By Timothy Petite, Science and Technology

8/9/282– Geologists at the University of New Crowndon in the colonies have issued requests to the governments of all three members of the Triumvirate for funding to investigate recent earthquakes in the region around Crittendon’s Crater. So far, they have received either denials or been ignored.

“The Crittendon Crater has been of interest to us for the last decade, since it was discovered not to be just any crater, but a caldera,” said Henry Carthus, lead geologist at the university. “We theorize that the volcano has been dormant for several thousand years, but recent activity in the region suggests that an eruption is not only possible, but likely.”

The Government of Crowndon, in their response, demanded a timeline from Carthus and his team.

“I couldn’t give them one. A time line is what we hope to discern with our research, which requires funding. They rejected the petition, citing the lack of evidence and the remote location.”

According to Carthus, and other leading members of the field, that remote location would not mean much should the volcano spring to life.

“It would be a disaster of apocalyptic proportions,” Carthus said. “The eruption itself would likely obliterate the land bridge connecting the Newland continent to the Northern Mass. The entire upper half of the Newlands, including New Crowndon would be covered in ash; large tracts of valuable woodlands would be lost. Unique species of flora and fauna would be wiped out. The ecosystem of both the Barrier and Omeddon Oceans would be irrevocably damaged, leading to millions of dead sea-life washing up on the shores of the Triumvirate and Sarnwain. The ecological and economical effects would be felt everywhere, for hundreds of years.”

What could be done, if Carthus and his team determined a timeline for this eruption?

“Nothing could be done to stop the eruption itself, but we could prepare for the event, put contingencies in place for the evacuation of the colonies and the stockpiling of supplies. And I know what you might suggest: skip the timeline and just make the contingency. But doing so with any accuracy without wasting millions in gold and man-hours would be difficult without proper data. Trust me; it is less costly to invest in research now than to over or under react to such an event in the future.”