Archieve

Alice in Nationstatesland

[i][b]Chapter 1: In which Alice is introduced to Nationstatesland, goes down a rabbit hole, and meets a very curious character indeed. [/i][/b]

Alice was getting very tired of sitting at her PC and having nothing to do. She had peeked at the website her sister was visiting, but it seemed very dull. “what is the use of a website” thought Alice “when it has no pictures?”

So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of updating her facebook account would be worth the trouble of logging in, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her. He glanced at the clock in the bottom corner of her screen. 

“Oh my ears and whiskers” it cried. “nearly Update time! I am late, so very very late. Regional activity is at stake!"

The paws of the rabbit flashed across her keyboard, logging into a website she had never heard of: www.nationstatesland.net. Then, without further ado, he was gone. 

“How curious” said Alice. 

It did not occur to her to be alarmed at the appearance of the rabbit, at the time it seemed quite natural. 

Her hands hesitated over the keyboard, then with steely resolve she typed in the same URL as the White Rabbit had used. At once the text popped up on her screen: 

“Welcome to Nationstatesland...... create a nation....

Within a few keystrokes she was falling into Nationstatesland. 

[i][b]Chapter 2: In which the White Rabbit reappears and his identity is revealed. Alice begins a quest. [/b][/i]

Alice found herself in a somewhat drab nation simulation game, badly in need (she thought privately) of an upgrade. Beside her was a forlorn figure... the white rabbit, slumped in a corner, sobbing uncontrollably. 

“Most Curious, a crying rabbit” thought Alice to herself, but she said nothing out loud, she was not sure of the etiquette when conversing with rabbits, so thought it best to err on the side of good manners. 

“I say, I know we have not been formally introduced, but I was wondering if there was anything wrong?”

“I am so sorry” said the rabbit “I must look a frightful sight. My name is Grindah, and I am the true and  rightful delegate of The East Pacific.”

“I say” said Alice, “That is quite an impressive title!”

“But I have been inactive recently, and today I was late for Update. The Duchess, working with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare have taken my region and declared an Empire to rule over all.”

With that the white rabbit began to sob once more. 

Alice was not sure of the correct form for comforting a distraught rabbit, so she contented herself with pulling out her handkerchief from her sleeve and mopping up his fur as best she could. 

“Now now” she said (in a tone of voice she had often heard her governess adopt) “I am sure the Duchess is not as bad as that. And perhaps the Mad Hatter is merely eccentric!”

“She is AWFUL!” Exclaimed the rabbit. “She throws pepper in the eyes of East Pacificans, and beats them when they so much as sneeze!”

“well that just will not do!” said Alice “Cheer up, good lapin, I will travel across Nationstatesland and search out this Duchess, and see what can be done.”

The Rabbit was little consoled, but Alice was resolute. Whatever obstacles lay in her way, she would seek out this self-styled Duchess. 

Her quest was about to begin. 

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Well, that is the first couple of chapters. They still need a little work, and I may well edit them, so call back. 

I will be posting future chapters too, so call back to find out the identity of the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the doormouse (who is not as she seems), and also meet the Queen of Hearts, the ruler of a vast army of playing card soldiers, whose sinister hand is over all these affairs in Nationstatesland

Editorial

Breaking News
Loop of the East Pacific announces his departure from the game. 

One of the saddest features of these twilight days of Nationstates is that players and names that have been synonymous with NS for so many years seem, one by one, to be leaving the game. 

In the wake of the takeover of the East Pacific by Lady Phedre and “the Empire” - a shadowy group of players still hiding behind aliases – Loop has finally decided that enough is enough. 

Citing the actions of “vipers”, and accusations of “deceit and hypocrisy” and “hiding behind masks”, One Infinite Loop has announced his intention to leave the game, admitting that this will probably mean the end of the original Z1 East Pacific forum, and the culture, traditions and history of the East Pacific Confederation. Anonymous and unconfirmed sources speaking to the Wire have stated that the final straw for Loop may well have been the actions and attitude of a certain Lord Rahl during the peace negotiations taking place between the Empire and the Confederation. 

Inevitably, this announcement has been met with dismay by the remaining members of the East Pacific community, many of whom have urged Loop to reconsider. By any standards, Loop's departure will be a bitter, possibly fatal, blow for the Confederation. 

As yet there has been no official reaction from the Empire. However, speaking on the Empire's forum, a member of the Imperial Court, Darkseid, made this chilly response: 

[QUOTE=Darkseid of the Empire]Unfortunate but not unforeseen.

[b]Loop is a legend, legends are meant to be dead.[/b] It is difficult for any "legend" to re-emerge after an absence and maintain the same level of historic glory and magnificence.

As I state in my signature, it is time to let the legends die.[/QUOTE]
(bolding mine)

The North Pacific Wire cannot share this callous and cruel opinion. Nationstates needs legends. It needs players who are above the ordinary – like Loop – to see it through these days. There are hints that Loop may reconsider his total abandonment of the game, and we at the Wire hope that this will be the case, and that Loop will find that the game of Nationstates is much bigger, and much better, than the vipers who seek to destroy in a few weeks what Loop and others have invested years to build. 

Flemingovia

[align=center][b][u]The mouse who roared. [/u][/b][/align]

The Nationstates community was left amused and surprised recently when first blood in the Gatesville/The North Pacific war was unexpectedly drawn by .... the North Pacific. 

Forces from the North Pacific Army entered two satellite regions controlled by Gatesville – Gatesville Survivor Ejected and Gatesville Survivor, both of which were left vulnerable and undefended by the Gatesville Guard. Gatesville Survivor Ejected was quickly retaken by the resurrection of the founder, the other region was refounded and remains in NPA hands. 

[align=center][IMG]http://www.karaokepitstop.com/Images/AmAtWarImages/JohnMoore/capt.1048924720.topix_iraq_us_war_jbm104.jpg[/IMG]
[i] ou est le Guard de Gatesville? [/i]
NPA soldiers arrive in Gatesville Survivor Ejected to find the defences neglected and the Guards away on leave.  [/align]


This defensive oversight was unsurprising – The Gatesville guard has always been better known for its numbers than for its efficiency – but their reaction to the attack has surprised everyone. 

[align=center][IMG]http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/04_01/wilsonDM1604_228x256.jpg[/IMG] 
“I don't believe it!”
Gates responds to the news that he has lost two regions overnight. [/align]

Gatesville as a whole was clearly stunned by the action. Gates the God visited the TNP forum to complain about the action, and sent a minion, Titus, to the TNP RMB to complain: “this was only supposed to be a war of words....but you..... you HIT us!” 

[align=center][IMG]http://www.bubbarednecksteve.com/images/whine.jpg[/IMG]
Gatesville's united response to the NPA attack on their satellite region, simultaneously posted from school library consoles all over the world[/align]

The seeming inability of Gatesville to understand the meaning of the word “war” (which is only one syllable, so should present no problem) has caused a great deal of amusement in TNP, and much rejoicing in many other regions, who love to see a bully taken down a peg or two. 

There will doubtless be an internal inquiry in Gatesville to ask how this defeat was possible, and who should take responsibility. The North Pacific Wire is in no doubt, however, as to who is responsible for the debacle. Gates himself had earlier boasted proudly in the West Pacific forum that he would “be on the front line with Gatesvilles sons and daughters repelling The North Pacific horde.”

If this is an example of Gates' leadership in the field, then the North Pacific Wire has some friendly advice for Gates: “you are supposed to repel the Horde BEFORE they take your region!”