10 Things about Planetary Citizens

1. Glass and Carbon Without Steel
• Citizen technology progressed in a different order than human industry. They always had less easily accessible metal and less hydrocarbons. (Rather like Japan, without the stagnation of the Shogunate.) Most of their constructs are far more reliant of materials like ceramics, fiberglass, and carbon composite laminates than on metal or plastic.
2. Individual Personalities
• It is hard to get a sense of the individual when they are only encountered in combat situations, but Citizens do show as much variability as humans. Some do mark their vehicles with family, guild, or national marks or other distinct paint patterns, and can easily become reoccurring friends or enemies.
3. Making Friends
• There are places where the live and let live mentality goes on to mutual cooperation. Usually this takes the form of Citizens delivering messages, or using their helicopters as sky cranes in recovery and building projects. Mutual defense, scouting, bartering salvage,or hunting bandits are also possibilities.
4. Start Simple
• Despite the obvious use of Faster-Than-Light travel to get to Earth, the Planetary Citizens show very little in the way of technology beyond human understanding. Part of it is because the colony was a mostly civilian effort, and thus the most advanced shielding mechanisms were unavailable. Mostly, however, is that there would be no factories waiting for them when they landed, so everything needed to be simple to maintain until an actual infrastructure could be set up.
5.  Lacking Strongholds
•  Hard rock mines, power plants, aircraft factories - all of these are long term projects that the citizens have had trouble setting up so far. Human attacks, reanimates, and scattered landing sites continue to push back completion dates.
6. Parliament by the Numbers
•  Unlike the various human social experiments throughout the zone, Citizens have maintained a respect for their parliamentary democracy, even with the inefficiency that come with it.
7. Outnumbered, but no Outgunned
• The human population is still close to a billion people, PC numbers are barely ten percent of that. On the other hand, they still have aircraft and beam weaponry that requires recharging rather than reloading. Extended conflicts are far more in their favor.
8. Military Intelligence
• Citizens have some capability of maintaining satellite surveillance, and have far greater access to aircraft than all but the biggest human factions. The orbiting machines move in predictable patterns, and the flying ones are not up constantly. But generally, they can see everything that isn't painstakingly hidden from them.
9. Hit and Run
• Humans have familiarity with the terrain, and anti-armor weapons. A long fight might go their way, but not a big one. Thus they are unwilling to attack large enclaves (and certainly not a city-state) directly.
10. Separate and Unequal
• Most zones controlled by the aliens are no larger than a city - ten or twenty square miles of terrain, and patrols or laser towers set up at farther intervals. These territories can be dozens or even hundreds of miles apart, effectively making them states to themselves. Available resources and presence of human civilization mean that actual claimed size and power can vary wildly.

Joy Ride

The Eekaide sang as it powered up, a strange chorus of warnings and status outputs, but humans would call it music if only their ears could hear the high-pitched tones. This particular piece of music was extra special to Shipwright G#G#BCb-8 x'k-LA Ozensosk - known to most humans as "Sing Sing". 

Most of the time, she was afraid. Afraid of other citizens who held vendettas against her family, afraid of citizens with dreams of power and conquest now that they were on a new world, and afraid of the humans that fought back. Mr. Hobbes and Senior Diego were nice enough, but they were giant humans and many of the questions they asked for their radio show couldn't be answered by one like her. In the scheme of things, Sing Sing was just a barely qualified mechanic and laborer only recently old enough to vote.

A single encounter unit wasn't much in the face of a hostile planet and centuries of blood debts either. But it was enough for her. It took a very humorless person to be unsatisfied by a machine that amplified your height six times, your strength several dozen, and allowed almost an order of magnitude more speed. Never mind the projector that could kill targets through armor and the shoulder mounted missile tubes. This was as much power and authority anyone of her status could hope for.

With a final flourish of beeps, the robot's overture ended, and it was ready to go. Sing Sing flexed her upper arms, while the lower left toggled the cameras so she could watch the suits actuators move with her limbs. There was always a delay in reaction, and seeing it for yourself was better than trusting abstract numbers on the readout. Satisfied, she toggled the throttle with the lower right arm, and stomped the steering pedals for a quick side-step. With only a moment's hesitation, the huge machine moved.

Slowly laying on the power, the suit's pace quickened. the insulated cabin reduced the footfalls to merely felt thumps - but it was still loud within. Squeaking hydraulics and the whine of the gyros that kept the machine upright despite missing two legs (at least from a quadruped citizen's point of view), chimes from a dozen different readouts and a crackling radio. It was cluttered, confined, and noisy - an little clearance for antennas mad it uncomfortable as well.

Sing Sing did't care. She was bounding across the terrain at twice her fastest running speed, and stepping over obstacles that would come up to her neck under normal circumstances. For the time being, she was free.

(In case you don't know musical notation, her name is G-sharp, G-sharp, B, C-flat as a "signature whistle"

Citizen Armies

Citizens are methodical when it comes to war. Between their tendency towards what we would call vendettas and the price of mercenaries, there is a cultural emphasis on making sure there is nothing left to carry out reprisals. Limited supplies and fear of human numbers also encourage them to take assured steps. (You'd be scared if stuck on a foreign world, even if the populace didn't have things like tanks and reanimates - right?) 

If you piss them off - you will know it. Fortunately, it takes a while to get that far.

For the most part, they aren't looking for conflict - since doing so requires such extreme measures, and most of them probably don't have the supplies to carry it out for long. At least we don't think they do.

Patrols will be seen around their borders, but they tend to announce their presence or leave signs - deterrence only works if you know its there. In some places - usually desert like ones where there are few people, it will be just citizens in flack vests with their little rocket rifles, and panzerfaust like anti-tank rockets. They don't like facing humans without their machines, however. Air patrols by helicopters, roving beetle like armored cars, or perhaps most likely - their signature demon armors are another common way to enforce territory.

Speaking of which - laser towers. Those big lotus like things that use phased array emitters to steer energy beams - not always strictly their territory. Obviously, the aliens have to be around to set them up and keep them charged. But you can't always trace a line between them and say one side is PC territory, and the other anarchy zone. Sometimes they keep the tower's closer to the settlements for protection but claim a wider area, and others they put the things way out to protect strategic points. Sometimes human settlements can be included in their territory - its nice to have traders, translators, potential slaves, or whatever other use they find for humans at times. (So far as I know, they don't find us delicious.) Also - Citizens aren't dumb and will take up active defense if you prepare to make trouble on their borders - they will not just sit patently on the other side of the line while you prepare for war.

Where was I? Right.

After patrols, the most likely sight will be wrecking crews. Citizens know about denying sanctuary and supplies to their enemy and often go about demolishing old towns to make sure they don't end up with refugees, bandits, or worse on their borders. Usually these teams will give advance warning to evacuate, or even negotiate a scheduled for moving the populace. Usually. At the appointed time, teams will move in with explosives, backed by Succubus units (the ones with missiles - incubus is just guns) to collapse anything that tries to resit or attack the sappers. After that, they tend to either sift through the rubble for any valuable materials - or just cover it with dirt to make a small hill. That is a sure way to tell the difference between a town depopulated by reanimates or hit by raiders that found a cache of missiles - the aliens are careful to not leave ruins, reanimates leave most intact, raters just leave junk.

When you do find an actual citizen military unit, it tends to be big, and some multiple of five. Can't tell you why that is the magic number, or the names of their units, but its always something like five, fifty, or two hundred fifty - though that last number is pretty much unheard of these days. Just think in terms of a normal human platoon, company, and so on. Often some portion of these numbers are mercenaries, and rarely that means human mercenaries. Two to one you're going to faced trained high level warriors rather than conscripts. A bit of selection pressure means that those who made it through the Event learned how to deal with tanks, so even a few of those aren't going to be much help, and really - who has "a few"tanks just lying around these days?

Basically - don't tick off the aliens, OK? Don't you have enough problems already?

Citizen Helicopters

Physics is physics, so citizen aircraft don't look all that different from human ones in the major ways - wings, jet engines, tails, rotors, and the like. Differences tend to be more from points of doctrine than anything else. For example, most of their aircraft are designed for short rough field performance or as flying boats to facilitate operation from small islands or boats. Believe it or not, the old 1950s "Sea Dart" interceptor is a fairly good match to their most common fighter, though the wings are extended, with canards, so for those fans of classic warbirds - think a dart with the wing to cockpit root extensions of a F-18 Hornet and the canard whiskers of a IAI Kifir C-7.

But I'm not really here to talk about fighters - chances are you won't see them up close. Citizen choppers, are pretty common on the other hand.

One running theme you'll see in most of these designs, is a resemblance to flatfish, rays, perhaps airplanes that have been stepped on and had the wings removed. Partly its the different weapons used, and what they feel is safe. In human attack helicopters, the design is often pilot in back, gunner in front to keep the design as narrow as possible, thus presenting a smaller target when facing the target head on. Citizens prefer side by side seating, either just two people together, or a pilot in the middle and gunners on either side.  This presents two advantages. First - each crew member has only a specific sector to watch, rather than the entire field. Secondly, the wide body shields the top mounted engines and a large section of the rotor disk from laser fire, as well as masking the exhaust from infrared missiles. 

Most commonly seen is the flounder shaped utility helicopter - one of the three person models. It seems to have a cargo bay, complete with which underneath it, but no one has observed it carrying passengers. Its comparable in size to a late model UH-1, but the coaxial five-blade rotors and proportionately larger engines give it a much greater under-slung cargo capacity, and fiarly impressive speed for something in its class.

Furthering the comparison to the UH-1, there is an armed version of this copter as well. Fortunately, there are some clear differences that allow an observer to tell the two apart - but it is highly advised to find cover first, and then confirm the model! Each of the two side crew have a rotating laser turret beneath them, and the fuselage is notably pinched behind the cockpit, giving them a degree of view to the rear - about 340 to 350 degrees of the machine can be covered, with only directly behind being safe. The long internal cargo bay is divided into three bomb-bays, each carrying missiles or actual bombs - estimated to be in the fifty to one-hundred kilogram range. (Interestingly, unlike the common human practice - citizen helicopters almost never use unguided rocket pods.) Increased drag from the turrets, as well as the weight of armor, batteries, and munitions  make this version notably slower.

One of the weirder machines to accompany the aliens is their high speed transport craft. Its a strange amalgamation of helicopter, swing wing jet, manta ray, and another abortive aviation project - the AH-56 Cheyenne. It has a pusher ducted fan, pop-out wings, and a single six blade rotor. (Anti-torque seems to be more ducted jets in the tail, rather than a side rotor.) Apparently the craft takes off vertically, with the wings retracted out of the rotor down-wash, but once it accelerates, the wings pop out to provide some or most of the lift, unloading the rotor hub and allowing it to provide mostly thrust. Actual capacity seems to be quite limited to just soldiers, since all that equipment engines take up space and have weight of their own. On the other hand, it has both for and aft laser turrets, and is quite effective at what its designed for - dashing into enemy territory to deliver a commando team, or dashing out with rescued personnel.

Of course there are more sundry transports of various sizes, and a second type of attack helicopter, but the former are not often seen outside Citizen territory, while the later seems to be a newly designed machine with little information available, so this report will have to suffice for now.

Azure Hunters

"Hey, Sing-Sing, quick question. If you found a friendly citizen - could they get a message into California?"
   "Chances are no. Actually, let me think. Definitely no. A snowball's chance in hell Diego would say."
  "Any idea why they're so hard to deal with?"
  "The ones holding the area are bastards"
  "Ahh, yes - Occam's razor - the simplest explanaition is ususally the right one."
   "Lots of Razors at least, not much occam. The area is held by the um, there really isn't a good way to translate the name. Flying blue hands of the sky is close, but misses a lot of the meaning. Beautiful demons that strike from nowhere with perfect accuracy leaving no survivors in their wake might be closer."
   "Ninjas from space?"
   "That might be a decent fit"
   "Ïs there anything helpful you can tell us about the?"
    "We've been over before what to mind with citizens. Are we guests on your planet, or were you just custodians waiting for our arrival. Are humans useful tools for now - or too dangerous to allow them to keep living. Do we make a new society, or reestablish the one we're used too. Well, the Blue Assassins are a mercenary guild, thus playing a big part in the old hierarchy, and by definition militant as well. They're ruthless and powerful."
   "And hate humans of course"
   "Limiting the influx is one thing, but I don't know if they would immediately wipe people out."
   "Why not?"
   "The biggest challenge for all citizens is set up - humans just need to restart all their factories, we need to build them from the ground up. Pilot production of somethings has probably begun but we haven't prospected mineral sources overly much - you know the whole war and walking abominations thing."
   "So - they're using slave labor or something like that to get ahead?"
   "I haven't been there either, I couldn't say. But either them, or the group in new Mexico are the most likely to go to war sometime soon, the rest should be cooler, even if not friendly."
  "Where does your group stand?"
   "We think the world belongs to us, but nothing good is going to come of trying to wipe out the humans, so we might as well try to work together. Would I get to be a radio personality if relations were anything less than ambivalent?"
   "I guess not. Though its piqued my curiosity - why blue?"
   "Given the spectrum we see - blue is considered bright, clean, righteous, the center. The sea is blue, the sky is blue, and all else is a contrast against that. Same thing humans have for white."

Nomad's Guide to the Living

Ahh, that was a good meal. A fine piece of venison, carrots in a vinaigrette, twice baked potatoes - the ultimate reason why you must be kind to your fellow man.

The power of human beings grows exponentially when they are in groups. Traveling alone, you simply can't have meals like this. It takes a while to stalk wild game, and put together a fire, and secure your camp. There just aren't enough hours in the day to properly clean the beast, much less prep for preservation. Rip off some choice bits, and leave the remainder to the scavengers. Hey - coyotes need to eat too. But it would be nice to claim a bit more for your effort. When you're keeping to a light load - melting butter and a bottle of vinegar just don't pack so well.

Now of course the downside is that when there are other people who depend on you, you get tied down. You accumulate stuff, stay in a central location, and don't take risks since others need you around. Not so bad if you don't enjoy the zone, but your are missing a lot if you don't.

Alone or in a group, you have to be ready to work outside your clique. Your ability to tolerate and work with a-holes is probably the defining survival trait, more so than any ability to fire a gun or swing an ax.

A good thing to do when meeting people, is establish a common ground, a shared sense. Tell them about trouble in the direction you're coming from and show a concern about their safety. If its a warm day, tell them "lets get out of this sun" and offer a water bottle. A nip of something in the old hip flask is a great icebreaker in the evening.

It is possible to reason with the aliens, but you have to time it right. Outside their mech-suits, they're the size of a dog so a giant human with a rifle as long as they are tall is not a welcome site. Its safer to approach the robots really - they're aware they have the upper hand, and don't need to shoot immediately to protect themselves. Try to look at the shoulders of the suit - if its kind of blue or green, that seems to be the normal soldiers, no color on top of the camouflage is a commander and less likely to talk. Officers try to avoid the front lines it seems - so go for the soldiers, they're less paranoid.

Also, don't try to talk if you're in California. Really, the farther you are from the West coast, the easier it is. Not all of them are working towards the same goals it seems, and the ones in the West are a nasty bunch.

But enough about them - you mustn't get too worked up about the aliens, you don't meet them that often. Just enough be a challenge when you don't need it.

Back to people. Aside from saying hello, I'm not that good with people. I try to pay my good fortune forwards and give tips to those I meet in the zone - just note what I'm dong now - but my priorities are my own, and this world is too refreshed to simply settle down into a cycle of we need more food to support more people to gather more food that seems to control so many settlements. Towns have got to have a reason to be, and a goal to work for and much of our strife is that people either can't agree to that, or chose a goal that is mutual exclusive to their neighbors.

I want to see the zone. For now, that is enough. Unless you have pie - that would be great right now.

Citizen Wheels

Sing -Sing cocked her head. "I don't think that beard works for you, Mr. Hobbes."
  "When aliens that don't even have beards dislike your new look, it might be an indication its the wrong one" Diego added. 
  "Ok, Ok, I get the picture- but considering how hard it is to get quality razors anymore we might just have to get used to it."
  "You just don't have the face for it boss, and its kind of unbalanced with nothing up-top."
  "As if your self-done bowie knife hair-cuts are all that great. The only one of us here fit for TV is her."
  "We're great faces for radio, what can I say?"
  "But you can't see faces on radio..."
  "Its an expression Sing-Sing."

Hobbes leaned back on the threadbare couch and took another sip of his tea. "Speaking of Expressions - its been a while since you've told us anything substantive Mrs. Sing. Something other than tidbits about how you dislike politics or the proper way to pronounce EyeKaiAyDee."
   "Something you had in mind?"
   "What do Citizens drive when they're not in encounter suits."
   "We don't really drive. It is extremely rare for one individual to own a vehicle - this dates back ages when you need entire guild to build and maintain ships or run animal caravans."
   "Teamsters - from Outer Space!" Diego shouted, mimicking B-move reverb effects.
Hobbes broke up laughing, Sing-Sing scissored her arms in confusion.
  "Sorry, that would take a while to explain, do continue".
   " As I've explained before home world is a lot like a bunch of little versions of Austria, complete with the baby-back, so ships and later aircraft were always best - you either circled around or flew over."
   "Baby-back is a cut of meat, and Austria is not an island. Its "Australia" and the "Outback".
   "[Untranslated Squeaking]"
   "That's the same sound you made when you dropped hammer on your foot - does that mean what I think it does?"
   "Back on topic - Some of the islands have things akin to your trains. They are often suspended from above though to pass over rough terrain rather than blow a hole through a mountain. Smaller ones shunt things around factories or cities. I've seen track independent wheeled vehicles, but I'm hardly rich enough to ride one."
  "How about bicycles, motorcycles - roller skates?"
  "Motorcycles - possibly, but balance is a bit of a problem - all your weight is in a vertical line, mine isn't. Strapping wheels to your feet or pedaling - a showman's trick. Airplanes on the other hand - were quite common for fast transport of just about anyone - its a lot cheaper and easier to make the transit at high speed and not pack all the extra food and supplies for a week long sea journey."
   "I suppose super-sonic transports would work better when not flying over cities and the noise complaints - that is part of why they never got much traction around here."
   "A lot of our airplanes are a bit like boats with wings, so they could put down almost anywhere in an emergency, and even islands without big airstrips could be visited. Also, I think that may be part of the arrangement with the shipwright guild since otherwise they never would have accepted... well never mind. Helicopters are also common, though often seen as less effective than other methods. We just happen to have a very large number of them now, since we weren't sure what the new planet we found would be like."

Citizen Funerals (Version One)

"You've mentioned before, that you joined the colony effort because a sibling was murdered. I don't mean to be insensitive, but is there anything you can tell us about Citizen funerary rights? Is there a concept of an afterlife?"
   "It takes six days, though they're slightly shorter than the days of this planet. The first three are rather sad, as the family gives up their loved one. Any pictures they have of them are stored away, a gift at one time granted by the deceased is symbolically given up to another. The next three are quite joyous as they celebrate the rejoining of the dead with the greater spirit of the world. What is left of the dead person's effects are given as gifts - according to a list of last wishes if possible and their achievements remembered. Everyone content thereafter, they go on with their lives. If the death was other than natural, there is an unofficial seventh day, where everyone plots revenge, or pays tribute to everyone who died in the incident - or sometimes both if the war is that bad."
   "To what extent is this honor-killing allowable?"
   "For the sake of argument, its not. Most of the time, the planning doesn't go anywhere, or the revenge is merely symbolic, or meted out by the actual justice system. Sometimes it happens though. As usual, it depends on if this happened within the confines of a guild, family, or if its an international incident."
   "Are the dead buried, cremated, interned...?
   "So long as there is the sense that they have returned to the planet, it doesn't really matter. Going into space was a bit of a religious challenge - if they're lost is space, then what? Or if they return to a foreign planet? Most of us figure every world has a spirit, so it doesn't really matter. Indeed, they may be overjoyed to receive a citizen in addition to its normal creatures - honored that someone would make the trip."

Legally Citizens

"Hey, Sing-Sing - can you tell us anything about the Citizen Legal system?"
  "We have one. I think. Maybe."
  "Mechanic, not lawyer, right. Is there anything you care to talk about today? We haven't interviewer you in a while, and I certainly don't want to lose out on your people's generosity by not upholding our end of the deal."
  "Actually, Mr. Hobbes, I can talk about the law a bit - I know my sarcasm and simply not knowing can run together. The thing is - we have three."
  "A repeat of the guild, family, and nation split loyalty I take it?"
  "Precisely. It is possible to find a situation where you could say murder someone, and be found guilty of a transgression against a family, but not seen as compromising your guild in doing it, and possibly even aiding your nation. Thus you could be fined or arrested, even spend time in prison, but keep your job, and have expenses taken care of by the state. Obviously, not too many people are happy with this system - and there are attempts to reform it to a single system. There is also something akin to your bounty hunters who try to quietly enforce the "justice" other courts won't. And there are of course long running feuds and shadow-wars and reprisals. Basically, I'm on the colonization fleet because my sibling who was supposed to be here was assassinated, and I didn't want to stick around for the next round of murders."
  "Is it common for Citizens to be as disenfranchised with the system as you are?"
  "To borrow a human phrase - I'm a young radical. Things have worked for a long time, and the situation I gave above is an edge case. Once again, the whole colony effort is an attempt to either broker peace between citizens, or get the warring parties separated by enough distance that fighting is impractical. Obviously, there was some progress, or we wouldn't be funding these sorts of things."
  "You have clue as to the scale of the colonization project?"
  "There is more than one colony fleet, but I believe we're the biggest. Citizens reproduce rather fast when they want to. Or when you don't want them too. Same thing really."
  "uh-huh."
  "Something like twelve were planned - enough to be sponsored by each major family, but you're not lucky enough to receive the first, and its unlikely they'll do much more after ours - so I'm on fleet three and will probably never know if they get as far as five."
  "You're sounding pretty depressed by that statement. People back home you still want to see?"
  "Very much so."
  "Lets take five, find a way to turn this into a presentation, and maybe add more later, OK?"

The Enemy of my Enemy

Hobbes tore open another envelope, unfolded its contents and gave them a quick glance. He then casually tossed it over his shoulder, another repeat. Probably ninety-percent of the mail was simply unsuitable - they weren't going to advertise specific outfitters, share propaganda, or play power broker.

"Hey, Sing-Sing - here's a listener question that hasn't come up yet - 'How do citizens deal with reanimates?"
  "Abominations"
  "Excuse me?"
  "[High Pitched Chirping Noise] - its closest English translation is 'abomination'.
  "OK, so - how do you deal with abominations?"
  "Mostly, we try not to. They're about as scary and huge as normal humans, and then they don't feel pain, or show a capacity to rip open an ekaide that no normal person - or personal armor - displays."
  "I knew the advanced ones were tough, but it didn't occur to me that they would out-do power armor."
  "[Squeal] - they can also transform citizens - we're not sure how the infection works, but if a few get past our defenses, entire villages just up and disappear."
  "Wow. Uh - what did that squeal mean?"
  "I don't know. I think the closest I can translate it is akin to you sarcastically saying "but it it gets better". Well, a direct translation is more like 'poison flavored stingers".
  "Yeah, I don't imagine you would appreciate eating stinging insects."
  "Are you kidding - those are the best kind. We've got the right enzymes to break down the complex molecules of their toxins for a lot of energy - its candy."
  "Thats amazing."
  "I know - I slept through most of those lessons in school - I didn't think I'd remember it either."
  "I don't mean to be rude Sing-Sing, but just what are you supposed to know?"
  "I'm a shipwright. I pretty much know the exact same things Diego does - just pertaining to our machines, not yours. Since we're under the agreement that I'm not going to give away anything too secretive, I just can't talk about my job."
  "Back to rean- abominations then?"
  "Usually the vanguard towers can take care of them, otherwise, we try to be aggressive. A lot of humans are stuck at eye level, so they don't notice a citizen hiding under a table or in a small space, but somehow abominations are a lot more thorough, so hiding doesn't work as well."
  "That is scary. They show way too much intelligence for what they are at times."
  "So do you."
Hobbes stared at the alien for a moment.
  "That sounded better in my head. Mr. Hobbes."
  "Of course."

Encounter Suit vsPower Suit

A fight between an Ekaide and and Eisenhower? Interesting question. Probably a bigger can of worms than you want to open though. Bigger than anyone wants to deal with really. But if you're certain...

First of all, they're both adaptable with fully functional hands. So we have to ask - what are they bringing to the party? An Anti-Tank Guided Missile will flat out vaporize the alien suit, if it locks on and tracks. Fifty-cal rifle - you might, might put holes in it - up close. A standard infantry level machine gun, and you're just scuffing the paint job. Flipping this around - ceramics in the Ike's armor give it some measure of damage reduction against lasers, but radiation cannons - hiding behind a wall won't help.

How about terrain? Ekaide are larger, faster, and yet still surprisingly nimble. The Ike is less than half its size so it can hide and ambush better. I can't say much about the alien's sensor package, but I'd guess they would hold the field in open terrain, and the human rules the city. Of course, that spoils it a bit since Humans always have the home-field advantage if we make it an urban fight.

Time is also a factor. Sure, the Eisenhower can sustain combat operations for between two and three days, and the batteries last longer yet in low-power mode. The Pilot? Less so. An Incubus is more of a robot, so the alien inside is sitting comfortably and pushing buttons. Would it like being cooped up for a few days? Doubt it, but they've probably got an autopilot and air-conditioning that actually works.

Training is going to be the biggest factor, and also the one I can say the least about. I can't say much about how a Citizen drills, or if they have the resources to train much. Most human groups probably don't. If you've got a former user from the war, and give them some time to refresh, its good. The average scavenger teaching them-self to use a suit - more luck than anything.

My money would be on the alien, if that means anything.

Talk Like a Citizen

First of all, don't try to replicate a citizen's actual speaking voice. They're rather high-pitched and "screechy", so the effort would quickly become painful for other listeners and your throat.

Aside from that warning, its actually fairly simple to act like a citizen:

• Crouch or kneel to barely look over the table.
• Look about rapidly - they are quite nervous around "giant" humans.
• Exaggerate the size of most things
• Use multiple-word descriptions rather than proper names
• If it won't confuse things too much, switch around word order a bit
• A Citizen's natural speech is The car, which is red, is owned by Jason, the author.
• (Subject, descriptors, verb, descriptors, actor, description)
• Citizen gestures, notably the citizen shrug (scissor hands horizontally, palm up)
• A Text to speech program replicates the vo-corders most use for communication quite nicely.

As for some vocabulary the most notable word used is "abomination" in place of the human term reanimate. These are further divided into the slow (One), Fast (Two), and Hard (Three) with no sub-type divisions. Citizens are rather less focused on the question of if type fours and fives exist, but will refer to these as unknown or mystery abominations.

Otherwise there is:
Carapace: Human Power Armor (they refer to the Ekaide by name of course)
Defense Spire: Laser Tower
Rolling Fortress: Tanks or other heavy vehicles

Planetary Citizen Gestures

Please note: As of 11/4/2011 I am in India for my Sister's wedding, so content for the next few weeks may be light.

Trying to get information from Planetary Citizens usually a hit or miss affair. (And not simply because they might open fire on interlopers.) On one hand, they're faces simply aren't human. Many of the expressions they do have are subtle or unknown to humans,or are accompanied by sounds that h. Sapiens can't hear. On the other, they have a range of body language even more diverse than humans, and a number of tics that can reveal quite a lot.

Citizen main eyes don't notably blink - they have a clear membrane and multiple semi-transparent inner lid that slide into place.  The number used depends on the light level, but they are adapted to rather bright enviroments. Citizens don't notably smile or frown the way a human would either.

Since the upper arms are the most used, humans are capable of replicating many Citizen hand gestures. Convergent evolution means that in some cases, humans and aliens indicate things the same way - pointng at something universally indicates a point of interest.

Many actions have a positive and negative form in Citizen nonverbal communication. For example, if the Citizen holds its hand with the thumb meeting the last fingers and the other two in a V shape (akin to the human "peace sign") and moves their arm in an arc like waving, that is a greeting - "hello". The same movement with a closed fist is the opposite - "good bye." Touching two fingers to their opposite shoulder is an emphatic greeting - "Nice to see you/come here/ Come here, we have something to share". Making such a gesture with a closed fist means "I have nothing to say to you" or "piss off".

Of course, the most common gesture for humans to see is the citizen shrug. The upper arms scissor across each other, palms upwards -taken by humans as "I don't know/can't understand" As such, it comes up quite often with matters of vocabulary or places the citizen is unaware of. As a point of etiquette, its generally best a human not replicate this movement, as its in fact, a rather minor curse. Palms downward is the alien analog of "Amen" or "so it is the planet's will" meaning upwards more accurately translates to "Not of this world/ what is this accursed thing?"

Another common gesture with the V or Fist dichotomy is to touch the hand to either their nose, or antenna base. This is an indication of noticing or failing to notice something nearby (nose) or far away (antenna).

Although not an intentional gesture, a citizens antennas can sometimes indicate their mood. Most easily visible is rapidly moving around, searching for something, which indicates distress or fear of someting.

PC Education

Hobbes did not keep to a daily exercise regimen as well as Diego, and it showed. Hauling lumber and loads of tools to repair the wall and roof damaged in the recent storm had left him panting and a bright shade of red. Setting down his hammer for a moment, he crawled to the buildings edge, and looked down on the Sing-Sing. She was bare phased by the work, but then again, she also had a robotic encounter suit to make the labor almost a non issue.

"Sing Sing, what can you tell me about the Citizen educational system?"
The Ekaide's head shifted upwards in a surprisingly life like gesture to face the human. "Its good. Taught me everything I know."
   "Well, it just seems that you answer a lot of questions with 'I don't know" or I am unaware" If it is something you don't want to talk about, you can just say so. This dodging makes you seem kind of - ignorant."
   "Mr, Hobbes, I - I guess I am strange in that I want to know these answers as well as you do. Most are quite happy with... can I say that in English - Every citizen has a history, but not every history has citizens.
   "Very Zen."
   "What?" The robot made the usual alien shrug.
   "Wait - why does the robot do that when you're confused?"
   "Its set to follow my motions for fine work. Its an upper and lower arm thing - how do you manage with just two arms?"
"Never mind, please - continue."
   "To explain - there is no all encompassing history of Planetary Citizens. Everyone learns to read, write, manipulate numbers, pray. Most other subjects are taught by the family or guild as necessary. What happened on other islands doesn't come up, unless you were somehow involved, and then it tends to be somewhat partial. Family history might say there was a battle at such a place and time, and use art description for what happened, but not what tactics or weapons. Mercenary guild members will learn a battle happened between force one and two on such terrain with certain tactics and weapons, but will mention no names. Knowing the full truth means being both a family involved and a mercenary and personal reflection to put it together."
   "So I'm guessing you can't tell me much about this guild?"
   "It is more protection of travelers than hired soldiers."
   "Knights Templar - sorry, another human term you wouldn't know. But we have had similar organizations in the past. Perhaps we need some now."
   "Yes"
   "Is there some reason for all this division? Historically, or well - didn't you say in the past that the colonization project was to get over these differences?"
   "All worship planet. More territory controlled, closer to the great energies that fuel us all... To conquer all would be to become the singular voice of the divine. Aside from that - more land is more wealth, food, and fame. A lot of places at home, families had to work just to make dirt, much less a happy life."
   "So even space ships can't overcome hundreds of years of religious and territorial warfare and family loyalties?"
   "It would seem so Mr. Hobbes. You aren't exactly unified by abominations and aliens are you?"
   "Point and match - Sing Sing."
"Hey you two - we have a radio station to fix!" Diego shouted.
"Coming" Hobbes replied.
 

Citizen Contacts

It me, KC again. Been a while - huh? Well, that is just what I do - I'm an adventure, a lone wanderer, explorer or the Terra nova. You can expect me to be out of contact occasionally - most of the time even.

Where specifically have I been recently? Well, the area North of Lone Star and South of Vegas for one, even made it to near the California border. I really miss that place, but so far, there isn't a safe way through. Most places, the Citizens are in just a big of a hole as the rest of us, squabbling over resources and the proper way to move forward. They have their S--t together, and they don't like us. Shoot on sight, search and destroy don't like. Hate us as much as they hate the guys on the other side of the Rockies.

Yep, I've actually seen shots fired in a Planetary Citizen civil war.

I'm trying to be optimistic about this. Not in the "hopefully they'll kill all of themselves for us" way either. A number of them are decent people, I've stayed with a few on occasion, and traveled with them on others.

For my survival guide, it comes down to a basic rule. Let the Citizens come to you. The kill everybody types aren't going to signal, and only rarely communicate - they don't care. Ones on the fence or outright friendly will if they've got something to say. Watch their right hand. If they make a peace sign - thumb to opposite finger, middle fingers in a V and wave it back and forth, that is a gesture of greeting. Waving a fist back and forth go away. Its just like how humans wave to each other for attention.

Now, once you do make contact, the question is what to do. The two big recommendations would be to ask for escort through their territory, and permission to salvage structures. Pretty often, the answer will be no, but at least some of the time they'll agree. Travel becomes safer, and they're quite interested in learning about the remains of towns and factories near their settlements.

A payment is likely to be requested. Don't sweat it. Citizens have their own tech and supply needs, so they're not going to ask for your most valuable stuff. They're too small to drive your vehicle or use a human rifle very well - so unlike humans, they won't be constantly trying to get those. Raw materials, snack foods, up-to-date information some help dealing with a raider or reanimate problem, translation work.

Despite the seemingly fantastic nature of working hand in hand - in hand - with our four armed friends, its not going to make you rich. Aside from the perks you ask for, they're not about to offer much. You could get some food if you really want it, but you do realize they're insectivores - right? Won't kill ya, but I'm sure a lot of toxic things taste better anyway. Weapons - well a decent knife or hatchet is possible - steel is steel regardless of the blacksmith, and those gyro-jet guns they've got - well, what is the point considering how hard it is to get ammo?

Nor is cooperation going to give you a lot of information. You can't really ask about what the Citizens are up to or about the more violent groups. Imagine trying to ask a person who only speaks Chinese to describe the command procedures of a lunar colony - most of the language is different, and many don't really know anyway. Actually, I'm kind of suspicious - I think they're feigning ignorance or playing up unfamiliarity with terms to get out of answering questions. Its a bit hard to tell what the overall agenda is.

On the other hand, how much can you trust the agenda of most Humans? I know its kind of a catch-22 but as I said, stay optimistic. If you just try to shoot first and presume everyone is out to get you, doors are going to be closed, then karma is going to come around, and people are going to see the worst in you. Try to be good, you might be swindled now and then, but you'll also make friends that will help you through those rough times. Some of them might even be from another planet.

Catch you later.

In the Office of Giants

It was like a bad dream. Chased by giants through dark and unknown terrain.

No. Worse. She had shrunk.

Every piece of furniture a ledge to mantle, a body's length to jump. Door handles just out of reach. Further seconds testing if it was push, pull, or locked as they grew closer.  Every sign written in gibberish giving little clue as to where the next exit was. There must be one amongst these huge desks, giant chairs, and broken monitors.

It was no dream. B#B#FD was being chased by abominations through and alien office complex. Everything was overgrown to human standards. On top of that, no power meant no lights other than her electric torch and what little sunlight filtered through cracked and marred windows. Sun that was rapidly turning orange with dusk.

Even with eminent danger, her mind wandered to the design of this place. Why so many little boxes? It was as if they grew workers like a garden in even rows. There were even sprinkler heads even spaced about the ceiling.

Focus. Humans didn't grow like that, at least not until they became abominations. And of those - well no Citizen caught by one ever returned.

Good, a hall. But which way? She had come in from the machinery areas to the left, her marks were there, and the path out. But the abominations were entering though the same open cargo doors she came in from. To the right was unknown, but there had to be another way out, humans weren't so strange as to have only one entrance to a factory - could they?

Threat Briefing: M-309 Powel

An image flashed on screen - a huge wedge sitting on rollers and a rubber chain. Atop that a hexagonal rotating box, from one facet a long thin tube emerged. Four others featured small barbetts, the lenses for the anti-missile lasers barely visible. On the rear, sixteen hatches for a vertical launch system. Almost as an afterthought, a grenade launcher on top of the hexagon, in its own little turret. The folding slats for stand off detonation, and the convertible like top that hid the upper works from top attack munitions weren't present on this one. 

Instructor FFDE-03 snapped his pointer against the wall for emphasis.

"This is one of the most dangerous things you can face on patrol, possibly worse than an annihilator. A gun island. Or to use the - Human - term for it - "Emm-tree-zerro-neen Pow-el Thank"
   You can see the dimensions printed in the margins, but that just doesn't do it justice, not until you've seen one. Its Longer than an Ekadie is tall, and weights several times as much. Yet, on open terrain, it is also faster, by at least fifty percent. Of course, in open terrain it doesn't need to outrun an Ekaide - that type three main gun can shatter a carapace at almost any visible distance.
   Conversely, it is highly resistant to our weapons. Standard hot light emitters can't burn through anything but ancillary parts like rollers or optics, and short wave weapons don't seem to penetrate its armor either. Heavy rocket guns can pierce the sides or rear at optimal range - and only optimal range. Too close or too far, it won't have the energy. The only thing we have that can almost reliably damage it are missiles. Unfortunately, it has numerous systems to resit those - interception hot light emitters, and some sort of exploding boxes that destroy the missile just before impact. We're working on reverse engineering those."

One of the pilots in the back raised its right arms and hummed an interruption melody.
   "Yes?"
   "Combat leader - what is the purpose of these things, where did they come from? Surly the humans had as little way of knowing we would show up as our leaders did."
   "That is a good point. The short answer seems to be that the indigenous species are as divided into families and guilds as we are, but did not emigrate to new territory as readily as our defeated groups did. It is a relic from their wars, and as you must note, the geography of this world is very different from home. The land masses are far most contiguous, and often a bit flatter, deserts somewhat more rare. Ground transportation from our point of view isn't efficient - better to use boasts to go around the coast or fliers to go over terrain. Here entire wars could be fought without seeing water.
   Actually, you could call this thank thing some kind of land ship. Shooting first with the biggest gun at long range, or having the armor to resit the initial volleys is just like on the water where there is nothing to hide behind.
   Which returns me to my original line of discussion. Don't try to engage these in a fair fight. Keep terrain between you and it. Try to pull back and order in air strikes if we can spare any. Collapse structures on it - an encounter carapace is far more mobile and far better at going through narrow or rocky terrain than the human machine. Our power cells seem to last a lot longer than theirs, so if you can keep running, it will give up fairly quickly....
  CFGB-4 eyes front - all of them! Are you paying attention?
   "Yes leader."
   "Care to tell me how many missiles the unit has?"
   "It has access to multiple types of missiles - medium range anti-aircraft and smaller land attack ones. It can carry a mix of them, several of the smaller ones fitting in one launcher - but are unlikely to have all that many due to the current supply situation."
   "Do you actually know that - or were you just reading ahead?"
   "Can't it be both?"
   "I really hate you shokenda types."
   "Well you're stuck with us, or at least would be if it wasn't time for the patrols to get ready - looks like you're going to have to cut this briefing short."
   "I am the one in charge here. I will decide when the briefing is over! As for the rest of you... this briefing is concluded. Get ready and be safe!"

Two dozen citzens stood up in unison, crossed their arms against their chests, and replied together  "From the world to us - then on to greatness!"

Target Practice

The wall was covered with strange black welts - shallow bowls of obsidian glass a hand span across. Another scab popped off the concrete with a sound like a great hammer striking. Citizen lasers didn't penetrate concrete all that well - instead they flash explode what little moisture is present, and melt the substrate.

Satisfied, the pilot carefully set down the two meter laser apparatus, and picked another. This was shorter and stubbier, and oval in over all shape rather than lightning bolt. A bite was taken out of the back end, forming a groove to place the encounter suit's right hand, connecting the weapon to power ports and targeting. A satisfying hum began to emanate as the capacitors charged up.

Moments later, the Ekaide sprang into action, leaping forward like a grasshopper. For a four meter machine with legs seemingly too spindly for its bulk, the thing was quick to accelerate. The weapon swung to the left, and even combination of torso twist and arm movement. It tracked across a yellow line painted on a wall fifty meters away. Next the armor leaped sideways to the right, swung its left foot around to preform a quick one-eighty turn....

And hit a chunk of concrete, tripping. With a seemingly natural movement born from its computers, the left hand reached forward to cushion its fall, but the armor's face still planted itself on the broken road. Inside, monitors momentarily flickered and a warring klaxon blared.

Nothing damaged but pride, the alien set the machine to do a one armed push up, then curled the legs under, and stood up. The machine's head shook, mirroring it pilot. She then walked back to the start mark, reset the chronometer, and readied to start the beam cannon run again.

Another quick start, cannon tracking fleeing prey, turn about, fire at ambush, duck behind an old semi and crouch. Breath calmly and let the capacitors and cooling system catch up, reading for a full thirty second blast. Dash out from behind the vehicle, sweep building to the left while looking right for signs of missiles, jump from the yellow spot to the yellow X, then duck and push into the old open garage. Check time.

Still not setting any records, but better than last week - minus the face fault. Time for something different.

In the center of an intersection was an old human armor, propped up by some metal bards driven into the pavement like an anti-tank scarecrow. It was the common soldier one, smaller and slower than the Ekaide, but often equipped with deadly rocket launchers and not to be underestimated. After placing the gun on the hood of an old car, the armor balled up its fists, and approached, arms in front like a boxer. Quite unlike the human machine, the encounter suit's hands were built to take the rigors of close combat.

First the right arm blurred as a fist jabbed at the enemy's head. A lower punch to the gut from the left followed soon after, then two for quick punches from the fight. Some more cracks appeared in the smaller machine, but it had been filled with adobe like building material so it wouldn't simply disintegrate under continued practice runs. All the while, the legs bobbed and side stepped.

Punching an unmoving target didn't stay interesting for long though. Ambush drills were getting repetitive too. With deliberate attention, the pilot began flipping switches for the shut-down sequence. The front plate folded down to provide egress, as the legs crouched to bring it to a more reasonable height. Buckles unfastened, legs unstrapping from the sitting position of the pilots seat, and one arm grabbing the pilots sidearm, another a food bar, and the last two steadiness her as when shifted and got out.

A quick treat, and then on to personal weapons practice. Overhead a foreign sun hit its apex.

Books for the Rich, Glasses for the Poor

(Yes, there is more for 2552, but I don't feel like having weeks go by without Anarchy Zone Material to share)

Sing-sing entered the lounge, lower hands reflexively clenching and clenching, her antenna quivering.  She quickly scanned the room, then made her way over to the counter and pulled herself up, antennas quickly swiveling to look behind the coffee maker and behind the old computer.

"Excuse me, Mr. DeZufingia - have you seen my lenses?"
 Diego sat up from his prone position on the couch. "Those glasses things? Uh, no - no I haven't?"
   "Thank you." The alien squeaked, "I must have left them at the village this time."
   "Is this a major problem? Do you need to go home? How good is your eyesight with out them, might I ask? You don't use them much."

The alien folded her back legs, giving the impression of a sitting dog, flicked on the translator unit, and moved the microphones into pickup position on either side of he mouth.A few test beeps later, and the modulated voice replaced he own high pitch.
   "My eye sight is perfectly fine. In both sets. Better than average actually."
   "You've got more than one set? Where is the second?"
   "Obviously, the [low chirping] are the main set, with wide angle vision and good acuity in low light. The [loud mew] are low angle of vision - telescopes really, but very high magnification."
   "I'm guessing there is some adaptation that means you don't get sick when you move the antennas about."
   "That should be obvious"
   "So then what are the glasses for?"

Sing sing stood up, her antennas once again bouncing, and he lower hands wringing, she sidestepped a bit to the left, and then began to walk fight, not looking at Diego. She then turned off, and removed the translator, lapsing back into her high pitched natural voice.
   "Well, um...I I"
   "Something wrong in the translator you can't use it."
   "Not something - you politely speak of. Or that I want the machine to record."

   "That thing has been recording all of our conversations?!" Diego shot up, now towering over the alien, who began backing away.

   "That is how it works - and this is a mutual learning you know. I am not a [lapse into rapid natural Citizen language]!"
   

Hobbes rushed into the room "Diego - what the hell are you doing to her?"

   "Nothing! I just got a little angry that we were being recorded."

   "It is a radio station Diego"

   "I mean the translator device."

   "Oh. Well, you haven't said anything wrong in front of her - have you? You're not part of some anti-alien guerrilla group and haven't told me?"

   "Of course not!"

   "Then what is the problem? The aliens want to learn about us too - that is why they consented to lend us one for a few weeks."

   "Its just...right. I just like to be notified if I'm being recorded. It runs in the family. Papa wouldn't even say 'good morning' until his body guards swept the house for police listening devices."

   "Sing-sing, its alright. He didn't mean to hurt you. Just surprised. We forget that standing up can scare you. Diego, sit down, and calm down. No Mexican Special Service here. Besides, didn't you leave the family?"
   "The Grupo de Operaciones Especiales can be a bit overzealous, but yes. Wait - what do you know about my family?"
   "Nothing major, we can discuss it another time when your more comfortable."

Hobbes shook his head and left. Diego sat back down, clasping his hands in his lap. "I am sorry. I know that you were about to say something difficult, and I hop that you still feel safe enough to share it."
   "Will you explain why you always get so mad when people ask about your family in return?"
    "If you can forgo the recordings, yes. Later."



"Thank you for the apology. As to what I was going to... Well. I'm poor. Not the most prominent family, and one of the most junior workers in the fleet. Setting out with a colony does mean an automatic promotion and pay raise - but its in name only really. Arguably I still have a few years of apprenticeship before I can vote on guild matters."
   "How old are you?"
   "Eleven or twelve. I think. Its hard to tell, years and seasons are very different here than at home."
   "I apologize for going further off topic, but that does raise two other questions - would you know what a citizens life span is for point of comparison, and what is the name of your home planet anyway?"
"Fifty or sixty years, though the average was getting closer to seventy. As to the name - that is sacred. It is not to be shared."
   "I apologize for the rudeness, miss sing-sing. May we return to the question of glasses?"
   "The easy way to put it, is we see a different spectrum of colors than you do. Those eight-sided signs along the roads are really dark and odd to us, the downward triangles less so, and the ones that note hospitals are about where things get easy."
   "Can you see ultra-violet?"
   "I don't know what that means."
   "So the glasses alter the colors?"
   "No, well, sort of.. more like you only see the best parts at a time."
   "Polarized?"
   "Sounds right, but I don't know. What I do, is that good books use special ink, it even seems to glow. But its expensive and fades, unless its printed on the right materials and preserved, which is even more expensive. Cheap books do not, but are hard to read for long."
   "Can I apologize for scaring you earlier by reading it for you?"
   "Well, you can not read our language... but Mr. Hobbes did suggest something by a man named Aech-Gee Wells?"
   "Was it 'War of the Worlds?'"
   "You know it?"
   "I don't think he was being serious."

On Rotary Wings

Klaus heard them first. He usually did. The cochlear implants could cause some pretty splitting headaches and sometimes present terrible feedback, but they were better than being deaf, and a bit of tinkering meant they could be superhuman for a short while. His pale face just lit up, a grin rapidly spreading.

However, it was David who got scared before him, dragging his smaller and younger friend off to the side of the road, pushing him into a ditch, and breaking a few low branches to cover them. The bigger person was dark, scared, and a little too rough.

"Wa-what are you doing?"
"Keeping us safe, what do you think?"
"I hear helicopters - doesn't that mean other people have found us?"
"It depends on how you define people Klaus."

Klaus gave a sideways glance. It was mannerisms like that that which made him look too young to shave, rather than simply fastidious about appearance. "I don't understand?"
"Six to four says they're citizen helicopters."
"Aliens in helicopters... but aren't they too small to reach the collective and control column and see out the windscreen?"
"Not if they built them. Its not like they have space ships, walking, and noting in between.

A machine appeared over the horizon, looking like a hybrid between an old airplane and an inverted dragonfly. The front had two large bulges slung from underneath the front, looking much like transparent compound eyes, and an arched, but narrow fuselage following behind it. Large antennas splayed out in a V from just behind the spheres. A bit farther back, twin engine pods jutted out on top, a set of counter-rotating helicopter rotors rising up in between. From there, the fuselage contained another two meters, before thinning out to a downward angled strut and not retracting tail wheel, looking much like a stinger. Small downward canted wings were located behind the engines, but their shape was hard to notice thanks to the yellow and green disruptive camouflage.

"Half Beard" David announced after it passed, sure to announce both syllables. "Its often used as a flying crane - the bubble cockpits in front
"How do you know so much about it?"
"I was in the army. You really learned to loathe those choppers. Without tanks of their own, their usual counter to ours was to send out attack helicopters with missiles. Our anti-aircraft weapons did a number on them, but when you have only seonds to see one pop out from behind a hill or building, some are going to get off shots. That kind isn't even the dedicated tank hunter. Those are more wedge shaped with barbettes on the side."
"Isn't halberd a human word?
"Its half beard, but yes, you're correct. We gave them nicknames in the old NATO reporting name tradition - Fighters with F, Helicopters with H, Power armor with T and so forth. We don't know the real names, and it probably sounds like "squee squee squee" to human ears anyway. Speaking of - do you still hear it?"
"No, its gone."

David removed the cover, stood up, brushed the dirt off, and then helped Klaus stand. "There are really only two vehicles the citizens don't have. No tanks, and no large ships. Of course, given that the space ships are only so big, not transporting a large blue-water navy is kind of understandable."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. I guess they just have a different history. Tanks as we know them started with the first world war, and evolved in the second. No battle of the Somme, no showdown at Kursk, nor a need to rush the Fulda gap."
"Why haven't they built any since they saw ours?"
"If they're smart, they have, we just haven't seen any yet. God help us if they do - fuel shortages aren't going to let us meet them on even terms."