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I can imagine the colony ship captain announcing "Everyone off! This is your stop!" as he landed on the airless moon.

All of the colonists blankly stare at him until one asks "Are you positive?"

The Captain looks at his manifest and says "Yep, have a good time."
 
Pillwibble's Guide to the Terran Empire, Volume I
Published June, 2052.

Earth, Sol system : The original home of Humanity, and still the leading world in the Empire.

Population : over 1,350,000,000. Unemployment 21,080,000.

Atmosphere and Climate : optimal. Class-0.

Minerals : effectively none.

Industry : Earth is the political, manufacturing, shipbuilding and financial hub of the Empire, recieving shipments of ore from the colonies and producing ships, ordinance and installations for export throughout known space.

============== ============= ================

Mars, Sol system : The first colony established at the advent of the Space Age, Mars is still our most dynamic and most rapidly-expanding colony.

Population : over 105,000,000. Unemployment 1,230,000.

Atmosphere and Climate: near optimal. Class-0. The atmosphere is breathable without special equipment, and the average global temperature is 11.9 degrees C.

Minerals : declining, but still being actively exploited.

Industry : 70 Construction Factories, 689 Mines, 13 Financial Centers with more under construction. Mars is in the process of shifting from a resource-based economy to a service-sector economy.

============== ============ ===============

Dravar XV, Procyon system : Our first interstellar colony, and the first extra-Solar world to be fully terraformed. Dravar XV is the receiving station for the large-scale mining project on the uninhabited planet of Moria in the same star system.

Population : over 18,380,000. Unemployment 1,440,000.

Atmosphere and Climate : near optimal. Class-0. The atmosphere of Dravar XV is very thick (over 2.5 times Earth-normal) but fully breathable, and the average global temperature is 8.6 degrees C.

Minerals : largely unexploited. Extensive deposits of very low-grade ores (10% concentration).

Industry : 39 Construction Factories, 16 Mines. Large numbers of Terraforming Stations, left over from the project which gave Dravar XV its breathable atmosphere, and awaiting shipment to The Nexus. Mention should be made of the mining world of Moria, which... while not inhabited... is an integral part of the industry in the Procyon system, supplying the Empire with over 250,000 tons of minerals each year. The mines are expected to last for decades before the first of the ores runs short, and for centuries before the deposits are entirely depleted.

=============== ============== ================

The Nexus, Struve 2398 system : This colony world has tremendous promise, as it is nestled in the center of a web of jump points that lead to habitable planets. It is expected that in the centuries to come, The Nexus will become one of the dominant resource, industrial and shipbuilding centers of the Empire, and may well become politically prominent as well.

Population : over 12,620,000. Unemployment 5,400,000. The high unemployment rate on The Nexus is a cause for concern, and is being addressed as shipping becomes available. The immediate plan to provide jobs for the workers is to ship in large numbers of Terraforming Stations, no longer needed on Mars and Dravar XV, and to convert The Nexus to a Class-0 world.

Atmosphere and Climate : The atmosphere is close to breathable, but somewhat deficient in Oxygen. An increase in Oxygen levels by roughly one-third will convert the planet from its current Class-2 to Class-0. Temperatures are somewhat low but well within the tolerance of the hardy pioneers on this world... averaging around 4 degrees C.

Minerals : Minor. The Nexus would be a good source of Duranium, but contains only low concentrations of other minerals. Fortunately, there are several uninhabitable bodies in the same star system that can be profitably worked by automated mines.

Industry : Developing. 17 construction Factories, 2 Automated Mines.

=============== ================ ================

Draco, Sigma Draconis system : Like Dravar XV, this colony was originally established in order to exploit a small Prix outpost found on the planet. It became a major trans-shipment center after the discovery of the large-scale Prix ruins in the adjacent system of Wolf 294. The planet is currently under development, but is in some chaos due to the rapid and rather disorganized influx of loot from El Dorado.

Population : over 10,280,000. There is officially a labor shortage of roughly 1,500,000 on the planet, but this "labor shortage" is considered to be temporary and rather artificial, since the Governor of Draco includes the hundreds of looted Prix industries from El Dorado awaiting trans-shipment to other colonies in his figures.

Atmosphere and Climate : The atmosphere of Draco contains the proper Oxygen/Nitrogen mix of gasses, but is too thin to be breathable without special equipment. A terraforming project is planned for the near future, which will include massive injections of greenhouse gasses in order to bring the planet's temperature, currently -43 degrees C, up to a more comfortable level. Class-2 world.

Minerals : Good deposits of three of the eleven critical minerals. Others are present only in trace concentrations, or entirely absent.

Industry : Masses of looted equipment shipped in from El Dorado, most of which will subsequently be trans-shipped to other worlds.

=============== ================= ==============

Remagen, Gliese 320 system : One of the new Class-0 colonies, established in haste in response to the discovery of the alien Belizards only two jumps away. This colony is at an early stage of its development.

Population : roughly 1,310,000. Unemployment 400,000.

Atmosphere and Climate : The atmosphere is breathable and the global temperatures tropical to subtropical (~30 degrees C). Class-0.

Minerals : Extensive deposits of low-grade ore, with three minerals present in useful concentrations.

Industry : very little, at such an early stage in the colony's growth.

================= =============== ===============

Tropico, Theta Persei system : Another new colony, barely beginning to develop into a useful world. The extensive mineral deposits give it a great future, however.

Population : roughly 710,000. Unemployment 160,000.

Atmosphere and Climate : Breathable atmosphere and tropical climate, about 35 degrees C. Class-0

Minerals : Major deposits of ten of the eleven critical minerals, nearly all in workable concentrations. This world will become a major mining center in the future.

Industry : Barely beginning to develop.

================== ================= ================

82 Eridani A-III, 82 Eridani system : This world is so recently settled that it hasn't yet chosen a name for itself. It was established to consolidate the 82 Eridani system's liberation from the Prix.

Population : 100,000. Unemployment 80,000.

Atmosphere and Climate : Trace atmosphere (1.2% of Earth standard), temperature near the boiling point of water (89 degrees C). Not a pleasant spot at the moment, but extensive terraforming operations are planned for the future.

Minerals : Trace.

Industry : None yet.

=================== ================ ===============

Brigit, Ross 248 system : Brigit is Humanity's first artificial world... a 252,000-ton Orbital Habitat which circles the eighteenth moon (usually also referred-to as Brigit) of the gas giant Odin in the Ross 248 system. Brigit holds a million litres of fuel and extensive maintenance supplies, and is intended to serve as a resupply point for naval vessels and as a base for terraforming the potentially habitable fourteenth moon of Odin (usually referred-to as Dagmar).

WARNING
Civilian vessels are warned that Brigit is a Naval Base, and may not be approached without permission.
WARNING


Population : 50,000. Unemployment 50,000

Atmosphere and Climate : Artificial, and optimal.

Minerals : None.

Industry : Services.
 
Last edited:
<personal log, Dr. Michael Pal, date unknown>
Well, maybe I really am developing a drinking habit... So what? If life provides you with nothing but lemons, you better learn how to make caipirinha. Also, what else should I do? Research? For what? Every time I'm approaching a breakthrough, the news of a "breath-taking discovery on El Dorado" are flooding the holonets. I hate those damned Prix. If they weren't extinct yet, I'd happily lend a hand...

Müller. I cannot stand hearing her name in the news anymore. If she is so great a scientist, then why is the top search result for her name in the holonet a holograph of her dancing half-naked on a lantern in Geneva? Hehe.

Now let's see why this Charlie Alcoholic Synthopop is such a hype...
<end of entry>

Research Log: Elise Mueller, DD/MM/YYYY

Things are looking up. It looks like my unofficial complaints after those nincompoops on the Admiralty Board requisitioned those captured sensors and other equipment to build their "Peeping Tom" got somewhere, because the Fleet delivered several more salvaged parts to our labs' collective doorstep, along with a whole load of other parts from El Dorado for the other grants. Disassembling what we got gave us a huge leg up, and field tests were promising. With the basic theory down pat, it's just a matter of practical implementation once the naval contracting board goes through the motions of figuring out what they actually want.

If only that were all. The newsies are blowing it all out of proportion, as usual. The alien precursors have been the big bogeyman, the dragons of "Here There Be Dragons" for so long, that this news that we're catching up, on the tails of the victories of the Fleet, is long welcome. I think the University chair's helping the push, too; bloody politicos trying to score points with my work. It's all just incremental work, refining the original theory that helped us discover grav points in the first place, nothing revolutionary or monumental. They promised more funding at some point or another; they always do. I suppose the news blitz helps with that, too. Still, I'm going to be hiding in the lab for a couple weeks until this mess blows over. Again.

Also, caught another grad student trying to pin up that pic on the bulletin board in the break room. Reminder: track down and kill whoever put that damnable 'shop on the net. Painfully.

>END OF FILE
 
I can imagine the colony ship captain announcing "Everyone off! This is your stop!" as he landed on the airless moon.

All of the colonists blankly stare at him until one asks "Are you positive?"

The Captain looks at his manifest and says "Yep, have a good time."

What's the bet the captain formerly commanded the cruise liner run to El Dorado?
 
I can imagine the colony ship captain announcing "Everyone off! This is your stop!" as he landed on the airless moon.

All of the colonists blankly stare at him until one asks "Are you positive?"

The Captain looks at his manifest and says "Yep, have a good time."

they were "in transit" to a better place :)
 
I can imagine the colony ship captain announcing "Everyone off! This is your stop!" as he landed on the airless moon.

All of the colonists blankly stare at him until one asks "Are you positive?"

The Captain looks at his manifest and says "Yep, have a good time."

:rofl:

Research Log: Elise Mueller, DD/MM/YYYY

Things are looking up. It looks like my unofficial complaints after those nincompoops on the Admiralty Board requisitioned those captured sensors and other equipment to build their "Peeping Tom" got somewhere, because the Fleet delivered several more salvaged parts to our labs' collective doorstep, along with a whole load of other parts from El Dorado for the other grants. Disassembling what we got gave us a huge leg up, and field tests were promising. With the basic theory down pat, it's just a matter of practical implementation once the naval contracting board goes through the motions of figuring out what they actually want.

If only that were all. The newsies are blowing it all out of proportion, as usual. The alien precursors have been the big bogeyman, the dragons of "Here There Be Dragons" for so long, that this news that we're catching up, on the tails of the victories of the Fleet, is long welcome. I think the University chair's helping the push, too; bloody politicos trying to score points with my work. It's all just incremental work, refining the original theory that helped us discover grav points in the first place, nothing revolutionary or monumental. They promised more funding at some point or another; they always do. I suppose the news blitz helps with that, too. Still, I'm going to be hiding in the lab for a couple weeks until this mess blows over. Again.

Also, caught another grad student trying to pin up that pic on the bulletin board in the break room. Reminder: track down and kill whoever put that damnable 'shop on the net. Painfully.

>END OF FILE

<personal log, Dr. Michael Pal, date unknown>
It's getting harder and harder to persuade students to put up the "dancing liz" posters in the cantina... I hear she's been screaming abuse at the last guy who tried, claiming it was all made up. Ha! I have *seen* her!

Anyway, lately things are looking up again. Someone pretty high up must have developed a keen interest in our shipyard operations. My boss came into the lab the other day and told me the budget had been increased. Next thing I know I had to look after fifteen teams of engineers! I mean, what the hell? Sure, we're making quite some progress now, but it makes you wonder what the powers that be are up to...
<end of entry>
 
See my edit above.
 
Awesome. Surely it should be called the Hitchhikers Guide though?
I look forward to reports in 50 years time of some of these planet's glorious works and might industries, with Earth merely an administration centre.
 
why is brigit off limits for civilians? Is it because they're dropped off outside the station? :)

I will be terraforming one of the other moons of the same gas giant... Dagmar, the fourteenth moon. It will become the civilian colony in the system, while Brigit remain a naval base. The "colonists" on-board the orbital habitat are workers, who will be used to assemble PDCs on the uninhabited eighteenth moon that Brigit orbits.
 
The three habitable planets captured from the Prix in the 82 Eridani system will be named after the Three Furies, daughters of Gaia... Tisiphone (retribution), Megaera (jealousy) and Alecto (unremitting anger).
 
The fleet approaches the jump point into the Prix-controlled Kapteyn's Star system.

G121_Game.jpg


The Fleet Tankers and a Jump Tender are already waiting on the jump point.
 
Just when I thought the tension was over after the latest lot of lynching in werewolf :)

Still, as long as they don't have FAC...
 
We have refueled from the Tankers, and crossed the jump into Kapteyn's Star.

G122_Game.jpg


... the Prix are not immediately in evidence. Curious. We will proceed into the inner system, the most likely place to find them.
 
Our sensors are covering most of the system if I'm reading that right. That might suggest FAC, or other little nasties.
 
Report from ESNR Swift: "Sir, we've located the Death Star!"

G123_Game.jpg


Twenty-five million tons :p

A Prix Orbital Habitat, perhaps? Should I send back to Earth for some Marine Companies, and try to BOARD it?
 
:O zOMG!
Bring in the Marines! Unless it's actually a death star.

If it's armed, they'll be slaughtered, of course. Maybe we should cruise up fairly close to it and see if it shoots at us? Our interlocking point defense is a lot better protection than the Marines will have.

... or we could just blow the bastard up, and try to capture the NEXT one.