User blog:Bouexic/New Planet?

Below a gray sky, a submarine breaks to the surface dotted by ice floes. Braving the extremely cold air, white clad figures emerge from the deck hatch and deploy an inflatable craft. Soon they're speeding towards an empty patch of sea. Beyond it lay land, white and desolate. Slowing down, the men jury rig a metal cylinder onto some floats and push it into the water. Although the only sound that can be heard is the lapping of the waves, the men look to the sky as if straining to see something.

Then a gigantic ship, like a fallen skyscraper, gray and slab-sided, appears out of the thin air only a few hundred meters above. Its huge engines ignite, steadying its descent but churning the water underneath into waves of giant circles, almost swamping the puny craft. As it settles on the surface the sound of hydraulic actuators reverberate and huge doors on its side swing open. A large amphibious ship emerges, followed by 2 more. As they churn away, another gigantic flying ship appears and lands on the surface with the same fanfare. The men in the inflatable craft, with their faces not even betraying a hint of a smile, head back to the submarine, their mission complete.

In minutes, several landing craft make for the shore. On board are men clad in white and gray camouflage, riding tracked armored fighting vehicles painted in the same pattern. The lieutenant in the lead craft checks his watch after scanning the beach. As if on cue, formations of large gray aircraft streak across the sky, heading further inland. In seconds they are followed by the drone of transport helicopters, dozens of them, carrying more troops.

In a few hours, the shore is filled with tents and mountains of supplies, as countless vehicle tracks snake further and further into the white landscape. Hundreds of kilometers ahead, 2 helicopters land near a sprawling abandoned building. As some troops enter the hulking structure, others purposely head for a plinth supporting a metallic sphere and a row of bent flagstaffs. In the center of the row, only a single tattered flag remains, fluttering in the wind. One trooper takes down the flag and replaces it with a new one, its red and white stripes and small stars shining visibly to the men around. Another trooper then attaches a navy blue flag emblazoned with shining bright letters on the bare staff beside it. The men salute, emphasizing which flag has more significance to them.

While most of the major powers reach for new worlds to colonize and extract resources, one has returned to the forgotten continent. New technologies that have enabled mankind to conquer the stars have been used to develop tools and means to tap the riches far below the ever-changing and treacherous icy surface without damaging or disrupting the ecological balance and environmental benefits that it provides.

The men leave the flags one by one, as the sound of more helicopters arriving grows steadily. Already, troops have started to erect temporary housing structures while others unload supplies and form a perimeter. The dark blue flag unfurls in the wind and announces: AFOH is now in Antarctica.

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With Operation Terra Australis AFOH has occupied Mary Byrd Land (OOC:the largest piece of unclaimed territory remaining on Earth IRL) and establishes an economic protectorate over the whole of Antarctica. It has also restored the Amundsen Scott Station in the South Pole to its oldest ally, the United States Naval Fleet (USNF) and will allow other countries to reoccupy their abandoned research stations and territories if they wish to so long as they confine their activities to scientific pursuits and allow AFOH to mine for resources (in exchange for royalties).

The operation also serves as a dress rehearsal for the planned expedition to Caelmare using the new heavy space transports Outremer and Afrique (giant Euclidian-class ships leased from the AIF).