[b][color=004b80]High Elder Gladstone – West Coast Brotherhood of Steel – Santa Fe[/color][/b]

Gladstone listened raptly as Brother Martin laid out the present situation as concerned the war against the cult. He nodded, taking in all the man had said, pondering in silence for a few moments before replying.

“The North would seem to me to be the best front for my troops. As the sector closer to Pittsburgh, it would enable a forward air base to be established from which to begin a strategic bombing campaign against the heart of the cult. Might I enquire as to what our knowledge of the east coast is? I can only suppose the midwestern brotherhood is liaising with resistance groups there or even nations that are hostile to the cult?”

A pause from the High Elder, a small internal struggle, before he decided to press on.

“I have to admit, our last communiques from the east by Maxson made note of a number of organisations in the east. The cult of the atom, the Pennsylvania commonwealth, the free state and the keys and prior to his death, an apparently extremely technologically advanced organisation known as the Institute. I recall at the last convention some of these groups were represented, perhaps dispatches should be made east to confirm the status of nations east of the cult, to see which are at war or considering war against the cult? And from thereon, to organise a full war effort with the aims of forming a total noose around the cult, thus containing it lest it escape a full extermination such as is the aims of a scourge?”


[color=004b80][b]Elder James Mallard – West Coast Brotherhood of Steel - Electric City Committee Chambers[/b][/color]

“To state for the record, this meeting of the Appropriations Committee is decreed confidential. The project before us is that of Project Hermes, Head Scribe Waverly of the Montana Chapter acting as spokesperson for this project. Waverly, you have the floor.”

It was perhaps surprising that an organisation such as the Western Brotherhood of Steel had a political-financial machinery. It was assumed sometimes that it did not possess such a thing, that the society existed in a state where monetary policy was non-existent. In truth, the Brotherhood possessed a long standing system of monetary policy. Of credits and scrips, 100 scrips to 1 credit, simple enough, the economy itself was also rather simple. A rapidly growing automated industrial base, along with an increasingly automated agricultural sector. Machines would do most of the menial work for the Brotherhood, leaving more time for waging war and ensuring the security of their fledgling nation.

“Thank you Elder Mallard for granting the time to consider the proposal my colleagues and I have spent a significant period of time preparing. The proposal itself is named Project Hermes, in honour of the Greek god of messengers and suchlike and would focus on the initiation and development of a long range Missile Programme. The project itself would be divided into two sets, a cruise missile programme and a ballistic missile programme. We feel that both should be pursued with the aim of the cruise missile programme having conventional warheads to focus on military targets, such as the cult in our upcoming war against them. And the ballistic programme to focus on EMP weaponry in the event of a campaign against a more technologically advanced enemy. With the ability for the ballistic programme to allow for the development of a satellite program to increase our intelligence and communication capabilities in the coming years and decades.”

Head Scribe Waverly had stepped forwards to speak once Mallard had finished speaking, a short frumpy man, past middle age, bald and with simple rimmed spectacles in Scribe robes and hands clasped behind his back. His eyes cast around the room, flitting over the denizens within as his calm voice spoke softly on the details of his brainchild.

“A timeframe for this project estimates a successful programme within ten years, allowing for acceleration if we begin securing local pre-war missile silos and scientific installations, to allow for the collection of data to help our own project. The project would have many benefits, affording us a military capability which other nations do not possess as far as we are aware, and if they do, would enable us to act on a level playing field against them. Appropriations of land for missile testing and construction of test facilities will compose the bulk of the budget for the initial period, but as a one off investment, will help to pay dividends for cost savings over later years. Overall, the project would ideally have a budget of a million credits initially, dropping to a per annum rate of two hundred and fifty thousand. Such a budget may be subject to increases and decreases respectively once a more solid picture forms as to the difficulty of missile development.”

The Head Scribe fell silent, bowing his head and stepping back, raising his head after a moment to espy the gathered and murmuring figures of the appropriations committee. A hush fell over the room, before finally it was broken when Elder Mallard cleared his throat, a signal for Waverly to step forwards again. The elder leaned forwards, speaking into the microphone in a calm and clear voice as he delivered the verdict of the committee.

“Let the record state that Project Hermes has been approved, the preliminary budget will be the one requested, subject to review should this committee find the project delivery not up to par. I hereby declare this session adjourned.”