Australopitheca

Australopitheca (formerly known as Masterbase) is a largely abandoned, failed state situated in the Waldoverse version of the Indian Ocean.

Summary:

In the late 1970s, Master Devlin decided to build a forward operating base in the Seychelles, for the Masters Council. He hired Kazuhira Miller to help construct it. The large offshore platform, composed of interconnected structures, was built in secret to keep its location hidden from Waldo. It soon became a regular retreat for Devlin, providing him with a place to escape from Waldo. Thanks to intervention from the Co-Editor, the base remained hidden not only from Waldo but also from the malevolent, god-like being known as Ed.

However, after Waldo fell ill during the "WF & The Master Go on Safari" excursion, the Master made the ill-fated decision to bring Waldo to Masterbase in an attempt to cure him. Waldo quickly recovered on his own and, upon arrival, began a series of destructive acts. Over the coming months, he used disguises and trickery to sabotage the base. Despite the Master's fury and multiple attempts to rebuild, Masterbase was becoming a lost cause.

On 5/01/2023, after returning from a time travel quest to the distant future to find Waldo, Master Devlin, Mayuri, Tess, Stanbot 2.0, and Professor Wooley returned to Masterbase, only to find it overrun by Australopithecan immigrants. Reg Van Der Beak, who had been present on Masterbase at the time, explained that the Australopithecans arrived in small boats seeking asylum. One of the Masters, "Master Goldenstein", advocated for their acceptance, arguing that they would replace personnel lost due to Waldo’s attacks. Goldenstein shut down the resistance by accusing the Masterbase staff of racism, prompting many of them to leave. At this point, Masterbase was 78% Australopithecan.

Furious, the Master kicked Goldenstein into the sea and abandoned the base, with the remaining Masters following suit. Masterbase was subsequently renamed Australopitheca and was hailed as a triumph of diversity. The nation was quickly fast-tracked into the Waldoverse Nations, and Waldonia became the first country to allow an Australopithecan embassy to be established in the capital, Widdlington, with Valerie Jarrett as the ambassador.

However, civil war broke out soon after, and Australopitheca collapsed within days. This led to the displacement of Australopithecan refugees, many of whom sought refuge elsewhere. A large number were welcomed into Britain under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Mayor Shooter McGavin also allowed a considerable number of refugees into Widdlington, despite 77% of Widdlingtonians opposing the move. The Waldonian media were highly critical of the Masters, blaming them for the failure of Australopitheca due to their abandonment of the Australopithecans. Master Devlin became a particular target, prompting him to unleash Waldo and authorize him to attack The Waldopolis Chronicle (pre-Travers' takeover) and take out the writer, Toby Hunter, who was smearing him.

After dealing with the hostile press, Master Devlin began planning to create a plague that would wipe out the Australopithecus, arguing they were a threat to the ecosystem. However, upon returning to Masterbase, he found it an abandoned wasteland, with Ed waiting to taunt him. Ed revealed that he had orchestrated the arrival of the Australopithecans as a way to troll Devlin after watching an episode of Murdoch Murdoch. Ed then cast the Master into the sea, only for Waldo to rescue him in a rowboat. The two decided to head south, eventually reaching Antarctica and the Battle of McMurdo Station.

In the weeks following the epic battle, the plague was released upon Widdlington, quickly wiping out the vast majority of the Australopithecan immigrants. However, a small number, who proved to be immune, survived and eventually formed a ghetto in Widdicombe. Some time later, as the first President of Waldonia, Harris Travers rounded up the remaining Australopithecans and deported them to Kenya. The Australopithecan embassy was then converted into a WacDonald's fast food restaurant.