First Congress of the WAU and Presidential Elections (IC, Map only)

[Fujai]

 

First Congress of the WAU (IC thread)

18:02/6:02 pm, 16 October, 1420 SM, Arensøra Slott, Keiserholde, Fujai

A burly woman steps up to a stage decorated in simple crimson and violet banners. She approaches the podium and clears her throat.

"Good evening, my esteemed colleagues, and welcome to the First Congress of the Western Astronomical Union!" she says, to applause from the gathered astronomers. "I know you're all anxious to begin, so I'll do my best to keep this short. My name is Malin Brekke, astrophysicist and Direktør for Science here in Fujai, and it is my pleasure to open this congress on behalf of the WAU. My small nation welcomes you to our venue Arensøra Slott, and we hope this old castle doesn't get too drafty," she says with a chuckle.

"We have met together," she continues, "over the course of this week, to discuss our shared interest in space, the future of our respective national organizations, and, most importantly, to elect the first president of our nascent organization. With that, I open the floor to discussion and nominations!"

[Sensorland]

Dr. Lisa Kemp, Director of the Sensorland Space Operations Command, looked around before standing up. Seeing nobody else volunteer themselves to speak first, she quietly said a few words to her team and took the floor.

"Greetings, fellow West Pacificans," she opened. "I am Dr. Kemp, of SSOC. I'm happy that we're able to come together as a region this week and unite in the spirit of science and exploration. These are tenets that Sensorland and SSOC hold very dear, and they are why I am pleased to announce my candidacy for president of the Western Astronomical Union." She paused to look around the crowd for reactions, but soon continued. "Over the past 15 years, I have served as director of SSOC. I have overseen numerous Sensorian projects, including a manned mission to the moon, dozens of satellite launches, and several space shuttle launches designed to test the effects microgravity conditions on life. We are in the process of building probes, and as an organization, we hope to eventually begin the process of colonizing other planets. With the combined efforts of the many nations that will make up this union, we are confident that this goal is attainable."

 

"There are a few reasons I believe that I am suited to this job. As I said before, I have 15 years of experience as director of SSOC - that's more than half of the time it's existed. I'll be the first to admit that SSOC isn't the oldest or the most accomplished space program in the West Pacific, but I'll be damned if it isn't one of the most ambitious. Like my country, I am extremely committed to pushing the boundaries of knowledge and expanding our horizons. That's why if I'm elected as president of this union, its first project will be the construction of a massive research station to be permanently placed into orbit around our planet and be staffed at all times by West Pacifican astronauts. We will also research processes by which planets, moons, and other celestial bodies may be colonized with permanent settlements. I believe this will lead to the betterment of all intelligent life, and it will push our region to the forefront of astronomical science."

 

Dr. Kemp took another pause to assess the crowd's reaction. She decided to conclude her speech, hoping to appeal to the scientifically-minded nature of the group: "This union has so much potential, and I greatly desire to harness that potential for the sake of our region. Fellow West Pacificans, we have the opportunity to shape the future together. Let's work toward a common goal as scientists, as people, and as members of this great region."

[Podium]

Having watched Dr. Kemp's speech with intrigue, Andrew Hudson, Head Director of the Specialised Poduminian Agency for the Majority of Space, would confer with his own team (mostly comprised of the different Heads of Departments) before standing up and walking to the stage once Dr. Kemp had seated herself once more.

"Friends, West Pacificans, and astronomers alike, lend me your ears. I am Dr. Hudson, Head Director of SPAMS. Let me just say, the sheer technological potential gathered in this very castle here today is a testament to what we, more or less by ourselves, have been able to achieve in the murky waters of space-travel, and that is why I will be announcing my candidacy for the Western Astronomical Union, in the hopes that when working together, with both my skills and everyone else's, we can do something bigger than ever envisioned before." He would pause to pop what would appear to be a small, colourless orb into his mouth and swallow it in one gulp before continuing. "As Head Director of SPAMS, it is both my privilege and my duty to commandeer the various arms of the Agency in order to lead it to peak efficiency; at last count, with the recent founding of the Department of Unorthodox Travel, I have to direct and assist over 29 different people and their different Departments, all with different capabilities and aspirations, so that SPAMS can work as effectively as possible. While not easy at first, having had to take over the role of someone who had been around since the Agency's very founding around 6 years ago, I soon found myself at ease, able to effectively manage the then-21 different Departments in conjunction with one another with no thought to spare."

"Being able to manage a large variety of different goals and opinions while still maintaining operational efficiency is a value I hold very dearly as Head Director, and a value I believe will serve the WAU well in the years to come if I am elected President of the Union. Like Dr. Kemp before me mentioned, SPAMS has always been intrigued by the possibility of a collaborative research station, which is why, just two years ago from today, we drew up speculative plans for a Western Orbital Research Station Effort, or WORSE for short. Of course, such plans would have to be modified to consider the full cooperation of all agencies operating within the WAU, but with all the people I see gathered here in front of me, I hardly see how that will be an issue. Additionally, SPAMS has considered several other projects now possible with the help of the WAU, such as the SHILL, or Superpowered Hull Inter-Lunar Launcher, a project which would see both the settlement of the Moon and the construction of a trebuchet-like launcher designed to make a future journey to Mars faster and safer than current alternatives. Or the COSTLY, the Chasmic Outer Space Telescope for Looking Yonder that would seek to peer deeper into the distant cosmos than ever attempted before, searching for the hallmarks of the beginning of life we all know the result of on our little blue-and-green dot."

"In conclusion, I believe with all of the ideas and capabilities of everyone in this room, regardless of who we end up electing, we are only destined to do greater things than what our predecessors could only have dreamed of. Thank you for your time."