The Confederation of Dixie

by on August 11, 2021 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

When the Peloran made Contact and gave us gravtech, the corporations of the Port of Mobile saw their salvation. They had long used corporate incentives to make themselves a major space launch facility, but had been losing market share to newer launch facilities in far better locations. And the ever-expanding Panama Elevator was taking traffic from everybody. Gravtech promised a revolution in space launch capabilities though, and the corporations of Mobile pooled their resources to build the first American-made gravtech launch vehicle. They launched months ahead of their nearest competition, and used that advantage to lock in long-term launch contracts. By the time their competition caught up with the technology curve, Mobile had already established itself as the dominant player in the space launch field.

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The Confederation of Dixie

by on August 10, 2021 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

Alabama’s Port of Mobile and Naval Station Mobile used favorable taxes and other incentives to make themselves major supporters and launch locations for American efforts to colonize the Solar System. And when hyperdrives allowed us to go to the stars, they joined the New Earth and New Washington Colonization Programs that brought us to the stars. That would start a tradition of Mobile supporting colonization efforts, and every major colony America had any involvement in sent components through Mobile. Not necessarily all, or even most, due to the superior launch locations in Florida, Texas, and Panama, but Mobile’s incentives made it virtually impossible for anyone seeking to launch components into space to ignore their facilities. The decades before Contact saw their revenue share steadily decreasing, though, and their days as a major space launch facility appeared to be ending.

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Olympics

by on August 9, 2021 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

The delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, forecasted by Akira decades ago, have come to an end and were largely successful as far as I’m concerned. There were challenges though. Stadiums designed for audiences had odd echoes, which sometimes made it hard for athletes to know when to start. A lack of cheering or other noises often made things eerie. And of course some athletes protested the flag. Most famous was the soccer team, shortly before the Swedes whipped them good and hard. And NBC gleefully broadcasted other protests and related segments. The network’s narrative broadcasts got tiring. The sports were good, though. Japan did a good job hosting the games. Overall fun to watch.

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The Confederation of Dixie

by on August 8, 2021 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

Alabama sent a full squadron of former corporate escort ships to help Australia defend itself from the Chinese advance. Carrying Alabama Marines and helicopters, they acted as fleet escort and search and rescue auxiliaries throughout the campaign to halt the Chinese advance in Indonesia. They performed the same mission for the combined fleet that sailed to Singapore, and their Marines took part in the final offensive that eradicated the last Rogue AI nest. They came home to a heroes’ welcome and were quickly reassigned to act as training cadre throughout the growing Alabama State Navy. Some would even go to space, and later to Mars as part of Governor Amanda Carter’s security team. They would represent Alabama to the world for decades to come, and helped build the space navy that took them to the stars. Sporting various corporate logos of course.

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The Confederation of Dixie

by on August 7, 2021 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

Alabama’s Naval Station Mobile started as part of the Port of Mobile. Alabama leased part of the harbor to host their coast guard and navy after the Convention of States reformed the Federal government. They hired the Port yards to build new warships for State defense purposes. They also purchased many corporate “escort ships” to act as a core for their fleet, and Alabama became a major naval power. They would parley that into a major presence in the renewed space race, and several major components of the Mars Colonization Program launched from Naval Station Mobile. Each was sponsored heavily by the various corporations of Mobile, and carried their logos to Mars.

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