Asteroid On Collision Course With Earth

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Asteroid On Collision Course With Earth was a Usea Today newspaper published on April 21, 1996, the day after the Federation of Central Usea (FCU) announced the existence of the Ulysses 1994XF04 asteroid.

The newspaper was one of many pieces of in-universe World News that Namco created in 2000 and 2001 to promote Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.[1] In 2022, the newspaper was remade for the official Ace Combat YouTube channel's summary of the Continental War, including new details where none previously existed.[2]

FCU President Makes Announcement To Ambassadors And Their Respective Nations

This is a transcription of the section in the remade newspaper.[2]

On the 20th, The[sic] FCU President Robert Sinclair announced that the predicted impact of the asteroid "XF04" on the Earth has been confirmed. He communicated this to the heads of state and government through their ambassadors. The timing of the asteroid's impact, the expected extent of damage, and the scale of the damage were made public.

The President also announced that he had already shared this information with some countries and organizations, and that a special project had been initiated to avert the impact. This announcement sent shock waves around the world.

Impact To Hit Usea Head-On

In December of the previous year, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) had predicted that the asteroid would approach the earth[sic] within a few years, and in the worst case scenario, it might hit the earth[sic] and cause serious damage.

Consequently, the FCU government indicated to the FCU[sic][note 1] [that][note 2] the orbit of this asteroid [is][note 2] to be tracked and investigated in detail. A special IAU-led team of astronomy, [astro]physics,[note 2] and geology scholars from neighboring countries was formed to determine the impact.

The asteroid that will impact [Earth is a rock asteroid named "1994XF04 Ulysses"][note 2] with a diameter of about one mile (1.6 km). The asteroid was first discovered by the University of Seals Bridge in October of the year before last, and Comona University used a computer to calculate its predicted orbit. As a result, at 3:30 p.m. EST on July 3, 1999, XF04 broke through the Earth's Roche Limit. The dispersed debris was found to cause damage over a wide area from the equator to the northern hemisphere. The scale of the impact was calculated to be the equivalent of 2 million nuclear bombs, and even allowing for forecasting errors, a "nuclear winter" was definitely predicted.

The FCU government deemed this matter to be of paramount importance for national preservation. In light of political and cultural considerations, they suppressed the announcement that the future orbit of this asteroid had been determined. In the meantime, they worked with the Aerospace Society to find effective collision avoidance measures. As a result, it was determined that cooperation with FCU allies was indispensable, and this announcement was made.

The President said, "Global-scale damage is expected, including on the continent of Usea. While it is important to strengthen our defenses, such as building more underground shelters [in major cities, we must also consider measures of][note 2] intercepting meteorites. We will take every possible measure to ensure our survival into the next century"[sic] He appealed to the world for the launch of the special project.

It is not uncommon for meteorites to fall to Earth. In the past year, 10 meteorites have hit the continent of Usea alone, most of them about the size of a fist.

The fireball seen in the eastern coastal region of North Point in November was the result of a meteorite fall the size of a car. But the meteorite we are about to face is on a different scale. It will be about a mile in diameter. It will weigh 500 billion tons. This is about the size of a city falling. The scale of the damage this will cause to the earth[sic] is expected to be enormous. The president[sic] added to the press. "We are not going to face that day without taking action"[sic]

The President says he has already shared this information with the G7 countries and will focus more on security cooperation. He also reported that special agreements have been signed to work closely with the G7 countries to resolve the various economic, energy, and trade issues that are expected to arise in the future.

As part of the agreement, a request for temporary return to Usea was issued to the FCU and other Usean countries that have troops stationed abroad. As a result, the maintenance [...][note 3] shift from joint operations between the FCU and the UN[sic] forces to activities by the UN[sic] forces alone, and the stabilization of the entire continent will be promoted with a military reorganization.

The IMF, at the request of the FCU government, suspended trading in all stocks on the continent as of 15:00 on the same day, declaring a primary fix in the securities and financial markets. At this time, the IMF will ensure foreign currency lending and orderly exchange arrangements among countries through new guidelines. This means a global economic restructuring for the stability and sustainability of society.

New Regulation Of Cell Phones And Network Information Announced

The Ministry of Communications has issued a national emergency law for all media that disseminate information in order to avoid the information chaos that is expected in the future.

The law will be applied to a large number of exempted media, including cell phones and Internet access, which will make it difficult for citizens to exchange information. The government is concerned that misinformation, false rumors, and rumors[sic][note 4] could lead to large-scale riots and terrorism.

We[sic] plan to centralize information dissemination and disclose information in stages. We are planning to release information on how to respond to the meteorite through newspapers, television, radio, public relations magazines, and other media as needed.[sic]

Laws that will have a direct impact on the lives of citizens in the future:

  1. record the content of communications between individuals and groups;
  2. close Internet communications for about a month to update protocols;
  3. limit the amount of Internet payments by individuals and companies to control hoarding.

President Implores Citizens To Remain Calm "Take it easy"

When asked by reporters whether these measures were in effect censorship, the President responded at the press conference as follows.

'Our[sic] lives and social interactions will continue to be normal. We will be able to continue working, and our bills will not be stopped. Prices will be frozen, so there is no need to stock up. Our greatest concern is that at this very moment, when the world is coming together, there will be disruptors to our social networks. We will be shutting down the Internet for about a month and updating it so that we can prevent that from happening and have a calm social life. We will face the toughest time in human history in three years, and we will overcome it together. This is a month to ensure that. Take it easy."

Secretary Of State Expresses Support For NMD Proposal

This is an English translation of the original Japanese section, using a combination of an Acepedia translation,[3] online translations,[4] and the flawed official translation.[5]

On the afternoon of the 20th, Secretary of State Stateson visited the Central Usea Treaty Organization (UTO) headquarters to attend an urgent meeting with the Council of Foreign Ministers. At the meeting, he explained to the allies how a National Missile Defense (NMD) system could be used as a means to destroy the asteroid, and asked for their cooperation. At a press conference following the meeting he stated, "It is the FCU's responsibility to construct a missile defense system that will eliminate the threat the Ulysses asteroid poses to the FCU and its allies." He also felt confident that "our allies understand the threat as well."

Regarding the organization and implementation of the NMD, some allies were concerned that it could be used for military purposes, but ultimately they expressed willingness to cooperate. The Secretary of State, after considering a worst-case scenario, made additional suggestions for the final defense plan. "Without the understanding and cooperation of all countries it will not be possible to implement this defense plan," said the Secretary, without disclosing further details. Possibilities such as attaching a propulsion device to deflect the asteroid, or shooting interceptor missiles to destroy it, are being considered. However, once XF04 passes through the Earth's Roche limit and fragments, there would be no effective way to counter it.

Even though the effectiveness of the NMD remains unclear, it remains the most plausible among the many plans proposed for defending the Earth. Some of the Foreign Ministers in the Council hope that this may also lead to global nuclear arms reduction, but remarked that the countries involved in the NMD's development will shoulder a heavy burden.

Overseas Troops To Return Home Temporarily

This is an English translation of the original Japanese section, using a combination of an Acepedia translation,[3] online translations,[4] and the flawed official translation.[5]

Upon hearing the President's address, Department of Defense commander Richard Payne ordered a recall of all FCU military units deployed overseas. The 6th Fleet is already underway to its home port in Waosung from its deployment in the Far East. As of 1900hrs on the 20th, the flagship aircraft carrier Fort Grays and its accompanying Aegis-class cruiser Tea Time are heading north towards the Payton Channel. However, as the standoff continues between FCU and Erusean troops on the Republic of Amber's border with the autonomous province of Ugellas continues, the IUN's forces are left with no choice but to retreat due to the present withdrawal of FCU forces.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Meyer of the 6th Airborne Division, the 120th Air Wing which had been assigned to the buffer zone was prepared to take up station at Snider on the 21st, but on the verge of changing commands, it was temporarily dissolved on the spot. They intend to fall back around 120 km eastward to the Gunther front line base and reorganize there.[note 5]

Although the retreat has already begun at the company level, the work of handing things over to IUN units stretched across the joint front line has greatly complicated the retreat, and it is likely that the withdrawal of all units will extend to the afternoon of the 22nd. In addition, in the early hours on the 20th when the announcement was made, unexpected storms hit the region, and the C-17 transport planes were unable to carry full loads. The remaining equipment was then entrusted to IUN forces.

Military Commander To Become Chief Of Staff

This is an English translation of the original Japanese section, using a combination of an Acepedia translation,[3] online translations,[4] and the flawed official translation.[5]

At a press conference on the 18th, the FCU military announced the appointment of Army Commander Robert Tyler (age 54) as the new Armed Forces Chief of Staff, succeeding Riass[note 6] who died suddenly on the 20th of last month. Lieutenant General Tyler commanded the southern region's forces last year, adding to his career the accomplishment of seizing the rebel headquarters in the southern region of the Skully Islands.

Footnotes

  1. This was likely intended to be the IAU.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 This text is not fully visible in the video. A best guess is shown here in brackets based on what is visible and the original article from the Ace Combat 04 website.
  3. This text is not visible in the video.
  4. The original article from the Ace Combat 04 website listed "misinformation, hoaxes, and rumors".
  5. Snider's Top is located in the far north of the Usean continent, whereas Gunther is located in the southwest. The retreat 120km east from Snider to Gunther makes no sense; the forces would instead end up at Saint Ark.
  6. The original Japanese only stated Riass's last name. The official English translation stated his full name as Michael Riass.

References

  1. AC04Web through the Web Archive. Archive version as of July 6, 2001.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Project Aces"Welcome to Nugget's Strangereal World Setting Commentary -The Continental War (AC04)". YouTube. Published on 4 August 2022. Retrieved on 4 August 2022.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 This page's version on February 18, 2017.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4/21/1996 - Asteroid on Collision Course with Earth. Encyclopaedia Strangereal. Retrieved on July 25, 2017.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 AC04Web through the Web Archive. Archive version as of July 14, 2001.