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Joseph Christenson took the House of Commons podium for the first time. This was the first day Parliament would be reopened to conduct Bretonia's governing since emergency measures were taken in response to Kusari.

"Greetings delegates and guests, to the reopening of Her Majesty's Parliament. As we all know, our nation faces a great peril, and I'd like to take this time to thank our Armed Forces and Police Authority for their valiant and stalwart efforts to defend and protect our nation."

"As you are no doubt aware, there are a myriad number of problems for yourselves to address. So as to ensure we handle these issues in a timely mannerr, I will keep an oft-updated timetable for our debates and voting sessions. Debate transcripts from the House of Lords will be available to the members of the Commons, and vice versa. The first issue to be discussed is the colonization of Planet Sprague, proposed by BowEx' Liam Adama, who is here with us today."

"For the time being, Prime Minister Lord Mountbattan continues to hold the position of Prime Minister on behalf of the Royalist party, the position he held prior to emergency measures that had shut down both houses. As soon as the Commons is stable enough, a new Prime Minister will be appointed by the ruling party. Mountbatten will, of course, be eligible to hold the position again."

"Until then, we will begin with the matter of Planet Sprague." Christenson set a queue to one of the chamber aides and a document was sent to each MP's computer screen.

' Wrote:

Incoming Transmission
Encryption Level: Her Majesties government. Her Majesty the Queen

CommID: Liam Adama - Director of operations Borderworlds exports (Bowex)
Message Target: Bretonian government. Her Majesty the Queen
Message Source: Scarborough Station
Subject: Planet Sprague

To Her Royal and Imperial Majesty, Carina I.

As you and your parliament may be aware that despite extensive evacuation procedures that have been enacted on planet Leeds there is still a significant amount of people who have been displaced by this war. This number has also significantly increased in the recent months with the majority of the refuges being forced into poverty either due to the loss of the main income earner or some other myriad of problems.

This has lead to a problem of where to relocate them, while Port Jackson is capable of re-homing the excess there is a significant minority that do not whish to live on a planet that is shared by the crude barbarians the Corsairs or the neutral Zoners who many consider even more dangerous and more manipulative then the Corsairs. While we do have several alternatives where they may resettle, they are unfortunately located in places, which are frequented by the Kusari horde, or they are located in places that were just recently at war with Bretonia such as Planet Holstein.

However, I have found an alternative to these places Planet Sprague. As you undoubtedly know the Sirius Interstellar Cartography Agency a subsection of the Autonomous Department of Management and Interstellar Navigation has clearly registered the planet ownership to Bretonian Police Authority, thus as a state owned entity, thus it does in fact lies in the ownership of you.

However as I began investigating whether the planet is suitable for inhabitation and the history of the aforementioned planet it seemed said files surrounding the Planet are restricted seeing as you have probably restricted files surrounding the planets past for a exceptionally good reason. I will not press further however; I would like to ask for, your permission to conduct an expedition of the atmosphere, and the surface to ensure that it is suitable for inhabitation. This expedition would of course be done with Planetform Incorporated as they are Sirius’s foremost expert in Planet inhabitation and I would once you have approved, I will duly contact them.

In a different request, I would like to ask you for your permission to start to categorise the refuges in order of severity to ensure that we can ensure that the most severely affected people can be moved quickly and efficiently to ensure that their suffering is not prolonged for this I envisage four categories ranging from category 0-3

Category 0 consists of anyone who for moral reasons such as those affiliated to the Gaian or Molly movement. Who has subsequently been found in one of the many asylum registration centres on Leeds these, members should be moved last and as such are deemed worthy of no rush in moving them from their current situation except maybe to Newgate. It is estimated that less the one percent falls under this category.

Category one are those who are in a comatose state and as such unable to function without medical facilities this category will be moved first and it is estimated that 2-5%of the population falls under this category.

Category two consists of those who are unable to support themselves economically and should be moved after category one and it is estimated that 45% of the population that are seeking refugee fall into this category with, the elderly and young children making up the majority of this category.

Category three consist of those who can support themselves economically and the remaining 49 percent of the population make up this the finial category and unless they are required to support members of category 2 such as parents they will be moved last.

I have the honour to be, Madam, Your Majesty's humble and obedient servant.

Liam Adama- Director of Operations, Borderworlds Exports

"Here is a copy of Mr. Adama's proposal. I'd like to invite him to clarify, modify, or amend his proposal at this point. If no changes need to be made to this proposal, debates over it may commence."

Christenson left the podium for Adama to take, or for the various MPs to start debating amongst themselves from their benches. He began heading to the House of Lords to formally introduce himself and begin its own session.

Liam Adama simply rose from his seat '€œHonourable members of the house I am perfectly happy for this proposal to go before you unaltered and unmodified." With that, Liam swiftly sat back down on his chair ready for the first of many debates that would undoubtedly be erupting in the future.

Tammo took his feet, removing his hat as he did so.
"And may I ask how the Honourable Member from Bowex intends to pay for such an endeavour? Terraformation and colonization of a planet is expensive enough in a time of peace, and with a skilled crew. To do it in a matter of weeks or months with refugees would be prohibitively expensive. It's a wonder and a miracle, thanks to the fine work of BMM and ...others, that the Crown hasn't gone into debt already! Moreover, what exactly do you propose we do with the refugees once we set them on Sprague? It's an undeveloped planet, with no industry or jobs to speak of, and it would take a year or more to start building an economy to handle even a modest number of people! Would you wish to create an entire planet of Crown-supported slums?"

Michael finished looking over the proposed bill and listened to his fellow MP's critique. As Tammo finished his point, he stood up to put forward his own thoughts.

"To add to the previous points made, I would ask how Bowex know that the planet is even suitable for landing on, let alone settling, if the files regarding the planet have been classified? This planet could be filled with lethal, contagious plagues or diseases that an expedition could easily bring back! Are we that uncomfortable on the luxurious world of Gran Canaria that we risk tampering with something that quite clearly has been locked away for good reason?"

"I say this bill is a farce. If Bowex are interested in the planet, they should be requesting access to the classified files, not ignoring them and plowing on anyway. What awaits there has been classified for good reason, we have to know what that is before we even consider sending an expedition there."

As the calls of " Hear, hear " and the dust settles after the bench slapping dies down, Calum got to his feet.

" Mr Speaker, Prime Minister, Honourable Members of the House.
May i first start with thanking Mr Christenson for his eloqent opening address and seconding his thanks to our Armed Forces and our Police Officers for thier stallwart defense of our great House.

A ripple of " Hear, hear " could be heard throughout the house.

" But to business. The bill proposed by Bowex is ill concieved as my other esteemed collegues have pointed out.
As well as the points already raised, Omega 3 is a hotbed of danger and, until recently, a conflict zone with our neighbouring House. Why on earth would we want to take the people already on the front line and deliver them to another zone of danger? "

Marcus Hastings rose from his seat, a labourious task for his old bones

"Gentlemen, if I may be permitted, I would like to bring your attention to the facts of this bill.

First and formost, the proposal by Mr. Adama highlights a issue of high importance to Bretonia. The current facilities for refugees are inadiquate, and will be overrun quite soon if people continue to arrive on New London at their current rate.

Secondly, the gentleman from Leeds raises a strong point. Our records on Sprauge are sparse at best, the latest of which dating back to around 801 A.S. However, what little knowlage we do have indicates that Sprauge contains a network of subterrainian tunnels which, with some work, could be sealed off and pressurized for habitiation. Even these meager accomidations could help greatly in lowering the load of refugees placed upon New London. However, the matter of the atmostphere still remains; regardless of the state of these tunnels, we have little knowage about the composition of the atmosphere. It could, as you say, be a host to toxins or a deadly virus. I move that we commission an exploration of the planet's surface, and contact the A.D.M.I.N.S for any records they might have."

Marcus then took a breif moment to glare at Mr. Tammo. "As always," he said, "it is nice to hear from the more... radical members of this organization. The matter of funding can be adressed in the near future, but I beleive I may have a plan for cutting down the cost of a normal terraforming operation by about half in the case of Sprauge.

Lastly, there is the great problem of Omega-3... Or, Snowdown, as it is known now. We must be cautious not to offend the residents of Omega-3, be that the Zoners of FP1, the IMG, or the Republic of Rhienland. We must be careful to make clear that any efforts to colonize Sprauge is not an attempt to fully annex the Snowdown system. Such beleifs in part led to the unfortunate situation with Rheinland in the recent past, an event from which Bretonia is still recovering. I move that, if passed, terraforming on Sprauge take place immidiately, but the relocation of refugees not begin until the issue of Omega-3's sovregnity is resolved to the satisfaction of all its residence.

With that said, I must say that I intend to pass this and any measure intending to aid in the relocation of Refugees from Leeds. I will not and cannot abandon those who have abandoned so much of their own for their country."

The chamber returned to a low murmur as the ministers quietly discussed Mr Hastings' opinion on the matter. Michael Kingston adjusted his spectacles and turned to his colleagues. With assuring nods from the other three representatives of the Green Party, he stood to address the House of Commons.


"Members of the House of Commons... the Green Party recognises the dire humanitarian situation that Bretonian finds itself in due to this catastrophic war with Kusari. However, we stand opposed to the proposition to colonise Planet Sprague in the Omega-3 system."

"We consider rushing to colonise this planet as an easy path to disaster. Allow me to use Leeds as an example. Unabated consumption of its natural resources and non-sustaianble development has left it as a dry husk; a mere shadow of its former beauty."

"Without careful analysis of the effect of human colonisation on Sprague's natural ecosystems, it is easily possible that Bretonia will make the same mistakes once again. The Green Party cannot allow that to happen."

After Kingston had delivered the main opinion of the Green Party, Bennet Hall stood up to speak, another MP registered with the Green Party.

"That being said, we all understand the need for expansion in the direction opposite Kusari. While the tides of war are slowly beginning to turn in our favor, insurance will be necessary in case our good fortune leaves Bretonia once more."

"If colonization of Sprague is going to begin, it is something which I will be firmly opposed to unless the following restrictions are put in place, or a compromise is met which would prevent the destruction of the various ecosystems on Sprague."

"One, the number of possible colonies will be restricted to five, no larger than fifteen thousand in population, each spaced several hundred kilometers apart, for the first ten years."

"Two, at least thirty percent of the colonists will be scientists, with doctorate degrees from any Bretonian, Libertonian, or Rheinland University, or employees therof, in place to observe the effects of colonization on the environments."

"Three, all waste produced by the colonies will not be disposed of on the planet, but rather it will be held in a containment facility to prevent exposure to the natural wildlife, and to prevent littering. Bowex will be expected to ship this waste weekly, and ensure that it is incinerated by the nearby sun."

"Four, all visits by ships will be restricted to goods being ferried to and from the planet, colonists being shipped on or off the planet, or BAF and BPA ships stationed there for defense and to ferry officers on and off the planet in the case of a rotating garrison."

"Five, Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing will be permitted to survey for resources and minerals on the planet, but mining operations will not begin for the first year of the planet's colonization. Any mining operations will be restricted to a maximum of two hundred employees "

"I hope that you gentleman will be able to agree to abide by these restrictions in the event of Sprague's colonization, otherwise I will be forced to vote for this bill's failure. Unless similar restrictions will be put in place in the stead of those I have just presented."

"Any and all information already known about Sprague would also need to be presented and confirmed by a survey team on the planet before anything else can begin."

Tammo sighed as he stood.
"I think the Honourable Members from Bowex and BMM are putting the proverbial cart before the horse. The files on Sprague are sealed, and no one present here has any idea about the planet's condition. I believe we can all agree that before any actions are taken, a thorough survey of the planet in question should be undertaken. For all we know, there is no life on Sprague to protect, nor any minerals to mine, although there could be, since we simply do. not. know. Given a similiar opinion expressed by the Honourable member from BMM, i hearby motion to postpone debate on this matter until such time as Sprague has been surveyed."