT FEELING, and rolls well, yes.

It's no secret that the troopers of the Mobile Infantry are exposed to some of the most fierce and terrifying foes the galaxy has to offer. The nature of war creates casualties that are both visible and invisible, and the course of a trooper's tour can culminate in severe psychological stress. A psychologically-unwell trooper is a hindrance, and the Mobile Infantry strives to go above and beyond to provide their numbers with a wide range of tools at their disposal to supply the aid that they need. Using psychic suggestion, MIPOD operatives have the potential to treat afflictions of the mind, such as PTSD. It is recommended that telepaths seek out Lieutenant Hawthorne, and inform him of their intent to work with staff in the Medical Bay in order to receive proper instruction and initiation.

Under the tab 'Psychic Abilities' For now, yes. Except Marauders. No psychic marauders. edit: specialist ranks are significant only within the faction, meant to show a distinction in skill and reliability.

Hey guys. This thread is meant to provide answers on any psychic-related queries you may have. We're going to be streamlining a lot of the abilities that psychics have and make them a bit more digestible and accesible. In the mean time, if there's anything you're curious about, here's the place to get some fax, honey child.

MIPOD ENLISTED AND PSYCHIC OFFICERS - HOW DO THEY DIFFER? To understand why, the nature of psychic powers must be understood. More than anything MIPOD favors a consistent display of their ability to control and exhibit their powers. Due to the often unpredictable and particular nature of psychic phenomena, it is paramount for a psychic to be able to consistently call upon their special power at a moment's notice. The demanding mental hurdles that MIPOD enlisted face are numerous, with many succumbing to the pitfalls along the way. Be it from having their minds burnt out, or suffering from the mental trauma induced by psychic warfare, the MIPOD enlisted lifestyle is very 'sink-or-swim'. Those who last the passage of time and exhibit a clear understanding and grasp of their powers and limits usually ascend into officer positions, with some electing (or being chosen by MIPOD command) to remain on the field. With the nature of the fallout of the Civil War, the precarious nature of enlisted life is even more fickle than usual, with fewer enlisted lasting to become officers. Officers are seen as a sound investment as a psychic asset, usually an adept in their own particular skill set by the time they make rank. Psychic officers take part in the deliberation and planning of psychic operations; ranging from the apprehension of brain bugs, mapping of underground tunnels, or engaging in reconaissance operations to information extraction. MIPOD enlisted follow the orders of MI leadership, but also find themselves in a subordinate position to their MIPOD officers. Officers have no such responsibility towards MI leadership for the reasons listed above, and the fact that they will usually be of a slightly higher rank and paygrade than their MI equivalents. With the established basis of consistency, officers are most commonly deployed to deal with serious psychic threats; their benchmark for performance has been thoroughly established along with the fine tuning of their skill set to tackle a wide variety of foes and situations. MIPOD and Psyops take great measures to ensure that the mental well being of their operatives are looked after, but even as an officer, there's no guarantee that you're 'out of the water' and can't be pulled back to the field to handle a threat worthy of the attention of a seasoned psychic. As a result, despite their prestige, officers ultimately continue to face the same risks that enlisted do, just at a smaller frequency.

The salt was stained and grey, accumulating into piles across the lake bed. The wind never let up, and the fine salt and sand became one with your clothes. Even from this distance one could make it out. I pulled the wrapping over my mouth. From here, one could see everything. The scorched sides of the Wasatch Mountains were drab and grey. The twisted metal from what was left of Ogden stretched up into the air; a mangled mess of melted support beams and rubble. The air warbled and distorted under the hot sun, shifting the images from far away into a wobbling haze. I breathed heavily, sucking in the stinging air into my lungs. I planted my hands on my knees, and looked out over the summit. The entire lake had disappeared. Dropship hulls were littered across the choked lake bed. A gust of hot air rose up the windward side of the peak, bringing with it a taste from the foothills of the shore. They said it would snow, but that was a week ago. My ears are ringing. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "There. Further South. Do you see it?" I pried the caps off my binoculars. I hefted them up to my goggles, squinting. A shimmering spit of land, rising up out of the lake bed. My lungs ached. He pulled on the burnt, peeling sign, grunting. ANTELOPE ISLAND The land was desolate, and piled with heaps of ash and salt. "Did they really have antelopes here, back then?" "In the beginning." "What do you mean?" We crested over a dune, trampling over a rusted fence. A scattering of massive chalky bones, arched into vaulting cages crowned with a long and flat skull flanked by two small horns. "When our ancestors first came, they raised buffalo here." I reached out and grasped the dark horn. It broke off in my hand. "Behind us." He almost whispered it. We both saw it. Bulbous and bleeding feet. Warped skin saturated with salt. A pulsating mass of silently shuffling flesh, calloused and burned by the sun. Tendons hung off the exposed bone as it staggered towards us. Arms and prongs hanging off of its waist, supporting a vestigial set of legs above its pelvis. Pop. Pop. My ears ring. A chunk of its midsection slides off onto the sand, taking a string of tangled innards with it. Pop. Pop. Pop. I start to join in. Pop. Pop. Pop. Ba-bum. Ba-bum. He hated doing it, despite everything. I wasn't as bothered. We watched it writhe on the ground, bleeding out of the holes drilled through its body. Ba-bum. I smelled the propellant floating up from the barrel, and time resumed. In the distance, we saw another salt-encrusted body turn on the shore of the lake bed. It rolled aimlessly in the sand, pitifully dragging its body along. "Are you still up for the rest of all this?" "It's too late to be asking questions like that, don't you think?" We walked towards the ruins to the South.

29/9/98 DEVELOPMENTS Large scale reclamation efforts are now being undertaken in several regions across the globe. Removal of the remaining Neon forces from these territories is paramount to ensure further development and rehabilitation. A. OPERATION SEPULCHRE - Gain control of Nicosia, Damascus, Jerusalem, Mecca, Medina, Baghdad, Kuwait City, Antalya, Istanbul, Alexandria - Remove Neon presence from Suez Canal, Euphrates, Tigris, Dardanelles, Dead Sea, Jordan River B. OPERATION SCATTER - Gain control of Leeds, Limerick, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Dover -Remove Neon presence from Pinnines, River Thames, River Mersey, River Tweed, Lough Neagh C. OPERATION MANIFEST -Gain control of Oklahoma City, Denver, Fairfield, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, St. George, St. Louis, Winnipeg, Calgary, Nampa, Tacoma, Independence, New Orleans, Chicago, Fort Worth, San Antonio, San Diego, San Juan, Santo Domingo, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Tijuana, La Paz, Guatemala, Managua, Panama City, Miami -Remove Neon presence from Great Lakes, Mississippi River, Missouri River, Ohio River, Snake River, Rio Grande, Brazos River, Colorado River, D. OPERATION DREAMTIME - Gain control of Perth, Madura, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Alice Springs, Borroloola, Longreach, Bourke, Nockatunga -Remove Neon presnce from Outback, Murray-Darling basin E. OPERATION DESPERADO - Gain control of Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Montevideo, Salvador, Buenos Aires, Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Asuncion -Remove Neon presence from Rio São Francisco, Rio Uruguay, Rio de la Plata F. OPERATION CROCODILE - Gain control of Khartoum, Juba, Nairobi, Aswan, Bukavu, Lilongwe -Remove Neon presence from Nile River, Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi, Lake Nasser, Lake Tana, Lake Turkana G. OPERATION ONI - Gain control of the Japanese Archipelago - Remove Neon presence from Ryukyu MISC. DEVELOPMENTS MOBILE INFANTRY HAVE BEEN RECENTLY DEPOLYED TO: - BOSTON, USA - JERSEY CITY, USA - NAIROBI, KENYA - MONROVIA, LIBERIA - ODESSA, UKRAINE - LIMA, PERU - RIGA, LATVIA - SINGAPORE - PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA - JAKARTA, INDONESIA - HONOLULU, USA - GUILIN, CHINA - GUANGDONG, CHINA - KATHMANDU, NEPAL Terran patriots and colonist sympathizers, many feeling compelled by their Terran roots, continue to flood back into the few safe areas built up enough to sustain their numbers. Religious sites such as the Kaaba in Mecca, Jacob's Well in Tell Balata, and sections of the Western Wall in Jerusalem have been heavily damaged following the Neon occupation.

Cocks

this guy has the right idea... definitely needs a little more female representation on the screen nothin like sitting down for the oold jump ball after a long days work . . . crack open a cold one and check in on the latest highlights from the best panel in the fed... i think my wife only watches the broadcasts because she has a crush on of the anchors GO CENTAURS!!!!!!!!!

21/9/98 DEVELOPMENTS CIVIC CENTERS SECURED: + Glasgow + Delhi + Albuquerque + Toronto + Gibraltar + Lisbon Waterway clearing operations in progress: -Nile -Amazon -Mississippi -Yangtze

Twatter (@grillboss55) gotta agree with guy above me on this one... nnothin beats having troopers on the ground giving it to em old fashioned mi are the best of the best it's a proven fact love the parades every fed day always a pleasure to break out the grill

[POST-FALL POPULATION CENTERS] (AS OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2298) WESTERN HEMISPHERE Thule (Fleet Base) [ 1,300 ] Comox (Fleet Base) [ 9,500 ] Colorado Springs [ 11,430 ] Fort Bragg (Mobile Infantry Base) [ 7,200 ] Tampa [ 4,880 ] Panama City [ 2, 360 ] Arauca [ 1,120 ] Paramaribo [ 6,350 ] Macapá [ 1,200 ] Imperatriz (Mobile Infantry Base) [ 1,100 ] Santiago [1,090] TOTAL: 47,530 EASTERN HEMISPHERE Paris [ 12,200] Bremen (Fleet Base) [ 11,520 ] Marseille [ 8,770 ] Venice [ 6, 870 ] Bujumbura [ 6,000 ] Sana'a (Fleet Base) [ 8,220 ] Kazan [ 3,100 ] Volgograd (Mobile Infantry Base) [ 7,000 ] Astrakhan [ 2,300 ] Kaxgar [ 3,200 ] Abbottabad [ 4,650 ] Okinawa (Fleet Base) [ 8,900 ] Darwin [ 7,450 ] Warburton (Mobile Infantry Base) [ 4,430 ] TOTAL: 94,610 GRAND TOTAL: 142,140~ [NOT COUNTING MOBILE INFANTRY + FLEET PERSONNEL] LONG-TERM REHABILITATION GOALS - Remove Neon presence from North America - Remove Neon presence from Latin America - Remove Neon presence from Europe -Remove Neon presence from Africa -Remove Neon presence from Asia -Remove Neon presence from Australia -Remove Neon presence from Antarctica -Remove Neon presence from Arctic Circle -Restore civic centers to support at least ~100,000+ for further operations -Restore manufacturing and production capabilities to sustain influx of returning Terrans -Establish ground transport routes between civic centers -Clear area for development of said ground transport routes -Establish safe clearing grounds for transport between planets in Sol System -Remove Neon presence from the following rivers/waterways: Nile Thames Amazon Amur Congo Yangtze Huang He Mississipi Hudson Yenisei Ob Parana Danube Ganges Rhine Volga Sepik Mekong Zambezi Rio Grande Missouri Great Lakes (North America) Great Lakes (Africa) Tigris Euphrates Indus Murray-Darling Shatt al-Arab SHORT TERM GOALS -Regain control of the following areas for future operations -Hispaniola (Port-au-Prince, Santo Domingo) -Iceland (Reykjavik) -British Isles (Belfast, London, Edinburgh) -Aleutian Islands (Cold Bay Fleet Base) -Japanese Archipelago (Sapporo, Nagano, Miyazaki) -Madagascar (Antananarivo Fleet Base) -Sri Lanka (Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte) -Newfoundland (St-Pierre Fleet Base) -Tasmania (Hobart Fleet Base) -Borneo (Bandar Seri Begawan) -Sicily (Palermo Fleet Base) -Cyprus (Nicosia Fleet Base) -Crete (Heraklion Mobile Infantry Base) -Seychelles (Victoria Fleet Base) -Malay Peninsula (Songkhla Fleet Base) -Tierra del Fuego (Primavera Fleet Base) -Kamchatka Peninsula (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Fleet Base) -Dyer Plateau (Dyer Fleet Base)

THE TERRAN FRONTIER: EARTH'S FUTURE Troopers from the 64th Moritas, picking through the foggy beaches around the ruins of Crescent City, California. "Today, we laid the first brick, and we make a statement to all races of the galaxy: the human spirit cannot be broken." These were the words of recently reappointed mayor of Fountain, Colorado, Eric Genovese after christening the first new plot of land for development on the ruins of the small town outside of Colorado Springs. Genovese was a citizen when Earth was besieged by the Progenitors; he and his family were shuttled off to Sanctuary and remained there until Sanctuary's fall and the end of the Civil War. Now, he finds himself returning to the city he was born and raised in, only to find it a mess of ruins and scorched earth. "It will be decades- maybe a hundred years before we can restore Fountain to what she used to be. But I'll be damned if I won't spend the rest of my days to see it through to the best that I can." Eric Genovese's story is not unique. He is one of the thousands of Terrans trickling back onto the few patches of territory deemed 'safe' by the Federation. Civic centers that used to number into the millions are now rendered nothing more than moonscapes full of debris. Osaka, Mexico City, Delhi, London, Paris, Manila, Jakarta- the list goes on, one urban center after the other that was devastated by the Progenitors. The urban sprawl around Odessa, Ukraine share similar fates with other civic centers across the planet. Once a thriving arm of the Tokyo metropolitan area, the ward of Suginami is rendered a husk of its former self. Lake Victoria, the largest of the African Great Lakes, now has its waters polluted from ruptured pipelines in addition to having its water levels significantly lowered (up to ten meters). A projection of human and Progenitor forces on earth. Red resemble the concentrations of neons still left wandering the planet, while the blue patches resemble the slowly expanding territories reclaimed by the Mobile Infantry and Fleet. As humanity takes its first steps to reclaim our species' home planet from the remaining Progenitor forces, a new set of challenges besets the waves of incoming soldiers and settlers alike. Some areas, such as Colorado Springs in the United States, Bujumbura in Burundi, and Kaxgar in China have been deemed 'safe' for returning Terrans. Indeed, with the destruction of the Ark and the end of the civil war, the millions upon millions of Terrans displaced by war now have the option to return to their home planet, albeit in incredibly secure strongholds maintained by the Mobile Infantry. Emotions run high among these Terran diaspora finally allowed to return to just a fraction of their home planet. But some Terrans, many of them citizens, take up the struggle with the Mobile Infantry and Fleet- determined to see earth expunged of any trace of the Progenitors. A fireteam of MI resting in the ruins of Bucharest, Romania. The UCF-BC-403 John Pershing hangs above them. Bands of veterans, citizens, and sympathetic colonists have found themselves flocking to these strongholds by the thousands, eager to take part in the reconstruction process alongside the Mobile Infantry. While such gusto and eagerness to rebuild is certainly admirable, there are many Terrans who don't share their same optimism. Federal researchers have concluded that microbiological surveys taken from the corpses of dead neons show the microscopic organisms that 'hitched a ride' on the bodies of the Progenitors are now being found in such high concentrations in certain parts of the planet that they're killing off and out-competing the native bacteria, suggesting that the biological consequences of an invading alien force might have the potential to severely disrupt earth's natural distribution of microscopic flora and fauna. Correspondents from the ruins of Kingston, Jamaica report the cries and sorrows of those who ventured out to see what became of their homes- a story repeated across the globe. With such devastating levels of destruction, many Terrans believe that it will be decades before earth is restored to the status that it had before its fall, an approximation backed up by Federal researchers who arrived at similar projections. With damages in the upwards of trillions of pounds, it will not only be an incredibly time consuming task, but also a very expensive one- even the most populated of colonies today would cost significantly less to rebuild were a similar situation happen to them. One of the most resounding messages we received from the ruins of many once-great civic centers was the lamentation from those who knew that future generations will never be able to experience the splendors and sights of earth as they once had, and as their ancestors had. While many are content with accepting that earth will no longer hold the spot that it once had as a dominant force in the Federation; an economic and political epicenter for our system-spanning society, others reject their attitudes. We spoke with a citizen by the name of Shelly Parks, a native of Leeds, England, who along with her family had been displaced from Earth during the civil war. She finds herself returning to her favorite pub along with a band of multi-national Terrans, many of them veterans, many of them emblazoned by the prospect of reclaiming earth. Parks' favorite pub, The Cross Keys, constructed in 1802, is now nothing more than a pile of rubble; indistinguishable from the rubble that spans block after block in the once prominent English city. The skyline of Leeds, England. Shelly Parks keeps a Morita carbine on her ruck as she picks through the rubble along with her compatriots. Overhead, an unending stream of corvettes and battle cruisers slowly make their way across the smokey skies above the British Isles. In the rubble, the dusty corpses of one of the many races to try and topple the human race finds itself face down in a murky puddle with a chunk of rebar impaling its torso. Its appearance is wretched; a mess of limbs and appendages of different unrecognizable organisms. Streaks of brightly colored blue score the creature's body. Black, coagulated ichor pools at the bottom of the rebar stake where it lay. "They're everywhere, really. Every nook and cranny, every pond, every stream, every breach. People will be coming across their wretched bodies for years to come. We torch hundreds a day, but there's always more. Always more." One of Parks' compatriots alerts her to a still-living abomination trapped under the rubble of a chemist's office. "We've been doing this for about a week, now. Cleaning up the rubbish, that's what we've taken to calling it." When asked if she had any words for Terrans still abroad, uncertain about the future of the planet, Parks had this to say. "It will never be the same, no. There's no denying that. More than anything, to me, it's about the principle of it. How could we abandon the cradle of our species? Thousands and thousands of years of progress as a race- we can't just leave it to twist in the wind. Even if every city, every district, every block is ruins, those ruins belong to us. I wouldn't be able to look at myself the same way if I had forsaken it. Future generations deserve to know that- no matter what the condition is- this had once been the genesis of our space-faring society. It was here, that there was unparalleled achievement in the face of tremendous adversity. It was here, that we first looked up into the sky and realized our dreams, and it was here that we laboured meticulously to realize those dreams. Even if it's ashes, even if we'll never be able to restore it to what it once was, earth is ours, and nobody else's... and that's what's keeping me here, keeping me working. We still have people who remember what it was like, people who can record their experiences of what once was. And if we have that information, then future generations can ponder about what had been. They'll be able to have some kind of reference, some sliver of knowledge about the greatness that for the longest time, was the only home we'd ever known." INTERESTED IN RECLAIMING TERRA? INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CITIZEN? THE FEDERATION NEEDS YOU NOW MORE THAN EVER! CONTACT YOUR LOCAL RECRUITER FOR THE MOBILE INFANTRY OR FLEET AND ASK HOW YOU CAN HELP RECLAIM TERRA! WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?

Name: Norman Cox Rank: Private Item(s) requested: The Holy Bible (500) Miniature Fondue Fountain (1)

Everything that Grimm's mentioned I'm in agreement with. I thank you guys for holding down the fort while I was away. As the new batch of psychics gradually progress in skill they'll ofc be able to unlock more s k i l l s . thank you again for your patience, everyone- i'm planning on organizing an IC meeting sometime later this week; details to follow soon

Again guys, I apologize for leaving on such short notice. I plan on having a much more physical presence on the server with psychic leads, and i'm currently in contact with Tonic about some INSEC STUFF that he'd like to introduce, including some documentation that he made surrounding psychics. coincidentally, a lot of the elements i've already introduced were suggested in the doc i'd share it if it weren't a google drive document that needs permission from the CIA to look at so, on to the topic for today CHANGES / THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE ON THE SERVER No more black armor/purple berets/distinguishing markings on drops. From here on out, psychics should be visibly indistinguishable from other troopers. On the ship, feel free to wear MIPOD patches and the purple beret. There will never be more than 10 (probably going to whittle this number down as well) MIPOD operatives on the roster. This is done for a few reasons; psychics are rare in our world and I don't want to turn the Grant into a psychic convention with an abnormally high concentration of special brains. The second reason is intimacy, which leads to my third point I want senior psychics to be more involved with the rearing of newer, inexperienced psychics - You guys are welcome to put these guys through tests, psychic or otherwise, with the aim of getting them more prepared for the next encounter with psychic alien fuckery. You can do things as simple as card tests, or you can be more creative, setting up psychic obstacles that the new blood will have to overcome. the fed doesn't have any interest in psychics that are going to be a liability on the field, so make sure they understand it's important to keep a control on their powers. Tell them about lithium, tell them about the shit that you've seen, etc. Educate them, sweatie. I'm going to be appointing two new psychics before I leave. MY GAY ASS IS GOING TO BE IN GERMANY FOR TWO WEEKS, SO I WILL NOT HAVE A PHYSICAL PRESENCE ON THE SERVER DURING THAT TIME. The day after I get back, I'm going right back to uni classes, so I'm going to be busier than usual. That being said, I should be able to BE ACTIVE and maintain a PRESENCE on the server. During this time, I want you guys to be as cooperative with admins as possible, and VICE VERSA. Apparently my account on the forums has cancer, or something, as Xal has told me after sending him error codes after error codes that 'it's fucked.' I will ONLY be able to be contacted through STEAM during this period, but I will be keeping a close eye on the forums. I would've created a tertiary account for my vacation, but I'm not even able to do that, it seems. For leadership reasons, in addition to the fact that we're using a system now that was birthed by them, I'd like to ask @Heresiarch Grimm and @Tony if they'd like to be assisting @Kris in navigating the faction while I'm away if they so choose to take the position. I don't expect you to do anything more than any of the points I've listed above in addition to what you've already been doing, just until I get back. WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DISCUSS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE CONCERNS/STIPULATIONS ABOUT?