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[clears throat]
Now, ladies and gentlemen, we reach the final chapter in our adventure on Alpha Centauri.
The Usurpers have spent two centuries developing the continent they stole from Brother Lal and Lady Deidre.
I could just use my plasma shard weapons to break through their defenses,
but they're so well developed, that I can only imagine the result being a horrific war of attrition.
Something needs to be done to weaken them as a whole, first.
But I have an idea.
This idea, however, requires certain technologies.
Now... the University... has a breakthrough once every four years.
That's pretty fast.
The tech I need the most for this plan is in the conquer tree, I believe.
Caretakers... Once every 33 years.
Man, that's awful.
What's Lady Deidre doing here?
Once every 9999 years?
What are they even doing on the status board?
But anyway, I wanted to see how far the Usurpers have come...
but, I guess I forgot to infiltrate their datalinks.
Huh...
Well, I suppose even if I'm not going to reveal what my actual plan is,
I can tell you the name of the technology I need.
It's, uh... It's N-Space Compression.
Not the same as matter compression.
But since Matter Compression is also in the Conquer tree, I...
I kind of worry I mixed the two of them up.
Where is it?
Well, I can't find the technology in the lab summary but I know it's out there.
I might not get it as soon as I need it, however. Well, I can't find the technology in the lab summary but I know it's out there.
I might not get it as soon as I need it, however.
I've had enough of Usurper missiles.
I may have to squeeze them a little before I bite.
So, I dropped a tank onto them.
But I'm not gonna take the flak for setting foot on their land, oh no.
Hello, Yang! Have I got a deal for you!
I'll trade you this fine piece of real estate for that base you have there.
You know, the one with the (neheheh) Citizens' Defense Project.
Holy cow, that actually worked!
Now all of my bases automatically have defense perimeters.
I think I'll solidify my position here, and then see if Yang's up for a some more trading.
I'm having second thoughts about this.
Whoa, there.
Well, go for it, it's just a colony pod.
Ah, suddenly I have this terrible feeling of deja vu.
Anyway, it's time to plant fungus.
I'll explain why later.
Hmm?
Aw, man, Gates is getting on my nerves.
I'll bet he's secretly preparing to go to war, too. With me!
That's what the deja vu was.
You'd think I would've learned my lesson by now.
I guess it has been a while, though...
Bring 'em around.
[whistling to the tune of Conjunction Junction]
I'm plantin' fungus / it will encompass
the entire world, and only I'll be able to use it.
Yes.
Oh, they've arrived.
What the--there's an interlude for this?
The first base captured with infantry, maybe.
Make way for sealurks.
That green pile of tentacles.
Y'know, I think it's about time I cash in on my fungus farms.
Behold! The Manifold Harmonics Project!
Once the turn is done, fungus will be just as good as forests for resources.
Perhaps better.
But, why stop there?
Let's have ourselves a triple feature!
Population explosion via the Cloning Vats,
and instant technology via the Universal Translator.
Yeah, I forgot.
I hate the Manifold Harmonics movie.
In general I hate listening to those warbly, monotone aliens.
Well, we discovered the Secrets of Creation.
Just another day at the University.
Close! Close, but no cigar.
I've got a ton of technology this turn, but...
Still no N-Space Compression.
It can't be that far off, though.
In the meantime, while I wait for that to be discovered,
I need to increase the industrial output of all my bases.
Let's change this to...the robotic assembly plant,
which increases minerals, somehow.
Not exactly sure...by what amount, either.
Oh well, it works and that's important.
One other way to increase minerals is the, uh...
Yes, the Nessus mining station.
Asteroid mining, how 'bout that, pretty cool, huh.
Ah, shoot.
Come to think of it, there's one more technology I need for this plan.
And that would be, um...
The final tier of reactor core, the man-made singularity.
Hahahahahaha... It's here.
As usual for the University I'm skipping right over level 3 quantum reactors,
and going straight to level 4 black hole reactors. As usual for the University I'm skipping right over level 3 quantum reactors,
and going straight to level 4 black hole reactors.
N-Space Compression can't be far behind.
You know, it's exciting whenever I discover new sources...a source of energy, but...
Upgrading all this stuff is such a pain.
Anyway, because the very description of N-Space Compression will probably spoil my secret plans,
I think I'll just skip forward a decade, until things are ready.
Ah, there we go.
Yes, yes, we've all heard the philosophers babble about oneness being beautiful and holy,
But let me tell you that this kinda oneness certainly isn't pretty,
and if you're not careful it will scare the bejesus out of you.
And to think we're going to give a black hole to every new military unit.
A black hole in every pot!
Well, household. (?)
So I've got N-Space Compression, and I'm building units as fast as I can,
But I thought I'd pause to show you how the Usurpers aren't just sitting idly.
They've taken back the bases I gave to Yang,
and now they're bombing the Marine Institute and destroying all my terraformers.
I need some kind of shield for the base.
Let's see if flying mindworms, the "Locusts of Chiron," can do it. They're cheap enough, right?
I sorely underestimated the actual amount I'd need to surround the base.
Missiles keep slipping through the cracks.
But...as you can see...
Since Gates has declared war on me and my green economy, they'll soon have...
They'll soon have their own uses.
But, um...
You know what, let's put all this scheming aside.
I think my preparations are complete.
And my xenoformers are in position.
Now, what's a xenoformer, you ask.
This is.
It's a submersible aircraft carrier,
filled with roughly sixteen of what I call "xenoformer missiles."
Now, double that.
What do they do?
[laughing] Let's find out!
Let's see, it's action... Detonate missile payload.
'I'. I'm going to need to remember that.
What just happened? Ah, here we go, here we see the effects of the xenoformer pod.
An outbreak of fungus and surging of wildlife.
It's obnoxious how the screen snaps to the next unit, but...
I think I can make this easier to understand through the power of editing.
Let's do this!
Look at all of these mindworms.
All of their forests and farms, wiped from the planet...
But I'm not done yet.
There's still half a continent yet to be xenoformed.
Okay.
This next turn is going to be pretty scary.
I'm kind of disappointed with the small amount of mindworms the xenoformers conjured up,
but...I'm still expecting a good show.
Right.
Once the mindworms have softened them up,
my locusts will kill the rest of them off.
Let me open the door for you.
Ah!
It's open.
'Scuse me.
You know what? That's not the only problem they're gonna have.
Over the past few decades or so the cloning vats have churned out hundreds of thousands of new subjects.
Which, in combination with the polluter Gates,
have triggered severe global warming.
Here we go.
I'm pretty sure we'll see the effects of that soon.
Mindworms they can fight off,
but I wonder if they're prepared to meet the danger of rising seas. Mindworms they can fight off,
but I wonder if they're prepared to meet the danger of rising seas.
Rather late to the party, aren't you?
Go to, let us go down and there confound Gates' ambitions.
That he may not sleep for fear of flying worms.
Turn's over. Let's see what happens...
Good, I've still got missiles on there.
Come on mindworms, you can do better than that.
Yeeees!
Almost.
Wha?! It's just as I thought.
How many bases did they lose during the last turn? Seven?
Ah...
I, um...
I think mindworms just destroyed one of the bases I stole from them.
But, oh well.
And to think, I've got fungus-laden missiles still left over.
The perfect a gift for our industrialist foe, gates.
Say goodbye to your mines, your kelp farms, and your thermal boreholes.