3205 Press Releases
A digest of recent official government press releases, by reporting period.
T50
Ministry of Domestic Affairs Press Conference
A camera shot of the Ministry of Domestic Affairs on New Mars.
A mob of journos are besieging. The door opens, Senator Dermond stands on the
front step in full senatorial robes and the noise level goes critical. Dermond
glowers for silence, which slowly arrives as the press realise that they won't
get anything at all if they don't quieten down.
"Fellow Martians. I am here to assure you that the military action on Douglas
was in no way sanctioned by the Ministry of Domestic Affairs and that Governor
Zelazny has assured me that he did not order the action either. O'Hare is a
good and reliable officer and I am sure that he would not have taken this action
without what appeared to him to be clear orders. The question is: from where
did these orders originate? This is a question requiring an urgent attention
and I shall be pressing the Harness administration for a prompt answer. Please
note that I am no longer part of the administration. The Free Mars party cannot
continue in this coalition and I will be calling for a vote of no confidence
in the government tonight."
Noise level reaches new heights. Dermond does his best 'elder statesman' pose
and waits. Eventually he manages to get a word in edgeways.
"Whilst not ordering the Douglas attack, I can see the reasoning behind
it. This tinpot dictator is nothing less than a traitor to humanity - with the
MAFC weakened in his quadrant due to the heroic actions of true Martians, he
thinks he can hold us to ransom as his planet is crucial to Martian finances
in that area. This is disgusting behaviour, not worthy of any member of the
MAFC. We will not overlook his tyrannies, his repressions of freedoms. We will
not be bullied or blackmailed by this quisling. I shall be calling for the eviction
of Douglas from the MAFC until Martian freedoms are restored by the inhabitants
of the planet - until then they may have the pleasure of anticipating attacks
without the protection of the MSN that they have so glibly taken for granted."
"I will now take 3, no more, questions."
"Of course I have been speaking to other members of the Martian senate
about these matters. Yes, it is rare for Senator Banderas and I to speak with
one voice on any matter, but these are unusual times."
"No, I have no idea of the whereabouts of Senator Shadbolt. Are you implying
that I should have?"
"Yes, I am fully aware that the senator has now not been seen for several
days. I am sure that he has his reasons."
"Sir, we do have laws for slander and libel. Bear that in mind."
"No, I think Senator Hands acted in what he genuinely thought were the
best interests of the Martian people. Whether or not these close ties with a
polity notably lacking in the rights of the individual are morally correct is
not something I am about to discuss here."
"That is all. Good day to you."
Mayhem ensues...
Address from Cho-Sho O'Hare to the Q6 fleet at Douglas.
"Fellow Martians. I am sure you will have heard the many newscasts concerning
our recent operation on Douglas. You have all performed in an exemplary manner
and I am proud of you all. As far as I am concerned, we were acting in accordance
with orders and followed those orders to the letter, but politics has reared
its ugly head. You will doubtless be aware that various politicians are now
claiming this was an unsanctioned operation of which they had no knowledge.
I am speaking to you now to assure you that no blame will attach to any of you
for your part in this operation - as I say, your performances have all been
excellent. The sole responsibility for the operation lies with me and I will
answer to the politicians for it. In the event that I do not get to address
you all again, may I say that it has been a privilege to have served with you
all, albeit for a brief time."
Ministry of Science and Technology
The MAFC announces that the MAIDS organisation is being boosted by the addition
of two regional Headquarters. These are being located at THE HUMP (Q4) - covering
Q3, Q4 and Q5 - and IN THE CLEAR (!8) - covering Q1, Q8 and Q7. MAIDS central
HQ in Q0 will continue to support local work in Q2 and Q6.
MAFC Press Conference
The familiar pack of baying journos is encamped outside the Martian senate building
late in the evening. A large window on the upper floor is blazing with light
which illuminates the wisps of smoke escaping from the edges of the frame. Newsmen
interview each other feverishly and no passer-by is safe from their attentions.
Suddenly more lights come on in the building, clearly on the stairs leading
down from the lighted room and the assembled pack spring to attention. After
10 minutes or so, the familiar figure of Senator Dermond emerges, accompanied
by his secretary, Ms Kimbo. Dermond looks tired and is dressed in sombre black,
lacking his usual showmanship. Thysa on the other hand appears as chipper as
ever, despite carrying a pile of folders nearly as big as herself and is clad
in shocking pink velveteen lederhosen combined with a white angora sweater.
(Some misplaced fashion journalists are seen to shudder).
Dermond proceeds to the palisade of microphones and a hush slowly falls.
"Ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to announce that agreement has been
reached and a government of national unity has been formed."
"The new membership of the ICC is as follows:
Myself as Chair.
Senator Frink will continue as Science and Technology and Emma Bleedingheart
will continue her excellent work at Justice.
The new minister for war will be Xena Lawless of the CDP.
'Toinette Banderas of the MCGP will be taking over at the Foreign Ministry.
MLWP representative Ophelia Laertes will move to Finance.
My old position at the Domestic ministry is to be occupied by Herbert Wells
of the MCGP.
Theresa Shrike is at Trade and Industry and Charles Harness continues in his
ceremonial post as Supreme Councillor of the Martian Union."
"There is general agreement amongst the new government that the MAFC has
strayed too far from its founding principles and reforms are in order. You will
of course be kept informed of these discussions, but for now we are all tired
and shall be retiring. Good night to you all."
Dermond steadfastly ignores all screamed appeals and questions and trudges back
towards a waiting car outside the senate building.
T49
From: Caran o'Donohue - permanent secretary, Ministry of
Science and Technology
The MoST has asked me to outline the recent changes to the federal research
budget. As you know, the MAFC is strongly federal in nature and most expenditure
is directed at local planetary level, with virtually none at quadrant level
and little more at the pan-MAFC federal level. With the exceptions of the armed
forces and MAIDS, this is true for just about all government expenditure and
science is no different. Federal science expenditure has historically been directed
at the traditional Martian strengths of the planetology and biotechnology. However
in recent years the MSN has asked for the help of this ministry to better understand
the Exterminator Menace. Frankly however we have not been very successful. The
Martian contribution to fighting this war has been second to none but we have
not been able to make the breakthroughs in understanding the robotic menace
we face that some of our allies have made.
The Minister asked for a report as to why we were relatively lacking in success.
The answer, on reflection, is perhaps obvious: we are not a culture that delves
deeply into cybernetic and similar sciences. Those of our citizens that excel
in this area mostly work for MAIDS. To build the necessary body of expertise
would require many years and much investment, it might even adversely affect
one of our vital defences against the machine menace, MAIDS itself. If I can
put it another way, if you want military expertise, you seek a Martian not an
Esteeler. Similarly, if you want to understand an alien robot, do not ask Mars.
It is on this basis that the MAFC announces that it will withdraw funding from
the Exterminator Study Institute, located at HAMLET in Q3, by the end of this
year. Already, work has started to disseminate the discoveries we have made
to our allies and to pass on all research material. The ESI at HAMLET will now
become a local branch of the Institute of Advanced Planetary Studies (IAPS),
the premier Martian federal research body. The Quadrant 3 branch will concentrate
on Forerunner planetary science and will continue its successful analysis of
Exterminator planetary activity (which appears mainly to have been mining).
I will now accept questions from the floor.
From: Caran o'Donohue - permanent secretary, Ministry of
Science and Technology
The MoST today announced confirmation of a substantial federal grant (equivalent
to 2SV) to the University of Sturluson for the formation of a History of Humanity
Institute. The HHI will build on the renowned History of Humanity in Space faculty
that already exists in the University under the guidance of Professor of Modern
History Angus Starkers. The mission of the HHI is not to conduct original field
research but rather to be a repository or library of human knowledge gained
since humanity took its first faltering steps into space under the leadership
of the NASA corporation. It is hoped that the Institute will attract visiting
historians from far and wide and not just from Martian space.
It is part of the charter of the institute that academics of any origin are
welcome to visit and use the facilities. So far, we have already had indications
that Professor Zheng Tian-shou, professor emeritus of Psychohistory at the University
of New Mars, will be spending some months at the facility overseeing the initial
collection of electronic records from Martian souces throughout the quadrants.
Governments of other polities and universities everywhere are to be approached
for copies of their historical records.
The MoST is keen to that the institute not become a dry academic establishment.
It has therefore asked Mr Wolfgang Von Schlumberg, celebrated popular historian,
to give a series of lectures, on a subject of his own choosing, for univeral
broadcasting at the end of the Institutes first year.
On behalf of the Minister of Science and Technology, may I wish the greatest
of success to this new venture.
T48
Ministry of War, New Mars; Deployment of scouts
Martian Committment to HEB operations. Following the recent ToOL Conference, I confirm our initial contribution to Long Range Recce Group as:
MSS Yakutia (Avery) LSSI
MSS Gefjon (Sakimoto) SCI
MSS Telios (Dalton) LSSI
MSS Helm (Bosch) LSSI
For operations further into the future, I will ask the Interstellar Coordination Committee to consider identitying resources to this. In the meantime I confirm that the LSSI making up what is left of the Logistics Fleet (4) are available, at SHC discretion, for long-range operations. The CLI and 2DDI however would not be so available.
Senator Minos Cornelius, Minister for War
From: Ministry of War, NEW MARS, 3205.192
Today two new interstellar carriers join the MSN from the new naval yard at FREDERICK. These are MSS Pugnacious and MSS Stormtrooper. Initially they will form part of the Home Fleet. The ministry is pleased to announce that these vessels are being replaced in the yards by two more of this class immediately, to be completed at the end of 3206. The names of these vessels has yet to be confirmed.
Ministry of War, New Mars; Deployment of scouts
Mars announces the deployment of the three new SCI completed in T32 to the eastern
sectors to join allied scouting commands.
T47
From: Ministry of War, NEW MARS
The MSN announces that a new Heavy Cruiser MSS Intemperate is to be laid down. This vessels bears the name of a previous vessel of the same class that was destroyed heroically fighting the Exterminator menace at FRENCH in Q5.
From: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, New Mars
In these testing times, humanity needs to stand together.
We, the MAFC, therefore extend invitations to the following worlds to join the
fellowship of the MAFC in the interests of greater security for humankind:
Q0 - Vulkan, Vijanta, Nimrod
Q2 - Morpork
Q3 - Crabston
Q4 - Drum
Q8 - La La
Thrain Shadbolt
T46
From: Ministry of War, NEW MARS
Subject: 3205 Declaration
The MAFC declares that it is fully in compliance with the SSALT treaty. The MAFC declares that, apart from published re-organisation moves temporarily causing outer quadrants capital ship allowances to be exceeded slightly, the MAFC is in accordance with the ToOL. These excesses will be corrected by end T47.
From: Ministry of Economic Affairs
The ministry announced today that the 3205 budget had been finalised. In brief this year sees a continuation of the successful policies of the Harness administration, with a balanced combination of investment and expenditure on military build-up. During questions from the assembled press corps Senator Greta Bjarnsdottir, Minister of Finance MAFC confirmed that the MSN is still preparing for further Exterminator Attacks. She urged other polities to do likewise on the basis that collective defence is the only successful defence against this menace. She did however refuse to be drawn on the the low level of military expenditure by one major polity, this being the Centauri Conglomerate. To questions from local media, she also agreed that economic conditions in Quadrants 6 and 7 continued to hard but stated the steps were in place to boost investment in those locations and expressed an expectation that improvements would be seen soon.
From: Ministry of War, NEW MARS
The MSS Wasp (CAI) has been transferred from Fleet 4.1 (Q4) to Fleetr 3.1 (Q3). The purpose of this is to rebalance the fleets.
T45
Statement from the foreign office on New Mars:
Following the retirement of Senator Hands, the newly appointed minister for foreign affairs has been named as Senator Thrain Shadbolt, formerly senior foreign policy advisor to Charles Harness. Senator Shadbolt had this statement for the press: "We wish Drakkir all the best in his retirement and I will attempt to do my best to fill the large shoes he leaves behind him. He forged excellent working relationships with many of our friends and neighbours and I willl be attempting to build upon these. Whilst no transition can be totally seamless, hopefully ructions will be kept to a minimum and I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead in these interesting times."
(c) Martian Press Syndicate, 3205
Speaking at the close of the New Year festivities on New Mars,
Senator Drakkir Hands (CDP) announced his retirement from front line politics.
Although he has a
year of his current term of Senatorial office still to run, the Senator has
expressed a desire to leave early in order to take up a post as Vice Chancellor
and Emeritus Professor of Martian History at the University of Old Mars at Cydonia.
It is anticipated that the handover to the new Foreign Minister (yet to be announced)
will be complete before 3205.050 (end T45).
Talking before a specially-selected audience of well-wishers, the outgoing Senator
had this to say:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank everyone
who has made my time in international politics so interesting and challenging.
Indeed, so much fun has
it been that it has been a difficult decision to tear myself away, and one that
has caused me no small amount of soul-searching. "It is a frequent adage
that 'all political careers end in failure', and certainly after 35 years in
politics I was beginning to fear that I may have been riding my own luck a little
hard! Nevertheless, by departing at a time of my own choosing I hope to be an
exception to the rule.
"I hope that I have played my part in this great period of growth and stability
that Charles L Harness and his government have brought to a Mars that was grievously
wounded by both Exterminators and the ham-fisted response of the MLWP to them,
and I hope that I leave Mars and its international relations in better shape
than I found them. I can only wish my colleagues and successor all the best
for the challenges of the future.
"And I now hope to be able to bring whatever meagre talents I possess to
my tenure as vice chancellor of that august academic institution the Univerity
of Old Mars, and to be able to continue to pursue my academic insterests in
the field of history. I fear that I may also be unable to resist media appearances
on the Terran chat show and lecture circuit - you have been warned!
"There is a story that upon becoming premier of the Soviet Union, Leonid
Brezhnev found two letters on his desk from his predecessor, Nikita Kruschev.
They are addressed to him and the envelopes are printed with the numbers 1 and
2, and the phrase, 'Open in case of direst need.' A few years later, there is
a bad harvest and famine looks imminent. There could be trouble for the Soviet
government. Brezhnev opens the first envelope, and inside is a note that reads;
'Blame everything on me.' He takes it to heart, blames the famine on Kruschevs
policies and the government survives. Another few years later, there is an uprising
in Poland, and the other atellite states are growing restless. The Soviet Empire
could be disintegrating. Brezhnev returns to the desk drawer and opens the second
envelope. The note inside reads; 'It is now time for you to prepare two letters...'
"So, Mr Foreign Minister - the letters are in my desk. Thank you, and goodbye."
Notes to Editors: Senator Hands, 73, was a Councillor of the Martian Union from 3172-3180 and again from 3196-3198. He was MAFC Ambassador to the Solar Republic from 3180-3192. He was appointed to the MAFC Senate in 3198 and became Foreign Minister in the Harness Administration from 3200-3205. He is divorced, with a son, Marcus, who is currently serving in the Imperial Earth Navy. The Senator's seat is one of the two chosen by the Council of the Martian Union, and it is likely that the CDP-dominated Council will chose another Harness loyalist to replace Hands' senate seat. Hotly tipped for the post in recent jockeying for position is Harness' senior foreign policy advisor, Thrain Shadbolt.