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"So that is it?" asked the Chairperson.
"That about sums it up. Once completed, we stand to make billions of golds a year," replied Director of Human Resources Apollo Lucitonis as he finished his presentation on the massive national project. The Chairperson wanted to hear it, alone, straight from him.
The model laid across on a desk of its own in the Director's room. The Board was entirely behind this project and it was up to Bustos to give the final stamp of approval. He had some reservations for litterally cutting his nation in half. It would not be the first time such a proposal came up, but had never made it pass The Board for their approval.
However, it was not surprising that it had this time around. The Allied States had opened their borders and it was only a matter of time when the proposal resurfaced. Especially since it has been Apollo's pet project for quite some time. A water canal, connection the two oceans that bordered the Allied States on the West and East. Avenues for transportation to and from one half of the nation and other obviously had to be address, one of the main reasons it had always failed to garner much approval. Apollo had taken care of that problem; MagLev rails.
Magnetic Leviataion rails that would bridge above the proposed canal and that was not just it. Once the canal was completed and the short rails were bulit, there would be an extension project, to increase the length of the MagLev rails across the Allied States. The whole project had four main goals.
1) A shorter alternative route between the two oceans.
-Generate revenue from tolls.
-Generate revenue from the excess hydropower generated from the Canal.
2) Development of maglev rails to keep the top and bottom halves conntected.
-Generate revenue from tolls.
-Power for the MagLev would come from the Canal's hydropower.
-Rails will eventually stretch from the northern border to the southern border.
3) International leverage to stop, hinder, or restrict trade of enemy nations.
4) In times of crisis or war, the Canal and the MagLev can be used to move supplies, equipment, and personnel quckly.
It would be the largest contruction project Taijitu has ever seen. The price tag was nearly 40 billion golds for the Canal and intial MagLev alone, with an estimate of 5 billion golds a year to complete the rest of the rail system. The Canal and initial MagLev would take ten years to build with the remaining rail taking an additional ten years, totalling nearly 100 billion golds in the twenty-year construction project. A majority of that money would come back from the tolls of each transportation system but also from taxes of all the jobs created in the process.
"Okay let's do it," said the Chairperson.
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(http://www.geocities.com/cfbpeace03/BustosMapCanalMagLev.PNG)
Black is the Canal. The Blues are the initial MagLev rails. Yellow are the MagLev rail extensions once the inital Canal/MagLev rails are built.
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Over 70,000 people jobs were created just by the construction alone. Once operational, reports suggest there will be an additional 40,000 permanent operational jobs created. On top of even those jobs, 200,000 jobs would be indirectly created in tourism and port services.
Execellent, indeed.
(http://sofia.usgs.gov/virtual_tour/images/photos/controlling/ag_canalconstruct.jpg)
The begnning.
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(http://www.faust-corp.com/images/Dredging/OldCA.jpg)
A picture of a dredging operation, deeping the beginnings of the Canal.
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(http://www.swapmeetdave.com/Humor/Workshop/Trencher4.jpg)
One of the digging machines in operation to support the canal operation.
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(http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/canal/canal-30.gif)
One of the canal locks being constructed
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To: Bustos
From: Minister Ingles, Minister of Industry
We are looking at the concept of creating a cannal accross to connect our to coasts. We would like to know if we can send observers from our industries to observe your construction techniqes of the Cannal.
Thank you, Mike Ingles
~Thanato
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To: Minister Ingles
Minister of Industry of Validus
From: Director Patrica Belkin
Office of Public Relations of the Allied States
I have discussed this with Director Apollo Lucitonis of the Office of Human Resources and he would be honored to have foreign industries observe our construction methods and learn about yours. We are currently in our 5th year of construction on the canal with is half way completed.
We look forward to meeting your industry observers,
Director Patrica Belkin
Office of Public Relations
The Allied States
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(http://www.planetside-idealab.com/images/abv_by-kusutto.jpg)
Concept art displaying MagLev train defenses. One AA gun and one AG gun on the pilot car.
Each train will have one pilot car at each end of its length for forward and reverse movement.
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(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/061021/061021_panama_vmed_2p.widec.jpg)
One set of locks that have been completed.
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To: Director Patrica Belkin, Office of Public Relations of the Allied States
From: Richard Lannister, Minister of Commerce
The Government of Ryazania would like to inquire whether or not there is a one time fee we may pay in order for all ships under the jurisdiction of His Majesty to cross your future canal without hassle.
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To: Richard Lannister, Minister of Commerce
From: Director Patrica Belkin, Office of Public Relations of the Allied States
While we are glad of your nation's interest to use our canal, I am afraid such a one time fee would not be possible. Due to the expected amount of traffic, a one time fee is not feasable. However, we are currently looking into the possibility of offering yearly fees to nations for their ships. If such an option becomes available, I'll make sure you are the first to know.
Thank you for your interests,
Director Patrica Belkin
Office of Public Relations
The Allied States
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To: Director Patrica Belkin, Office of Public Relations of the Allied States
From: Richard Lannister, Minister of Commerce
We are greatly interested in the yearly fee and look forward to the completion of the Bustian canal.
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(http://www.monorails.org/webpix%202/Shang02.jpg)
Recently built MagLev rails nearby a Bustian city.
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(http://midwest.construction.com/rpimages/thumbnail_people.jpg)
An engineer (left) from Validus and an engineer from Bustos (right) discuss ideas on the project.
One more year left until the completion fo the Canal and intial MagLev rails.
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To all nations, The Allied States of Bustos-21 announces its offical opening to all shipping the Water Highway of the Allied States.
A video of two of the four canal lane locks in action. (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9040875966564826702)
OOC: I looked up canal tolls and even found a calculator for it, however no canal in existance can support the size of ships that my canal can. So without complicating things, we have price per tonnage for ships passing through it applies to every recreational/commercial ship wishing to pass through. It is currently open to every nation's shipping. Foreign military ships are not allowed in my national waters, much less are allowed to pass through the Water Highway.
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The peoples of shagras congradulate bustos on this momentus occasion, the two waters are now one.