SC4 Devotion Forum Archives

Content:
Introduction: The Village of Hope
Chapter 1: Tulle
PART ONE: First Steps (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg360756#msg360756)
PART TWO: The Long Hand of Fire and Steel (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361299#msg361299)
PART THREE: Clouds Above the Sea (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361615#msg361615)
PART FOUR: Remember, Remember the 5th of November (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361836#msg361836)
PART FIVE: The Challenge (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362239#msg362239)
PART SIX: The Fruits of the Labor (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362601#msg362601)


Welcome! This is a story of exploration, colonization, political intrigues, sabotage and city-building. Enjoy!

The warming changed everything. Seven years of heat and drought destroyed even the most resilient genetically modified crops. The rivers and seas flooded the land and drowned cities and nations. Wildfires chased the few survivors hidden in the mountains down into the deserts. But hope never died.

Three expeditions headed to the untamed lands of the north and south to colonize the previously frozen land. One group of desperate survivors headed to the Antarctic lands with the hope to use its untapped natural resources. Another went north to the islands off the coast of Siberia to use their relatively intact factories. But we, dear readers, we will follow the travel of an expedition up the coast of Alaska driven by the dreams of a better future.


"Streamer" once belonged to a major agricultural corporation. For its thirty years the massive cargo ship saw the ports of four continents and delivered seeds to over twenty starving nations. "Streamer" used to travel through the icy northern seas and the hurricane-ridden tropical waters, relieve hunger and suffering, and make substantial profit for its owners. Its owners, however, are no longer among the living. Their business was brought down by the years of drought, flood and fires; their lives were taken by the petty conflicts between the haves and the have-nots.

The huge hull of "Streamer" was slowly decaying in the Seattle harbor until a band of starving people took it over in late December, 2040. Their goal was to reach the legendary fishing town of Hope in Alaska' wilderness.


"The little bugger is in the ground," said the undertaker and took a sip from his dirty bottle. The diluted brandy felt good.

"They die in batches these days," noted his wife picking the flowers left by the boy's relatives.

"Yeah, Hope has seen better days."

Indeed, the once prosperous Hope was now a mere shadow of its former glory. Over a thousand people manned forty boats at the turn of the century and brought tons of fish every day. A few decades later only two vessels, none of which ocean-worthy, barely fed the nearly 200 inhabitants.

When that vile woman became the president of the nation she promised relief from the suffering. Indeed, for the first few months things improved – three ships unloaded tons of foodstuffs, tools, medicines, fuel and construction materials. The last ship, however, unloaded a nasty surprise for the inhabitants of Hope.

On July 23, 2034, only a week after the USS Nimrod departed, John Moehn developed an acute cough. He worsened overnight and by the next evening was coughing blood. Antibiotics failed to help and on August 2 he became the first victim of the strange disease.

Within a month nearly 700 people died. Then, when the few survivors thought that the end is near, the disease disappeared. The religious people of the community thought that the disease was punishment by God so they built a beautiful small church on the town's highest hill. Little they knew that the sickness was an act of man rather than an act of God.

"What else is He bringing us," wondered the undertaker. "Welcome to Hope – the most desperate place on this side of the world!"


Overview of Hope (population: 200)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg689.imageshack.us%2Fimg689%2F3193%2Fhoperev3.jpg&hash=61bcc9d7b526da1b17e63f2fbed96f313dab2f85)

The church of Hope, built at the highest point in the whole village.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg109.imageshack.us%2Fimg109%2F5462%2Fhoperev1.jpg&hash=b5877854471462a106e930113a57e53f6d19ee17)

The church from a different angle.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg535.imageshack.us%2Fimg535%2F4673%2Fhoperev2.jpg&hash=42b06904c58e5eeef7258490b36a65775db7529d)

Looks good so far. I like the sloping parking in from of building. Make sure they put their brakes on or the vehicle will roll away.  :P $%Grinno$%

Looking good so far! I can't wait for the sabotage! ;D

A post-apocalyptic science fiction story. Looks interesting :)

Interesting stuff. Certainly a well thought out story line, and it's a nice-looking little village. Let's see where things go from here....

Interesting start!  It was a good read, looking forward to the next update!

REPLIES:

Scott1964: Thank you, sir! Yeah, the engineer of the village village was the first one die. From that point all construction was trial and, usually, error  :P
serebii666: Thanks! You won't have to wait for long...
Terring7: Thank you! There will be a lot of stuff happening in the region.
noahclem: Thanks! The story will go much more complex, vicious, and dangerous. Wait and you'll see.
Battlecat: Thank you! And here it is! Enjoy!

Content:
Introduction: The Village of Hope
Chapter 1: Tulle
PART ONE: First Steps (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg360756#msg360756)
PART TWO: The Long Hand of Fire and Steel (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361299#msg361299)
PART THREE: Clouds Above the Sea (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361615#msg361615)
PART FOUR: Remember, Remember the 5th of November (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361836#msg361836)
PART FIVE: The Challenge (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362239#msg362239)
PART SIX: The Fruits of the Labor (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362601#msg362601)


"It's a ship!"

Two anxious young eyes were starring at the sea from the top of the church of Hope. Over a mile away, the massive hull of a ship was slowly creeping towards the village.

"Hey, it's a ship!"

The congregation stopped its morning prayer and silence took over for a second.

'They'll help," suddenly somebody yelled.

"Or destroy us," another responded.

"No, its our salvation because..."

"Or it's our doom, woman!"

"... because we already suffered enough!"

"Silence," roared Andrew Mortimer, the boat captain who was temporarily serving as the mayor of the village of Hope. "Boy, what's the name of the ship?"

"Stre... two letters are illegible... er."

"Never seen it before. Arm, men, arm, and let's meet them on the beach. Friends or foes, we'll soon find out."


"This is the place... but I expected something bigger and..."

"Better? This ain't a fairy tale, they are probably as miserable as we are!"

The captain, a man by the name of Anen, a former surgeon and "gang" leader at present, surveyed the coast from the command deck of "Streamer." The first thing he noticed was the church. The next thing he observed was how a bunch of man with shotguns and hunting rifles took position on the shore.

"They have some trust issues. This won't be easy."

"What should we do?"

"Get me Parker, Johns and Markovksi! Load the speedboat; we'll have to... negotiate."

The Tulle "gang", named after its first leader, originated from the Midwest of the former United States. Some where farmers who took the road after the heat and the floods left them with no food. Others were factory workers who deserted their working places when the corporations drafted them into their private armies. Even more people fled to Tulle and his "gang" when the private armies raided their villages in search for supplies and slave labor.

Tulle used to be a delivery man back in the days where there was still something to be delivered. He ran his one-man, one-truck business until they came for him. In 2021, the Senate passed a law forbidding anybody but Roader Inc., the biggest trucking company in the nation and coincidentally owned by the most fervent supporter of the President, to carry goods between the cities. Squeezed between the martial punishment if he violates the Act for Promotion of Free Trade and continues his business, and starving to death, he fled his town. But we don't have time to continue the story of Tulle today because the negotiation party just landed on the shore.


"Stay there," commanded Mortimer.

The small group did not move.

"Do you carry weapons," asked the village mayor rather nervously.

"Of course, we are not here to be slaughtered," Anen smiled uneasily.

"Very well. Are you sick?"

"No, we're all healthy."

"How many livestock do you carry?"

"A few cows, some pigs and sheep... and some 500 refugees."

The villagers gathered together as if they were discussing their next move. Their recently gained religious morality forbade them to refuse helping the refugees, but they knew the village won't be able to handle such a sudden influx of people. Food was scarce, drinking water was rationed, the supply of basic medications was completely exhausted.

"We can't let you into our village," said Mortimer, "But there is a solution. Three miles northeastern from here you'll see a small bay that is accessible by your ship. Land there. There are some old industrial ruins you can take shelter in. That's all we can offer. But we don't go there... That's all I can tell you."


And so our heroes landed on the rocky shore and scouted the hilly area.

The pre-warming industrial zone was just where the villagers said it was. And it was massive! Anen was surprised that the villagers avoided it. The zone had four abandoned administrative buildings that served the "gang" as housing until they managed to repair them. The roads buried underneath mud and vegetation were cleaned and provided for the infrastructure of the colony of Tulle.

By March, 2042 the refugees built houses for their families, converted one of the administrative buildings into a hospital, another into a school, a third into a police station and armory, and the final – into a fire station and a workshop. Water was brought down from a spring into mountains and wind-powered generators produced the electricity needed.

In the meantime, people living in the mountains and the forests of the area heard that Tulle welcomed everybody willing to work for the common good. Every day somebody came down, joined the "gang", started working in the farms and built something that he call its home.

What bothered Anen was that the villagers in Hope refused to work with him. On one hand, they feared the newcomers and they feared the newcomers will steal their food and transmit the mysterious disease. On the other hand, the villagers feared something (or somebody) else. And they fears, as Anen began to feel, were not a mere superstition.

Welcome to Tulle, a growing town of over 1,500!

The magnificent park with a monumental column marking the landing of the refugees, as seen from the roof of the hospital building.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg822.imageshack.us%2Fimg822%2F5426%2Ftullerev1.jpg&hash=4856fb7d826637ad13bdfa490932b3fb08e82201)

The renovated administrative buildings: the hospital (southwest), the police station (southeast), the fire department (northeast), and the school (northwest). The city still lacks proficient engineers (it's hard to find them in the wilderness) so it ends up with some quirks like parking space on slopes.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg20.imageshack.us%2Fimg20%2F7179%2Ftullerev2.jpg&hash=e42d4409a47b299be9af443ee008514da3a326da)

The gardens of the 2nd Quarter. Even in the tough times people want to live in a pretty place.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg221.imageshack.us%2Fimg221%2F33%2Ftullerev3.jpg&hash=6f7ad73c343da529b8ef0f8d44f5e59839b6ce2c)

Overview of Tulle. Population: about 1,500. Note that the open areas were reforested by the citizens in order to reduce their carbon emissions.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg121.imageshack.us%2Fimg121%2F8712%2Ftullerev4.jpg&hash=0995655a3e5e6d538141bf760aff43bd4a65355e)

Very nice both updates!!! Very good start on your MD!!!  :thumbsup:

Tomas: Thanks. Although I'm not as good in city-building as most of you, I hope the story is entertaining.

Content:
Introduction: The Village of Hope
Chapter 1: Tulle
PART ONE: First Steps (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg360756#msg360756)
PART TWO: The Long Hand of Fire and Steel (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361299#msg361299)
PART THREE: Clouds Above the Sea (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361615#msg361615)
PART FOUR: Remember, Remember the 5th of November (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361836#msg361836)
PART FIVE: The Challenge (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362239#msg362239)
PART SIX: The Fruits of the Labor (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362601#msg362601)


Awaiting for the arrival of the representatives of the village of Hope, Anen was worried. His anxiety came not from the development of Tulle. No, the town was blossoming. For the past two years it tripled its size to nearly 4,500 residents. The community built a high school, a college with a magnificent park and a small chapel. Three new neighborhoods grew around the downtown area, while the process of reforestation was nearly complete. No, his anxiety came from the troubling news the cartographers he sent to scout the region brought.

Ten miles north of Tulle, his team stumbled upon a camp of some fifty men. If they were refugees, Anen would welcome them. If they were thieves and scavengers, he could quickly dispatch a squad against them as the town now had enough manpower. However, they were too heavily-armed for refugees and too well-disciplined and organized for bandits. What was most worrisome was the men's behavior.

For three consecutive nights small groups would navigate the mountain passes overlooking Tulle until they reached a particular point, at which time they would observe the town and write down notes. On the fourth night they packed their belongings, and sped off west. Something was going on, Anen thought, and that something wasn't going to be pleasant.


Back in the days when ideology was omnipresent, Tulle would have been considered a commune. Rather than trying to compete and generate profit (those concept was rendered useless since there were no other settlements the town could trade or compete with), Tulle was built upon cooperation. Every citizen worked for the benefit of the community because they knew this was the only way to not only to live a better life, but to actually survive in the wilderness.

Farmers provided the community with the food they produced and received in exchange all the other benefits the town provided: goods, resources, healthcare, education and safety. Factory workers produced resources and processed these resources into goods in exchange for the food the farmers provided and all the other perks of living in Tulle. In the same way, doctors, teachers, policemen, firemen and artists, all worked towards the common good. Back in the days when ideology was omnipresent, Tulle might have been called a "communist" place, but today it was survival.


The first leader of the band of refugees, the man by the name Tulle, was somebody who saw the benefits of working together rather than compete with each other. Competition, or more accurately the fierce, inhuman, and unethical competition brought the doom of the old world. The race to produce meaningless junk so a stratum could gain power over their fellow men created hatred, conflicts and unimaginable pollution. People warned, but entangled in the web of greed nobody listened.

When Tulle drove up the Rocky Mountains he saw people fighting, and dying, for things they can share, things they can improve and multiply by working together. He saw a man and a woman arguing over a bag of grain. Blinded by primal hatred, they would not talk but scream and hit each other. The woman then swallowed the grain, and the man, her husband, stabbed her. What if they planted the grain?


"Hello, Anen!"

The mayor of Hope was here for the bi-monthly meeting between the two settlements. Tulle and Hope were slowly beginning to work with each other. The villagers could not ignore the sprawling town in its backyard, and the opportunities it offered. Tulle had clean water, food, medicines and schools.

"Hello to you too, friend! How is the boat?"

"Fine, fine," smiled Mortimer, "We got a shark last night. They are rare these days, but they make for a great soup."

"You know my proposition."

"I would enjoy letting you build new boats for us, but I'm not sure you'll have the time for that right now."

Anen was confused.

"Your boys were quiet but we know the area better," Mortimer smirked. "We knew where they would hide to watch that camp and we kept an eye on them too."

"So you know about these men?"

"Certainly. They've been here before, but usually they were not so heavily armed, cautious and... were mostly workers. Maybe a decade ago, just after the disease ended, a few of us decided to salvage anything useful from the ruins you restored. As our men... and my son... were digging through the scrap, they came for the first time. Most of us escaped but a couple was captured. Later, they brought me the body of my son."

"Sorry... Who are they?"
"I don't know that. Every year, that is until your group appeared, they would come with heavy machinery – bulldozers, drilling equipment, big stuff. For nearly a month we would hear explosions and the roaring of the machinery..."

"They were digging something?"

"God knows... and he would not tell us. Not that we wanted to know. Two times some of them came to the village and it always ended badly for us. We were, and still are, too few to do anything. This was just one of our burdens. But, my friend, I fear that this time you will share it with us."

This is the map of the town as of 2045. The cartographers still work on mapping the areas around Tulle.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg526.imageshack.us%2Fimg526%2F3493%2Fmap2045.jpg&hash=2266c441267edef87cec4a1643c5b74e5bfd4834)

This is a view of the city from a nearby mountain peak.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg831.imageshack.us%2Fimg831%2F1333%2Ftullerev5.jpg&hash=c9a6fe00fbbb671330e4fdc33d8d87444b042526)

This is the downtown from the seashore to the College Park.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg524.imageshack.us%2Fimg524%2F1800%2Ftullerev6.jpg&hash=e349ad9457654b7dd14009a2265ba00c94032843)

And this is Tulle College.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg220.imageshack.us%2Fimg220%2F1893%2Ftullerev7.jpg&hash=47d44b235f0ad2963990d0072f77022f89fec4b6)

Thanks!

Nice update again, very good!!!  :thumbsup:

Very good, your story is progressing very well.

Robin  :thumbsup:

Tomas: Thanks! It's always good to see some support. It kinda feels lonely around  ::)
rooker1: Thank you! Soon there will be blood  $%#Ninj2


Content:
Introduction: The Village of Hope
Chapter 1: Tulle
PART ONE: First Steps (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg360756#msg360756)
PART TWO: The Long Hand of Fire and Steel (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361299#msg361299)
PART THREE: Clouds Above the Sea (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361615#msg361615)
PART FOUR: Remember, Remember the 5th of November (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361836#msg361836)
PART FIVE: The Challenge (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362239#msg362239)
PART SIX: The Fruits of the Labor (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362601#msg362601)


For the past year Anen's behavior worried his closest friends. Since the day the armed men were spotted in the vicinity of Tulle, he gradually detached himself from the reality. Overwhelmed with fears and uncertainties, he found shelter in the beauty of the nature. He finished the city park and built a colorful school of arts amid its thick forests, he planned and guided the construction of a newer and bigger church, and he nearly doubled Tulle's population to 8,500 people. But the psychedelic Mourners' Park confused even those who blindly trusted him.

Mourners' Park was a grotesque and sad picture of one man's mental suffering. Just north of the newest neighborhood, squashed on the hillside between two roads, a pathway of pink tiles led to a monument built from rare pink granite. A star carved into the granite slab symbolized the hope the refugees had when they took over "Streamer" and sailed north in search of a better future. Bellow, a family of three was depicted walking hand in hand towards the star.

All this would be fairly normal for a park if right behind the monument, as if continuing in the direction that the star pointed, there was no alley leading to a graveyard. It was as if Anen thought that the whole expedition was doomed, that he led all those men, women and children to their deaths.

To be frank, dear readers, the town and the whole expedition has never before been so close to its downfall. Not when the refugees were chased through the deserts by the hired guns of the Neico Corporation, not when they took over "Streamer" under heavy fire, not when they guided the ship through the ferocious storms of the Pacific, not even when Tulle faced a gang of bandits just six months after it was established. As the clouds gathered from across the sea, Tulle's existence would be put to a test.


Tulle, the original leader of the refugees (and the man the town was named after), was a pragmatic man. From his birth in a worker's family, he appreciated the beauty of the tool, of the machine, of everything that was useful, simple and sturdy. He was not a man that you would find in the fancy galleries of the upscale neighborhoods. On the contrary – he spent his childhood assembling and disassembling toys, his teenage years were covered in oil as he was tinkering with cars engines, and just before the warming showed its ugly head, he was appointed as a mechanic for an airline. Alas, he never even came close to an airplane.

This is not to say that Anen was in a constant state of daydreaming, that he was not a man of pragmatism. As a surgeon in this horrid and brutal word, he had no choice but to use the very few things he had as efficiently as possible. Even when knees-deep in his patients' blood, however, he appreciated the beauty and the perfection of the human organism. But every man has a breaking point and many felt that their leader reached it.


Even though Anen was overwhelmed with fears and sought relief in the beauty of the parks, he figured out that his town would need to find a way to defend itself if it was needed. In early 2046, he established a militia training camp two miles west from Tulle. Situated on the top of a hill, the camp not only provided weapons training and basic lessons in tactics and maneuvering, but also was an excellent point for controlling the passage between the uncharted inland areas and the settlement.

Each week, a quarter of the 800 able-bodied men between the ages of 20 and 30 of Tulle would climb the hill and take instructions from one of 20 experienced fighters. Shooting practice was conducted in the woods west from the camp, physical exercises were either organized on the hill side east of the camp, or at the small soccer field immediately to the north, while tactical lessons were given all over the place. Thus, by November 2047, each man between 20 and 30 received a four-month course in military training. While the small militia of Tulle lacked the experience, the skills and the equipment that the strangers obviously possessed, they compensated with eagerness and the desire to defend the tiny piece they can call their home.

As the young fisherman nearly rushed into Anen's office on November 3rd, 2047, the citizens realized that they might need use their militia sooner than expected.

"A ship...," the fisherman screamed, "A ship with guns and troops is two days to the east. It's coming this way!"


This is the finished City Park. The School of Arts is visible in the middle, while gazebos and observation stations allows students and visitors to sit down and enjoy the nature.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg823.imageshack.us%2Fimg823%2F9171%2Ftullepark.jpg&hash=7bb8f908a7c9f0b1c8199b8885e988533c33f5c5)

The psychedelic Mourners' Park reveals Anen's inner conflict.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg291.imageshack.us%2Fimg291%2F4299%2Ftullemourn.jpg&hash=e0f0247e41dbc2bfaa871b56a0a3e51d7e7e890a)

The militia camp will (hopefully) prepare the city forces to defend from possible attacks.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg132.imageshack.us%2Fimg132%2F7619%2Ftullemilitia.jpg&hash=6d4ea656e08484fbfdac35d6bd07217ef2f171b0)

Looking good. I like thehot tub by the school.  $%Grinno$% :P A place for a dip after classes.  Where did you get the school and the hot tub from?

scott1964: Thanks! The school is here: http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=2693  and the bathtub is part of this pack: http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=14056


Content:
Introduction: The Village of Hope
Chapter 1: Tulle
PART ONE: First Steps (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg360756#msg360756)
PART TWO: The Long Hand of Fire and Steel (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361299#msg361299)
PART THREE: Clouds Above the Sea (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361615#msg361615)
PART FOUR: Remember, Remember the 5th of November (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361836#msg361836)
PART FIVE: The Challenge (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362239#msg362239)
PART SIX: The Fruits of the Labor (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362601#msg362601)


On November 4, Anen gathered the militia in the downtown park. 800 men gathered on the grass in front of Tulle's hospital. Some of them were eager to fight for a first time in their lives, other were anxious to protect their families, but the majority were scared:

"We are no soldiers!"

"They will kill us!"

"No! Only if we let them in they can defeat us! We will fight!"

"Indeed, friends," said Anen. "These people don't come for negotiations. They come to torture, pillage, and burn this place... our home! For those who have been with me before, these men can very well be the same hired guns that chased us across deserts and forests. For those lucky enough to be born in freedom, let me say that these people are probably slave-hunting dogs. If you don't fight here, you will be forced into one of their dirty disease-ridden factories where you will have work for 20 hours a day with nothing in return. Until you die. And after you die, you will be tossed into the furnaces and replaced by your daughters, sons, and brothers."

Anen divided the town's militia into eight squads and gave the command of each to people he knew they could handle the tough fight – people that were with him during the clashes near Tacoma airport and when he decided to take over "Streamer." He further divided each squad into five units and appointed the most promising militiamen he had. Then he waited.


Before dawn on November 5, the enemy ship reached just a couple of miles from the rocky shores of Tulle. The vessel turned north and slowly approached the peninsula on which the village of Hope was situated. Take a look at the diagram below to fully visualize the course of the battle.

At exactly six o'clock, five speedboats carrying 200 men landed on the beach 1.5 miles east of Hope. Led by Captain Carlo Desta, this unit had the task to head north towards Tulle and cut the defenders' western escape routes. If the defenders engaged in battle, Desta was instructed, he was to withdraw to the south and let Tulle's forces pursue him. The point of this maneuver was to ease the task of the main strike squad by reducing the number of defenders inside the town. Of course, Anen was not aware of this plan so he dispatched 300 militiamen to meet and greet the enemy.
In the meantime, the enemy ship continued sailing to the northwest. Under the command of Major Terry Decker, the main landing was to be executed a mile western from Tulle. According to the plan, the remaining 800 men were to quickly disembark and close on to the town from two directions completely surrounding the remaining defenders. At 6:23 the main landing commenced.

However, to Decker's surprise, Tulle prepared a weapon of its own. During the night, a tiny group of volunteers prepared "Streamer" for one last battle. When the enemy's main landing started, the rusty old "Streamer" sailed at full speed to interrupt it. Ignoring the heavy fire that left holes into its hull, the ship that brought the refugees rammed the enemy's vessel. The crash of the two gigantic piles of iron was heard throughout the bay. Flames, extinguished only when the two ships sank a few minutes later, took over their remains. The seven volunteers operating "Streamer" perished but they took the nearly 300 enemy troops that did not had the time to disembark with them. Major Terry Decker did not survive.


As both ships were sinking in the bay, men from both sides were too busy preparing for a skirmish on the southern outskirts of Tulle to notice. Captain Carlo Desta had the choice to whether take the short route through the narrow pass between the sea and the lake that divided the peninsula into two, or take the long way around the lake. The first choice was much quicker, he thought, but his squad might not be able to pass through the narrow strip of land if Tulle sent men against him. On the other hand, going around the lake, while undoubtedly a safer decision, could have taken him over 45 minutes – too long to be of any help to the main attacking force. He decided to take the shorter route and if he was confronted by the defenders, he would back off and draw them away from the town.

Indeed, the forces of Desta were confronted by the 300 militiamen Anen sent in their direction. The 3 squads from Tulle blocked the narrow pass and denied the enemy the way to the town. In accordance with his plan, Desta slowly began retreating to the south. His hope was that at some point he would be able to turn around and face the defenders in a place he could be able to fully deploy his men.

However, at the last minute some 50 volunteers from the village of Hope ambushed Desta and his men at the exit from the narrow pass between the lake and the sea. The captain was stunned – he expected, and his intelligence confirmed it, that there will be no cooperation between the villagers and the defenders. After all, Hope never challenged the authority of Fire and Steel over the industrial ruins, and it never showed signs of working with Tulle. But his spies missed few critical things, and now Desta was to paid for this outrageous mistake. Unable to move in any direction, squashed between the militiamen, the villagers, the sea and the lake, his troops were quickly defeated. 148 of his men died on that narrow pass, against only 23 defenders and four villagers.


Some four miles to the west, Captain Richard DeLano was clueless as to what to do next. A good chunk of his men died on the board of the landing ship. More importantly, Major Decker, the mastermind of the whole plan, was on the bottom of the sea. DeLano, a man of great experience but almost no imagination, decided to continue with the official plan. The initial plan called for 250 troops flanking Tulle from the north and finishing the encirclement, while his main force (550 men) was to directly march into the town. Facing the new situation, he redistributed the available resources and sent 100 soldiers to the north and took 400 with him.

Anen realized that the main strike would go from the west but it was already too late to recall the three squads he sent down south. With no information about the events at the narrow pass, he sent the remaining of the town's militia against the main force of the enemy.

At 6:41, the 500 men from Tulle came into contact with the enemy at the city limits. The battle was ferocious and lasted approximately ten minutes but at the end the better preparation and the better equipment of the forces of the enemy proved decisive. Although having slight advantage in numbers, the defenders were routed and began retreating towards the downtown area. Anen hoped that he could use the buildings of the hospital, the police station and the schools as a last line of defense.

As the first groups of militiamen took positions in the downtown buildings, Tulle's sudden saviors came. On the wings of their victory against Desta, the 277 surviving members of the squads sent south were now returning eager to help. Outnumbered two-to-one, it was now time for DeLano to retreat. However, in the narrow streets and parks of the town, the battle of Tulle was finally resolved. It was an easy task to deal with the 100 troops of the enemy that took their time destroying the mountain spring up north and were now descending on the city.


The Battle of Tulle was short – it was completely over in just two hours. However, these two hours took many sons and fathers. The bodies of over 500 enemies were scattered around the town, some 300 more were floating in the sea or were stuck in the remains of their ship. Nearly 200 militiamen perished in the fights. The symbol of Tulle, "Streamer", was on the bottom of the bay, the town was left with no water, and the college was in ruins. It would be a long year of rebuilding, just when the elections were approaching.


Map of the Battle of Tulle (Nov. 5, 2047):

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg28.imageshack.us%2Fimg28%2F3811%2Fbattlemap.jpg&hash=08ca0f914342abcd3adc3ef848296697e34f2013)

Overview of the town just before the battle (population of 8,500):

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg695.imageshack.us%2Fimg695%2F559%2Ftulle2047.jpg&hash=03fa6a6638886487139caa866887a77201908295)

The mountain spring, its destruction and the memorial in the honor of the victory. The college is still being rebuilt.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg9.imageshack.us%2Fimg9%2F7495%2Fmountainuq.jpg&hash=429f05ff4c8b69f5a131f542d085364b31ccb6b1)

Nice work!  :thumbsup: You've got some really interesting features to your cities and the plot is thickening!

Great history, and nice update my friend!!!  :thumbsup:

The story is very interesting and coming along very well.

Robin  :thumbsup:

noahclem: Thank you! I sometimes wonder if people actually read the story. I would appreciate any comments!

Tomas: Thanks! I'm trying with the story - I've written stuff before and I have everything planned till the end of Chapter 2, where many answers will be given, so stay with me and enjoy the intrigues  ::)

rooker1: Thank you! Today, we complicate the political environment in Tulle and welcome two new characters that play an important part in the story.


Content:
Introduction: The Village of Hope
Chapter 1: Tulle
PART ONE: First Steps (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg360756#msg360756)
PART TWO: The Long Hand of Fire and Steel (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361299#msg361299)
PART THREE: Clouds Above the Sea (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361615#msg361615)
PART FOUR: Remember, Remember the 5th of November (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361836#msg361836)
PART FIVE: The Challenge (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362239#msg362239)
PART SIX: The Fruits of the Labor (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362601#msg362601)


"You have a choice – you can stay with us or you can go back home," said Anen at the end of the nearly six-hours long talk with Carlo Desta, the leader of one of the enemy's squads who were captured during the battle.

"I don't have a home. If I go back there, they'll hang me for my... failure."

"Don't you have a family, or friends?"

"No, I was a slave... everybody is a slave at the Vargas Colony. We can't marry, we can't have friends – all that is impossible, if not outright banned."

"So why did you worked for them?"

"Survival, I guess. At least, we got food and water. Once you take their hand, there's no way out."

"You're welcome here."

'I should thank you, I guess. Heh, I always wanted to work on the land, maybe take care of some animals. And dogs... I like dogs."

Nearly hundred men were captured during last year's battle. They were all given the chance to stay in Tulle and work as a part of the community, and most of them agreed. Desta and his former subordinates labored alongside the citizens to restore the damage done during the fighting – they rebuilt the college and its park, constructed the first library, and worked on the new industrial zone that Anen planned. When they were given the chance to stay, the men created a mountain ranch just north of the monument of the victory, where they grew sunflowers and cared for a herd of cows.

But not everyone was happy with their presence. A number of citizens refused to comprehend that these men, the murderers of their sons and brothers, live right next door. Hatred and calls for revenge were for the first time heard in the now 12,000-strong town:

"Down with the murderers," chanted the crowd.

"We don't want them on our land!"   

"Don't give the food, don't give them jobs, and don't give them a livelihood," yelled Albert Griffin, one of the recently arrived refugees. "We'll have elections, Anen, and then we'll know with whom you stand – with Tulle, or with them."

Indeed, the city council was just chosen – 30 men and 30 women from all the six neighborhoods, – was about to convene for the first time in the newly-erected parliament building on Tulle's shores. These 60 citizens were to decide how the election for the 5-year mayor term would be conducted.

As if to reinforce the fears Anen had, Griffin decided to run against him in the upcoming elections. Surfing on the wave of hatred and populism, this middle-aged man was quickly gaining prominence in the community. As if everybody forgot that it was this – the violence and the bigotry, – that the refugees were running from at first place.

As the community grew new problems endangered the well-being of the community. Certain casts of citizens began voicing the opinion that they are in some way better than the rest because of their occupation or role in Tulle. The more educated youth began mocking the farmers behind their backs, while the "supervisors" in the factories distanced themselves from the common worker. Anen began to wonder whether Tulle could continue functioning in the same way as before. More worrisome was the fact that these changes threatened to turn the town into a pre-warming society, a society rid of countless social problems, a society that was destroying itself and everything around it.

Of course, thought Anen's critics, these were exactly the thoughts of a scared and delusional old man.

"We need to move forward," spoke Griffin. "We need progress, we need better life! We are not savages leaving in the forests anymore! But we also need a way to defend ourselves from the enemies, to be strong and powerful! We don't need parks anymore, Anen, we need guns and ships!"


During the whole month of September, 2048 the members of the city council listened the opinions and the concerns of the citizens. On November 1st, they gathered to figure out how the elections were to be conducted. After ten hours of discussions, the chairman went out of the hall and met the two candidates. Surrounded by a crowd of citizens, he read the decision of the council:

"We, as members of the community of Tulle, are allowed to choose our mayor, our leader. This man should be a man of courage, a man of virtues, and a man of dreams. We were nobodies, scattered around the wilderness, running from the slave factories, tortured by hunger and fear. For the past eight years we worked side by side to rebuild civilization in this God-forsaken place. We faced difficulties, and we overwhelmed them. Our leader, whoever it is, should be able to contribute to our well-being. So, Anen and Griffin, in order to prove you have the qualities to lead us you need to fulfill one task and you'll have exactly one year to do so. Take as many of your supporters that would volunteer to work with you in addition to their work for the community and build something that would benefit us all. It is up to you what it is, but it should be ready by November 1st, 2049. Then, the citizens of Tulle will have the chance to evaluate it and vote for whoever made the best contribution. God bless you!"

As the crowd left the square, Anen began to think what the town needs and how this thing could possibly repair the fractured community of Tulle. There were many things he dreamt of making but only few could be constructed in such a short time. Then he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Desta.

"We can help, if you want us," he smiled. "But be careful of this man. I've seen many like him in the Vargas Colony, and they're all dangerous."


This is the Desta Ranch, just north of the Monument of the Victory, where he and his former subordinates grow some crops and take care of some animals.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg829.imageshack.us%2Fimg829%2F8554%2Franch2.jpg&hash=f20fdcefbd26d18ebc3a4bca71edec08d875da93)

This is the rebuilt College Park (with a nice observation tower at one of its ends).

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg146.imageshack.us%2Fimg146%2F2361%2Fcpark.jpg&hash=feeeecdc7d985471c8362e259c3e9c804263ecfa)

And this is the new and improved College of Tulle. The old one didn't fit the architectural style of the town anyway.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg408.imageshack.us%2Fimg408%2F307%2Fcolab.jpg&hash=f8574f9d983254c4484810b3b6cac63347997711)

This is the new library.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg266.imageshack.us%2Fimg266%2F8736%2Flibt.jpg&hash=b7837f43f21f7ab3acf1e20ce8c41d7b610a34fd)

And this is the Parliament, where the city council convenes.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg64.imageshack.us%2Fimg64%2F9018%2Fparliament.jpg&hash=087b63e5531cb724518547c015b96995768feac6)

Thanks! Any comments, positive or negative, are appreciated!

Another interesting chapter. 
As I was reading the part where Anen allowed Desta to stay, I was think ing to myself that I wouldn't like murderers of my family and friends to live right beside me.  It's going to be interesting how this continues and what these two mayor candidates will be making over the coming year.

Robin  :thumbsup:

Wow..., fantastic work again!!! Awesome update!!!  :thumbsup:

Tomas: Thanks! Enjoy today's update!

rooker1: It's a normal human feeling, and this is why Griffin seems to enjoy some popularity in Tulle. But there's more to it and you might see what it is in a later installment  ;)


Content:
Introduction: The Village of Hope
Chapter 1: Tulle
PART ONE: First Steps (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg360756#msg360756)
PART TWO: The Long Hand of Fire and Steel (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361299#msg361299)
PART THREE: Clouds Above the Sea (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361615#msg361615)
PART FOUR: Remember, Remember the 5th of November (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg361836#msg361836)
PART FIVE: The Challenge (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362239#msg362239)
PART SIX: The Fruits of the Labor (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=12330.msg362601#msg362601)


"What were they digging for at this site?"

In one of the breaks between building his project for the election challenge, Anen was talking to Desta so he can learn more about the Vargas Colony. If Tulle was to fight their forces again, he thought, it would be helpful to gather as much information as possible.

"I don't know, I've never been here before. From what I was told by older officers, none of the soldiers, the regular soldiers, were allowed anywhere near the dig. But it involved a lot of workers and a lot of engineers. Maybe there's something beneath these hills they are looking for. Gold, oil, I have no idea."

"So you were telling me before that Vargas Colony is run by a corporation of some sort. What do they produce?"

"Mud and smog, if you ask me. The name is Abbott Inflixicept, if that means anything, but in these days you can be called McDuck Family Entertainment and still run a private army on the side."

"You've been there..."

"See, there is a system of zones each of which has its own security units. You can't just go and peek at their factories and research facilities. Of course, they are always ways to circumvent even the toughest measures, but it's not worth the risk – once you get caught you'll be shot."


With the challenge deadline swiftly approaching, Anen had to delegate the supervision of his project to some of his supporters as he helped the steady stream of newcomers to settle. On one nice summer morning, the city reached the 20,000 mark, making it probably the biggest settlement within 300 miles.  However, the initial infrastructure, the restored remains of the pre-warming industrial zone Tulle was established on, began to reach its capacity. For the first time, several crossroads across the city suffered from congestions that disrupted the operation of the city. In response, a high-capacity six-lane avenue was constructed that significantly relieved the burden of the old roads.

Then the deadline of the challenge, November 1st, 2049 came. Huge crowds of people swarmed around the two candidates as they made their way towards the building of the city council. The chairman was waiting at the entrance:

"The day has come. Our present mayor and his challenger worked day and night for the past year to bring us one step closer to the civilization we lost decades ago. Each chose a different way, but they both invested their hearts into it. Before I bore you to tears, let me welcome Albert Griffin, the challenger, to present his work."

As Griffin took the stage, a wave of ovation greeted him.

"I want to congratulate all of you, the heroic citizens of Tulle, for the work you've been doing to build a new hope in these dark times. At a time when too many in the world are running from the progress and destroying the last remaining bits of the functional society, you're proving not only that you care very deeply about the future, but that you're willing to do something about it.

I could stand up here today and talk about the future – and, indeed, you all know that my motto is "A Way to Progress" - but I know that we share similar views on this and that you're already on this way.

So instead I'd like to talk about my project, the first highway of Tulle. As you already know, me and my crew discovered a tunnel dug by the enemy underneath the mountain. We labored for six months to clean it up, reinforce its ceiling, and widen it to allow for four-lane traffic. Our highway starts from the industrial zone in the northeast section of our glorious city, connects to the road network and then enters this tunnel. As you drive to the northwestern side, you'll have to do a turn south around the ranches and farms and enter the urban area between the factories and the houses.

That is not all I did. To commemorate our brothers and sons that perished in the battles I wrote their names on brass plates and positioned these plates in the gardens between the lanes. To remind you of where we are going and where I will lead you, I erected billboards with beautiful images of the past civilization, pictures of people, lands and happy events, pictures that visualize the dreams of each one of us.

Brothers and sisters, this highway is not just another road. This highway will help us expand our city east, west or north, it will bring us prosperity and better life. What better way to symbolize the progress than by creating the path to it!"

Soon it was time for Anen to speak and another wave of applause roared overed the plaza.

"Dear friends, for the past ten years, we've been through many troubles, and I'm said to say that many of us died. But their death is not in vain. No death is in vain if it helps the living to see what is wrong and what needs to be changed. Aggression, greed, selfishness and hunger for power destroyed our world. Aggression, greed, selfishness and hunger for power started all these wars. Aggression, greed, selfishness and hunger for power blinded the profit-driven man for the harm it caused to the nature. He saw it too late.

As we suffered, we learned how to build a community that is free of these terrible evils. We help each other, we work together, and we live a great life. But as our city is growing some of us forgot why we came here and forgot what we were running from. We came to search for hope, and when we found none we built it from the scratch.

Today I present you something that will heal our wounded community, allow for our aggression to be expressed in a harmless way, let us abandon greed, relinquish selfishness and be equal once more. I present you the Grand Stadium! No matter how big our city is, the games on this stadium will entertain us and bring us together. And for those that prefer to relax in the nature, to share laughs and tears, I bring you a magnificent theater situated within a beautiful park!

So, dear friends, let's heal the wounds and commemorate life!"

When the speeches were over it was time for the citizens to do their job and evaluate the work. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures.


This is the Grand Stadium, built by Anen.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg408.imageshack.us%2Fimg408%2F1081%2Fstadp.jpg&hash=264b6405fa6ebf0ddb078ec5436c4b8d93e46052)

This is the Amphitheater with the park.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg42.imageshack.us%2Fimg42%2F2406%2Famphio.jpg&hash=3d49d13e2a9f13374dfa5f1fbe89332b7d924903)

The northwestern stretch of the highway built by Griffin and the northern farms.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg40.imageshack.us%2Fimg40%2F2784%2Ffreewayw.jpg&hash=2bfbb7343b1314b24bc1d77d1d78ed3d89e1d385)

The western part of Tulle as of 2050 (population: 20,000).
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg638.imageshack.us%2Fimg638%2F238%2Fwesterntulle.jpg&hash=93aed35bd9df19ed779c03b13bfbe719a2a2a0f0)

And to close this update, a few nice houses that I like.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg88.imageshack.us%2Fimg88%2F6641%2Fhousesk.jpg&hash=881d3dbd50bf2e16047eb9df9499c186f7594ef6)


Thanks, and please comment!

Very nice &apls
I think that a slope mod will make your slopes more smooth :)

Nice update again, and the history is great!!!