Biological Weapons Threat

ceroomaster · April 18, 2003, 18:58

The following address was made by Ceroo's Vice President a few minutes ago and broadcast directly to all recognised governments in the region.

"In what can only be described as a severe breech of security at the Cheya Mountain facility, Ceroo's only biological weapon, developed under the previous government, has been stolen by unknown assailants which had managed to infiltrate the base, possibly as members of the Cerooan science team based there or as air force personell. Although the makeup of this weapon has been kept secret for many years, we now feel neccessary to let other nations in the region know what it is. The ESA-01 is a virus that behaves exactly the common cold at first, before a substance formed in the lungs begins disolvingaway living tissue. The reason the weapon had been kept so far underground was that the we could not find a way to counter-act this, the virus seemed to feed off many conventional treatments and accelerate the decay. In fact the unfortuanate test subjects were dead within 36 hours and their bodies decayed beyond use after 96 hours becoming unexaminable. We do not know who has this weapon, it could be a terrorist group or a rouge nation, but as of now Ceroo's borders are closed and we strongly recomend that any nations receiving traffic from Ceroo, either by air or sea perform thorough checks at ports. For the first time in many years Ceroo City is on a state of igh alert and Ceroo Intelligence has begun efforts to find whomever has possesion of ESA-01. We beleive the culprits either to be terrorist planning to use the weapon in Ceroo (and therefore still on the island), or agents of a rogue nation, which may mean they have methods of leaving other than via civilian routes (i.e. via that particular nations' naval force). If any of our friends or alies' intelligence or security forces know the whereabouts of the missing weapon then we urge you to assist us in the hunt for these mad men."

Edit: posted before finished

GeneralTacticus · April 18, 2003, 22:24

***BULLETIN FROM THE CENTRALIAN COUNCIL OF STATE***

In response to the recent news from Ceroo, the government has officially declared martial law and shut down all contact between Ceroo and Centralis. Anyone known to have passed through Ceroo at any point in the last week will be held in quarantine, while all international travellers will be thoroughly searched by border guards in full CBN warfare gear, and will be kept in isolation for 36 hours to make sure they do not have any of the symptoms. Our intellignce services will be devoting maximum effort to locating this weapon. Gas masks will be distributed to all citizens for protection.

Urban Ranger · April 18, 2003, 22:54

Please forward a copy of the virus' genome.

Meanwhile, all passenger traffic between Noosland and Ceroo is stopped indefinitely until further notice. Cargo traffic will be handled under the strictest NBC conditions.

Urban Ranger · April 18, 2003, 23:13

Neutron radiation is effective against viruses on and in inanimate objects (including dead bodies). Lifeforms remain a problem.

Effectively immediately, all imports from Ceroo will be restricted to inanimate objects only.

GeneralTacticus · April 18, 2003, 23:22

The Republic of Centralis will implement the same measures as those undertaken by Nossland.

ceroomaster · April 19, 2003, 09:10

Perhaps Noosland would like to offer assitance to the Ceroo government with develpoing this neutron radiation?

The navy has sunk four vessels trying to leave Cerooan waters in the past 12 hours, trying to negate the naval blockade and not responding to communications from Cerooan forces. Automated submersibles are investigating the wreckages.

Martial law is now finally in place. The remaining government officaials are debating whether or not to do house-to-house searches in Ceroo City and Newport.

A tem of scientists are working on a way of adapting one of our mapping satellites to detect the viral agent, but as the quanity is small until released, they remain sceptical, the team is small as many people have elected to remain indoors, it didn't take long for the news networks to get hold of the story, and it was broadcast to the people overnight.

Ceroo's president is still on a state visit to True Colony and yet to comment on the issue.

Urban Ranger · April 19, 2003, 12:30

With a copy of the virus's genome from Ceroo, the Nooslandian Institute of Advanced Biomedical Research puts the task of neutralising the virus as a top priority project.

A team of our nuclear physicists will be sent to Ceroo City as soon as arrangements are finalised.

red_jon · April 19, 2003, 15:36

Redfern's borders are closed to any citizens travelling from or via Ceroo, but wishes to offer any assistance it can.

With ridiculously high population densities, the effects of a biolgocial weapon would be devastating to Redfern.

Jack_www · April 19, 2003, 16:01

The United States of Jackson is following the measured undertaken by Noosland and Centrails. All fights from Ceroo and all person from Ceroo entering within last month will be looked over by our Intelligence agency and local, state, and Federal police. So far we have had no reported cases in Jackson at this time.

Sheep · April 24, 2003, 04:21

Unfied Sheepsta will monitor all travel between Sheepsta and Ceroo and customs will ensure no weapons come through.

GeneralTacticus · April 24, 2003, 04:37

Centralian border police, working with agents from the Centralis State Security Service, today detained several Cerooians who were attempting to sneak across the border from New Griffith. They were armed with modern assault rifles and bloodshed was averted only due to the presence of several soldiers from the Ghost Division, who disarmed the suspects before they could fire. The detainees were carrying several large armoured suitcases with them, which we have not yet been able to open. The detainees are now under interrogation though they have not taked, and we have tansferred their belongings to a secure laboratory for examination. We believe that we may have found the weapon that was missing.

Sheep · April 24, 2003, 04:41

Chancellor Angolias of New Griffith would like to thank the Centralians for their activites and we shall hereby have closer controls on our border gaurds.

Sheep · April 24, 2003, 04:43

New Griffith and Unified Sheepsta would like to jointly announce that a WOMD movement organisation be formed. We look towards any nation that would like to join for the greater intrests of the region.

ceroomaster · April 24, 2003, 15:36

Represenitives from the Cerooan Embassy in Centralis would like to assist the CSSS in identifying and possibly interrogating the said detainees. (Ceroo has two main languages- English and Grascun, the detainees may not have spoken yet because they are from one of the non-english speaking islands)

Although, we would not operate covert forces in a friendly nation, it is a possibility that these people could be members of a Ceroo Intelligence cell returning from another nation- although carrying armoured cases and large military weapons would be very uncharacteristic of CI agents (and just plain stupid). We would like to have a hand in what happens to the detainees.

Internal affairs, and Ceroo Intelligence thinks it may have found a link between the theft and a group of radical fundamentalist 'Christians', however when our forces arrived at their supposed HQ, it was abandoned and all that we could find suspicious was trace amounts of radiation, slightly higher than normal background radiation. Also, there has been no contact with True Colony since the incident, we have still not herd from the President.

Ceroo would consider backing New Griffith's WMD organisation. As stated many times in the past, the current government opposes such terrible weapons.
However, at this moment we are not too familiar with the government of that particular nation, although we are willing to send envoys to open up talks, and possibly establish a Ceroo embassy there.

(OOC: 'Poly's back!!!)

GeneralTacticus · April 24, 2003, 22:42

The CSSS would be happy to co-operate with Cerooian intelligence forces in this matter and arrangmeents have been made to facilitate this. You may send your people in at your leisure.

Archaic · April 25, 2003, 02:33

Quote:

Originally posted by ceroomaster
Ceroo would consider backing New Griffith's WMD organisation. As stated many times in the past, the current government opposes such terrible weapons.
However, at this moment we are not too familiar with the government of that particular nation, although we are willing to send envoys to open up talks, and possibly establish a Ceroo embassy there.

[OOC]They're yet another of Sheep's Corrupt Dictatorships.[/OOC]

Alecrast would like to ask Ceroo just *why* they were developing such a dangerous weapon in the first place?

Mr. President · April 25, 2003, 02:43

Nations are entitled to develop whatever weapons they think necessary. But the Praetor is inclined to think that they should be more careful with the most dangerous ones.

Archaic · April 25, 2003, 02:45

I suppose one must agree, however Biological weapons of that scale seem very much overkill.

Mr. President · April 25, 2003, 02:50

I agree, it certainly isn't the kind of weapon I'd research.

Guardian · April 25, 2003, 03:53

Guardinian forces are still on high alert and stand ready to assist our Cerooan allies in any way we can. It must be said, however, that we were somewhat surprised and not too pleased to learn that they were harboring such weapons in their country.

ceroomaster · April 25, 2003, 06:59

The Cerooan government would like to refer to the regional military assessment programme (http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...threadid=78011) which shows that we have only ever had the one biological warhead (less than Eternal Cold), and as stated earlier (OOC: in this thread) it was developed under a previous government (of one of the member states) so the current administration does not know why it was built, we can only assume the developers thought it would be a prudent deterent.
The only reason we kept such a weapon is because we did not know how to safely dispose of it. From what we've learnt, the creators have long since left Ceroo for projects in various other nations.

To Centralis: The ambassador's chief aide plus a contingent of our security personnel have been sent to rendevous with the CSSS at the specified location.

Regards

edit: rubbish spelling

GeneralTacticus · April 25, 2003, 07:02

To Ceroo: Your personnel have been recieved and are being taken to the facility where the detainees are being interrogated. We have, as yet, had no success in opening the suitcases, and we have to be very careful because we don't know what will happen when we do.

Guardian · April 25, 2003, 07:38

Guardinia accepts that the weapon was not developed by the current Cerooan government and understands that it can be extremely difficult to properly dispose of such material. Consequently, this will not impede or harm relations between our countries in any way. We commend the Cerooan government for being open and honest about this weapon program and not trying to keep things secret, which could have made matters a lot worse under the present circumstances. Although we know the Cerooan Navy is quite capable of guarding their own home waters, Guardinian naval forces are approaching the Cerooan islands from both east and west, just in case any help is needed on that front. The Guardinian forces will remain in international waters unless specificially asked by Cerooan authorities to enter Cerooan waters. We are also prepared to share intelligence and/or scientific assets in this matter.

ceroomaster · April 25, 2003, 10:27

We thank Guardinia for their concern, and while we believe that the Ceroo Fleet should be more than capable of enforcing the embargo, especially now that the First Fleet has returned to home waters, as the Guardinian Navy is in the region we would appreicate the assistance in monitoring the waters beyond the blockade, just in case any vessels slip through.
In particular on the eastern side.

Ceroo Intelligence is still investigating the fundamentalist groups' HQ and we will hopefully have some leads on this soon.

We still await news from security personnel in Centralis or the CSSS with regard to the situation there.

GeneralTacticus · April 25, 2003, 20:40

The first matter that needs to be reported is that of the Cerooan detainees. They still have not talked, even with Embassy staff there, and we are at a loss for how to persuade them to do so without violating our laws.

The second is that matter of the armoured suitcases. By plugging their lock system into a sealed-off computer system, we were able to decrypt it after several hours and open the suitcase. What we found was not the weapon, but perhaps the second best thing - a huge stash of papers and computer disks containing information which seems related to biological warfare. It, too, is all encrypted, but we're running programs on it now to try and decipher it, and should get a definite idea of what they say over the next few days.

ceroomaster · April 26, 2003, 12:22

The Cerooan government officially requests extradition of the detainees to Ceroo, although our policies are similar to Centralis' with regard to treatment of prisoners, we may have more luck.

GeneralTacticus · April 26, 2003, 19:51

Given how little luck we've had with the detainees, we'll be happy to let someone else have a go. They'll be on a secure air force flight into Ceroo within the next 24 hours.

Urban Ranger · April 28, 2003, 11:38

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
With a copy of the virus's genome from Ceroo, the Nooslandian Institute of Advanced Biomedical Research puts the task of neutralising the virus as a top priority project.

Computer simulations show that the three known beta blockers are capable of inhibiting the virus.

ceroomaster · April 28, 2003, 14:13

Thanks to information from Alecrast we were able to link the theft to a certain individual who was actualy well-known to the government, extremeist Michael Simons de Ceroo, who tends to be be orgainising and at the forefront of many of the anti-capitalist rallies in Ceroo City.
According to Ceroo Intelligence, Just hours before the theft had been reported, he and a group of his followers had been seen on the cross channel crossing to True Colony. (OOC: Ceroo's neighbours- a colony established by people who left Ceroo & East Ceroo to pursue a more liberal lifestyle)
We have been in touch with Viceroy Mark Evans and he says "the True Colony administration will look into the matter". The Endeavour, Ark Angel and the aircraft carrier Kiko have broken the naval embargo to head for True Island.

To Noosland: We may require your scientists to accompany ours to True Colony if we find the weapon. We will assign the Capital Gurad to their safety should they accept.

To Centralis: North Point airbase has still not received the incoming flight. We have had some heavy rain, but no major adverse weather conditions. So are unable to account for any delay...

GeneralTacticus · April 29, 2003, 01:08

To Ceroo: There is no cause for concern. When the plane was about half-way to Ceroo, it developed engine trouble and was forced to land in [Nation 33]. A second flight has been despatched to pick up the detainees while the first plane is repaired, and you should have them soon.