[HIST] IAS introduction - Background (longish)

G'day guys,

Well here's the background I've drawn up
- point form converted to paragraphs so excuse the
grammar. Hope you like it. I'll split it in to a couple of posts so its not
too long.

Cheers

Beth
> [quoted text omitted]
History of the IAS.

Though never ratified the Antarctic Protocol on Environmental Protection
(1991) did see the abstinence of mining of Antarctic soils for its entire 50
year period. A further protocol signed in 2040 was not as successful.
Initially it did appear that things would go on as before, with tourism
being the only non-scientific use of Antarctica  the deep water
fisheries having crashed in 2015 (after which their management was handed over
to the
UN, mulit-million dollar fines and imprisonment were now mandatory for
any found poaching) However, the writing was on the wall, and in late 2048 a
consortium of mineral exploration companies put forward a petition to the UN
asking for access to the Antarctic fossil fuel and uranium resources. When
this was denied in mid 2049 they took advantage of the chaos created by the
collapse of the US and the recent creation of the Eurasian Union and sent in a
mercenary force. Those scientists who would not abandon their posts within the
first 3 days were declared terrorists and due force sanctioned. The initial
round of resistance (put up by the scientists) was spirited, but futile. In
2051 the International Antarctic Science Organisation (the latest name for a
long running series of scientific organisations based on the study of
Antarctica) convinces the national bodies (United Kingdom, OU, LLAR, EU, RH
etc.) involved along with the UN to "sell" them the polar islands (Macquarie,
Crozets, Kerguelen Archipelago, South Orkney, South Shetland etc.) in return
for the scientists (guaranteed) continued "service" at those locations as well
as additional scientific and engineering aid in other areas. And the move
wasn't unprecedented as the Gilderstein Foundation had purchased an island off
the Philippines 20 years previously etc. (probably other examples as well)

UN (eventually) formally recognises the IAS as a nation (once again mostly in
return for services), so in 2052 the nation state known as the Independent
Antarctic States was founded from the International Antarctic Science
Organisation. The major powers didn't bow to this new concept to easily
though, there was a feeling that another nation was just what this world in
turmoil didn't need. It appeared that the IAS would be little more than a
nation on paper after all the vast majority of its citizens didn't reside on
IAS holdings and most were even employed by other nations. However scientists
had been living away from "home" for centuries and this did not deter them. 80
years of growing discontent with funding and intellectual property rights was
fueling a revolution of mind set and strength of purpose few would have ever
dreamt about. The promise of the "right to think" as the founding article of
the IAS constitution (as its lovingly known) soon spread like wild fire
through the scientific community and joining the IAS was on everybody's lips.
Unfortunately this very popularity very nearly spelt its downfall. In May 2053
the Eurasian Union sacks all of its scientists with (or rumored to have) IAS
citizenship or affiliation and denies it ever gave over its subantarctic
islands. In response the IAS employs mercenaries to protect its holdings this
stretches their meagre finances. In June the PAU and then the EC also crack
down on the IAS. Thousands are deported and travel to the LLAR and OU (under
the pretext of actually moving to IASians land holdings). The unthinkable
happens when in early August pressure is bought to bear on the OU and LLAR are
forced to send those expelled from the PAU, EU and EC onto the IAS islands
though those IAS scientists working for the UN, OU and LLAR are allowed to
remain. 7 days later the scientific community shows that the line has been
drawn and crossed and many stop reporting findings, not all join this
"intellectual silence", but enough to ensure that politicians everywhere are
sweating. There are threats and acts of violence, but the majority of those
who chose to join the silence hold strong. After 135 days of threats turned to
demands turned to negotiated agreements and concessions the IAS is recognised
as more than a nation on paper. On 17th December 2053 the first International
Antarctic Trade and Research Agreement is signed in Hobart Australia. All IAS
citizens, including the expelled scientists, are once again allowed to work in
and travel freely among all the signatory nations. Not a moment too soon. IAS
cabinet documents released in 2106 show that the agreement was signed
literally within days of the point at which the fledgling IAS would have had
to throw in the towel overcrowding, dwindling supplies and disease had almost
seen an end to the IAS before it even began.

Thus, by the close of 2053 the IAS's nationhood had been recognised by the UN
and grudgingly by the other major nations as the world was in period of
political and financial upheaval and the IASO was offering science at just the
right price (i.e. for free as long as you let us "look after" all those
antarctic islands you could never exploit anyway). With the silence lifted and
the IASians back to work the IAS was largely ignored by more consequential
powers they had bigger political concerns to focus on. This left the IAS free
to exploit diplomatic channels and the mining companies' need for "polar"
expertise to get a foothold back on Antarctica things weren't proving as
fruitful as the corporations had hoped, in the 4 and half years they'd been in
Antarctica the mercenaries and miners had seen 4 mutinies, 1 mass slaughter,
and at least 525 confirmed cases of severe mental disequilibrium. They had
ignored the traditions and procedures developed from experience and instituted
by scientists to prevent just such events during their 200 years of Antarctic
research, and they were paying heavily for it. The first crop of scientists
hired reached their polar stations in late 2054.
        Then on Mid-winters night in 2057 they ousted the mining
companies in what may be thought of as a brief and bloodless coup (frozen
bodies don't bleed much...). The main action was little more than locking the
miners and mercenaries out. However, they had landed a mercenary force of
their own on the continent to support them. This was not the end of it and
sporadic raids continued for 9 and half years before they were officially
recognised as holding the continent of Antarctica. This recognition came more
for the fact that once again they'd proven themselves indispensable in
scientific and engineering positions and some were also being groomed as crew
members for the early UN interstellar exploration teams. The second Antarctic
Treaty was signed in 2067 at this point all nations bequeathed their Antarctic
holdings to the IAS and all claims and rights to the area were extinguished.
The first solely IASian interstellar exploration expedition was perfomed on a
UN charted vessel. This mission was able to find and claim a planet which is
now within the area of the core systems. The claim was possible due to its
agreement with the UN (work for 1% of the space they explored as a commission
they cashed this in for sole rights to a set of twin planetoids). While the UN
sponsored IAS expedition was underway the IAS was simultaneously preparing a
colonisation effort which would begin as soon as it got word of a suitable
planet claimed by the current expedition in the name of the IAS. This did not
in fact occur until the expeditions return, but little time was lost in
launching the colonisation expedition due to the previous preparations. This
was done as it had been recognised from the IAS's inception that they could
not remain a viable nation state if they were restricted to the confines of
the Antarctic continent and surrounding islands, without doing more damage
than the corporations they had ousted, or without relying so heavily upon the
UN that the IAS would fast be absorbed by it.

A small mercenary force was included in the colonisation expedition to fend
off claim jumpers (whether they were from major or minor nations or corporate
bodies). These mercenaries would later form the core of a dedicated security
force. As part of the original payment they were offered
stead-holding rights and IAS citizenship. A fair proportion of the
mercenaries did actually take-up this option and these were the
individuals who became the founders of the security force. Initial holdings
were the twin planetoids Adelie and Bellinghausen. Adelie is a temperate and
relatively productive planet with one to two good growing seasons a year.
Bellinghausen is a mineral rich desert world, which is habitable, but far from
naturally comfortable. Ronne was added to their
initial holdings 9 months later (smallest of the system's gas giants -
situated just outside the habitable zone) and the Nobu asteroid belt 11 months
after that. Initially the IAS space fleet consisted of chartered vessels for
exploration and they also crewed or leased UN/other nation's vessels
(e.g.
merchant men fitted out for exploration) In 2086 they began purchasing
merchant ships for the first IASian fleet. The philosophy being that these
ships should be slightly modified and these converted merchants would act as a
merchant marine force minimal weaponry. In 2097, due to exceedingly regular
exploitation and privateer raids, they bought a few old small naval ships from
other powers. In 2121 the first run of "Modular merchantmen" were put out
these could carry one module at a time. Once the bugs had been worked out and
the ship yards had cut their teeth on these however, the design was quickly
updated and within 15 years the now pervasive 3 module form was in its first
production run. The older one module merchantmen were soon retired from
service (heaps of bugs so why keep them - broke down really fast).

The modules (nicknamed Belgica) are stored at central ship yards around
Bellinghausen. Most are cargo or survey modules but warfighting, fighter,
troop transport and beam battery modules also exist (thought they were and
still are few in number).
        Eventually the strike/defense capability supplied by the weapons
carrying modules was supplemented by a small navy of dedicated warships. The
first
dedicated IASian warship was slipped in 2162. This navy is home-ported
at Bellinghausen and rarely leaves in its entirety. Task groups are employed
in anti-piracy patrols in and around IAS colonies and trade-routes, they
also exercise with friendly powers and the UN employs them in some fleet
actions when required (e.g. vs Kra'vak). Most UN crews still have at least a
few IAS members under contract and many exploration expeditions contain IAS
specialists. The original UNSC exploration vessels thought to be lost to the
Kra'vak had IASians on board. IAS hostile environment colonisation is another
area of joint venture. They currently lease or jointly manage 20 continental
or planetoid areas. These include sites on Armeniakon, Gawain II and locations
within the Dixie system and the Dutch, OU and Alarshi systems. They are also
involved in hostile environmental development with most nations at least at a
consultative or personnel level. This does not mean that relations with all
powers are of equal warmth. For instance, the congeniality of the current
relationships with the FSE, OU and UNSC is in sharp contrast with the
undercurrents of cool professionalism which pervade dealings with the NSL and
ESU. The IASians deal with all corporations with caution, however the
mega-corp
SETAG holds the dubious position of being the only body which the IAS will
only deal with under exceedingly exceptional circumstances if at all. This
stems from an incident in 2135 when 156 IASian navigators, engineers and
scientists were slaughtered in the name of corporate trading. Inevitably the
initial interstellar outcry subsided and SETAG regained its contracts
and routes with the major powers - however, the IAS has not forgotten.
Though heavily dependent on the UN, reliant on shared resources and rated only
as a minor power at the very most, the IAS has exploited its abilities with
diplomatic, scientific and engineering fields to ensure that it's position is
fairly secure.

Current total population, as of the census of January 2188, is 358,345,528.
Roughly 1,000,000 live on Earth, 16,000,000 reside on Bellinghausen and
34,000,000 live in the various jointly managed areas. The remainder call
Adelie home. (By the way thanks to all those who replied with respect to the
population size question. For those who are interested, the estimate presented
here is based on slightly undercompensating density dependence, rate of
increase of 1.8% (which is slightly above the world's current rate of 1.6%,
but way under Africa's rate of 2.8%) with a noise level of 5%. I also included
fairly steady migration once Adelie had been colonised, except for significant
pulses during the solar wars.)