It's set to the default 30 %. But I assume we'll be doing some pretty aggressive scouting, even if that's not mechanically in our best interest (Aurora's NPR generation mechanic incentivises turtling, but turtling is boring for a forum game).
On the 28th of September 2114, the third H class asteroid miner was commissioned and sent to join Asteroid Mining Fleet #1 at Randakar's Rock.
Upgrade work on the Neutron Scattering Facility at Nanking Technical University was completed on the 9th of December in the same year, and the facility immediately joined Prof. Kingepyon's AI upgrade program.
9th of January, 2115: Wayland Orbital Yard finishes its third slipway, immediately begins construction of another H class asteroid miner. Corundium shortages begin to bite.
On the 9th of February, Kingepyon and his team finishes uplinking the last of Earth's major research universities to the new Cyberdyne adaptive intelligence SKYNET. This is expected to increase the efficiency of the labs in question by as much as 20 %.
Code:
From: bgc@des.dir
To: kingepyon@des.dir
Subject: Modeling Motoko's data
Attachment: <newcalculation.pdf>
Message: Motoko and I spent all week going over the math, and the Duranium data agrees with the Neutronium data but disagrees with our calculations. We've been trying a new approach, and I was wondering if you would comment on it.
Hugs,
Brigitte G. Caltar,
Propulsion Specialist
Design Directorate
-----------
From: kingepyon@des.dir
To: bgc@des.dir
Subject: Re: Modeling Motoko's data
Message: I think you're right - there's probably a correction term on the end of the Galtar-Kingepyon equation. If I'm reading your and Motoko's math right, the alternative seems to be abandoning gravitational gauge invariance, and I'm not *quite* ready to toss out eighty years of graviton research just yet.
Sincerely,
Kingepyon
Lead Researcher
Design Directorate
------------
From: bgc@des.dir
To: kingepyon@des.dir
Subject: Re^2: Modeling Motoko's data
Message: I think we should feed it to SKYNET, and try to beg, borrow or steal some beam time on the Shanghai group's new neutron scattering facility. We're getting some interesting response curves for Uridium at high energies, but our beamline cuts off at fifty GeV. Their facility should get to two hundred easily.
Maybe if we get enough data, SKYNET can do its black magic and pull out a numerical estimate.
Hugs,
Brigitte G. Caltar,
Propulsion Specialist
Design Directorate
9th of April, FrK Kiwi's crew training score is now rated at 150, while FrK Blue Emu now has 35 % operations bonus.
On the 11th of June, crippling Corundium shortages forces the redirection of about half the industrial effort going into industrial modernization to the ongoing upgrade of UCLA's trans-Newtonian research facilities.
On the 11th of November, Ball Transport Alliance launches its first Wayland 25 kt freighter. What they plan to do with it remains a mystery, as there is no demand for interplanetary commercial freight.
In mid-January 2116, the
AM Nostromo is commissioned and sent to join Asteroid Mining Fleet #1.
(Note: From here on I'll stop noting commissioning of asteroid miners until and unless I get enough applications for captaincy to actually have a shortage. Likewise, civilian shipping line expansion will only be noted when they launch a previously unused ship design.)
In early January, it became clear why Platt and Ball shipping lines where commissioning freighters, as Crayven Corporation applied for a license to establish a commercial mining colony on Oberon, one of the moons of Uranus. (This predictably occasioned a great deal of off-colour humour at ResCom.) The license was granted, with the stipulation that ResCom was to retain the option to purchase the whole of the output at a fixed price. This option was immediately exercised for the first five year production period. Crayven Corporation stock (ticker: CRAYON), previously plagued by the difficulties of the wholly owned subsidiary Crayven Enterprises in constructing a viable shipborne terraforming unit, shot upwards at the news.
In the second week of February, UCLA's new trans-Newtonian research facilities were inaugurated. Construction efforts proceed apace at all major Earth research universities to bring them up to modern standards.
On the 12th of February, KzS Stuckenschmidt increased his fleet initiative score to 350.
On the 12th of May, KvK the_hdk d'Harcourt was honourably discharged from the service.
On New Year's Eve 2116/7, the University of Haifa in Palestine unveiled a new trans-Newtonian graviton measurement tunnel and announced its uplink to SKYNET.
A little over a month later, Kusanagi Motoko, Kingepyon and Brigitte G. Caltar published a seminal paper on trans-Newtonian gravitonics. Kingepyon has applied for beam time on the newly completed Haifa Graviton Tunnel to test graviton-uridium interaction.
Code:
From: bgc@des.dir
To: kingepyon@des.dir
Message: I've been thinking about the Uridium spectra we got from Shanghai, in the context of our correction term. If we excite a Uridium crystal, I think I can prove that we should be able to get it to lase gravitons. Corrine just got a job at the Haifa facility. Maybe you could tap her to get some beam time there.
Hugs,
Brigitte G. Caltar
Propulsion Specialist
Design Directorate
In the same month, Crayven set up another outer system mining colony under similar charter terms to the Oberon colony, this time on Saturn's moon Hyperion.
On the 6th of February, KvK Deaghaidh increased his Fleet Initiative rating to 239 in a series of simulation exercises.
On the 6th of July, Wayland Orbital Yard inaugurated its fourth slipway. Rather than continue to expand slipway numbers, however, Wayland Orbital Engineering decided to expand the maximum tonnage of the yard in preparation for a new superheavy asteroid miner to be introduced a year or two from now.
Now that we are nearing the launch of our first jump-capable survey ship, we need a gravsurvey doctrine. Specifically, are we going to:
(a) Jump through each jump point we find as we find it and begin survey of the new system.
(b) Jump through each jump point we find just to take a quick look, and then go back to surveying the system we were in.
(c) Finish surveying each system before probing any jump points.
(a) gives the fastest and (c) the slowest mapping of the galaxy. (b) is the doctrine Blue Emu used in
Ad Astra. I tend to prefer (c) in my own games, but I'm thinking we should do (a) in this one, since we don't want to turtle our way through the low and mid tech levels.
Early October 2117. Crippling Corundium shortages force the diversion of factories from automated mine construction on Earth. The freed factories are put to use modernizing our remaining conventional industries.
Ladies and Gentlmen, we have gravitational sensors! In the last month of 2117, Kingepyon developed gravitational sensors. Brigitte Caltar is currently working on operationalizing her insights into a stable wormhole generator. The Design Directorate is proud to present the
Bernard Riemann class gravitational survey vessel, based on the
Johan Galle:
Code:
Bernard Riemann class Gravitational Survey Vessel 850 tons 68 Crew 155 BP TCS 17 TH 25 EM 0
1470 km/s Armour 1-7 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/1/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
Maint Life 9.08 Years MSP 114 AFR 5% IFR 0.1% 1YR 2 5YR 37 Max Repair 100 MSP
Rheinmetall NE-1 Military Engine (1) Power 25 Fuel Use 100% Signature 25 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 50,000 Litres Range 105.8 billion km (833 days at full power)
Gravitational Survey Sensors (1) 1 Survey Points Per Hour
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
