After a brief period of confusion over the sudden appearance of the Moonies, a small delegation that is representative of the human planets is put together: three representatives from Gaia, two Mavens, a colonial leader from Aries, and a delegate from Hephaestus and Aquarius each. The Moonie delegation keeps to themselves on their ship once they are informed that the human party is on its way, citing differences in the atmosphere and wanting to keep strain on their life support systems to a minimum.
As to how the Moonie craft snuck up on the station, that is less clear. The ship came up on the station from outside the eliptical, and the station officer eventually admits that they had grown lax about monitoring the Moonie activity. So while it is possible that some serious deception or advanced cloaking was employed, there really is no way to tell at this point in time, as passive scanners don't reveal anything.
The delegation begins preliminary meetings with the Moonies, and the details are still mostly logistical at this point in time: how to deal with the different atmospheric and gravitational requirements being first and foremost. Plans are hatched for a small capsule to be constructed by the nano-factory that will meet most of the needs of the negotiators, which will be completed the next month. This gives the AI time to send any specific instructions to the negotiators. The Moonies are still being vague about their reasons, just that they "Need to open a dialogue for the mutual benefit of both races." The translation programs have, as expected, become much more efficient in the last few years.
Research continues at a furious pace elsewhere in system. The Mavens take to working on Biomedicines based on different plants, but drug research is generally a long-term project, and with no specific disease to aim to cure, most of the research is exploratory. Still, it is a promising start.
Work on a miniaturized fusion reactor proves to be deadly this month, as catastrophe strikes. Despite serious precautions, a containment field critically fails on Hephaestus, causing a massive explosion that destroys almost half of the massive research station. Casualties number in the hundreds, and the infrastructure will take several months to repair. Thankfully, the explosion failed to damage the massive orbital hydrogen tanks, which were on the other side of the station. That would have certainly wiped out the entire facility.
With this crisis striking, no other research is undertaken, and the particle accelerator plans are put on hold as schematics are checked and re-checked for safety. Additionally, murmurs of protest into further research into this field reach the AI. Humans will be very resistant to continued efforts to miniaturize fusion reactors.
This disaster distracts from other efforts, as well. The space telescope continues its scanning, and finds some disturbing anomalies in the sun. Perhaps that dreaded solar flare that planners have been discussing since first landing is in the makings. But, as is the nature of these things, one can never be sure.
Despite the tragedy, work continues on terraforming Aries. Great success is found using conventional explosives and the orbital lenses, and the ice caps begin to give way to the efforts of man and machine. Thankfully, an intelligent engineer mapped out a flow lane and final resevoir for the ice caps to melt into. Miraculously, at the end of the month, there are reports of small, wispy clouds in the polar region.
On Gaia, however, grim news follows. Police in one of the major city-states have uncovered a large cell of anti-progress terrorists. Their swift action to shut down the cell narrowly averted a massive terrorist strike against a number of civilian targets.
In these difficult times, a close monitoring of the nuclear weapon facility is ordered. Thankfully, the weapon is still secure on a remote bunker on Aries.
Time lapsed in system: 7 years, 7 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, critically damaged 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, slight moisture in polar atmosphere), 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
Early Biomedicines
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 (2 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 362128 times)