Ceylon's news and such

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Sarah smiled at Alex's mention of stealth technology and she nodded her head. Some people couldn't or perhaps wouldn't, but that wasn't her concern, her way around the world was her's alone and no one, not Alex with his science or Martens with his strength could ever fully grasp what she was capable of in the Astral Realm. She turned back to Martens and chuckled. "You know I have my ways and that's enough. But I was passing through and I figure I would stop by to see the two people in the world that enjoy my company as much as you two do and I'm quite happy that Laura is doing good. When I met her, she had a great deal of potential that I'm glad to see hasn't been wasted in the slightest." Leaning back she called over one of the waiters. It wasn't long until one had come, smiling, happy to grant the lady her wish. "A glass of red wine, if you please Monsieur, that would be enough. I'm actually not that hungry at all."

After the drink had been brought back to the table, Sarah nodded and took a sip. Before deciding to pick off of both Alex and Martens' plates in front of her. She was sure they wouldn't mind. "But what you two were talking about, genetic engineering and all that. Fascinating things and I did over hear Alex's talk about that you're quite the swordsman. I don't know, I find it interesting. You know there aren't many like us in the world, we're a special group, revered and outcasted at the same time. Hated and loved, regarded and forsaken. Quite the predicament and I'm not sure just what to think of it anymore." Sarah smiled and took another sip of her glass. "You know how long its been Martens?" Her sapphire eyes, turned over to him. "Almost eighty years. Eighty years, I should be withered and dead right now, withered, into dust. Yet here I am conversing with you two gentlemen with the body of a twenty-seven year old and yet the mind of someone who has seen too much. Far too much."

A slight smile broke on her face. "You would think we would all learn. But it doesn't work that way I guess. Tell me, do you two still believe in destiny? Or order? Or the way things are supposed to work." Rubbing her fingers together for a moment, a white king, a chess piece appear in her closed hand and she put it on the table. "Do we write our destinies? Or do they?" She looked over her shoulder at the other people in the cafe. "I've thought about that for a long time, its the only thing that keeps me up at night. But it protects me from the dreams."

[Kaiser Martens]

"I believe in Myself. And I believe in Germany. Not Little Germany or Nordland, the greater Germanic Nation. People come and go, but the only two constant things in my life are Myself and my Greater Fatherland, or collection of Fatherlands."

He looks down for a moment, grinning, and then looks at Sarah. "Well, there's another constant thing in my life. You." He belatedly adds, "And warfare. But I don't believe in warfare much these days, in any case. I finally have been able to place Germany in a position that it'll stop being at war constantly though. You should visit us sometimes, Sarah. And you too, Alex, just please don't start blowing things up again, hah!"

[Lynneth]

"Everyone has his or her ways, Sarah...Sometimes, they're so different that they're almost the same..." A smirk made its way on Alexander's face.

"Now, I'm not special in any way. Aside from being artificially created and practically the definition of a superhuman." He cleared his throat. "I'm not as unaging as you two. My body'll age relatively normaly, even if it'll stay quite healthy for a long time. Eventually, it'll break down, just like any organic material will."
When Sarah continued, commenting about her age and what she had seen, the young man sighed. "I'm quite glad I won't be as unaging as you, and that I won't see quite as magnificent - or ridiculous - things as you have. I quite like my sanity, and seeing Cthulhu or one of his brothers wouldn't be fun, would it?"

"Destiny...Bah, I never believed in that. Everyone makes his own destiny. Order is an artificial construct, Chaos being the basic state of the universe when it's not busy being in heatdeath."
He pulled a small spinning top out of one of the many pockets in the suit - something he had inherited from Leclerc: Pockets. "I have this to remind me that I can always change my fate."
He spun it, watching the small thing whirr around on the table. "I can stop it whenever I want, however I want. Or I can let it lose its energy and stop by itself. That's true choice. There are no true constants in my life, because everything changes in every moment."
He picked up the spinning top, stopping it.
"And even if it's just an illusion, it's a good one."

Edited September 16, 2010 by Lynneth

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"I consider it both a gift and a curse to be honest. It was through Michel here's doing." She smiled and looked up at the ceiling. "So far back on that cold day in Antarctica and I should have known just the way the sky was shaped, its color, something was going to happen. I think that's why I believe in destiny, I feel like I've been granted something amazing, to watch the world pass, year after year, to see people change, loved ones die and new loves come out of the Earthwork. As to Cthulhu, I would give a lot to see the famed monster and I would give even more to be the one that takes him down, if that's even possible. But if I've learned anything in my life, its that impossibility is something to laugh at and push out of the way. Not to dwell on. Plus, if I am this Valkyrie as you so kindly put it my dear Michel, then I should at least have something to show for it. Don't you think Alex?"

And as Alex spun the top, she sipped again from her glass. "That's exactly what its like. Never ending in a vortex of emotion and confusion. The trick is, as you just did, to make the world stop for just a moment. A sunset, a moonbeam, a sunrise, the singing of a girl and a boy on their first date. That's when the world stops and everything makes sense. Which..."

Sarah turned and looked over at Martens. "...I should be honored to be a constant in the life of such an ordered individual. But I think you enjoy my presence and what we've been through together and what you've done to me respectively. You should have known. Once that needle touched vein, there was no going back. For either of us."

[Kaiser Martens]

He's already halfways done with his food. He is in no hurry - he just eats at a quick pace, that's the only way he feels comfortable while eating. He finishes chewing and swallowing a piece and nods,

"There was no going back. But I must say that you didn't turn out just exactly as I hoped you would when I turned you. I was temporarily blinded, is all. But things could have indeed been worse. If you wouldn't have ended up like me, I would have simply missed you too much for my own good, more than what I normally do that is. But well, the world has worked itself out one way or the other..."

[Lynneth]

"I somewhat doubt you'd like to see Cthulhu. I hear he has the habit of making everyone who looks at him utterly and completely insane. And you don't necessarily have to show off or anything. I for one like being relatively low-key."

He then simply watched the two for a bit, drinking some more juice, saving the water for last.
"You two should marry. You're both several times older than I am, you both have taken some kind of super-juice that makes you stronger and you both are fed up with how the world works, or something along those lines at least. You have a lot in common.
Unfortunately, I appear to be running out of philosophical material to talk about with you two. Perhaps one of you could refresh the discussion?"

[Lynneth]

[Meanwhile, in the news]

[b]Spaceport open[/b]

In a grand ceremony, the spaceport in Matara has been opened yesterday by our President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Matara is the southernmost city of Sri Lanka.
This marks the first step on the road to space exploration. The second step is done as well, the ceremony culminating in the launch of a Anapanasati rocket, roughly equivalent to a Saturn V. By now, this rocket has arrived in high orbit, being the first resupply-run of the Sri Lankan Space Station [url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Possible/spacestation5.jpg"][i]Smiling Buddha[/i][/url] independent of the Cochin space program.
According to I. M. R. A. Iriyagolla, Administrator of the SLaSA, this is "a great leap towards equal cooperation in space-related matters between Cochin and Sri Lanka", further adding that there are plans to build another station like the [i]Smiling Buddha[/i], meaning a station with two rings. One of these rotates clockwise, the other counterclockwise, thus stabilising each other, somewhat similar to how a gyroscope functions. The rotation will also provide simulated gravity, similar to the existing station.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/6a00d83452397c69e200e54f4aaf548834-800wi.jpg[/img]
Here is an artist's depiction of the station during construction.

The exact specifications aren't available yet, but insiders claim it will be more than twice as large as the [i]Smiling Buddha[/i] station, which is 200 meters in diameter.

Edited September 21, 2010 by Lynneth

[Sarah Tintagyl]

[quote name='Lynneth' timestamp='1284712232' post='2456488']
"I somewhat doubt you'd like to see Cthulhu. I hear he has the habit of making everyone who looks at him utterly and completely insane. And you don't necessarily have to show off or anything. I for one like being relatively low-key."

He then simply watched the two for a bit, drinking some more juice, saving the water for last.
"You two should marry. You're both several times older than I am, you both have taken some kind of super-juice that makes you stronger and you both are fed up with how the world works, or something along those lines at least. You have a lot in common.
Unfortunately, I appear to be running out of philosophical material to talk about with you two. Perhaps one of you could refresh the discussion?"
[/quote]

She chuckled lightly. "I've always been one for the limelight and the longer its been the more I miss it. There's been times I've thought about going back into politics, so I guess you could say that's my own personal Cthulhu. However, I think the actual god himself, would be much less intimidating than the constant flashing of cameras. I prefer an adventurer's spotlight myself."

At the proposal of her and Martens marrying however, she nearly choked and then laughing loudly that the entire restaurant would have been able to hear her, Sarah shook her head. "No, I have far too much fun showing up at random occurrences and bothering the dear Kaiser. If we would spend every living moment together, why, we'd kill each other for sure. Plus, I disagree with Martens' politics far too much, we are both fed up with the world, but neither one of us would be able to decide what the world should look like. For instance." Sarah began. "To Martens, so long as Germany is prospering, the world prospers. The man doesn't look beyond the Rhine or the Russian Plains. The rest of the world could rot, but so long as Germanic Europe is preserved, all is okay. My views on the other hand is that the world should be preserved and that currently the World's innocence has pretty much been destroyed."

She turned to Martens and winked. "And to bring back innocence, you need everyone to cooperate, but certain countries would rather keep to themselves."

[king of cochin]

Cochin Space Research Organization and Kingdom of Cochin congratulates Sri Lannkan Space Administration on inaugurating the Spaceport in Matara.

[Kaiser Martens]

"I suppose that I must have already seen Chtulhu a few times myself...I"

He didn't expect to hear what had been said and at first his face seemed to acquire a mild red tone which turned into communist-style all-out bright red feeling ashamed and even comically unworthy when Sarah laughed at the idea. When he recovers, he narrows his eyes and puffs his chest a bit. "Hmpf. What would you know about what I think politically? I only protect Germanic Europe because I am only [i]able[/i] to protect that territory and at most my neighbors, not because I do not care about the rest of the world. Besides who even says that we should ever discuss politics? At this point, I'm tired enough that I wouldn't mind retiring for a while until the inevitable war recalls me to the front. Unless if you would ask me not to go..." And so as they said, Field Marshalls didn't ever really retire, well, perhaps only if they were busy instead fighting at the eternal battlefront of Marriage. He'd never win that front, he knew as much.

[Lynneth]

When the great Kaiser turned red as a tomato, Alexander could barely hold back laughter, trying to constrain himself to grinning wide.
"Hm...if you ever wish to truly retire, you're welcome to do so here, Michel. There's plenty of things to keep you busy. However," said he as he stood up, smiling at the two, "I have to leave now. There is much work to be done. I hope you two enjoy your stay here."
With this, he nodded his head, then turned to leave. After a few steps, he stops though, turning around. "By the way, everything's being paid for by me. The people here know me, so enjoy your meal and whatever else you order."

Shortly afterwards,the young man was gone, having left Sarah and Martens alone.

[Lynneth]

Citing the aggression of China against the PRSEC and the latter's annexation into the UFE as well as a number of other factors in asia, Article 4 of the Military Policy would be modified by Parliament and the President to raise the standing army by 150% to 500,000 men and women.
Domestic development of military technologies was begun and encouraged, several corporations attempting to win contracts.

Especially the airforce would have to be strengthened, with virtual training already being done (though somewhat inferior to actually flying a fighter). however, the other branches wouldn't be neglected, with more money being given to the military for the time being - hopefully only a temporary state.

[Lynneth]

[b][Secret and highly classified][/b]

"Mister President, you and I both know that the military restriction we've imposed upon ourselves is ridiculous. Sri Lanka can be much more powerful if it wishes to be."
"But do we want to gain the an-" "They're [i]already[/i] acting like they own Asia! We need to oppose them properly."
"You did well with the MDP, Mahinda, but we need the military might to back it up."
"And what are you going to do?"
"We're going to open the archives and get us some good old Kraut technology."
"Really?"
"Yes. We need it as soon as we can, and buying !@#$ from all over the world is too slow. Our factories need to start working now. They must deliver by yesterday."
"I...I'll see what I can do."
"You'll do well, Mahinda, I'm sure of it. You're a good president."
"Though only a puppet of yours...Heh."
"Technically, yes. But we do let you a lot of free room, don't we?"
"True. Anyways, I'l get to it..."

___________________

[b][Still rather classified][/b]

"...and this is why I believe we must rescind the Military policy as it is and implement a new one, through which we can protect our ally in Cochin better and more effectively."
He had spoken for almost a full hour before Parliament and Mahinda Rajpaksa's throat hurt. But he hoped it would be worth the effort.
He watched the assembled member of parliament, and...The first rose, clapping. Several others followed, until half of them were standing. It didn't end, and only when a majority, a very clear and absolute majority were standing - he estimated perhaps eighty to ninety percent - no others joined the applause and ovation.

After several minutes of applause, he could finally speak again.
"I thusly propose, with agreement of the Parliament, that the Sri Lanka Armed Forces shall bring all reserves into active service, or train new soldiers, should the reserve troops not be willing to serve full-time.
I propose that all reserve tanks be brought into service and fuel reserves be created in subterranean bunkers for sustained warfare.
I propose construction of enough aircraft to at least equal most other modern nations.
I propose construction of a powerful navy in addition to the vessels Cochin is already constructing for us.
Those who agree with this proposal, press the appropriate button on your desks."

There were two hundred people in Parliament. 173 voted for the proposal. 24 against, three abstained.
"It is decided. Sri Lanka will arm itself; Properly."


Just as he was about to turn around to leave the podium, a hand was raised.
"Yes?"
The MP stood up, looking around.
"I propose we build nuclear weapons as deterrent. Potential enemies may be willing to use them. We thus need something to stop them from even thinking about this, now that we're going to raise so many troops."
"This is a...valid proposal. Very well. Let it be subject to a vote."
The previous result was saved and removed with the press of a button.
"Please vote now."

137 votes for, 61 votes against. Two abstained. Well, it was through, if barely.
Sri Lanka was going to get itself some muscle.

___________________

And mere hours after it was passed, factories all over the country were being supplied with technology from a nation which had fallen not so long ago.
It was quite unexpected, but the sudden demand for raw materials quickly sobered businessmen up who began buying whatever they could from nations throughout the world. There were plenty of funds for this, though it was a mystery where exactly they came from.
Some thought the military budget had been raised considerably. A half-truth.




Edit: Bolded the classified things. No other changes.

Edited October 1, 2010 by Lynneth

[Maelstrom Vortex]

A report filtered into the offices of the government of the UFE from PLARF government procurement offices.

[quote]
#### Classifaction: TOP SECRET [ULTRA] Chairman's eyes only. ####

Rare Materials and Metals Commodities Report [URGENT]

Market Prices of Metal Commodities in India/South Asian region spiking to multi-year highs. Our independent procurers responsible for the importation of cheap foreign metals and resources which track markets both domestically and abroad has advised us that public market prices on Rare Materials and Metals has risen dramatically. Doing a market by market indexing in order to search out the cause of the spike, no public businesses are demanding such an incredible increase in supply. Reverse tracing the price rises to the point of greatest change.. the farther away you get from the Island of Sri Lanka, the lower the impact on prices.

We thus assume there is a major private drain on metals and rare materials occurring in the regions in and around the area of Sri Lanka, but we cannot identify the source. Comparable changes in price have been witnessed in recorded history when major nations have begun arming themselves for war.
[/quote]

Edited October 1, 2010 by Maelstrom Vortex

[Lynneth]

OOC: Fun fact, much of my military equipment is constructed by private corporations based in Sri Lanka. But I'll get to RPing the details eventually.

IC:

[u][b]Sri Lanka Exclusive Economic Zone[/b][/u]

The Republic of Sri Lanka hereby releases its Exclusive Economic Zone guidelines. The Sri Lanka Exclusive Economic Zone would be free for passage to all commercial shipping belonging to non hostile nations. The SLEEZ would be free for sailing to all allied navies so long as they request transit facilities beforehand with the Kingdom. The SLEEZ is closed to non-allied naval vessels. Non-allied naval vessels requiring transit permit are required to contact the Republic and their requests would be considered on a per case basis. The Kingdom of Cochin has preferential privileges in using the Sri Lanka Exclusive Economic Zone in that they are free to sail in it without restriction.
The SLEEZ extends to approximately 200 Nautic Miles from Sri Lanka's coasts at its farthest point.

The laws governing the Sri Lanka Exclusive Economic Zone does not pertain to the Sri Lanka Territorial Waters, which is at a distance of 40 NM from the nearest coastline of the Kingdom. The Sri Lanka Territorial Waters are closed to all naval vessels except those which have received per case basis permission from the Republic.

The extent of the Sri Lanka Exclusive Economic Zone is shown below.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/SLEEZ.png[/img]

Edited October 1, 2010 by Lynneth

[Lynneth]

[b][Public][/b]

"The government is continuously constructing additional factories for recent expansions that had been decided not only for the military, but also to boost the general GDP of our nation.
Because of this lack of space, construction of underground train networks, much like subways are already ongoing. For example, a maglev system has been constructed roughly 20 meters below the surface to connect the largest five cities of Sri Lanka, and it's being lengthened and enlarged over time.
For freight transport, the government announced a train system around 30 to 35 meters below the surface, to connect major ports and airports with each other and important industrial facilities.
Experts argue that this isn't necessarily a peaceful endeavour, as the system could potentially be used to move considerable amounts of troops with relative ease and stealth.

The government says these freight trains will solely be used for civilian goods and materials."

___________________

[b][Public][/b]

[u]A view of the major corporations having their seats in Sri Lanka[/u]

[i]Sostra Holdings[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/The_Corporation_by_snoopydoo.png"][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_The_Corporation_by_snoopydoo.png[/IMG][/url]
CEO - [url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/Laura_head.png"]Laura Leclerc[/url]
Sostra Holdings is a massive corporation, and resembles more a conglomerate of many smaller ones. It does, in fact, control a number of important corporations in Sri Lanka as subsidiaries.
Sostra itself specialises in the laws, offering the services of numerous experienced and successful, yet competively cheap lawyers, amongst other thigns. Sostra also helps manage the daily workings for Sri Lanka's foreign affairs.

[i]Whole Foods[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/Whole_Foods_Tote_Bag_by_escranton296.png"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_Whole_Foods_Tote_Bag_by_escranton296.png[/img][/url]
CEO - Maas Thajoon Akbar
If you had something to eat today, chances are it's Whole Foods. The company is a major food-supplier in Sri Lanka, not only owning numerous vertical farms within the nation, but also a sizable fleet of transport ships and -planes, capable of supplying our nation with food.
Whole Foods has every kind you can imagine, from sweets over fruits to meat and milk. Some of the food is gene-manipulated, but always properly marked on the packaging, as gene, natural or normal.

[i]Vanguard Industries[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/VANGAURD_INDUSTRIES_by_OutFoxedTW.jpg"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_VANGAURD_INDUSTRIES_by_OutFoxedTW.jpg[/img][/url]
CEO - Felix Dias Bandaranaike
Vanguard is a former mercenary corporation, having turned towards building weapons mostly for infantry, but also branching out on occasion. They have, for example, worked on a as of now to-be-revealed MLR system with reportedly up to 150 kilometers range.

[i]UAC - United Aerospace[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/UAC_Logo.png"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_UAC_Logo.png[/img][/url]
CEO - Udaya Gammanpila
UAC is practially the foremost space exploration agency, working closely with the government's agency and having contributed numerous designs to both shuttles and buildings on the ground.
Their specialisation is exploration though; They have acquired the sole license for the [i]Explorer[/i] class space vessel, though it's expected that none will be built in the near future...Preparations are going on, though.
In addition, UAC also sells high-quality champagne and rice-biscuits. The small shops in malls are worth a visit.

[i]SHOUT[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/Shout_Research_by_logoistics086.jpg"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_Shout_Research_by_logoistics086.jpg[/img][/url]
CEO - Daya Perera
SHOUT's name may give an idea what their specialisation is: Communications.
Be it on the ground, in the air, on sea or even in space, SHOUT makes it easier, more comfortable and more efficient.
If you've got a smartphone, chances are: It's SHOUT.

[i]ENSI[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/ENSI_logo_by_RBDK.jpg"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_ENSI_logo_by_RBDK.jpg[/img][/url]
CEO - Frederick Dornhorst
Originally, ENSI was a small enterprise, trying to figure out how the brain works and interpreting this into signals usable by computers.
They soon expanded their field of expertise and nowadays are making headache- and anxiety pills as well as other medicine.
They didn't abandon their original field though, working to bring the best in brain-computer interfaces for nigh-instant reactions no matter the amount adrenaline rushing through your body.
Some of their research has reportedly paid off, are reports, but they haven't come forward with details yet.

[i]Kalari[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/d055cd084823c22a70697327c65a5ae1632ed2cb.jpg"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_d055cd084823c22a70697327c65a5ae1632ed2cb.jpg[/img][/url]
CEO - Susil Moonesinghe
Kalari specialises in a number of technologies, among them air filters, NPC-survival technologies and the like.
In addition, they have a chain selling cough drops and other dragées.
They have also announced that they will be expanding into construction of naval vessels.

[i]Sci 5[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/Sci5_by_tanwooikien.jpg"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_Sci5_by_tanwooikien.jpg[/img][/url]
CEO - K. V. Samantha Vidyaratna
Sci 5 focuses on worker suits for both civilian and military use (including armoured versions). These suits - usually looking quite a bit like exoskeletons though rather small and easy to handle - can enable the user to carry up to five times the usual of weight they would be able to carry.
Other branches of Sci 5 build machine guns and refridgerators.

[i]Neptune[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/Neptune_Symbol_by_Grizzy3384.png"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_Neptune_Symbol_by_Grizzy3384.png[/img][/url]
CEO - Ali Ameer
Neptune is another corporation that is planning to go big in space-related technologies, even claiming to be capable of building military-grade vessels for use in zero-G conditions.
Whether these claims will hold true once Sri Lanka is capable of going into space remains open.

[i]Oberone[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/Oberone_Corportaion_by_Firespettan.jpg"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_Oberone_Corportaion_by_Firespettan.jpg[/img][/url]
CEO - [url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/VDL/1277812715439.jpg"]Alexander Leclerc[/url]
Oberone's focus lies with so-called 'Apps' for Smartphones, various versions of the addicting game Bejeweled (as well as other classics) and touchscreen interfaces.
Notable is that its CEO is apparently the brother of [i]Sostra[/i] CEO Laura Leclerc.

[i]CORE[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/CORE_CORPORATION_by_icewolf2040.jpg"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_CORE_CORPORATION_by_icewolf2040.jpg[/img][/url]
CEO - H.L. de Silva
CORE is, amongst other things, alarge security company, proving the equipment of Sri Lanka's police force (and sometimes the policemen themselves).
Its weapons research department brought us pieces such as the ZX-800 sniper rifle or the Matador portable AT-weapon.

[i]cyphox[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/cyphox_corporation_logo_by_azhaan.jpg"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_cyphox_corporation_logo_by_azhaan.jpg[/img][/url]
CEO - Mitchell Baker
cyphox invented the similarly named internet browser which, with modern Sri Lankan technology, is capable of some astounding things.
Aside from being a universal browser able to display practcally [i]any[/i] common file format in use, it is also capable of preparing a simple breakfast such as coffee or making toast, when the nexessary upgrades to your flat are available.
It can also function as personal secretary if you use one of SHOUT's advanced smartphones with VI-technology and holotech.

[i]Code2[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/Code2_Corporate_Identity_by_da_flow.png"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_Code2_Corporate_Identity_by_da_flow.png[/img][/url]
CEO - Edwin Yapa
Code2 specialises in one thing: Land transportation.
Be it normal cars, humvees or tanks, Code2 has blueprints for it, as well as the factories to build it. They're part of Sri Lanka's military complex and one of the SLAF's main suppliers

[i]CIII[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/CIII_logo_Wallpaper_by_fixedstudios.jpg"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_CIII_logo_Wallpaper_by_fixedstudios.jpg[/img][/url]
CEO - Christoph Claudius Cannel
CIII - 'Citizen Control Corporation' - is far less all-controlling than the name may suggest. Nontheless, they, together with CORE, work hard to help Sri Lanka's police. They also perform firefighter duties and other such public services, paid for by the state.
However, they also have a less public face, inventing the latest electric egg- and water boilers, their models being among the safest you can imagine.

[i]Ultor[/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/010874.jpg"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_010874.jpg[/img][/url]
CEO - Jeremy Ultor
Ultor is a high-tech corporation, not only working with Sci 5 to eventually build powered armour, but also selling high-end computers at affordable prices, not to mention other gadgets like Holotech TVs and H-glasses, letting you surf the internet while wearing glasses!
These are of course by no means all of their products. There's many more.

[i]Xanatos Enterprises [/i]
[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/XanEnt.png"][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/th_XanEnt.png[/img][/url]
CEO - [url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Possible/Xanatos.jpg"]David Xanatos[/url]
Xanatos Enterprises is a massive media corporation, owning 38 of Sri Lanka's 50 national channels. It also is part of the movie and music industry, and works to create social networks on the internet, one of which is the widely popular websites 'Mytube' or 'Youspace'.

Edited January 12, 2011 by Lynneth

[Lynneth]

[b][Mostly public][/b]

With the announcement of the [url="http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?showtopic=53974&view=findpost&p=2475078"]Bengal Special Administrative Zone[/url], the corporations of Sri lanka immediately moved to establish their presence there.
Vital industries would either be bought or subsidised to become dependent on the appropriate corporation. With most, if not all of these corps being subsidiaries and part of Sostra Holdings, they would acquire considerable influence in the heavily populated region.
Of course, its GDP and the subsequent taxes would contribute partially to strengthening Sri Lanka's economy, though that was secondary.

___________________

[b][Classified, possibly seen via satellite][/b]

Primary concern was that the UFE was a strong nation with many allies.
In the minds of Sri Lanka's government - and Alexander, who approved of the following measures - a show of strength was needed to 'persuade' the UFE for a less aggressive stance in asian politics.
Thus, using the [url="http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?showtopic=92598&view=findpost&p=2475103"]recently delivered[/url] navy, with Kalari already working to make their own ships and upgrade those from the Kingdom with better technology where necessary, a majority of Sri Lanka's standing army would be shipped to Bengal.
Of the 500,000 more experienced forces, practically all would be brought to Bengal. Of the other, approximately 1.39 million, eventually a million men would be brought to Bengal.
This operation was of course one straining the current logistic system of Sri Lanka, but as mistakes and problems came up, they would be rectified, heightening efficiency.

With the troops, tanks, artillery and the like would come as well. The much of the recently developed airforce (some of it bought from Nod) was sent there as well, so that eventually, approximately 80 Percent of Sri Lanka's entire military force was in Bengal.
Official reasons were to ensure the security of the region and make the effective transition of government as smooth as possible.
Secretly, the government sent a missive to the Kingdom of Cochin asking for joint military exercises "near the UFE's borders", though the exact placement would be left open to Cochin.
The current troop-placements would be transmitted so that the exercises could be done in an as efficient way as possible.

[king of cochin]

xxxx Classified to Sri Lanka xxxx

Field exercises could be conducted at the Divisional Exercise Range of the 4th Shock Army Division at Imphal, Manipur. The 6th Mechanized Division at Cawarong,m Tibet has also prepared its DER for joint exercises with Sri Lankan Army.

Sd,

Lt. Gen. Shankar Iyer,
Chief of Army Staff,
Royal Cochin Army.


xxxx End xxxx

[Lynneth]

[quote name='king of cochin' timestamp='1286246656' post='2475241']
xxxx Classified to Sri Lanka xxxx

Field exercises could be conducted at the Divisional Exercise Range of the 4th Shock Army Division at Imphal, Manipur. The 6th Mechanized Division at Cawarong,m Tibet has also prepared its DER for joint exercises with Sri Lankan Army.

Sd,

Lt. Gen. Shankar Iyer,
Chief of Army Staff,
Royal Cochin Army.


xxxx End xxxx
[/quote]

[b][Private reply to Cochin][/b]

"Quite excellent. We'll send the first of our troops within the hour. More will arrive over the next days for the exercises."

___________________

[b][Classified; Defenses][/b]

With Cochin having owned the rgion of Bengal previously, there already were considerable defenses in it, quite possibly sufficient to deter most aerial assaults.
However, that was not enough, and thus plans were made to expand whatever could be expanded. Amongst the countless improvements were additional Radar stations, AA emplacements and supply bunkers, all of them camouflaged and hid to the greatest extent possible.
In the short term, the improvements could be seen as marginal, but in the long run, it would be more than sufficient to remove any threat from the region. The simple radar-coverage was sufficient that most, if not all stealth aircraft could be detected, enough stations being there to detect the reflected radar waves.
In a sense, the defenses were multi-tiered, the second tier pickung up what the first missed, or what the enemy had redirected from the first tier's attempts of detection.

[Lynneth]

[b][Terrorist bombing!][/b]

"Less than an hour ago, a peaceful demonstration in Chilaw was interrupted and dispersed by a suicide bomb attack.
Amateur videos show a man of Caucasian descent climb onto a car just behind the line of protesters facing the riot-police, who had been deployed to keep things civil.
He screamed 'For the Dreamers, for Dragonisia' and ripped off a long cloak, unveiling that he had strapped considerable amounts of IEDs to himself. He subsequently jumped into the confused crowd and detonated himself in this suicide attack.
The following panic and intervention from the riot police as well as specialist teams, nearby hospitals and firefighters dispersed the demonstration swiftly.

The end result is 18 dead, 7 heavily wounded and 14 lightly wounded people from the attack itself, while 2 people were trampled to death by panicking protesters.
If it is true and the Dragon Cult is behind this attack, the government may be hard-pressed to find and remove the leaders of this quasireligious but fanatic group."

[Maelstrom Vortex]

Religious leaders "holding true to the cult's doctrines" would issue a swift and sure condemnation of the attack, claiming the Dreamer would never authorize such an outrageous atrocity.

ooc: They're wrong of course, lol.

[Lynneth]

[quote name='Maelstrom Vortex' timestamp='1286521253' post='2478689']
Religious leaders "holding true to the cult's doctrines" would issue a swift and sure condemnation of the attack, claiming the Dreamer would never authorize such an outrageous atrocity.

ooc: They're wrong of course, lol.
[/quote]
"One might argue that because the cult let such irrational, unstable and fanatical people into their ranks - something which could easily have been prevented with some simple tests - it and its leadership are at fault, regardless of whether or not they endorse it.
Then again, one can argue much without anything being achieved."

___________________

[b][Classified; Defenses][/b]

Defenses were further augmented with various constructions.
The radar network was schedules to be tested soon, and the operators wanted everything to go well.
During the tests some weeks later, various types of planes, stealth and non-stealth were launched from Sri Lanka to Bengal and vice versa.
The tests showed that the recently installed radar stations were capable of detecting planes that were approximately equivalent to:
An F-22 Raptor,
A B-2 bomber
And a stealthy UAV.
The stations, codenamed [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COBRA_DANE"]Buzzard Eye[/url], were built on varying heights between 500 and 1,000 meters above sea level in Sri Lanka, thus giving them a LOS between 43 and 67 nautical miles.
The [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AESA"]AESA[/url] incorporated into them simply overpowered any stealth through sheer volume of energy, thus making practically any stealthy approach towards Sri Lanka impossible even on sea level.

The system doubled as warning system for ballistic missiles. Due to the relatively high points of construction - though concealed as well as possible from hostile threats - they could see practically any object in South Asia leaving the lower atmosphere with its roughly 4,500 kilometers range in ballistic threat detection.

Additionally, networked air defenses and SAM sites were under construction, even simple AA artillery being utilized for redundancy and backup. Interceptors were being spread over the nation, deployed tactically to support each other as well as possible.
All in all, a powerful network to deny the enemy any form of suprise.
Utilizing the recently developed [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-400"]U-600[/url] system with its [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-500_%28missile%29"]accompanying missiles[/url], any threat detected by the radar could be engaged, too.
Further tests would be conducted, but the entire system was promising, with the potential to stop any and all attacks on Sri Lanka in their tracks.

[Lynneth]

[b][Attacks continue][/b]

"In the last weeks, several additional attacks have taken place, though with many less casualties and mostly property damage.
In the seven bombings, 35 people were wounded in varying severity. Luckily, none of them died as of now, though two are still in a critical state after a car bomb exploded near a SHOUT market.
The Cult took responsibility for all attacks and announced there would be several more. Governmental officials stressed that they were close to finding the hideouts of the highest leaders of the Cult in Sri Lanka, potentially enabling them to "sever the snake's head", as the saying goes."

[b][Voting day!][/b]

"In other news, today and tomorrow are voting days. It is your duty to go and vote for the party that best represents your interests.
For your convenience, all relevant parties will be shown in a minute."

[b]Nidahas Pakshaya (Freedom Party; NP)[/b]
[b]Leader[/b] - Mahinda Rajapaksa
[b]Headquarters[/b] - Colombo
[b]Ideology[/b] - Democratic socialism, Centre-Left/Populist, Sinhalese nationalism

[b]Mahajana Pakshaya (People's Party; MP)[/b]
[b]Leader[/b] - Chandrika Kumaratunga
[b]Headquarters[/b] - Colombo
[b]Ideology[/b] - Socialism, Centre-Left, Internationalism

[b]Muslim National Unity Alliance (MNU)[/b]
[b]Leader[/b] - Rauff Hakeem
[b]Headquarters[/b] - Kandy
[b]Ideology[/b] - Muslim socialism, Right-Wing, Isolationalism

[b]United National Party (UNP)[/b]
[b]Leader[/b] - Ranil Wickremesinghe
[b]Headquarters[/b] - Sirikotha
[b]Idology[/b] - Centre-Right, Conservatism, Liberal conservatism

[b]Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (People's Liberation Front) (JVP)[/b]
[b]Leader[/b] - Somawansa Amarasinghe
[b]Headquarters[/b] - Colombo
[b]Ideology[/b] - Communism, Marxism-Leninism, nationalism

"Vote, and do your part to influencing our nation's policies."

Edited October 14, 2010 by Lynneth

[Lynneth]

[b][Elections concluded, results available][/b]

The elections are done, and we now have the results.
The five contending parties were:

[b]Nidahas Pakshaya (Freedom Party; NP)[/b]
[b]Leader[/b] - Mahinda Rajapaksa
[b]Headquarters[/b] - Colombo
[b]Ideology[/b] - Democratic socialism, Centre-Left/Populist, Sinhalese nationalism

[b]Mahajana Pakshaya (People's Party; MP)[/b]
[b]Leader[/b] - Chandrika Kumaratunga
[b]Headquarters[/b] - Colombo
[b]Ideology[/b] - Socialism, Centre-Left, Internationalism

[b]Muslim National Unity Alliance (MNU)[/b]
[b]Leader[/b] - Rauff Hakeem
[b]Headquarters[/b] - Kandy
[b]Ideology[/b] - Muslim socialism, Right-Wing, Isolationalism

[b]United National Party (UNP)[/b]
[b]Leader[/b] - Ranil Wickremesinghe
[b]Headquarters[/b] - Sirikotha
[b]Idology[/b] - Centre-Right, Conservatism, Liberal conservatism

[b]Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (People's Liberation Front) (JVP)[/b]
[b]Leader[/b] - Somawansa Amarasinghe
[b]Headquarters[/b] - Colombo
[b]Ideology[/b] - Communism, Marxism-Leninism, nationalism

The NP won the elections with 46%, the MP being closest behind them with 26% of all votes. The NP gained 4% in comparison to the last election, the MP lost 2%.
Behind them are the UNP, JVP and MNU with 13%, 9% and 6%, respectively. The latter two lost 1% each.
The UNP, JVP and NP have decided to continue their collaboration in the government, now leaving them with 68% of all votes. This is barely above the minimum required for a total majority government, compared to the 65% they had in the last election.

With the NP being the largest party in the ruling coalition, Mahinda Rajapaksa will continue to be the President for six years.
UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will be appointed Prime Minister for the same duration once again.

Almost 84% of all eligible citizens voted, a good number, showing the effectiveness of numerous campaigns asking the people to cast their votes, but not blindly.

Edited October 16, 2010 by Lynneth

[Lynneth]

[b][Mission to the moon][/b]

"Just ten minutes ago, Sri Lankan astronauts landed on the moon!
This completely unexpected and unannounced event was, according to government representatives, just the first one on the way to establishing a more permanent presence on our planet's satellite.
In the meantime, the second Sri lankan space station - and first self-built one - has been completed after almost three years of construction.
Its name is [url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/Lynneth_del_Serpentas/AE/CNRP/Corp/6a00d83452397c69e200e54f4aaf548834-800wi.jpg"][u][b]Anuradhapura[/b][/u][/url], named after the ancient first capital of Sri Lanka.

[i]"This is just the very first step,"[/i] said President Rajapaksa on a press conference. [i]"We're going to try and build a fully functional base on the moon, utilizing the launch loop so graciously shared with us by Cochin to bring the material into space and thus enable cheap, yet high-quality construction."[/i]
When asked about the projected price, the President responded, it [i]"will most likely cost only a few hundred million, though further expansion-projects and the like will of course raise the price. The fact that the base will be on the far side - often called 'dark side' - of the moon doesn't add much to the price, luckily. Really, most of it is actually getting functioning construction equipment up there and training astronauts in their use. We could of course throw finished modules onto the surface, but recent calculations have showed that this would actually cost more and be less effective in establishing a long-term presence on the satellite, for reasons which SLaSA, UAC and Neptune can tell you."[/i]
Further questions about population and construction time were answered, as well.
[i]"The construction time will be rather short, estimated to be about two years. The station will house up to 280 people permanently, with the most mdoern air- and waterfilters available being put into place. Food will partially be grown on site, partially imported. But even with all this, they'll occasionally have to receive air and water because you can filter only so often.
The base will not be entirely self-sufficient, but it won't need to be. Regular travel between it and our homeplanet only shows how advanced mankind truly is!"[/i]

Edited October 17, 2010 by Lynneth