Report on "Duster" findings

[Smyg]

To: North American Union Governor-General, Chinese Martian District, European Colonial Administration, Directorate of the Montanha, Fort Vänern Administration, Heaven City Authorities, Clearwater City, Whitecliff Territory, New Glasgow Movement, Nightingale Society, Interstational Aeronautic Response and Aid Service, Assorted Outlier Settlement Administrations, and various other regional entities on Mars
From: Coordination Committee of the Martian Defence Initiative
Subject: Report on "Duster" findings

To whom it may concern.

In light of recent international cooperation on the subject of "Duster migrations", Coordination Commitee of the MDI has opted has opted to share the scientific finding made by the Scientific Division of the Russian Martian Directorate, and open a discussion on the subject.

During the most recent "migration", the Directorate took numerous steps intended to solve the long-term danger posed by the "migration". Step one of the project was to attempt the capture of several "Dusters". This partially succeeded. In addition to this, several hundred cadavers were collected and returned to Camp Gorchakov, where they underwent osteological, genetical, etc. testing in the local labratories. Step two was to tag retreating "Dusters" en masse using projectile-launched, concealed electronic trackers. The goal of this was to trace the movement patterns and point of origin of the "migration".

While testing will continue, with experimentation providing more conclusive results, the project has come to a number of early results. Below is a summary of findings regarding "Duster" behaviour, put into layman's terms. The full report is attached with this document.

• "Dusters" possess a significantly altered biological chemistry. This change, which is of yet unknown cause, appears to have taken place very quickly from a evolutionary standpoint. Traits include a strongly reduced need for oxygen consumption in the maintenance of bodily functions, as well as massively increased production of rage-related hormones.
• Live capture of "Duster" individuals in a combat situation is near impossible. The cause of this is the ability of "Dusters" to release a highly potent poison into their own blood system when threatened, which is almost universally fatal. The closest comparison would be a built-in cyanide capsule.
• Following the successful capture of one, it can now be concluded there exists "Dusters" females. A study of "Duster" social patterns has shown that the males are strongly protective of the females, suicidally so.
• "Duster" technological understanding is more advanced than previously thought. Known largely for their practice of self-mutilation and suicidal tactics, "Dusters" have a strong affinity for weaponry, and are able to immediately disassemble a firearm. As shown during the recent combat, they also have the capability to recognize tactically important opponents.
• Finally, the issue of the trackers: The "Dusters" universally retreated into the central wastelands of the southern desert. Once close to the center, all trackers were immediately shut off at the same time. The cause of this is indeterminable, but had it been due to a EMP or signal blocker the trackers would have slowly "fizzled out" as the wasteland epicenter was approached.

The Martian Defence Initiative asks the international community to discuss this issue with us, so that we may reach a consensus on the proper management of the issue, and its long-term solution.

Thank you.

[Snacks]

To: North American Union Governor-General, Chinese Martian District, European Colonial Administration, Directorate of the Montanha, Fort Vänern Administration, Heaven City Authorities, Clearwater City, Coordination Committee of the Martian Defence Initiative, Russian Martian Directorate, New Glasgow Movement, Nightingale Society, Assorted Outlier Settlement Administrations, and various other regional entities on Mars
From: Interstational Aeronautic Response and Aid Service
Subject: Re: Report on "Duster" Findings [Video File]

[A dark, weathered face stares out from the screen with a stern look as the file begins playing. Though his is a face that rarely appears in news broadcasts or even pro-Ranger information, Roger Chavez is a man easily recognizable to those in power.]

Good morning. Since I assume that I can dispense with introductions, I'll begin with a thank you to the Colonel-General's Scientific Division for the work that's been shared with all of this. The findings are worrying, but I think we can agree it's better to be worried than ignorant.

We are all well aware of the recent tensions in the Outliers which have only continued to rise. Despite the great importance of military support to the fight against the Duster migrations, it is that very support that risks sabotaging our defense against this threat to all of Mars. It is for this reason that we call for a ceasefire and formal negotiations to reach a peace in Montanha equitable to the desires of the people, as well as a formal agreement to bring an end to so called spheres of influence among the Outlier communities. Rangers and Nightingales have fought side by side with European and Russian soldiers in the trenches. We have shown ourselves and all of Mars that we are capable of coming together for, if nothing else, our survival. We must not tear our efforts apart now that things seem darkest.

Additionally, I present a proposal for all Martian entities capable and willing to contribute to the defense of the Outliers and settled Mars: the Minervan Line.

[Turning to show a series of designs and illustrations posted behind him, Chavez indicates a map showing the suggested locations for a defensive line, reminiscent of long-abandoned military strategy, with the Outlier settlements nestled within. Next to this, a more detailed diagram illustrating a hypothetical section of these fortifications.]

Detailed design proposals and estimates of required resources for this 'Minervan Line' are attached, but since I'm not an engineer I'll put this in laymans terms. The best strategy is a flexible one, but defense of the Outliers is defined by an innate lack of flexibility: the Outliers are a line in the sand and a defense of them and the interior of colonized Mars is an all-or-nothing bet. Our proposal is very simple: to make the best of that inflexibility, and provide it with what small amount of wiggle-room we can.

The innermost layer of defense, as you can see -that Line in the Sand- is simply a reinforcement of the currently existing defense: old earthworks and trenches strengthened with walls and casements of reinforced steel and cement. The two outermost layers are the flex: though not as firm as the walls, they would be by no means weak-like a strong spring being compressed, they push back. The manned defenses in both are easily abandoned if the Dusters threaten to overwhelm, reinforcing the next, more firm, layer. The outer layers of defense are built to provide no significant cover, no beachhead if overrun-If the Dusters advance they do so only at the cost of our growing strength in the face of their lowered inertia. This is a project meant to defend all, and contribution is open to all, so that no one has to shoulder disproportionate burden. National and organizational authorities would contribute resources and personnel according to their ability, and management by the Outliers themselves with the aid of the I.A.R.A.S. and Coordination Committee of the Martian Defence Initiative, two entities designed with cooperation in mind, would provide to smooth over any tensions between the contributed efforts of individual backers.

Finally, on the matter of our continued lack of knowledge of what lies behind the dust storms of the southern desert: Loath as I am to face the facts here, we need to know what is happening in there, and if we cannot feasibly penetrate the dust clouds with available imaging technology then to know someone must go see for themselves. I believe we must make preparations for a purely voluntary and experienced team of scouts to somehow track the dusters into the desert and return their findings of what lies within.

Thank you for your time, ladies and gentlemen, and we hope to hear your further contributions to these matters soon.

Chavez out.

[Andromeda]

To: North American Union Governor-General, Chinese Martian District, European Colonial Administration, Directorate of the Montanha, Fort Vänern Administration, Heaven City Authorities, Clearwater City, Coordination Committee of the Martian Defence Initiative, Russian Martian Directorate, New Glasgow Movement, Nightingale Society, Assorted Outlier Settlement Administrations, and various other regional entities on Mars
From: Inter-Solar Corporation, Security and Defence Division.
Subject: Re: Report on "Duster" Findings.
Attachments: 1 - CDC_WHO_and_ISC_Investigation.pdf


The Inter-Solar Corporation shares the gratitude of the IARAS for the Colonel-General's findings.

The Company has already been conducting investigations into Duster biology on behalf of our Earth affiliates in the CDC and with the WHO.
Our investigations are mandated by the C.D.C.S due to the nature of Duster migrations.

I shall begin sharing what we have learned, especially from two live Dusters we have in observation.
We have conducted a Genetic Analysis and Post-Mortem of over a dozen Duster remains and Genetic Samples acquired over the months. Mostly acquired from colonists whom have managed to defend their homes from Dusters on the outskirts of colonised zones. We have also conducted extensive psychological studies via observation of two Captive Dusters. One Female and one a young male whom was born of her.


Firstly I shall begin with our findings on their Genetic structure. They are indeed vastly different. In comparison to Human DNA, Earth does not consider these things to be entirely Human anymore. Their DNA has been vastly altered to a point that they are basically a separate species entirely. What has caused this remains unknown due to the volatile nature of their DNA.
Post-Mortems we conducted have revealed that their Pituitary, Pineal, Thyroid and all other glands that make up the Endocrine system are in comparison to those in a Human, greatly swollen, with the exception of the Ovaries and Testes. Their bodies are hyperstimulated by a concoction of various hormones that produce aggressive behaviour and borderline psychosis in large quantities.

The increase in Testosterone largely contributes to their increased strength and the lack of obvious feminine features in female Dusters. of Whom Marmoreal glands are effectively none-functional as well as their Ovaries. As such it's currently a curiosity how they maintain their numbers when we have estimated that only 3 to 4 of every 10 pregnancies come to term.
This was also not helped with the fact that we have observed that Females whom are pregnant, are aggressively beaten and attacked by other female dusters until the point a miscarriage occurs. Which in turn triggers a sort of attack from the now deceased childs father, against the females whom caused the miscarriage.


Now onto the child. The child grew within the female we captured at an accelerated rate. Humans take as we all know, 9 months to gestate. The duster took less than 6. The child then grew at an accelerated rate. Reaching the growth of a 10 year old within a matter of weeks, much like a dog. The child was completely unresponsive to any form of educational stimuli. The child could not be taught to count to ten or even complete a simple task of repeating the name of items printed on Cards such as Apple, Cat, Dog, Ball and so on.

This changed however when we showed images of a violent nature. We showed the child a simple, plastic toy gun. To which the child charged for and in a frenzy, attempted to dismantle the gun and fashion a sort of weapon from it, which suggests Dusters lack the intelligence to use an actual gun and thus instead fashion melee weapons from them. When the child was unsuccessful in taking apart a plastic toy, it appeared greatly upset by this failure to the point the child seemingly "Cried".

The child let out a relatively quiet hum which grew into a louder screech. Scientific equipment recorded a wavelength at the Ultrasonic and Subsonic ranges. While screeching the female became extremely agitated and attempted to escape the simulated duster habitat we built. Her heart rate increased beyond normal levels to a point we were forced to sedate her to prevent cardiac arrest.

When the child calmed down we encountered a problem. We currently have to check the child for a shiv whenever a doctor wishes to enter it's creche as the child effectively destroyed the plumbing, bed and furniture inside it's room in order to create weapons. After destroying it's bed, it actually made a sort of "Nest" in the corner of the room and created a makeshift wall from the bookshelf and desk to create a bottle neck in the room, thus making an easily defensible position.

We have been forced to keep the two separate. Regardless of the child being apparently 10 years old in appearance, it has already started puberty and thus attempted to copulate and dominate the female, regardless that said female is it's mother. During this the female did resist, which prompted the child to aggressively attempt to beat the female and kill her.

Out of curiosity we did use a hologram to create a "Dead" woman. Which the child attempted to rape before realising it wasn't real. They have an extremely keen sense of smell and can detect pheromones in the air which they seem to use to identify if someone is a Duster or Human. The Chemical responsible for this is currently unknown.

Sadly, the child has mutilated itself. It has removed it's upper and lower lips, leaving the teeth exposed. It then proceeded to "Sharpen" It's teeth. When the child's adult teeth started coming through it physically tore out it's milk teeth. We chose to collect these to examine them against human teeth. We found that an organic polymer exists in them which as resulted in the teeth being harder and more resistant to tooth decay and cavities. When the adult teeth were sharpened by the child it was able to tare through leather and consume concealed meat inside.

The unusual part of this is that the child preferred raw meat over cooked. When presented with the cooked meat the child smelled it, licked it and screamed at it before throwing it at the two way mirror and then proceeded to devour the raw meat, the child then began "Suckling" on the bone inside. When the child fell asleep we recovered the bone to examine it. We found several piercings along the length of it deep enough to access the marrow inside, and the marrow was fully extracted. The child consumed it.

When the child awoke it took a fixation to the two-way mirror we had been using to observe it in it's creche. It could apparently determine how many people were behind the glass. Changing it's eye contact to anyone who was talking as well as anyone who had left or entered. This suggests that Dusters have a higher developed sense of perception or at least vision which is more sensitive to light and thus able to see past the mirror.


At any rate, this child is remarkable.


It is currently this companies Official stance that Dusters are classified as a Level 10 Bio-Hazard Threat. Extremely dangerous to Human life. We originally stood at Level 8.
The main issue we've encountered is that not all Dusters are the same. Some have different physical make ups. Some have extra organs, some have less. Others are less aggressive, others more. Some are even Genetically different to the main groups.

We have started sharing this with our Earth affiliates.

[Smyg]

The Directorate thanks the Inter-Solar Corporation for sharing its far-reaching research with us.

As for Mr. Chavez: We shall examine your defensive proposition, and will happily
contribute forces for a penetrative mission. A multi-national taskforce, perhaps?

[Gesar]

To: North American Union Governor-General, Chinese Martian District, European Colonial Administration, Directorate of the Montanha, Fort Vänern Administration, Heaven City Authorities, Clearwater City, Coordination Committee of the Martian Defence Initiative, Russian Martian Directorate, New Glasgow Movement, Interstational Aeronautic Response and Aid Service, Assorted Outlier Settlement Administrations, and various other regional entities on Mars
From: Nightingale Society-Bogdanovist Movement
Subject: Re: Report on "Duster" Findings [Video File]

[Unlike Chief Ranger Chavez, the steely-eyed, calculating figure that addresses the involved powers isn't a familiar face, save for those involved with high-level negotiations with the Greater Movement. He's sitting in what appears to be a Nightingale safehouse, backed up by an Elite Commando and mildly distracted by a pet lemur recently appropriated from the North American Union. Only when he ashes his cigarillo and begins to speak do you realize you're being addressed by the Movement's unofficial spokesman, Delegate Catiline.]

I'm sure you know who I am by now, so I'll follow the lead of our Ranger friend and get right down to business.

We would first like to thank the Directorate and the Inter-Solar Corporation for their selfless act in sharing their findings with us. On behalf of my comrades, I would request only that all parties with physical evidence behind their respective reports provide said information to any involved in the defense of the Outliers, in the spirit of mutual cooperation towards shared goals. As they say, knowledge is power, and we could all use a little more of that in the fight against the Dusters.

Secondly, with regards to mutual cooperation, I wish to announce that the Nightingale Society-Bogdanovist Movement holds no aspirations towards creating a hostile environment in any of the Outlier settlements under threat by the Migrations. While the situation in Montanha Vermelha will require further negotiation on the part of all involved combatants, we are prepared to declare an immediate ceasefire in any and all threatened settlements, and encourage our brothers and sisters in the Revolutionary Front to do the same. The liberation of humanity can only be secured when humanity is not under threat of destruction.

Finally, we agree with the Ranger call for a new defensive plan, and will contribute any available resources to enact this supposed Minerva Line. Our technicians are prepared to work with the I.A.R.A.S in the construction of these defenses, and our support staff feels more than confident in their ability to cooperate with the Outliers in aiding humanitarian relief efforts.

With regards towards a joint taskforce of sorts, our Operatives stand at the ready to volunteer their lives and expertise in tracking and marksmanship, as well as medical and scientific support, for any mission to better understand the enemy of us all.

Thank you for your time. Mars endures.

Solidarity.

[Serenissima]

New Galilee/al-Jalil Defence Force

In light of recent events, and the latest research, the government of New Galilee/al-Jalil has issued orders, in solidarity and accord with our fellow Martians. We pledge the support and contribution of professional troops in the Defence Force to any multinational expedition that aims to explore Duster territory to better understand them and learn how to deal with them. Accordingly, we are assigning Captain Sadia Goldman-Tanboura - executive officer of the elite HaTzanhanim Airmobile Company, and heroine of the recent Battle of Gal Pass against the Jihadists - to coordinate the NG/AJ-DF contribution to any planned operation, in particular with mind to implementing the Rangers' scouting plan. This is with a view to eventually perhaps striking a blow against this threat on our own terms.

-Chief of Staff Ephraim Ibrahim, New Galilee/al-Jalil Defence Force



Capt. Sadia Goldman-Tanboura.

[Litos]

To: North American Union Governor-General, Chinese Martian District, European Colonial Administration, Directorate of the Montanha, Fort Vänern Administration, Heaven City Authorities, Clearwater City, Whitecliff Territory, New Glasgow Movement, Nightingale Society, Interstational Aeronautic Response and Aid Service, Assorted Outlier Settlement Administrations, and various other regional entities on Mars
From: Coordination Committee of the Martian Defence Initiative
Subject: Report on "Duster" findings
iAttached:operation_maos_wind_of_fire.pdf

The Chinese Martian District thanks its partners for their interest in series of scientific discoveries. As said by many a military philosopher and concurred with by Sun Tzu, offense is the best defense. Chinese drones will be pursuing aerial operations against the dusters starting next season from our existing bases in our occupation zones of the outliers. Additionally, we suggest that the duster problem, given recent findings about their behaviors with regards to their families, can be efficiently solved by targeting their females and offspring. We believe this to be the most humane solution to this problem, and our drones will act accordingly. Scientific results are to be cammed back to the our facilities 24/7 for productive updates regarding research.

- Jiang Rong Jiao, General of the Chinese Martian District

[RinKou]

To: Chinese Martian District, European Colonial Administration, Directorate of the Montanha, Fort Vänern Administration, Heaven City Authorities, Clearwater City, Coordination Committee of the Martian Defence Initiative, Russian Martian Directorate, New Glasgow Movement, Nightingale Society, Interstational Aeronautic Response and Aid Service, Assorted Outlier Settlement Administrations, and various other regional entities on Mars
From: North American Union Governor-General
Subject: Re: Report on "Duster" Findings

The North American Union also extends its gratitude to the MDI Coordination Committee, the RMD Scientific Division, and the Inter-Solar Corporation's SDD for these reports. An expeditionary force from the NAU will be deployed to the Outliers in the coming weeks to assist in construction of the Minerva Line, with more to follow.

In light of the Inter-Solar Corporation's findings, we would like to urge the the Chinese Martian administration to show some restraint in dealing with the Dusters. With a captive Duster, we are in a unique position to determine ways to communicate with these peoples, and potentially reach some sort of agreement in the future. A campaign targeting non-combatants with the aim of eradicating the species should not be our first resort.

Best,
Seychelles Porter, Interim NAU Governor-General

[Flamelord]

To: North American Union Governor-General, Chinese Martian District, Directorate of the Montanha, Fort Vänern Administration, Heaven City Authorities, Clearwater City, Whitecliff Territory, New Glasgow Movement, Nightingale Society, Interstational Aeronautic Response and Aid Service, Assorted Outlier Settlement Administrations, Coordination Committee of the Martian Defence Initiative, and various other regional entities on Mars
From: European Colonial Administration
Subject: Re: Report on "Duster" findings

As stated by other groups, we would like to communicate our thanks to the MDI Coordination Committee, the RMD Scientific Division, and Inter-Solar Corps SDD for the work they have done in researching the Dusters and identifying area of interest for us to pursue. Such measures are necessary if we are to conclusively deal with the Duster threat, and your work is appreciated.

The European Colonial Administration would be willing to contribute troops to a fact finding mission into Duster territory, as well as scientific assistance in research into the Dusters, and resources to the construction of the proposed defensive line that would hold off further Duster incursions from the Outliers.The Dusters are a threat to all of us, and Europe can do no else but act in the spirit of cooperation with the rest of Mars to counter that