05-21-2008, 04:54 AM
Vice-President Stark stands and asks that Secretary Bishop return to the room. As he enters she address the room:
"I agree Guardian Mikael that we coordinate our efforts as best as we can. However I'm afraid I must make a confession on behalf of my nation. First I must ask that all the room be cleared of all lower officials and non-essential personnel, what I have to say is to be kept here in this room between our heads of government."
The personnel stream out of the room and the heavy doors are closed and locked, guarded by heavily armed Pagemaster Marines.
"There is a reason President King wished to have the data module destroyed Secretary Bishop, it contains information about the Commonwealth of Pagemaster."
She let's the words settle over the room before continuing.
"Please understand Secretary Bishop that we did not realize this until your officials at Research Site 19 disclosed photographs of the AREV and its cargo to us yesterday during the conference. The alphanumeric ID number on the AREV outer shell confirmed our fears when President Seismos called the video conference in this chamber yesterday and displayed it in the background. The Commonwealth of Pagemaster sent that AREV into orbit with the module in the hope that it would not return to the ground for many, many years. During the reign of the Unseen Master over your nation Secretary Bishop the Commonwealth was involved in a conflict known to us as the Raiders War. The Raiders War took place prior to our involvement in the IDU and its details are not known outside our borders. The Raiders War was one of the most brutal conflicts to have ever taken place in our history. More death and destruction is assoicated with it than that of the Pagemaster Civil War. The Commonwealth was not without allies in this time period, the neighboring nations of the Empire of Malakie and the Longsword Republic joined us in the fight against the Raiders Alliance. We know little about the Raiders Alliance outside of their tactics and their technology, they refused to be captured alive. The Raiders War lasted nearly ten years and when it ended the Commonwealth was the only remaining power. The Third Alliance was a single, battered nation that held all of the secrets of the war."
She paused to take a breath and dab a tear from her eye before continuing.
"It was this conflict which brought about our decision to ban weapons research on nuclear, biological, chemical, laser, land mine, fusion bombs, and a number of others. Because all of these weapons were used in the war, first by the Raiders and then by us. It was through these means tha we ended the Raiders War when we activated the Shiva Protocol. The Shiva Protocol was a Senate order to undertake the complete extermination of the enemy by any means necessary. Our government at the time however didn't fully grasp what this meant. We used every weapon at our disposal and annilated any trace of the Raiders homeland. The Commonwealth Senate later realized what it had authorized and swore that it could never happen again, the Shiva Protocol was revoked and the constitution amended to prevent it from being enacted again. All known blueprints and research into every illegal and unethical weapon used in the war was downloaded into the Data module which was sold to us along with the AREV by the Unseen Master, though we did not tell him why we wanted it. The AREV was then launched into space in an orbit which should not have brought it back down for another three hundred years. Our government of thirty years ago had hoped that by that time our desendents could learn to forgive their country for what it had done and used the research to create a more peaceful future. Guardian, First Minister, Secretary Bishop you are the first outsiders to have this information discolsed to. President King asked that I relay this information to you and then ask you to forgive us for putting your nations at risk for our sins. Mr. Bishop, I beg you to have President Seismos reconsider his decision to have the Data Module downloaded. Please."
She sits down with tears in her eyes and is comforted by Secretary Jacobus and Secretary Long. Secretary Carter stands,
"Gentlemen, the decision is yours to make. The Commonwealth will abide by your decision whatever it may be."
"I agree Guardian Mikael that we coordinate our efforts as best as we can. However I'm afraid I must make a confession on behalf of my nation. First I must ask that all the room be cleared of all lower officials and non-essential personnel, what I have to say is to be kept here in this room between our heads of government."
The personnel stream out of the room and the heavy doors are closed and locked, guarded by heavily armed Pagemaster Marines.
"There is a reason President King wished to have the data module destroyed Secretary Bishop, it contains information about the Commonwealth of Pagemaster."
She let's the words settle over the room before continuing.
"Please understand Secretary Bishop that we did not realize this until your officials at Research Site 19 disclosed photographs of the AREV and its cargo to us yesterday during the conference. The alphanumeric ID number on the AREV outer shell confirmed our fears when President Seismos called the video conference in this chamber yesterday and displayed it in the background. The Commonwealth of Pagemaster sent that AREV into orbit with the module in the hope that it would not return to the ground for many, many years. During the reign of the Unseen Master over your nation Secretary Bishop the Commonwealth was involved in a conflict known to us as the Raiders War. The Raiders War took place prior to our involvement in the IDU and its details are not known outside our borders. The Raiders War was one of the most brutal conflicts to have ever taken place in our history. More death and destruction is assoicated with it than that of the Pagemaster Civil War. The Commonwealth was not without allies in this time period, the neighboring nations of the Empire of Malakie and the Longsword Republic joined us in the fight against the Raiders Alliance. We know little about the Raiders Alliance outside of their tactics and their technology, they refused to be captured alive. The Raiders War lasted nearly ten years and when it ended the Commonwealth was the only remaining power. The Third Alliance was a single, battered nation that held all of the secrets of the war."
She paused to take a breath and dab a tear from her eye before continuing.
"It was this conflict which brought about our decision to ban weapons research on nuclear, biological, chemical, laser, land mine, fusion bombs, and a number of others. Because all of these weapons were used in the war, first by the Raiders and then by us. It was through these means tha we ended the Raiders War when we activated the Shiva Protocol. The Shiva Protocol was a Senate order to undertake the complete extermination of the enemy by any means necessary. Our government at the time however didn't fully grasp what this meant. We used every weapon at our disposal and annilated any trace of the Raiders homeland. The Commonwealth Senate later realized what it had authorized and swore that it could never happen again, the Shiva Protocol was revoked and the constitution amended to prevent it from being enacted again. All known blueprints and research into every illegal and unethical weapon used in the war was downloaded into the Data module which was sold to us along with the AREV by the Unseen Master, though we did not tell him why we wanted it. The AREV was then launched into space in an orbit which should not have brought it back down for another three hundred years. Our government of thirty years ago had hoped that by that time our desendents could learn to forgive their country for what it had done and used the research to create a more peaceful future. Guardian, First Minister, Secretary Bishop you are the first outsiders to have this information discolsed to. President King asked that I relay this information to you and then ask you to forgive us for putting your nations at risk for our sins. Mr. Bishop, I beg you to have President Seismos reconsider his decision to have the Data Module downloaded. Please."
She sits down with tears in her eyes and is comforted by Secretary Jacobus and Secretary Long. Secretary Carter stands,
"Gentlemen, the decision is yours to make. The Commonwealth will abide by your decision whatever it may be."