Star People
Side Story 19
Spies and Lies
Sept 18th, 14 AE…
Atlans Capital City Akandri…
While sitting at his private office, Hinzent Gudern let off a low growl as his secretary handed to him, the latest sales figures of the third quarter. She also placed a cup of fresh black coffee on his desk, then bowed and left. The leader of GUST continued to fume in silence as he read the reports. Much to his displeasure, the news was not very good. Even though domestic sales of reproduced Free Land technology were encouraging, they were not as high as he wanted and his companies were not dominating the markets. In many cases, they were just barely breaking even.
Damn those Technology Share Laws!
Due to the Star Alliance New World Technology Share Laws, Free Land purposely withheld their core technology, and only allowed Atlans and other countries; access to outdated and obsolete technology and methods, at least by Star Alliance standards. Furthermore, they did not favor any businesses and gave each corporation the basic blueprints and manufacturing processes of each newly-introduced device or concept. This would encourage every business to innovate and make their own modifications and improvements.
Hizent’s companies had tried to make the best improvements to that technology. However, it wasn’t enough as other businesses did the same and competition was so close, that it didn’t really matter to the public which business they purchased from. Furthermore, since they didn’t have the same level of mass-production capabilities as Free Land’s, overhead and production costs were high, thereby cutting into their profits. What was even worse was the fact that they couldn’t manufacture the products with the same quality and precision as Free Land. As a result, the masses would rather buy Made in Free Land. And this was just the outdated technology like the Polaroid Instant cameras, Volkswagon Beetles, 8-Track Tapes, VHS and what Free Land termed as the Home Computer.
It was the computer which gave Atlans’ scientists the greatest of possibilities, but also the greatest of headaches. The computer could do thousands of calculations per minute and made office work much simpler. Typing, mathematics, schedules, spreadsheets, charts and correlating data became easy tasks. Workers found that the computer could automate many functions and could even be used in military functions, such as process the trajectory of cannon shells and be used in radar installations.
However, the computer was bulky, ate up electricity and didn’t have anywhere near the processing speed or memory capacity of the simplest of Free Land’s domestic models. Furthermore, Atlans did not have the manufacturing capacity to create decent processing units on a large scale. Silicon was hard to obtain since the processing and refining methods known to them were slow, cumbersome and expensive. Atlans would have to figure out how to mass-produce computers on its own, as well as modify them to take up less space and become more portable. As of now, the best of Atlans’ supercomputers were huge, noisy machines that could fill up large closets or small rooms, while the home versions could still take up a large, office desk.
This by far, was the biggest reason why Hizent and GUST resented Free Land so much. Star Alliance computer technology was so advanced, sleek and compact, that it was seen as miraculous. Even models that were marketed as toys to children had more computing power than the devices they planned to use to land on Istaria’s Moon. It was so aggravating that such knowledge was so close at hand, and yet Free Land refused to share it.
How do they expect Atlans to join up with the Star Alliance if they won’t show us the way to do it? Why did they let the dwarves join and not us? It’s not fair!
After the Dwarf Nations were admitted as the newest member of the Star Alliance, the world economy took a dramatic shift as the diminutive people began creating newer, high-quality products. Dwarven products were always considered as top-notch, due to their runes and their craftsmanship. However, they were now all enhanced with Free Land technology. Furthermore, thanks to the Star Alliance, the dwarves were able to mass-produce on a scale unheard of. The Kingdom of Atlans, once revered for being the top nation of mechanical wonders, was now seen as second-rate and generic. Just as Emperor Shenshirine had become upset over the downturn of Naran exports, Hizent found this new status quo to be completely unacceptable.
I’ve heard rumors that Shenshirine is taking extreme measures to try to bring the prestige of his country back to its former glory. Hmmm… maybe Atlans should do the same…
He then started to think back to when those Dreenat agents had approached him with a proposition.
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Sept 28th, 14 AE…
“You’ve all been given your assignments.” Hizent said as he stood before a group of operatives in an abandoned warehouse in the capital.
The young men were in their late teens to early twenties and looked like a mixed group of high school and college students. They were dressed in regular civilian clothes that wouldn’t stand out in a public setting, even in Free Land. They would pose as tourists and visiting students from the Empire of Sath, Atlans and Zedan.
Each operative carried a backpack, duffle bag or suitcase that had their clothes and daily necessities. However, they also carried the latest in hidden espionage equipment that Atlans and the Dreenat could provide for them. One of the main reasons why the Dreenat had failed in obtaining the technological secrets of Free Land was that they didn’t understand how the Star Alliance’s security systems worked.
Since the Kingdom of Atlans had maintained good relationships with Free Land, it made more sense to send Atlans’ operatives to the Alder continent. Security wouldn’t be so stringent against citizens of an allied nation. Of course, they could still damage current relations with Free Land if they were discovered, but Hizent and the Dreenat were willing to take that chance. Even if they were to only get an inkling of Free Land’s core technology, then the Kingdom of Atlans could become the superpower giant that it was meant to be.
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Oct 2nd, 14 AE…
“Yes, it looks like all your documents and passports are in order.” The customs officer declared as he handed Regit Varges back his papers. “I hope you will enjoy your visit to Polaris City.”
The young man smiled as he passed by the checkpoint and the advanced sensor grids of the port entranceway. He gripped the shoulder strap to his duffle bag with satisfaction, thinking that he had actually gotten away with sneaking espionage equipment into Free Land. It looked like the so-called advanced technology of the Star Alliance wasn’t so great after all.
As Regit continued to walk away, the customs officer nodded as he received a signal from a tiny device mounted inside his left ear. This was a special internal communicator that allowed the officer to be in contact with his supervisor. He temporarily closed off the booth, reached up and tapped his left earlobe, opening up a channel.
“Has the subject passed through customs?” The supervisor asked.
“He just went through the sensor grid and he’s been marked with a nano-tracker.” The officer confirmed.
Unknown to Regit, when he passed through the sensor grid; a microscopic, bio-organic tracking and listening device had been secretly implanted into his scalp. The process was so quick and painless that the GUST spy didn’t even notice. Thanks to the tracker, Regit’s location would be known at all times, and Free Land could listen in on the bug.
“The Council had always suspected that sooner or later, we’d have some unwanted visitors from Give Us Superior Technology.” The supervisor remarked.
“Well, too bad for them, we’ve done our own spy work.” The officer stated as he tapped a file on his holographic console, bringing up an extensive record on Regit Varges; which included his biometric data, demographics, and most importantly, his GUST membership.
“The city’s surveillance system is already keeping track of Mr. Varges and the dozen other GUST agents who entered this morning.”
“Is it a good idea to let them keep their espionage equipment? I mean, I know that stuff is antiquated and crude, but…”
“The higher ups had already analyzed the tech and deem it as no threat to security. It’ll be a miracle if that stuff even works against the lowest level of encryption protocols.”
“But they’re here to spy on us and…”
“And we can’t do much until we catch them in the act. Don’t worry. They’re not going to get any of Free Land’s core tech. It’s just going to be a matter of time before we catch them red-handed.”
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Oct 15th, 14 AE…
“But why can’t I enter?” Silenia Varts asked. Though she resembled a typical college student, she was actually 28 years old and a secret member of GUST. Six years ago, she had graduated from the Atlans Science and Engineering Academy with top marks, and had thought that no other country could match her country’s technological genius. However, once she saw the miracles of Star Alliance technology, she wanted to learn about the scientific principles that created them and found it unfair that Free Land refused to teach or import any of it.
“I’m sorry, but this is a restricted area.” The guard stated. “Unless you happen to have proper clearance, you’re not allowed to enter this research facility.”
“I guess they’ve got some top secret stuff in there, huh?”
“That goes without saying. Now run along.”
Silenia let off a huff as she walked away from the entrance, and then turned around the corner of a nearby building. She went upstairs and entered a room she had rented on the 3rd floor. Opening the window, she looked down and saw that she had a good view of the roof of the research facility. She put down her backpack and took out a small device. It was about the size of a small bird, but had four wing-like appendages with crystal spheres on each end. It also had a crystalline eye in the center. After speaking a quiet and lengthy incantation, she tossed the contraption out of the window and into the air. The spheres glowed with a dim light as it hovered in the air some fifty feet above the street.
She then took out what appeared to be a wand and pointed it at the device. By manipulating the wand, she was able to guide the magical device towards her target, which was a nearby window of the research facility. She had thought to have the perfect opportunity to gain some important information without being detected.
Unfortunately for her, she was already under surveillance.
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Inside the research facility…
“Well, I’ll be damned! They actually came up with a spy drone!” One Terran technician exclaimed as he and his co-workers watched a nearby holo-projector.
“I’m reading quite a bit of psion manipulation.” Another technician, this time a male Catian, stated. “It looks like that spy drone is magically-empowered.”
“This isn’t something that Atlans can come up with, so where…?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say that the Dreenat gave her this magitech.”
“Don’t they use golems in the shape of small animals? This is the first time that I’ve seen a magical drone look like… well, a drone.”
“More than likely they based the design on one of our models.”
“Where would they get one of our models?”
“Well, we do sell simple, low-tech models as toys for children. It’s possible that they might have bought one and studied it to get an idea on how it functioned.”
“So they wasted a lot of time and effort to build something that can mimic a child’s plaything?”
“Well, when you think about it, it’s a lot more efficient than making a bird that has to constantly flap its wings. It can hover and is able to maneuver in tight spaces.”
“But it’s still giving off one big psion-energy signal. No way is that thing going to get past the environmental sensors.”
“True enough.”
“So is this enough evidence to arrest her?”
“Let’s see… entering Free Land using falsified documents… trespassing on restricted property… using an unauthorized device to perform espionage… yeah, I’d say that’s enough.”
The Catian then pressed a signal button on his console, signaling for the local authorities to collect the would-be infiltrator.
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November 29th, 14 AE…
“So how many of these GUST agents have we arrested so far?” Ben asked tiredly as he and the other Prime Directors sat at their conference table.
“Forty-two.” Anida replied, and then corrected herself as her console received a new message. “Make that forty-three.”
“Well, they’re persistent. I’ll give them that.” Sierg commented.
“Persistence is not a virtue in this case, especially when their main goal is to spy and steal knowledge and technology, which Atlans is simply not ready for.” Nasaak pointed out.
“So what have they been targeting?” Viska inquired.
Ben looked down at his console and read the list of attempted break-ins and espionage. “Well, let’s see… five of them were on the star battleship Missouri by attempting to pass themselves off as maintenance crewmembers. They were immediately exposed and arrested by Ensign First Class Jokabor, who didn’t take kindly to strangers messing around with the ship’s meson reactor.”
“Good lad!” The Prime Director applauded the actions of his fellow kinsmen.
“Four tried to get into the starfighter base near New Pearl Harbor.” Ben continued. “Another two tried to use one of those magical drones to spy on the advanced chemical synthesis plant on the northern side. Seriously, they should just dismantle those drones they got from the Dreenat. They’d have a better chance of reverse-engineering those machines than trying to figure out a meson reactor.”
“And the Kingdom of Atlans is still denying any involvement with GUST or the Dreenat?” The Kyteeri Prime Director asked.
“Certainly.” Nerto replied. “They maintain their stance that the actions of GUST and their alliance with the Dreenat are solely the actions of extremists. Their government completely disavows any involvement with those groups. Even their king states that he wholeheartedly disapproves of their attempts to steal Free Land technology. He definitely does not want to ruin the current relationship between his nation and ours.”
“I’m inclined to believe them.” The Catian Prime Director said. “Nobody is that foolhardy to give us a reason to declare war on them.”
“Still, these attempts at industrial espionage have to stop. Not only is GUST giving Atlans a bad reputation, but I don’t want to take the chance that those GUST spies might actually get some core technology. We’re going to have to crack down even harder on security.”
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December 14th, 14 AE…
Hinzent scowled as he read the latest reports at his desk. Despite the advanced spy gear given to them by the Dreenat, the GUST operatives had nothing to show for their efforts. Nearly ninety percent of their number in Free Land had been discovered and arrested on charges of fraud, industrial espionage and attempted theft. Though the Atlans government categorically denied any involvement with them, the spies gave Free Land a valid excuse to declare war, if they choose to do so. They could even cut off Atlans supply of outdated technology.
Fortunately, the cool heads that comprised the Council of Prime Directors decided to be lenient. They would only expel the GUST members from the Alder continent, and ban them from ever returning. All of their international passports to Free Land were permanently revoked. The nano-trackers that each member had been implanted with would remain and allow the Star Alliance to keep tabs on them, should they attempt to sneak into the country again. To say that the mass insertion of GUST members into Free Land was a failure would be a gross understatement. At this point, Hizent decided to covertly send the signal for all remaining GUST members in Free Land to cease all activities and return to Atlans.
All of that effort had amounted to nothing.
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December 25th, 14 AE…
“So what is this?” Hizent asked as gazed upon the device on his desk.
“From what the research labs can tell, it’s an actuator.” The GUST spy replied. His name was Gerel Sikes. He was an Atlans engineering student who had joined up with the organization five months ago. He was also one of the few GUST members who hadn’t been arrested by Free Land.
“So… what’s an actuator?” The GUST leader asked.
“According to my studies, an actuator is a device that produces force or movement in response to some kind of input, like an electric signal or hydraulic pressure.”
“Oh, you mean like what we use in our industrial machinery? So, what’s the big deal?”
“Our best, strongest actuators are more than twenty times the size of this one and can move about a ton apiece.” Sikes pointed to the device, which was about the size of a TV remote. “That little thing could move more than TEN TONS!”
“Are you kidding?!” Hizent exclaimed. “Where did this thing come from?! How the HELL did you get something like this?!”
“Completely by accident.”
Gerel then began to relate how he came across a construction site in a Dwarven neighborhood near New Pearl Harbor. One of the machines that were moving large slabs of concrete had malfunctioned, causing one of its limbs to become overstretched and break. The resulting crash caused the machine to topple over and break its appendage. As a result, a huge cloud of dust and debris was kicked up. During the confusion, Gerel noticed that several mechanical components were scattered about. He managed to covertly grab one of those devices as emergency crews soon arrived at the scene. Later on, he managed to sneak the device out of the country by placing it into a watertight container with a magic tracking seal, tossing it off a cliff and into the ocean, and letting the current carry it far enough away so that his comrades could pick it up once it drifted past Free Land waters.
“So this is an actual piece of Free Land technology?” The GUST leader asked with interest.
“Well, it’s actually a piece of Dwarven technology, but it’s been enhanced by Free Land!” The GUST subordinate corrected. “The labs recognized the dwarf workmanship, but the alloys and inner mechanisms were definitely from the Star Alliance! It’s not military-grade, but it’s still a few decades ahead of anything we’ve got currently.”
“Do you think the research and engineering teams can duplicate this device and adapt it for our use?”
“I think they can! If we can manufacture copies that can do even half of what this little guy can do, then think of the possibilities! The advancements in heavy machinery for construction and the military could skyrocket!”
“Do you think… that device might allow us to be able to build our own Battle-Mechs?”
Gerel went silent for a bit as he considered the question. He knew the huge hurdles one had to overcome to build a mech. One of the major obstacles was making the machine move itself. And now the solution was lying on the table. An actuator that was ten times stronger than its Atlans counterparts and took up less than 1/100th of space would be a boon to all robotics engineers in the kingdom!
Of course, there were other problems such as getting a sufficient power supply and control, but a major step had been overcome with just this one device.
And Hizent had some ideas of what to do with this piece of stolen technology.
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Jan 19th, 15 AE…
“So what is this?”Captain Lenns Hodder asked with mild interest as he, a few other military officers, business clients, and members of the press, crowded around a large table. A long, thin device, about the size of a baseball bat, was at the center.
At the head of the table, Hizent stood proudly with a smile as he introduced the latest product from his engineering companies.
“Gentlemen, esteemed members of our glorious military, fellow colleagues and the press… I am pleased to showcase the fruits of labor from Hizent Industries! The Ultra-Actuator!”
Flashbulbs popped as cameras took pictures of the new device. People began to talk excitedly among themselves. Beside Lenns, his subordinate, Third Lieutenant Akar Jans shrugged as he commented, “So it’s a linear actuator. So what? We’ve got plenty of those on all of our heavy machinery. What’s so ultra about it?”
The head of Hizent Industries smiled while raising a hand and wagging his index finger. “Ah, that is where you are wrong! This is no mere actuator! This device represents a great leap forward in force multipliers and mechanical energy. Thanks to the diligence and ingenuity of our research and development departments, we have created a device that can produce a hundred times more force and can move far heavier objects than any similar-sized actuator on the Atlans market! Furthermore, it requires less than half the energy needed to power it! I know there are a few skeptics in this room, so I think a demonstration is in order!”
He then gestured towards a large window, obscured by curtains. With a snap of his fingers, he signaled the curtains to be pulled away, revealing two large platforms outside with several tons of rock on top of them. Mounted underneath the platform on the left was a heavy, industrial-strength actuator. Under the right platform was an Ultra-Actuator.
“What you are seeing is TEN TONS of solid granite on the left platform!” Hizent announced. “Now watch as we feed power into the left platform!”
The technicians started up the industrial actuator from a nearby control panel. It took a full ten seconds for the actuator to slowly move the platform up three feet. One could hear the squeaks and grinding as the actuator struggled to push up the weight.
“Now watch as we add an extra ten tons to the right platform! That is a total of TWENTY TONS!”
A small skid loader came up and began placing more rocks onto the right platform. After it finished its job, the workman moved the machine out of the way.
“See how easily the Ultra-Actuator supports the added weight? It is due to the new steel alloy that we have developed! Now see how easily it can move that weight with just a little power!”
The technicians fed power into the Ultra-Actuator, which easily moved the heavier platform up to five feet in three seconds. The movement was smooth and easy.
There was a round of applause as the spectators cheered at the display of industrial engineering. Pulling his subordinate to the side, Captain Hodder spoke in a hushed tone.
“Did you see that? That was incredible!”
“I sure did!” Jans concurred. “That movement was so smooth, that I thought I was looking at a Scrapper arm! I can’t believe such a thin and small device could move that much weight!”
“Do you think this could solve our problems with the Army’s latest project?”
“You mean… Project Battlebreaker?”
“We’ve been looking for a way to build our own Battle-Mechs and I think this new Ultra-Actuator may help our engineers in designing the transforming technology.”
As they continued to converse, Hizent smiled in triumph as reporters continued to ask questions and many clients were already placing orders for the new device.
This is only the beginning! Thanks to the Dreenat allowing us to study their Metal Soldiers, we were able to unlock the secrets to that Free Land-enhanced dwarven actuator! The Dreenat gets an improved mechanism for their Metal Soldiers, and Atlans gets the means to eventually build our own Mechs! Thanks a lot, Free Land!
To be continued…
