Comrade Richards' Missile Ban

The state of TIAH

July 22nd, 2006

in 1987, in a stunning concession to the European powers, Comrade President Ann Richards of the Soviet States of America accepts a ban on intermediate-range nuclear missiles. Ever since taking control of her country from her predecessor, Comrade President Richards had sought a more productive relationship with the European monarchies, extending the peace initiatives that Comrade President Anderson had become so famous for. Comrade President Richards wanted to save America the vast drain on its resources that keeping the world's largest nuclear arsenal represented; if she were able to divert those funds from the military to civilian programs, the great dream of socialism could advance even further in the SSA. There were also rumors that pro-capitalist reactionaries were beginning to make inroads in the SSA, rumors which Comrade President Richards wanted to show up as a lie. Her market reforms, coupled with a decline in military spending, gave America a stunning new vision of a world at peace, with socialism co-existing beside the capitalists, each providing the world a unique and valid economic system. Unfortunately, Comrade President Richards had a nasty shock waiting in the wings as those on her left gathered support from hard-liners unwilling to bend their knee to the monarchies.

in 2017, the Pokor is once again deep into space away from Amandara 14, with the Eagle and the Pr't'(whistle)ian scientists on board. Najib Kasem, the Eagle's computer specialist, has adjusted the golden “Jump” device that has brought them all together, and it is now humming with power. “I think we should drop the Pr't'(whistle)ians back home before we attempt this – but I think we can get two jumps out of this with what I have done, rather than sitting and waiting around their Dyson sphere for a few days after we jump.” Everyone is impressed, especially the Quarai and Pr't'(whistle)ians. “I have not been able to decipher any means of prolonging the device's power,” one of the insect-like aliens said. “How did you think of this?” Kasem smiled a little ruefully, shrugged and said, “It came to me in a dream.” He warned everyone to ready themselves, and activated the device. Immediately, the glow surrounded them again and they felt the disorientation of being tugged outside of their own dimension, moved and plopped back into 4-dimensional space. When the glow subsided, they were back at Pr't'(whistle), and the Pokor called for a ship to come pick up the natives of the system. Captain Mawrao said, “Are we going back home once we get them off, or are we going to try something else?” Kasem looked at the Quarai and said, “Something else.” Mawrao clapped Kasem on the back and sent orders out to the crew to be ready for anything. Once a Pr't'(whistle)ian ship evacuated their scientists, to many cries of eternal friendship from the Quarai crew, Kasem told them to get ready, and activated the Jump device again.

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