I'll note any amount of ICE being sprayed in the suit will just spontaneously freeze. Maybe use the ICE in a number of places in the suit. When sprayed, it will fill those compartments, reducing the heat in the suit though the attached holes in that compartment space, quickly breaking down since it's such a small amount. Direct application should be avoided.
MSS-LDS-Ares
The Ares. It is, at it's core, a massive space staition in GSO. Expensive to build, expensive to repair, and expensive to keep aloft. Or at least it would be, if the fact it was in GSO didn't help keep it aloft.
This is a National Effort class Infrastructure, the Pride of Mereth, and a Wonder. And there are many parts to go over, so let's go over them one by one.
The Core
The Core. It is both the most important, and the least important. The Core is a huge computer, on par with Oracle itself, made using our recent experiences with computers. However, it's software has yet to be entered in this stage. A simple, if small, sphere. It is the Core of the Aries, and when complete, it will run the entire station. Cooling, heating, air supply, communications, observation and programming, everything. In it's current form, the pieces have yet to be fully assembled. A dedicated team of Starknights hauls it to keep it upon it's trajectory, and the only programs running are orbital observations to the Starknights. The wall of the Core is mostly one piece of metal, coldforged into place, and local HOPE operations are active in one part of it that shall not be covered at this point, but at a later point.
Inner Core Area
With the basic frames and structural support welded into place in The Core, we turn to the Inner Core Area. This is the first part. For now, it's a Full HOPE Operations setup. Living spaces, lights, and a new shell, along with supports to keep this section from collapsing. It's a difficult part, since we need to seal the outside space from the Inner Core Area. Once done, we'll be able to pump in air and begin to fully assemble the Core itself.
Outer Core Area
The Outer Core Area, this is the major step. It's effectively a number of passages and corridors. For now, it's airless, with places to place Zephyrs later on to seal this area, along with BREATH. This is also the point we begin to setup the wiring, as Solaris will need to send the energy it collects to these Core Areas and the Core itself. This area will eventually house work stations and research areas for international purposes.
Dock and Armor Preparations
At this point, we have the inner areas done, with only a few things left to do. From this point, we need to to set up Combat Plating and ICE veins on a wide scale, as well as heat transfer metals to deal with the tremendous heat produced when defending. This layer section is mostly loading and storage areas for food, supplies that aren't immediately needed, and armor. It is imperative the Core areas are never breached. To help with this, bulkheads are placed to seal off punctured areas to prevent too much air from escaping if a hole is somehow made. These can also be theoretically used for defense, as they are thick things, with ICE stored in their center core for one last safety measure. The ICE will react to air or heat, preventing energy weapons from breaking through, and sealing for a time any potential holes in the bulkheads. At least for long enough for additional bulkheads to lower.
The Docks
Now we get to the outer layer. The Docks are an area for spacecraft to land, be repaired, and rest when not in use, as well as be resupplied. There are numerous "towers" whose tunnels allow spacecraft to enter. The rest of the space is a combination of Zephyr and Breath, focused on pressurizing areas, depressurizing them, and having numerous airlocks for pilots to enter the Ares proper.
By this point, work on the Inner Core Areas should be nearing completion, with the other inner layers being pressurized, and the Core approaching completion. We've also got generators in place for now to power the station, though the number of Spacekinghts needed to keep it in position is getting a bit ridiculous.
The Outer Space
The Outer Space. This area is a mess of building and crossways, and is the outer section of the Ares. This is the point DUC has come up with proper glass for seeing outside, the vastness of space itself. This in combination with normal HOPE operations is the place the telescopes and sensing arrays are located. As well as the Talon and Claw anti-spacial defense system, which covers the entire Outer Space. Ceramics are used with metal and Combat Plating to help defend these areas in case of attack, along with ICE in it's pure form. In the vastness of space, the heat that would normally trigger it in the air does not exist, making it a useful way of reducing the effectiveness of energy based weaponry.
Jet Facilities
Located not in The Outer Space, but connected to a layer between it and the docks, the Jet Facilities are used to keep Ares on track in it's orbit, capable of slight manipulations and full force thrusting to move. Special areas are cleared to house these facilities, and a no flight zone is in effect over them. This is enforced by the Laser Anti-Spacial Defense System. They're also key to finally removing the need for Starknights to keep it in GEO orbit, and are built first, before the towers in The Outer Space
HOPE/Core
With this, we can finally install the solar panels, and we have a lot of space to put them on. Full coverage means Ares always has a good supply of power, so it doesn't have to rely on oil generators in normal operations.
Moreover, the CORE is finally completed and brought online. It's got a big job, which is why it takes up so much space. Of course, in space, we have plenty of space to build. It, as stated, oversees everything on the station, makes sure communications and computer systems are working, keeps a check on the power grid, as well as operates the Laser Anti-Spacial Defense System. and calculates flight paths. Perhaps most important though, is the Core can calculate the spin needed. The space station spins through the Jet facilities, creating centrifugal force, an artificial gravity.
Conclusion
The Ares is an ambitious project. It will be able to adjust it's GSO path to remain in GSO, and act as a home above earth, and between the moon. Plans are to open it to the international community, and we'll be making full use of the STC if they will let us.
If not, we will likely need to make pit-stops on the moon to move so much cargo and pieces for this. It's the first real step to a home away from home though. And it will let our Firestorms and Starknights resupply and be repaired. We've even got tower tunnels for larger spaceships, though all tower tunnels have Bulkheads placed along them to prevent air from leaking, kinda like the Panama Channel. This is going to be a large scale project, for certain, but it will give us a huge advantage in space combat, able to observe enemy spacecraft movement and give us a mid point to the moon.
Note, for the duration of this project, we will be using the new lunar area as a staging point for materials and building more complicated parts. Multiple Starkinights will likely be assigned to take them to Ares for installation. This may interfere with new operations placement in the area this turn.
However, the presence of Ares will also increase our region rating, allowing us to begin taking another area this turn. Ares can also use it's observational abilities to see the moon.
Revision- ICE Veins
Metal Technique to allow ICE to flow through for cooling. Combat Plating Application
The Skin of Mereth's soldiers is Blue, and soon our metal shall bleed blue too.
Effectively, having seen ore veins, we've mostly figured out a solution to the whole overheating problem. By placing carbon strands in metal as it is forged, and then cracking those strands with ICE, we can send ICE to flow through them. This way, armor can be reinforced with ICE. When the whole ICE is running through the metal, heat that enters the metal interacts with the ICE, bringing the temperature back down. Such small amounts of ICE means there isn't any huge reaction, since as long as the metal is somewhat cool, it won't trigger. When it is hot, it does. And the number of veins means that when Combat Plating is hit, the ICE negates the heat of the Combat Plating.
Likewise, the enemy's collapsing of Combat Plating won't work as well, since a second of exposure can't cause the plating to heat to collapse. So long as we don't stand there and take it in the same space for three seconds, we will see drastic improvements in survival.
This also has the effect of keeping the solider inside cool, since the metal doesn't heat up to the point it's sweltering, and heat from the inside also causes the metal on that side to cool.
This is mostly a new technique. The veins let ICE be pumped into, and circulate, in the metal layers. So for Combat Plating, it will serve well for our Bears and Grizzlys. For our Starknights and Firestorms, all we will see is less ICE used exiting and reentering orbit, though it does mean increased survival against plasma weapons. The main weakness is the metal is physically weaker due to these veins, so kinetic weapons have an easier time cracking it. Not really an issue when we are facing plasma weapons though, the extra survival time is appreciated.
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Topic: Mad Arms Race - Mereth Design Division (Fall 1965 - Final Design Phase) (Read 82209 times)