Intended Destination: Liberty Governmental Offices, Planet Manhattan, New York, Liberty Broadcast IFF: Planetform Incorporated Sender: Geoffrey Lintle [color=#33FF33]BIOMETRICS CONFIRMED Uplink: Canterbury Station, New London, Bretonia
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To Whom it May Concern,
As you are probably aware, Planetform Incorporated holds a station in the Hudson system, Cold Bay, which was built to facilitate the terraforming process of Planet Atka.
Despite the insistence of the Rheinland government to cease operations, it remains necessary to keep the station running, as well as continue preparations for Stage One Terraforming, even if we don't explicitly go ahead with it until the region is stabilised.
With that in mind, I am asking that the Liberty Embargo on Rheinland Laws are amended to allow Planetform Incorporated shipping vessels to take Toxic Waste over the border to Cold Bay. These transports would obviously not enter Rheinland, as we have no current contracts with the Rheinland government - Or Rheinland entities at all - to service. The Waste in question is used for a process I don't fully understand, a chemical reaction of some sort to promote erosion on the surface to allow for more natural waterways, as well as I'm sure a plethora of other uses for the boffins over there.
Given the Liberty Government's interest in Planet Atka, I hope we can come to an agreement regarding this.
I'm afraid that we will require a comprehensive explanation of the use of toxic waste in the terraforming process; a process that you don't fully understand is unfortunately not enough reason to warrant an exception being made here. There aren't many scientists in the cabinet, it has to be said, but toxic waste is just that. To the lay man, the use of toxic waste to fulfill the same role as water does on the more hospitable planets of Sirius sounds like it would impede long term promotion of life. It also sounds as if it would pollute the water courses and groundwater, requiring expensive investments later on during colonisation to ensure safety.
So before we consider this request, we would like a comprehensive scientific explanation as to your requirement of toxic waste for the terraforming process. We would also like to see what assurances you can give us of your continuing avoidance of Rheinland, and suggestions for penalties to be levied against yourselves should that avoidance be breached.
Yours,
- William Hawthorne, Secretary of State for Trade and Economics.
Intended Destination: Liberty Governmental Offices, Planet Manhattan, New York, Liberty Broadcast IFF: Planetform Incorporated Sender: Geoffrey Lintle [color=#33FF33]BIOMETRICS CONFIRMED Uplink: Canterbury Station, New London, Bretonia
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Mr. Hawthorne,
I was hoping we could shuffle this through quickly so as to benefit us both sooner, but I understand bureaucracy all too well, and that was probably little more than a pipe dream.
I had that feeling earlier, so I had one of our Terraforming Science personnel, one Brad Braddingtons, write up a short explanation that will hopefully appease you; I can have a more detailed one drawn up and sent to your science departments at a later date regardless.
Quote:The beta decay of the elements present in toxic waste allow for considerable increase in culture samples of native bacteria used for Stage One terraforming. While we could use the processes associated with decay of plutonium, it poses a greater danger for shipping. The toxic waste also containes traces of organic molecules that the bacteria are able to break down into various gases useful for the process such as methane, carbon dioxide, and small quantities of water.
After a lengthy discussion with him, it comes down to the relatively simple fact that Toxic Waste is a cheap alternative to the more volatile; and strategically valuable, resources such as Plutonium. I could certainly understand the Government not wishing Plutonium to cross into the border systems, as it is an infinitely more dangerous commodity for the Rheinwehr to gain hold of, should they station privateers in the system.
Waste, on the other hand, is just that. Waste. Worthless to anyone but the ALG. We have no interest in trading this toxic waste across the border - it does not fit into our business model. If we required the waste to be removed, we would sub-contract ALG,as permitted by your laws. As it happens, we wish to import, so it is a non-issue.
As for it's impacts on future life; from what I can understand from Mr. Braddington's explanation, the organisms consume any harmful material long before colonisation.
As to your last point, I can give you my assurances that no Planetform vessel will be travelling from Hudson to Hamburg or vice versa. Your embargo is safe in my captains' hands. I feel I must remind you of the Rheinland government's initial baseless complaints regarding the Atka project, and the cease and desist order they served Planetform shortly afterwards.
As it happens, we're ignoring this order, for the future prosperity of Liberty and the system of Hudson. Needless to say, we have no contracts or projects in Rheinland, a political system which is unfriendly at best and a rather large investment in Liberty. I believe you should be fairly safe in knowing where our loyalties lie on this matter.
That said, we are an international company, and do not wish to interfere in the Republic of Liberty's war with the Federal State of Rheinland. Jumping the border from one side or another would certainly constitute interfering. If you wish for me to propose potential sanctions for the abuse of our ability to ship toxic waste, I would suggest monetary fines and the stripping of our increased embargo permissions from the corporation, and further punitive actions taken against the employee(s) in question.
In the hope of a pleasant and mutually beneficial outcome,
Despite your good intentions towards the Republic of Liberty, I'm still very skeptical as to the usage of toxic waste in the terraforming process. Having asked a few experts myself, I found that toxic waste is primarily a by-product of heavy industry, which contains elements such as mercury and cyanide. Neither of these are organic molecules in the sense that they are produced or consumed by organisms.
In fact, mercury is well-known for remaining undigested and building up in food chains, or so I'm told. This causes ailments such as minamata disease, which is quite a severe and debilitating condition. Cyanide, on the other hand, and as you may know, blocks aerobic respiration completely and kills off any higher forms of life in seconds, such as mammals. Both are elements and as such, are very hard to break down. I would be very worried if either of these elements found a use in bacteria.
These are only two examples of what could be found in toxic waste and are both extremely hazardous to life. Other examples could include lead, arsenic and chromium, all used in the production of industrial products such as the components for ships, electronics and even consumer goods. They are also all very poisonous if ingested in any way.
We in government need to be absolutely sure of the safety of using toxic waste in the terraforming process, partially to reassure ourselves of the significant investment that is in terraforming a planet, and partially to reassure the general public of its safety. In light of this, we would like to see and consider the full report before committing to the shipment of toxic waste, to ensure that no mistakes have been made.
We are, however, appreciative of your suggestions for discipline should the contract be broken. This is exactly what we had in mind, so it's good to see us on the same page in that respect.
I would also suggest that the California Minor project may be in need of some attention.
Yours,
- William Hawthorne, Secretary of State for Trade and Economics.
Intended Destination: Liberty Governmental Offices, Planet Manhattan, New York, Liberty Broadcast IFF: Planetform Incorporated Sender: Alastair Lance [color=#33FF33]BIOMETRICS CONFIRMED Uplink: Canterbury Station, New London, Bretonia
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Mr. Hawthorne,
With all due respect, your scientists are very unlikely to have such a specialisation in Terraforming Sciences, and thus the information they give you (at least in this particular instance, I have no doubt that they are extremely competent in other areas) is mostly irrelevant.
I'm not sure I understand this second guessing of our methods, especially after we show willingness to work in a warzone without any special protection, for the benefit of Liberty.
However I, again, appreciate a governmental need for bureaucracy to keep things in order, and I imagine it would be your department taking the blame on the very unlikely event that an accident should occur, so I do somewhat sympathise with your trepidation. With that in mind I will step back and direct Brad Braddingtons to conduct further discussion on the sciences, a topic in which I can only relay, it flies mostly past my head.
Expect him to transmit a report on this channel momentarily.
Intended Destination: Liberty Governmental Offices, Planet Manhattan, New York, Liberty Broadcast IFF: Planetform Incorporated Sender: Brad Braddingtons [color=#33FF33]BIOMETRICS CONFIRMED Uplink: Canterbury Station, New London, Bretonia
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Mr. Hawthorne,
Forgive me if I do not speak in a way easily understandable, I will attempt to keep it basic without leaving out any important information.
Your sources are indeed correct in regards to the effects of heavy elements and isotopes on the biological physiologies of regular organisms. I would, however, like to stress the unique nature of the extremeophile microbes we are discussing here. Atkus perussi is like nothing seen before by modern science. It disassembles elements on a molecular level in order to feed. The very same organisms were in fact genetically modified by our teams in partnership with Cryer to play a role in our new Xenobiotic Filters. In such a capacity, the organisms feed on industrial waste, purifying oxygen, water, soil, etc of contaminants. If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone engineered them for the specific purpose.
Planetform has been fostering widespread cultures of these genetically engineered organisms on the planet's surface in order to greatly expand our stock, for commercial purposes as well as practical terraforming ones. The waste will probably exterminate the non-modified organisms, this is true, but they are of little interest to us in any case. Various academic institutions have already been sent cultures of the original microbes for prosperity's sake. In effect, we are attempting to create a positive feedback loop in regards to GE microbes' population. As they metabolise the waste, their numbers will grow, causing them to metabolise the waste faster, causing more microbes, and so on.
The waste itself would be used as a form of extreme acid erosion. As Mr Lintle said, this could be used for scoring waterways, although I stress this is an extremely minor aspect of our plans - waterways are simply more an image the layman can associate with. In effect, we would be eroding or "melting" portions of the bedrock and polar ice caps to initiate the widescale release of CO2, sulphur dioxide and other such greenhouse gases. Incidentally, this waste would be most likely shipped from California Minor - it's a rather neat process. We rid ourselves and Liberty of one mess, and use it to heat a planet's atmosphere, as opposed to importing additional expensive terraforming gases from abroad. Following this, the waste in question is metabolised by a local strain of microbe, ridding us of the pollutants altogether.
This in combination with the halocarbons and perfluorocarbons found in our terraforming gases will serve to raise the planet's current frigid temperatures to workable and habitable levels. It is standard procedure to use greenhouse gases and other elements generally considered 'unpleasant' to raise the planetary temperature prior to later stages taking effect. More to the point, this waste will help to cultivate the initial stage of ecopiosis through the growth and reinforcement of an anaerobic biosphere.
I will be frank with you now. We have never used such waste in such a manner before, due to the relatively recent discovery of the microbes in question. If we had attempted this method in earlier projects, we would have been lumbered with the expensive and difficult clean-up operations during later stages. This microbes will basically "eat" the worst of the waste, ensuring we get the beneficial effects, with few of the negatives.
If you require any further information, the Administration of Planetform has ordered me to be available to provide it on this channel.
I did say that I would be concerned if you had in your resource pool an organism that could utilise heavy elements. Now my concern has turned to worry. You have described something of a biological superweapon, which could potentially exterminate the populations of entire planets.
What I need now is confirmation of a development of an organism that seeks out the current ones you are using and destroys them specifically. It needs to be able to cater to any mutations and changes that would happen to its target, as well as attack only its target. Additionally, we require you to develop a tailor-made substance that the terraforming organisms you are using would be poisoned or killed by. A high bar to set, given their purpose for disassembling elements, but a requirement nonetheless.
I am sure that my concerns will be echoed around the four houses, should you ask. Such requirements that we seek would probably find use everywhere you intend to conduct this process.
This technology sounds like one which has potentially untold amounts of utility for humanity across the Sirius sector. It also sounds like it has significant military uses, which we would not like to see proliferate in any capacity that would put the Republic of Liberty and her citizens at risk. Therefore, before we allow the usage of toxic waste to fuel their growth, we absolutely need a direct countermeasure.
Yours,
- William Hawthorne, Secretary of State for Trade and Economics.