[Meta] [RFC] Fenspace 2022, take 2

[Ace Dreamer]

That was an effect of the spindizzy drive. They didn't use it against the jets' attack, it was just there. (They never noticed the jets, being focused on the upward vector and having forgotten a radio...)

But yeah.  Between the hull and the drive field, they just might be Ye Originale Juggernaut.

Is that a full-blown James Blish "Cities in Flight" spindizzy?  The sort that could rip an entire city out of the ground and send it to the stars?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindizzy
--
"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind

[robkelk]

Yes, it is.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

Well, that's the common interpretation anyway. Besides, I always figured that Noah never really approved of the relationship, tolerated maybe but not approved. Anyway...

His favourite AI-daughter is happy - that's what he cares about. (Until she decides to be "twice as happy" and his learned prejudices kick in.) Anyway...

See, this is why folks like to throw down with Noah. You keep giving him these defensive justifications that are just so tempting to drive right through, and then we're off to the races.

I think we've already established that Noah isn't as smart as he thinks he is, yes.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Dartz]

May... whatever 2012: SS Ciara attends SOS Con. Captain Garret 'drafted' by Haruhi

Shortly after

January 2013: SS Ciara on way back from patrol when Crystal Osaka ballon goes up. Ditches unnecessary crew at Stellvia, refuels, charges to Osaka at full throttle.... refuels again using their bunkered stores at the city, boarding while fuelling. SS Ciara ends up being one of the last ships to leave. Crewmember lies to people at the boarding gate so she can get the airlock shut, telling them another ship would be following them when she knew there wouldn't.

Until July 2013: On Patrol between main Belt and Port Phobos, with occasional detours around Fenspace. Normally on convoy escort duty. Occasional rescues and answering distress calls.

August 2013: Just prior to Serenitycon, SS Ciara receives a distress call. Answers it only to find the rescuee is actually a small Boskone fleet. The ship takes a beating, but manages to defeat the fleet. However, their radio systems where smashed when a ramship that would've struck them amidships and split the ship instead skims through that section of the superstrucure, killing everyone inside. The ship is essentially ruined, on reserve life support with only a few hours remaining, and no propulsion.

Garret chooses to split the crew up, two teams of ten in each of the Jaguar launches will try and make it to nearby settlements to get help. (**WHITENOISE*** is just within range, as is a Rockhounds owned mine) The remains will stay aboard, eking out the 02 and trying to rig up a transmitter.

Garret personally takes command of one launch. The other is handled by the ship's Pilot. Garret makes it to **WHITENOISE** navigating with nothing more than a PDA and a calculator. The second launch is found a week later, abandoned and out of gas, an hour short of its destination.

Aboard the SS Cira, the XO and Chief engineer hatch a bold, but risky plan to restart one engine to supply oxygen. The risk, is that they drain the last of their air supplies to do it. But someone needs to go into the engine room still flooded with contaminated coolant. Chief Engineer volunteers, and manages to get the diesel motor running at idle speed. At the cost of gaining a Nazzadi biomod.

Engineers build a simple spark-gap transmitter out of a welding kit and are able to use the engine's genarator to power it. It's transmissions show up as little more than noisy interferance on the standard frequencies. hopefully attracting attention from someone annoyed at it, who'll notice the pattern.

Rescue arrives! Ciara towed to Hepheastus for repairs. But at least a third of the crew dead or missing.

September 2013: Garret is told that the second boat's crew survived and are being held at a small base. Nobody in GJ can spare the resources for ten people.... not when the big push is coming. HMS Lydia arrives for repair and rearm at Hepheastus, with Takeuchi shipyards full. Garret and volunteers from his crew pull a Kirk on the Lydia, stealing the ship and flying off to SSX base. They're fully aware that this might get them a spell in prison, but frankly, Raymond thinks his friends have to come first. He was responsible for them. Him alone. Everyone else is 'just following orders'. If they don't succeed, everyone's spending some time in the stockades.

Arrive at SSX base in the renaimed 'Borrowed Time'. Raise a Pirate fleet who find the idea of jacking a Senshi cruiser with tentative enthusiasm. The shock of one appearring under the Jolly Harlock frightens some.

Raid on target : Skull Island. Several catgirls and the surviving members of Garret's crew rescued. Some valuable Boskone hardware captured.

Garret turns himself over to justice willingly, returning the ship. Being hard to argue with success, and appreciating a little drama (And the cooperation of the Space Pirates), it's decided that he merely borrowed it for a bit, and since it was returned in pretty much the condition it left in, with added prizes in tow, not much need be done about it.

Nov 2013: Return to convoy duty on the refit Ciara.

Dec2013: Answer distress call froma Boskonian ramship that lost engine power. Captain of the ship defects, revealing intelligence about a shipment of thionite running towards Earth. Shipment busted with the assistance of local forces. Platowski sentenced to probation, with a 2 year suspended sentence pending good behaviour.... joins the crew of the Ciara to work off his parole, because he owes them one.

Jan 2014: War ends. Drunken pingpoing.

Jan 2015: SS Ciara makes courtesy visit to Irish Republic, shortly after general pardon signed. It's a diplomatic mission to extend good relations. Raymond Garret secretely drafted by the government to act as their 'representative' among the peoples of Fenspace.... lest he people of Ireland find out 'the truth'. He's forced to play ball. An RTE documentary crew accompanies them on a trip around Fenspace, videoing their daily lives. Some of the crew appear on the Late Late Show.

Bubblecon: Public spat between the Ciara's crew and Padraig O Neil.... many of them blame him specifically for the circumstance that forced them to orbit. The economic difficulties the country found itself in. Punches are thrown, and both sides refuse point blank to work with each other or carry the other's goods.

June 2015: The 'Drider' incident.

Aug 2016: Raymond Garret learns who Jet Jaguar is by ringing her personal phone number by mistake, and comparing the original name assigned to the number. They meet quietly, and Jet asks him not to discuss it with anyone. She's specifically broken ties with her mundane life, to protect her family and friends from the Boskone.

2016-2025.

Humdrum existance, shuttling back and forward. They don't do much of note, occasionally being called upon to engage in a little diplomacy. A few pirate attacks are chased off, a few rescues are made.... they get on with their life and stick to their ideals as much as possible. Crew members come and go. Ray marries quietly. They fade into oscurity before the Ciara is eventually retired at the end of 2025, due to accumulated age and obsolescence, taking a place in the Port Phobos museum opposite the Destiny Nova. The crew break up for the final time and go on to other things, leaving the ship to act as a living museum of the Boskone Conflict for the next few centuries, when historians begin to believe Boskone 1 and Boskon Prime were the same place and everything gets confused.

2125: SS Ciara stolen by the descendants of her crew as a prank..... marvel at how archaic the old gunboat is to fly.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Bob Schroeck]

Is that a full-blown James Blish "Cities in Flight" spindizzy?  The sort that could rip an entire city out of the ground and send it to the stars?

As Rob has already noted, yes.  Or at least, Handwavium's best attempt at making one.  Good enough that in the "South is Rising" altiverse, a GC-style spindizzy is used to take Salt Lake City to Mars.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Ace Dreamer]

Is that a full-blown James Blish "Cities in Flight" spindizzy?  The sort that could rip an entire city out of the ground and send it to the stars?

As Rob has already noted, yes.  Or at least, Handwavium's best attempt at making one.  Good enough that in the "South is Rising" altiverse, a GC-style spindizzy is used to take Salt Lake City to Mars.

I could blame you for me now having read that thread, but, I know that wouldn't do me any good.
--
"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind

[Bob Schroeck]

The only thing keeping the GC from being the Bulldozer from Hell is the fact that it's one of the slowest moving things in Fenspace...
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[HRogge]

The only thing keeping the GC from being the Bulldozer from Hell is the fact that it's one of the slowest moving things in Fenspace...

They definitely need dramatic music. Slow approaching sphere of DOOM!

And of course GC is underarmed... for its size.

[classicdrogn]

(reads) Wow, now I'm sorry I never got in on the SiR thread. It may not precisely be a hammer, but I have a lovely press, invulnerable to 1940 weaponry and capable of exerting a uniform 1000psi over an area the size of a city block.(1/3 pure mass, 2/3 grav drive in negative Z thrust mode.) The Gnarlycurl's even done it before to make solid footing for some of the Martian towers. The addition of Castle Borealis post 2020 makes that a more involved proposition now, though.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[ECSNorway]

Hmm. I have a few highlights in mind for Rockhounds, but I need a closer look at this Belter Alliance setup and the interaction between them before I finalize a few details. Can someone point me to a good post on the subject? Thanks.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Dartz]

The long and short history of the existance of the United Belt Alliance. Well,sort of.

They're basically the victim of a hostile takeover from within by the sort of person who things 'Corrupt Corporate Executive' is a compliment. The vast majoirty of those involved don't know he's corrupt, and while disliking the current arrangement generally feel it's better than the alternative. Most don't know the administration is corrupt. They're something of ambulance chasers by nature... usually showing up after an independant operator is raided by pirates.... eventually getting to the point where Mason gets the bright idea to hire the pirates themselves and keep it quiet.

Then they make the mistake of trying to push Frigga without realising what exactly lives there. What lives there pushes back. GJ can't be publicly involved because it'll cause the UBA to close ranks against the scurrilous propeganda. Months later, after gathering evidence with GJ watching, the Knight Sabers give proof beyond doubt of the UBA's rottenness to Maico Tange, being an independant reporter known for decent stories. She earns reputation for breaking a big story.... and the Patrol hove into view over UBA HQ.

What happens afterwards..... Mason and his cronies find themselves either before a tribunal. Some of the mines try to keep it going and go back to the original structure which worked for a while, while others are disillusioned and either try to go alone or get swept up by other operators out there.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[ECSNorway]

Thanks, Dartz. Please let me know if the bits I've worked into the timeline don't fit what you've got in mind...

But here are my initial ramblings:

2014: Chris Marsden testifies before the Joint Committee on the matter of Mr. Fnord. He later professes himself "bemused" by the attitudes of the politicians.
2015: In the wake of the TSAB scandal, Major Amy O'Connell retires from the USAF. Three months later she and Chris Marsden are wed in a private ceremony. 
Stonewell-Bellcom Aerospace 'acquires' TSAB records on retro-engineering handwavium-created fusion reactors and begins an attempt to complete their research.
2016: Stonewell-Bellcom officially licenses production of the VF-1 Valkyrie to Black Aeronaut Technologies under moderate arms-export restrictions, specifically requesting that the craft not be sold to 'Daneside governments. BAT begins mass-production of the spaceframe.

SBA deploys FAST refit packs for GSS-deployed Valkyries.
At a press conference, Chris Marsden speaks out in favor of the newly rising Belt Alliance. He welcomes the competing organization and states that they are "good for business. Healthy competition lets us learn from each other, gives our employees and our customers a better choice than 'take it or leave it', and makes sure we keep our noses to the grindstone rather than up in the air ."
One in five of Rockhounds' currently-contracted mining teams leave to join the new organization. Approximately half of them receive low-interest loans from GCA banks to set up their new operations, the others prefer to deal with financial institutions not directly related to their former employers.
2017: SBA announces the production (making use of some of the megatonnage of steel produced by Rockhounds' mining operations) of the first of the "Island 3" class of space habitats. Designed to be as self-sufficient an environment as possible, it is a 3-kilometer-long lozenge-shaped station with its own internal gravity and drive systems, manufacturing facilities, and an open residential/agricultural region with a high domed roof. The first is sold to BAT to serve as their new headquarters, orders for dozens more come in from factions and 'daneside corporations and governments.
2018: Stonewell-Bellcom becomes the tail that wags the dog, with Island-type habitats rapidly outpacing Space Rocks in sales. In addition, the aerospace team completes five additional Belisarius-class frigates. Two are assigned to the Space Patrol with GSS crews (GSS Scipio Africanus and GSS Gaius Marius). Two more are sold to the United States Navy (USS Lexington and USS Saratoga), and the fifth is sold to the British Royal Navy (christened HMS Centurion).
Greenwood Colonial Administration finances and outfits an expedition to Eta Cassiopeiae. The expedition consists of two "Island 3" habitats connected by a stardrive framework, along with the docked GSS Artorius and two smaller vessels. A large number of 'daneside scientists are invited to accompany the expedition.
2019: Rumblings of discontent (and the rise of Mason) cause Greenwood to quietly withdraw support for the competing Belter Alliance.
Reports from the Eta Cass expedition indicate that they have located at least one habitable body, which they have christened 'Gwynedd'. A larger follow-on expedition is prepared to support the first, with the intention of establishing a permanent colony.
Information exchange between SBA's fusion research program and the ESA/Jaxa program results in improvements to both projects.
2020: Elza Newman is elected Mayor of Greenwood City, and officially steps down from her command position in GSS. Lafiel Abriel is named Commodore in her place.
Marsden, Newman, and Abriel meet with Fnord and other Soviet representatives to discuss the autonomist movement. No comment is made by either party on the content or outcome of their discussions.
2021: Marsden resigns as CEO of Rockhounds, Inc., turning over operations to his chosen successor, Jennifer Lambretta. He and his immediate family depart the solar system with the Third Eta Cass Expedition, based on an enlarged version of the Island frame used for the Second Expedition. This new fleet will survey several stars in the region, including Mu Cassiopeae and 61 Cygni. 
Stonewell-Bellcom Aerospace completes and sells the 30th Island-class habitat (ten of them having been sold internally to the Eta Cass expeditions). A new corporation, Island Fancy UnLtd, is chartered to take over further construction while SBA returns to its defense/thinktank roots. Island Fancy's first sale is a heavily customized special order for Stellvia. All units from this point on use fusion power sources, upgrades to fusion reactors are offered for previous sales.
Commodore Abriel begins covertly funneling weapons and supplies to the Knight Sabers.
2022: A civilian group focused in the American midwest purchases two Island habitats and commissions a stardrive frame. Over fifteen thousand colonists and scientists depart on the completed starship, stating their intention to join the Gwynedd colony at Eta Cass.
(December) Marsden and family return to Greenwood to celebrate Christmas with their friends there and check up on events in the Solar System. They also begin preparation of another support/supply vessel for the 3rd Eta Cass expedition.
2023: Chris Marsden and Rei Ayanami join in the Shinji Ikari Rescue Mission, using the opportunity to smuggle another shipment of equipment to the Knight Sabers. Over the course of the year Rei is spotted several times on Stellvia, always in a social situation with Shinji.
SBA launches the first Acquila class Destroyer, sending it as escort for the 3rd Eta Cass fleet.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[robkelk]

The only thing keeping the GC from being the Bulldozer from Hell is the fact that it's one of the slowest moving things in Fenspace...

They definitely need dramatic music. Slow approaching sphere of DOOM!

Might I suggest that rather famous riff from JAWS, played at three-quarters time?

And of course GC is underarmed... for its size.

That's okay; if they were better-armed, they'd just have to disarm after OGJ.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Dartz]

Only minor comment is that Jet has relocated the Saber's hardware in Shinji Ikari Raising Project because Marsden isn't *supposed* to know about the Sabers. Which suggests something interesting, if he's delivering components to them. If he encounters undeniable evidence of their identity, politically he may be required to expose them.... while anything that can be otherwise justified allows some wiggle room with justifications.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[robkelk]

2017: SBA announces the production (making use of some of the megatonnage of steel produced by Rockhounds' mining operations) of the first of the "Island 3" class of space habitats. Designed to be as self-sufficient an environment as possible, it is a 3-kilometer-long lozenge-shaped station with its own internal gravity and drive systems, manufacturing facilities, and an open residential/agricultural region with a high domed roof. The first is sold to BAT to serve as their new headquarters, orders for dozens more come in from factions and 'daneside corporations and governments.

StellviaCorp orders one (at the tail-end of the first rush so they won't receive it before 2022), custom-built with a stardrive frame, a dozen Starfleet standard-issue multi-mission launchers spaced equidistant around its "equator," and astronomical, astrophysical, and other scientific instruments covering a third of the hull. They ask that the name SCSD Vision be painted on the hull.

(Three guesses what it's going to be turned into, and - considering your entry for 2018 - the first two don't count...)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Foxboy]

R. Kara Zor-El of course dies in the 4-hour fighting at Serenity-Con mainly due to a Boskone loading Jadarite-tipped bullets as a joke clip "In case we run into Superman.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

[classicdrogn]

I suppose there's enough terraforming projects underway in the sol system, but isn't anyone interested at all in Thataway, the earthlike-with-a-few-decades planet that was the Miranda's first major discovery? It's not like another-Venus Neverland, Thataway actually has a plants-invertebrates-and-arthropods biosphere nearly compatible with the terrene.

I know, I know, if I want to see something I should write it my damn self, but it's just not practical without a real computer.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[M Fnord]

I suppose there's enough terraforming projects underway in the sol system, but isn't anyone interested at all in Thataway, the earthlike-with-a-few-decades planet that was the Miranda's first major discovery? It's not like another-Venus Neverland, Thataway actually has a plants-invertebrates-and-arthropods biosphere nearly compatible with the terrene.

You're going to have to elaborate 'cos I'm pretty sure I don't remember the Miranda making any planetary discoveries on its mission.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[ECSNorway]

Only minor comment is that Jet has relocated the Saber's hardware in Shinji Ikari Raising Project because Marsden isn't *supposed* to know about the Sabers. Which suggests something interesting, if he's delivering components to them. If he encounters undeniable evidence of their identity, politically he may be required to expose them.... while anything that can be otherwise justified allows some wiggle room with justifications.

No, I'm fairly sure that he has no official idea who they are. Lafiel may -- Marsden strongly suspects that she does, but I'll leave that call up to you since the KS are your story -- but if she does, she isn't talking. For, among other things, that very reason.

StellviaCorp orders one (at the tail-end of the first rush so they won't receive it before 2022), custom-built with a stardrive frame, a dozen Starfleet standard-issue multi-mission launchers spaced equidistant around its "equator," and astronomical, astrophysical, and other scientific instruments covering a third of the hull. They ask that the name SCSD Vision be painted on the hull. (Three guesses what it's going to be turned into, and - considering your entry for 2018 - the first two don't count...)

Heh, yeah. These are based on the smaller 'pod' colony vessels in the Macross Frontier convoy. The main island is a lot bigger -- IIRC about as big as Greenwood itself -- and, well, going to take a lot longer to build.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[robkelk]

You're going to have to elaborate 'cos I'm pretty sure I don't remember the Miranda making any planetary discoveries on its mission.

Nor do I, but there's so little detailed about the Miranda's mission that it's possible...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[classicdrogn]

Thataway is at least mentioned on the ship's wiki page, Neverland I remember from an old thread due to being named because "even if they tried to send a probe down to the surface it would never land" due to the highly corrosive atmosphere. This and the above was all the detail that existed. I would hope they managed to find a few more planets in 3yr/1500ly of working an outbound curve, before the nearly straight line 2yr/1000ly run back past two more suns... and weren't more alien traces on one of those?
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[HRogge]

Some quick dates about JAXA and ESA. I had to retcon the date of the Thor Heyerdahl mission, because I messed up the time for reverse engineering the Catalog tech AND creating the Thor Heyerdahl. The timetable is still tight, but with the interest of both Japan and the EU to get a 'limitless source of clean energy', it should be possible.

Fall 2013 - Like many other larger research institutions interested in space (and Fenspace), both ESA and JAXA acquire a copy of the "public" version of the Whole Fenspace catalog.

Winter 2013 - Representatives of ESA travel to Japan to propose JAXA a joined effort to reactivate their diminished space program with the help of the Catalog. Shortly afterwards both organizations see a boost of their budget for their proposed project for 'clean energy'.

November 2013 - JAXA publicly announces a nationwide effort to reverse engineer the fusion reactor from the catalog. ESA silently begins to hunt down information about advanced ion drives in the Catalog, based on their existing knowledge of the technology.

Spring 2014 - ESA and JAXA begin with the design of the Thor Heyerdahl, based on preliminary designs of the reverse engineered technology.

Summer 2014 - ESA begins to upgrade Nouveau Paris to a full orbital yard.

Spring 2015 - After finishing their reverse engineering project, work on a prototype ship begins in the Nouveau Paris shipyards.

March 2017 - Maiden Flight of the Thor Heyerdahl to Mars.

Autumn 2020 - 'Aurora', the mission to the Saturn Moon Pan starts. The first wave of ISVs leave Nouveau Paris.

September 2020 - The ISVs arrive at Pan. ESA has hired CIs whole space station Jenga to provide logistical support and a safe place to life and sleep for their crew.

What do you think? (I will add more when I manage to break the writer block on the Gas Station story)

[M Fnord]

Moving right along.

Soviet timeline update 2013 – 2022, beta 2:

1.9.2013: Soviet MARS units infiltrate Boskone One during the opening phases of Fleet Action Attila, capturing much of the asteroid in advance of the main Great Justice fleet.

5.9.2013 – 21.12.2013: The Soviet Air Force Delta Pavonis Expedition discovers a bunch of planets and an alien stargate orbiting Delta Pavonis. Activating the stargate they find another unit orbiting Zeta 1 Reticuli along with another bunch of habitable planets.

1.2014: Soviet Air Force elements participate in the final engagement of the Boskone War.

2.2014: The Soviet leadership agrees – with some acrimonious debate – to begin a limited demobilization of X-COM assets. The small fleet of Tu-22M Backfires acquired by the VVS are either shut down or have their weapons removed. ROU Frank Exchange of Views petitions to have its name changed to VFP Look! I’m A Plowshare. {number} MARS units are demobilized or turned into training commands per Soviet/Senshi agreements.

15.3.2014: The Joint Committee on Extraterrestrial Security subpoenas Mal Fnord as a witness in their ongoing investigation of the Artemis scandal. The staff-lizard sent to deliver the subpoena almost but not quite gets eaten by GLaDOS.

19.3.2014: Mal testifies in Washington to the Joint Committee. He admits most, defends all and personally insults several ranking members to the amusement of bloggers systemwide.

21.3.2014: In a private meeting with President {blank}, Mal and all members of the Soviet Air Force are given the heave-ho, which is backed up with a stack of personae non gratia orders in record time. Mal returns to a hero’s welcome on Luna, particularly from Lieutenant Sora Hasegawa, whose reaction makes the front page of the Illuminator.

22.3.2014: Mal and Sora depart for a “fact-finding mission” to Tau Ceti. Nobody’s particularly fooled; the most common speculation is they left to avoid being chased down by an enraged Noah Scott with a shotgun.

1.4.2014: Stellvia Corporation purchases NASA Human Spaceflight Office assets for fractions of pennies on the dollar. VVS leadership goes ahead with the plan to lease the OV-200 series design to Hephaestus.

1.5.2014: The Soviets officially purchase OV-202 as per their ‘pick of the litter’ agreement with Hephaestus. Production of the first four OV-200 orbiters gets underway.

6.2014: Artemis Foundation purchases the first four OV-200 orbiters to come off the production list. Thanks to a few crossed wires, OV-202 is now owned by Artemis and the VVS, though neither of them know it just yet.

7.2014 – 8.2014: Stellvia and the Soviets bump heads over ownership of the soon-to-be-completed OV-202.

5.11.2014: MCU Columbia (OV-202) launched.

9.3.2015: MCU Uragan (OV-208) launched.

{date}.2015: Mal drops off the grid for several weeks. Rumor has him touring with an Eagles cover band through the southwest United States for at least part of this time; the FBI spends a merry several days hunting through dive bars from Alamogordo to Berdoo to no avail.

11.9.2015: GCU Laika (NCC-104) launched.

{date}.2015: Uragan Expedition establishes a series of automated weather stations on Gallifrey, as well as the semi-permanent Ptichka’s Landing Air Force Weather Station on the west coast of Wild Endeavour on the banks of the River Song.

[Meta note: I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry...]

10.2015 – 1.2016: The Columbia/Laika Expedition investigates Night’s Door, discovers that some of the higher functions of the stargate’s management computer can be accessed remotely. Initial queries produce a limited database of unknown data.

23.10.2015: {name} becomes the first person to set foot on Earendil (Zet1Ret II). {gender} calls it “not an experience I want to do again any time soon.”

10.2015 – 1.2016: The Xenu Express/Uragan Expedition does a simultaneous investigation of Tannhauser Gate. While the initial discoveries are more limited, a lucky micrometeoroid impact breaks off a 5 kg chunk of the stargate’s exterior. Xenu Express captures the debris and returns it to Black Mesa for examination.

1.5.2016: The Soviet Air Force officially dissolves and rebrands itself as the Sozvezdie Soviet, ditching the pretense of paramilitary force in favor of becoming a proper government. The VVS leadership steps down en masse and (for the most part) stands for election to the new Central Committee. The Soviet promptly votes those standing to their new posts in the Central Committee. The Committee then votes Mal in as First Minister.

2.5.2016: Columbia is seconded from the Red Banner Fleet to Film Collective Studio #1, the first time a ship is moved from the main forces to a secondary command.

5.2016: GCU Arbitrary (NCC-105) launched.

4.7.2016: Minerva and Athene Weatheral leave Black Mesa (where they’d been operating as part of the science staff) for Korolevgrad to take on new positions as administrators for the growing bureaucracy. This is the first time any of Dee’s seraphim have left the nest, so to speak, and it’s a big moment for them.

6.7.2016: MCU Groza (OV-216) launched.

8.7.2016: Tina Weatheral begins work as the Committee’s executive secretary. Meets Mal and Sora for the first time, and things get interesting in many ways.

15.9.2016: MCU Typhoon (OV-217) launched.

{date}.2016: The Soviet encourages the movement of people and groups with similar inclinations from Earth to Fenspace. Many of these groups don’t join the Soviet, rather setting up their own colonies in the more distant parts of the solar system with Soviet support.

{date}.2016: Researchers working on the Tannhauser Gate fragment isolate stable isotopes of elements 126 (Unbihexium, later Skuldium) and 130 (Untrinilium, later Elerium). The mystery handwavium matrix the two transuranics were embedded in continues to defy analysis.

{date}.2017: GCU Undocumented Feature (NCC-109) launched.

{date}.2017: The Arbitrary Expedition returns to Night’s Door to conduct further experiments with the stargate’s control systems. No new functions are discovered, though Arbitrary does manage to trigger another data dump.

{date}.2017: LulzSec releases a handful of documents indicating that the Whole Fenspace Catalog was doctored before release. The Central Committee officially condemns Stellvia Corporation; privately, Mal lets Noah know “when you make dumb decisions because you’re afraid of what’ll happen to your bottom line, it will always come back around to bite you in the ass. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.”

Very privately, the Ministry of Science authorizes the Amalthea Engineer District and the Ravenholm Engineer District to begin work on the items found in the redacted sections of the Whole Fenspace Catalog. Ravenholm will focus on manadynamics and other esoteric/supernatural phenomena while Amalthea works on developing and improving Catalog nanotechnology.

{date}.2017: GCU It Was Like That When I Got Here (NCC-110) launched.

{date}.2017: Mal, Sora and Tina’s mutual orbits finally collide properly and the binary becomes a stable trinary, so to speak.

1.4.2017: MCU Iskra (OV-218) launched. Iskra is immediately seconded to Black Mesa and the Ministry of Science as a general utility vehicle.

{date}.2017: The Amalthea Project reverse-engineers Catalog nanotechnology into a primitive assembly system.

{date}.2018: Elessar Air Force Weather Station established on the banks of a large river on the main continent of Arda (Z1 Ret III); in the distant future of the Soviet, this is considered the unofficial founding of the city of Osgiliath.

28.2.2018: MCU Buran (OV-223) launched.

30.3.2018: MCU Borei (OV-224) launched.

{date}.2018: Ptichka, Columbia and Buran are invited along with the Federation’s expedition to the Keid (40 Eridani) trisystem. The Federation discovers a habitable planet 95% covered by shallow ocean in a double-world system with a Mars-like planet orbiting Keid A. Proving that Trekkies do in fact have a sense of irony, the habitable planet Keid A II-1 is named Vulcan.

1.4.2018: Jade Harley-Hasegawa born (constructed, w/e). She’s the first second-generation Scott series android from the Hasegawa line, and incorporates advances in the art by her mother Sora, her ‘uncle’ Eljay and ‘aunts’ Deidre, Dee and Kohran.

28.4.2018: An accident involving an experiment with untrinilium leads to some “creative rearranging” of Black Mesa’s surface layer and a minor panic on Galatea. The Central Committee considers moving Black Mesa out of the main belt and into the Kuiper as a precaution.

{date}.2018: The Ravenholm Project develops primitive manatronic circuitry - a computer that runs on ambient magical energy rather than electricity or light. While the circuits are the size of old-style vacuum tubes and not much more capable, the circuitry is considered a valid proof-of-concept. Research into miniaturization continues.

10.5.2018: MCU Tsiklon (OV-225) launched.

{date}.2019: GCU Rolled A Twenty On The Random Encounter Table (NCC-123) launched.

{date}.2019: The Love and Rage Collective, a syndicalist group with ties to the Senshi and the Soviet, petitions the Soviet for permission to begin settlement on Gallifrey. The petition is approved and 700 sailor-suited anarchists leave Venus and Luna for Tau Ceti. The town of Ptichka’s Landing is founded.

{date}.2020: GCU Cultural Imperialism Is Better Than The Other Kind (NCC-126) launched.

{date}.2020: The Soviet begins quietly agitating among left-leaning (and a few right-leaning) libertarian microfactions on Luna, Mars and in the Belt towards the formation of an “Autonomist Alliance” that would stand for four main points:

* Autonomy, self-organization, and self-governance for all sapient beings.
* Direct democracy and forms of organization where sapients collectively decide their own future.
* Mutual aid and reciprocating altruism between sapients.
* The right to engage in self-defense against oppression and coercive authority and stand in solidarity with sapients so attacked.

Initial reaction is neutral to positive, with most of those approached noting that a) most of this is covered by the Articles of Convention anyway, b) no matter how SMOF-heavy the Soviet is they’re still small fish in a big pond and c) so how do you fix that, smart guys?

At this point, the Soviet begins looking at an eclipse phase strategy aimed at the largest faction that could be said to hold autonomist leanings, the Federation.

{date}.2021: GCU Just Passing Through (NCC-136) launched.

1.5.2021: Election Day in the Sozvezdie Soviet. In a surprise twist, Mal refuses to stand for election again, citing a desire to get space under his feet again. Other former VVS leaders follow suit, so a (bare) majority of the new Soviet government are second-generation leftists of one stripe or another. The new Committee elects Minister of Justice and Equality Joseph Lacroix First Minister.

2.2021: Mal, Sora and Tina depart Sol for an extended tour of the Delta Pavonis and Zeta 1 Reticuli systems, ostensibly to start building more permanent bases on Yggdrasil and Valinor. Nobody’s particularly fooled this time either, but then again nobody really cares except the gossip rags, so.

5.2021: Minister Lacroix and the CentCom agree to let several joint-operating agreements with Stellvia Corporation lapse.

1.4.2022: Upon reachng nominal maturity, Jade Harley-Hasegawa becomes a citizen of the Sozvezdie Soviet. After her six-month stint with X-COM (where she spends most of her time learning how to shoot things really good) she will join the Ravenholm Project with her parents’ blessings, focusing on practical heavy manadynamics.

1.5.3022: The Soviet votes to join the United Federation of Planets as a charter member. Mal Fnord is elected to the position of Representative to the Federation Council.

{date}.2023: Black Mesa deciphers the Night’s Door data, reveals it as a database of accessible stargate nodes within a 3,000 light-year radius of the Door. The Science Ministry and the Central Committee classify the knowledge that there are other gates still connected to the Tannhauser-Door line until they figure out what the hell do to with it.

2023 and beyond: The Soviet is a revolutionary government, even if it is a laid-back, manana kind of revolution. Slow and steady wins the race after all, and the new society isn’t built in a day, after all.

Mal Fnord and his family are busy working the polls in the Federation, using their position as a charter member to leverage more government reforms into the nebulous workings of the UFP government. Going 100% anarcho-communist isn’t an end goal (yet), but by the 2050s Mal hopes to have a framework in place for his proposed Autonomist Alliance to thrive without requiring too many compromises with the capitalist system already in place.

The Amalthea and Ravenholm Projects roll on, sucking up much of the Science Ministry’s brainpower and funding. Both projects are expected to return impressive results within the next decade.

What Dee knows and has processed from the Catalog for her own uses, only Dee and the Interesting Times Gang can say. If she’s developing godtech, she’s doing it at far enough a remove from the Soviet that nobody suspects much.

X-COM slowly integrates into the Starfleet and Great Justice. A few of the more famous units like Azu Squadron and VFP Look! I’m A Plowshare remain directly in the service of the Soviet, but for the most part X-COM is just a slightly different badge for Starfleet MACOs or Great Justice patrol forces. New citizens - migrants and next-generation alike - do a six-month minimum stint in the force, learning to work & play nicely with other factions before going off to do something else.

The big question on the CentCom’s mind is what to do with the Night’s Door data. Boldly going where no man has gone before is a big pull for much of the Soviet, not to mention figuring out the gate-builder’s deal. By the end of 2024, CentCom has worked out a plan; early in the following year they’ll quietly release the data to the Federation Council and work out a proper plan for exploration, then they’ll head to Z1 Ret and open up the first of the addresses Night’s Door is connected to. Once they’ve confirmed that the addresses work like they’re supposed to, they’ll officially announce to the rest of the Convention. A completely new era is about to dawn in interstellar travel.

…but all that changed when the Fire Nation attacked.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[classicdrogn]

Has Kokuten been around this forum lately? Sometime in this period would probably be when the MORE POWER!!! Infinities segment occurs, if it's still on. Granted it's not neccesary until another expansion cycle, but they'll need to get 3TW from somewhere for protoCybertron Gnarlycurl's fold drive.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[HRogge]

Has Kokuten been around this forum lately? Sometime in this period would probably be when the MORE POWER!!! Infinities segment occurs, if it's still on. Granted it's not neccesary until another expansion cycle, but they'll need to get 3TW from somewhere for protoCybertron Gnarlycurl's fold drive.

Ehm, do you have any clue how much 3 TW is? Can we please decrease the rate of craziness so that we can continue to have fun with Fenspace for a few decades of "in-universe" time without everyone going of the charts?