After dissecting the issue from numerous angles, a consensus is reached: production of a battleship is to commence. The consortium is sent out to the construction yards in orbit above Hephaestus, and work on retooling several orbital shipyards begins. The estimate is that, with the industrial might of the system behind them, they will have a vessel up and ready for space-worthiness tests within three months.
As the AI had stored this detail away in some minor subroutine, it is recalled that there are no significant moons in the inner solar system. At most, they are captured asteroids of little consequence, a few kilometers wide and bereft of useful resources.
Aries is closely examined in a hydrological sense, and it is noted that nearly 60% of the ice caps as they exist now would have to be melted to start any semblance of a self-sustaining water cycle. No consensus has been reached on how to do this, although a few solar lenses are currently melting ice on a small scale. Bombs have been discussed, as well.
The notion of capturing several planetoids for use as interstellar ships is floated, but the unfortunate fact is that the technology to quickly and efficiently do this does not exist currently. Engines could be attached to a planetoid, but the scale is all wrong... it would take years, decades even, to move them into position using current methods. There are no convenient "tractor beams" or "gravity distortion devices" to easily move planetoid-sized objects. A small history subroutine does note, however, that the Moonies appeared to possess some sort of gravitational manipulation device.
In the remaining shipyards, hydrogen scoopers are laid down. The first few even begin deploying late in the month. They will begin to deposit their gains in an orbital storage tank above Hephaestus.
Routes are calculated between planets, in a way that can use energy, but these truly vary from day to day, as the motions of the planets take them around the star. Using the military technology, several mass drivers are set up on each planet along the equator to launch cargo from one planet's surface to another planet's orbit. Testing is still underway, however, as software glitches nearly sent the first potential payload on a ballistic trajectory into one of the larger Gaian city-states.
Quite unexpectedly, at the end of the month, the naval base in the asteroid belt sends a startling message:
Craft bearing a Moonie ambassador has arrived. Please send instructions.This baffles the negotiators, as no real specifics for a meeting had been set down. It is very much out of the blue. And now there's very little time for planning.
Time lapsed in system: 7 years, 6 months- "Gaia": Earth-like planet with mysterious alien presence, several bustling, competitive human-run colonies, and diplomatic space station (Babylon)
- "Hephaestus": acidic, hostile atmosphere and radioactive, burgeoning research and development station, several power generation facilities, orbital Hydrogen storage tank
- "Aquarius": aquatic world, savage life, pack-like nomadic intelligent Avians, floating university dedicated to teaching the Avians (50 Avians resident)
- "Aries": Mars-like planet transitioning to Earth-like, industrial terraforming, (scattered trees, quickly advancing grasses, basic wildlife, modest amount of surface water), AI-controlled comfortable Arcology settlements and scattered Maven communities
- "Shiva": Freezing world, habitable caverns in and under permafrost
- Abundant Asteroids: nascent asteroid mining industry, naval base
- Gas Giant A: numerous moons with isolationist intelligent life
- Gas Giant B: several moons with isolationist intelligent life
Military
Self-repairing carbon
Electrochemical ammunition
Mass drivers
Strong magnetic shields
Combat drones
Medical
Cloning and genetic manipulation
Industrial
Aerotransmission of power
Deep drilling
Solar lenses
Magnetic hydrogen scoop
Other
Internet
5-25 Meters (Patrol class): 50 ships
26-50 Meters (Corvette class): 25 ships
51-100 Meters (Frigate class): 9 ships
100-150 Meters (Destroyer class): 3 ships
151-300 Meters (Cruiser class): 0 ships
301-500 Meters (Battleship class: 1 ship under construction (3 months)
- Can communicate through mental implants
- Produces own electricity via small organ
- Can be given programs to augment skills and knowledge
- Exhibit a slight tendency towards uniformity
- Specialized implants to perform military, research, and medical roles
- Seek knowledge obsessively
- Pack dwelling
- Near-human intelligence
- Nomadic
- Capable of tool use
- Quick breeding rate
- Teach new generations
- Know basic sign language
- Dwell on multiple moons around Jovian planets
- Very isolationist
- Possess at least rudimentary space flight
- Possess gravity manipulation technology
- Maintain an economy between multiple moons (evidenced by traffic between them)
Poll
7 (33.3%)
Author
Topic: Terraforming: Suggestion Game (Read 362163 times)