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Children of the Void: A Hard Sci-Fi Space RP

OP

Milke

the roman empire fell in 1918
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Interested in joining the RP in-progress? See bottom of post for links/open slots!

META:
This a space-colonization-exploration-resource-management-conquest RP with character aspects, based in the Dying Earth universe.
See link below for more information about this universe.

Dying Earth: A Near-Future Nation RP - Games - Facepunch Forum - Dying Earth Epilogue

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The world in 2325.

The story so far:

The year was 2188 - the colonies of the solar system and their mother nations had for over eight years become embroiled in a war of unprecedented scope and scale across terrestrial space. The two sides of the war stood at stalemate, threatening to escalate into a full-blown conflict on Earth.

It was in the 2157 prelude to this war that Project Darkshot, the Union of Fennoscandia's 2120s project to create interstellar colony ships reached an accelerated, successful conclusion after being revived twenty years prior. Three large, self-sufficient ships were launched from Jovian orbit, containing European, British, Alanian, and Fennoscandian volunteers and refugees who, more than anything, were fleeing from what they perceived might be violent end of civilization.

-

The War In Heaven, as it came to be called, would not end human civilization, but the ships had already sailed long ago when it reached its conclusion in 2190.

The aftermath of the war reshaped the geo-political and economic landscape of the world, marked by the tumultuous dual hegemony of the European Federation and the Peoples' Republic of China, held together by the glue of new international political organizations and a resurgent third party in the Russian Federation.

Life would largely go on in this two-sided world until on one starry night in June of 2285, researchers at the Stockholm Observatory in Fennoscandia received a peculiar signal.

Though it had been a long time coming, the Fennoscandians already knew what to expect - the errant signal came in dated, foreign dialect, but it was indeed Fennoscandian. The three colony ships sent just under a century ago to the nearest theoretically habitable starsystem had arrived, and were reporting their success. The arrival report had already been over fourty years old by the time it arrived to Earth, but it was nonetheless revolutionary - not only had Fennoscandia proven that manned interstellar travel was feasible, but that there existed other habitable planets in the universe.

Over the years, analysis of the transmission became a hot topic in the scientific research - Fennoscandian scientists, using info provided by the Fennoscandian expeditionaries, made a myriad of advancements to scientific theory, much to the excitement of the world, and indeed the solar system at large. Interest in further endeavors skyrocketed. However, rising tensions on Earth over solar territorial disputes cut-short any attempts to pursue interstellar expeditions. With the reply fourty-years enroute, Fennoscandia's space agency could do nothing more than wait.

The interstellar achievements of Fennoscandia faded into history, as all things did. As the world churned along into the 24th century, optimism would be replaced by discontent and unity replaced by division. The next hundred years of human history would see the evolution of new, solar ideologies as human identity became wholly separate from Earth.



...




Our story begins in 2312. Faced with political injustices, poor economic performance, and a dark past marred by the grey flu, trans-solar humans across Sol have begun to rise up and demand independence from the nations of Earth. With growing solar nationalism threatening to cut off vital colonies and resources, Earth's eminent governments have become increasingly militarized, building fleets across the solar system. What started with the violent overthrow of India's colonial government on Mars would spread further across the solar system, sparking a string of revolutions and rebellions the scope of which has never been seen before. Colonies from Pluto to the green jewel of the Moon - China's Baixing, would be devastated by military crackdowns.

By 2315, humanity faces down the greatest refugee crisis in human history, as millions live in exile across the solar system, starving and dying in disparate 'flotillas' floating along in the empty spaces between the colonies. Those 'refugee-camps' which gain the ire of authorities are scuttled and forcibly relocated to ghettos on poorly-developed asteroids and moons, while the rest are left to starve, blocked off from shipping lanes by military patrols.

A glister of hope would shine through the darkness in 2320, following the European Federation's recognition of the Saturnian and Jovian colonies' independence. However, these concessions came at great cost, and the newly-christened Republics of Jupiter and Saturn refused to take on the brunt of displaced trans-solars. For the more well-off and socially significant, a home could be found in these European colonies. For the rest, a brutal existence in orbit was all that the colonies would allow.

Following the integration of many independent colonies into the solar political establishment, solutions to the refugee crisis would become a lasting political point of the 24th century, and would come to culminate in the 'New Worlds' doctrine espoused by leaders of the refugee flotillas.

-

For both the foolhardy colonies and the ancien regimes of Earth, the displaced peoples of the solar system were a burden, and 'New Worlds' was the solution - the poor, the hungry, the tired had to leave.

Forever.

But, some saw it differently - it was a true glimmer of hope, to build a new society, far away from the civilization of old which built this dark reality - a chance to start anew.


The year is 2325. You are one of seven admirals in a multi-national, Fennoscandian-led fleet of colony ships setting sail for the TRAPPIST-1 system, where long ago Fennoscandian pioneers sought to find refuge from war and pestilence.

Your mission is monumental, and the stakes are life itself. The journey will take a hundred years, and only your grandchildren will have the opportunity to see its end. Your colony ship is equipped with provisions and facilities to house twenty-thousand people, including the next two generations. If you succeed, you will pave the way for further colonization of Sol's neighboring stars, and you will finally be able to answer on the fate of the Fennoscandian DARKSHOT expedition.


Current Players - 5/8
1. Ruskie / Igor Oshankobich
2. Viper / Torvald Hammargren
3. Cre8or38 / James Oligon Jr.
4. [Slot Open]
5. [Slot Open]
6. Martydi / Alexandr Sharonov
7. Native Hunter / Aslan Leonidze
8. [Slot Open]




Important Links:
FPRP Discord (Join our sub-community!)
Children of the Void Discord (Where the action happens!)
Table of Contents
 
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::>WELCOME TO THE SOLCOM NEW WORLDS REGISTRY INDEX. PLEASE INPUT YOUR INFORMATION BELOW.

NAME:
::>Oligon, James, Raush.

SEX:
::>MALE


DATE OF BIRTH:
::>SEP/10/2279


EYE AND HAIR COLOR:
::>BROWN/BROWN.


MULTI-CONDITIONAL INDEX:
::>PLEASE ATTACH THE RESULTS OF YOUR MCI EVALUATION, INCLUDING DOCTOR'S SIGNATURE.
GENETIC INDEX:
(9/10) - You and your progeny's susceptibility to genetic disease, radiation damage, and the extent to which your body will accept or reject bionic, cybernetic, and mechanical augmentation
DIPLOMATIC INDEX: (4/10) - Your skill at diplomacy, charm, and getting people to do what you want the peaceful way.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDEX: (9/10) - Your skill and knowledge at managing finances and navigating the complicated web of a space-based economy.
FORCE-AGGRESSION INDEX: (2/10) - Your skill at making strategic decisions, directing military forces, and intimidating people to get what you want.
SUBVERSIVE-SOCIAL INDEX: (1/10) - Your skill at the art of subversion and espionage, as well as perceiving and noticing things that others may not.
Lou Rashdall, MD

NATION OF ORIGIN:
::>THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL LIST OF NATIONS WHOSE CITIZENS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE NEW WORLDS SOLAR ENDEAVOR. IF YOUR COUNTRY IS NOT ON THE LIST OR YOU HAVE BEEN DEPRIVED OF LEGAL CITIZENSHIP, PLEASE VISIT WORLDS.SCO.SOL TO APPLY FOR AN ELIGIBILITY WAIVER.

///PLUTO COMMONWEALTH [On Pluto, Formerly of UK]

::>BY SUBMITTING THIS APPLICATION, YOU HEREBY AFFIRM UNDER PENALTY OF LAW (PURSUANT TO SCO.294.F) THAT ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED IS ACCURATE AND CURRENT.
::>ONCE YOUR APPLICATION IS PROCESSED AND ACCEPTED YOU WILL RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION VIA SECURE TERMINAL WITH INSTRUCTION TO RECEIVE YOUR ID CARD.
 
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First four slots have been filled!
Players:
1. Joshuadim / Jim A. Kwuhenyi
2. Ruskie / Boris L. Oshankobich
3. Viper / Jannika S. Spjuth
4. Cre8or38 / James R. Oligon
5. SniperComZero / Monica Hawkins
6. Sobotnik / Samuel Peasbody
7. Martydi / Dmitry Sharonov

::>The first ID cards have been printed:
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::>WELCOME TO THE SOLCOM NEW WORLDS REGISTRY INDEX. PLEASE INPUT YOUR INFORMATION BELOW.
NAME: ::>ENTER YOUR LAST, FIRST AND MIDDLE NAME. ::> ///Hawkins, Monica Diana///
SEX: ::>FOR CENSUS PURPOSES, PLEASE SPECIFY WHETHER YOU ARE MALE OR FEMALE. ::>MALE/FEMALE
DATE OF BIRTH: ::>SPECIFY YOUR DATE OF BIRTH AS INDICATED ON ANY VALID ID. ::>///23/10/2284///
EYE AND HAIR COLOR: ::>PLEASE SPECIFY YOUR EYE AND HAIR COLOR AS INDICATED ON ANY VALID ID. ::>///Eyes: ^HAZEL/// ::>///Hair: ^BLACK///
MULTI-CONDITIONAL INDEX: ::>PLEASE ATTACH THE RESULTS OF YOUR MCI EVALUATION, INCLUDING DOCTOR'S SIGNATURE.GENETIC INDEX: (4/10) - You and your progeny's susceptibility to genetic disease, radiation damage, and the extent to which your body will accept or reject bionic, cybernetic, and mechanical augmentationDIPLOMATIC INDEX: (7/10) - Your skill at diplomacy, charm, and getting people to do what you want the peaceful way.SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDEX: (2/10) - Your skill and knowledge at managing finances and navigating the complicated web of a space-based economy.FORCE-AGGRESSION INDEX: (8/10) - Your skill at making strategic decisions, directing military forces, and intimidating people to get what you want.SUBVERSIVE-SOCIAL INDEX: (4/10) - Your skill at the art of subversion and espionage, as well as perceiving and noticing things that others may not.Signed, Dr. D. Johnson, M.D.
NATION OF ORIGIN: ::>THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL LIST OF NATIONS WHOSE CITIZENS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE NEW WORLDS SOLAR ENDEAVOR. IF YOUR COUNTRY IS NOT ON THE LIST OR YOU HAVE BEEN DEPRIVED OF LEGAL CITIZENSHIP, PLEASE VISIT WORLDS.SCO.SOL TO APPLY FOR AN ELIGIBILITY WAIVER.///UNION OF FENNOSCANDIA///UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND//////EUROPEAN FEDERATION///RUSSIAN FEDERATION...
::>BY SUBMITTING THIS APPLICATION, YOU HEREBY AFFIRM UNDER PENALTY OF LAW (PURSUANT TO SCO.294.F) THAT ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED IS ACCURATE AND CURRENT. ::>ONCE YOUR APPLICATION IS PROCESSED AND ACCEPTED YOU WILL RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION VIA SECURE TERMINAL WITH INSTRUCTION TO RECEIVE YOUR ID CARD.
 
NAME: Peasbody, Samuel Gadding

SEX: MALE

DATE OF BIRTH: 2295

EYE AND HAIR COLOR: Brown, Brown

MULTI-CONDITIONAL INDEX:
GENETIC INDEX:
(8/10) - You and your progeny's susceptibility to genetic disease, radiation damage, and the extent to which your body will accept or reject bionic, cybernetic, and mechanical augmentation
DIPLOMATIC INDEX: (2/10) - Your skill at diplomacy, charm, and getting people to do what you want the peaceful way.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDEX: (7/10) - Your skill and knowledge at managing finances and navigating the complicated web of a space-based economy.
FORCE-AGGRESSION INDEX: (7/10) - Your skill at making strategic decisions, directing military forces, and intimidating people to get what you want.
SUBVERSIVE-SOCIAL INDEX: (1/10) - Your skill at the art of subversion and espionage, as well as perceiving and noticing things that others may not.

NATION OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom

"This man has the finest handlebar mustache I have ever seen" t. doctor
 
That looks very, very interesting. If I see properly, there is still one spot open. I'd like to fill that up, my application should be written tomorrow, if I encounter extreme lack of time, it may be delayed until friday. In case of apocalyptic lack of free time, I may end up writing the application in the weekend. If it isn't done by then, I likely forgot or decided not to do it. In such a case, consider my spot free to take.
 
::>WELCOME TO THE SOLCOM NEW WORLDS REGISTRY INDEX. PLEASE INPUT YOUR INFORMATION BELOW.

NAME: Sharonov Dmitriy Vasilievich (OOC note: this is official orientation of Russian names, and also how my name generator puts it. In this case, surname is first, name second, and secondary patronymic name goes third. In conventional manner, the name would be Dmitry Vasilievich Sharonov)

SEX: Male

DATE OF BIRTH: 13/11/2283

EYE AND HAIR COLOR: Eyes-blue Hair-black

MULTI-CONDITIONAL INDEX:
GENETIC INDEX:
(5/10)
DIPLOMATIC INDEX: (4/10)
SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDEX: (6/10)
FORCE-AGGRESSION INDEX: (7/10)
SUBVERSIVE-SOCIAL INDEX: (3/10)

NATION OF ORIGIN: Russian Federation

::>BY SUBMITTING THIS APPLICATION, YOU HEREBY AFFIRM UNDER PENALTY OF LAW (PURSUANT TO SCO.294.F) THAT ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED IS ACCURATE AND CURRENT.
::>ONCE YOUR APPLICATION IS PROCESSED AND ACCEPTED YOU WILL RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION VIA SECURE TERMINAL WITH INSTRUCTION TO RECEIVE YOUR ID CARD.
 
Pre-Turn 1: Briefing
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1st of December, 2325

As the New Worlds Solar Endeavor nears its final preparatory stages, the project has hit yet another political roadblock over accusations of an 'unequal burden' between EUROSOLCOM and Russian administrated ships. Europe's Foreign Minister, Arnaud Barrande has accused the Russian Federation of shirking its obligation to take on refugees, following up with criticism of its inclusion of "an irresponsible number of AI robots."

With years of planning and political negotiations on the chopping block, the Solar Commerce Organization has decided to arbitrate the matter.

Now, the SCO has put the results of the arbitration to an open negotiation between the SCO ship admirals. In the follow weeks, admirals will meet to discuss a solution to the issue and vote to decide whether adjustments should be made to the Russian fleet demographics, and whether to impose any penalties over allegations that Russia purposefully excluded stateless refugees from their roster


Meta:
The first phase of the RP will be a choose-your-own-adventure style journey which takes place over the hundred-year trip to TRAPPIST-1. Players will be confronted with situations and news going on in their and other ships, the outcome of which will be influenced by individual and collective choices of the admirals, in turn affecting your fortunes and the outlook of the ships.

Some situations will result in demographic/ideological changes, which will be reflected graphically.

The first phase of the RP starts pre-journey.

The RP will be coordinated thru discord, but most things will be posted here.

Children of the Void Discord (pls join!!!)
FPRP Discord (Join the Community!)




Current conflicts:

Deadlock on Russian Exclusion of Stateless Refugees
European Solar Command vs. Russian Federation

Eurosolcom proposes:
-Inclusion of at least 3000 stateless refugees per Russian-administrated ship
-Reduction of autonomous humanoid droids to no more than 30% of population, per ship
-Imposition of fines for violation of demographic criteria, to be used as additional funds spread across non-Russian ships.

Russian Federation proposes:
-Status Quo

Admirals propose:
-N/A

----------->Demand lists require unanimous vote by all current Admirals to pass. Admirals are given authority to change terms.

-----


Ship No.1
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Admiral
: Löjtnant Jannika Spjuth, Fennoscandian National Space Agency
National Sponsor: Union of Fennoscandia
Ship Demographics: 12500 Swede, 3000 Norw., 2000 Finn, 1500 Murmanski, 500 Belter, 500 Stateless

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_______________________________________________________________

Ship No.2
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Admiral
: Podpolkovnik Boris Oshankobich, Roscomos Naval Command (VKR)
National Sponsor: Russian Federation
Ship Demographics: 5000 Russian, 15000 Various Highly-Intelligent Droid

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_______________________________________________________________

Ship No.3
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Admiral
: Rear Admiral James Oligon, Pluto Orbital Defense Forces
National Sponsor: Pluto Commonwealth & United Kingdom
Ship Demographics: 2000 Plutonian, 18000 Stateless

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_______________________________________________________________

Ship No.4
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Admiral
: Vice-Marshal Monica Hawkins, United Kingdom Royal Aerospace Force
National Sponsor: United Kingdom
Ship Demographics: 14,000 English, 2500 Welsh, 2000 Scottish, 1500 Stateless

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_______________________________________________________________

Ship No.5
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Admiral
: Wing Commander Samuel Peasbody, United Kingdom Royal Aerospace Force
National Sponsor: United Kingdom
Ship Demographics: 8000 European, 4000 English, 2000 Belter, 3000 Europite, 3000 Titanian

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_______________________________________________________________

Ship No.6
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Admiral
: Polkovnik Dmitry Sharonov, Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS)
National Sponsor: Russian Federation
Ship Demographics: 10000 Russian, 10000 Highly-Intelligent Droid

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_______________________________________________________________

Ship No.7
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Admiral: Director-General Ashkar Gazdanty, Solar Commerce Organization Office of Solar Military Oversight
National Sponsor: Alania
Ship Demographics: 5000 Alanian, 5000 Refugee & Stateless, 10000 "Non-Human Nationals"

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Pre-Turn 2: Ship Supply Paradigms
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Inside the White Star Biodome in Báixīng Autonomous State, Luna. The biodome has been the center for major advances in deep-space hydroponics.

15th of December, 2325


After a contentious deliberation between the admirals of the SCO New Worlds Fleet, the SCO has announced the terms of its arbitration decision, and though Russia's foreign minister indicated dissatisfaction that the new Alanian admiral was permitted to vote on the matter despite entering mid-negotiation, both parties have signified that they will accept the terms of the arbitration.

Russian admiral Boris Oshankobich has announced that he will be accepting several thousand refugees as part of the deal. In exchange, SCO will not compel the Russian ships to alter their droid demography, nor subject the Russian Federation to fines.

Launch-day has been fast-tracked to February 15th, 2326 while SCO project coordinators wait for ideal conditions to proceed. In the meantime, admirals have been tasked by their national sponsors to agree upon a supply paradigm for the ships. The supply and complements of the ships have been a point of contention between the various sponsor nations, with Fennoscandia's 'Optimal Stock Plan' failing to reach widespread adoption.




Current conflicts:

Disagreement on supply paradigm of individual ships

Due to the international nature of the program, a universal approach to supply of ships has failed. Though Fennoscandia touts the most 'experience' with their supply plan, citing success in their previous mission, other nations such as Russia disagree, eschewing the Fennoscandian plan for their own parts-focused stock plan.

Admirals must individually choose how their ship will be stocked, accounting for the supply situation of other ships and how to best suit their own needs.

The Fennoscandian 'Optimal Stock Plan' (storage out of 100%) is as follows:

Parts: 30% (50 years' worth +- 25 years)
Non-Renewable Food: 50% (25 years' worth +- 5 years)
Small Arms: 5%
Fuel: 5% (100 years' worth)
Medical Supplies: 10% (90 years' worth +- 15 years)
 
18th of December, 2325

Ship supply plans are in the process of being completed. Below is a full log of submitted plans.

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Pre-Turn 3: Final Preparations
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Historical photo: Sinonaut Geng Xuefeng plants the Chinese flag on the Lunar surface during the initial phases of colonization.
The area depicted would later become the site of Baixing's first module. 15th of November, 2123


2nd of January, 2326.

Denizens of the Solar System celebrated the new year with distant stars in mind, as the Stockholm Observatory's 'big reply' reached its 40-year anniversary - the response to the Fennoscandian expedition transmission was slated to arrive in distant TRAPPIST-1, though the extra-solar colony could be in any sort of state by now.

Negotiations on the supply paradigms of individual ships have been finalized, and final preparations are now reportedly being made. SCO has reported that the February 15th launch is still in effect, and solar conditions are favorable for an assisted launch from Earth-Sun L1 orbit, where the International Mass Accelerator is situated.

With final preparations for launch in the making, SCO has tasked admirals with delivering final reports on their ships.

(From the below spreadsheet, choose ONE module in each category. You can mouse over each option for a description of the module.)

Ship Module Loadouts
 
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Pre-Turn 4: Launch Day
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15th of February, 2326

Crowds numbering in the thousands rubbed shoulders at the Lundström Memorial Spaceport at Earth-Sol L1, anticipating the monumental launch of the New Worlds Solar Endeavor fleet. Seven brave admirals and thousands of courageous crew volunteered on year ago to sacrifice their lives in the name of humanity's colonization of the stars. Today, seven ships will take off from L1, never to see the solar system again.

All the cargo is loaded. All passengers are sat tight in their habs. All systems are online.

Ready for launch.

As the final preparations are made, onlookers await the countdown...

There is no turning back after this, admirals. Contact the GM to make any changes to your loadouts or supply paradigms!
 
Pre-Turn 5: We Have Liftoff!
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This picture was snapped by Admiral Monica Hawkins during the New Worlds Fleet's brief flyby of Mars. In this picture, morning light draws slowly over the Valles Marineris. The bright lights of São Francisco dominate the night-time view, with New Calabasas visible in the North-East.

February 26, 2326 - We have liftoff!
"Seven...

Six...

Five...

Four...

Three...

Two..

One...

...And there goes the ship of Admiral Gazdanty! We have liftoff of the New Worlds Solar Fleet, marking a new era for man. These brave folks will brave the hazards and uncertainties of interstellar space to break the light-year barrier. Godspeed, solnaughts!"


Cheered on by roaring crowds and an international net audience exceeding three billion, the New Worlds Solar Fleet has departed L1 Earth-Sol without a hitch, taking advantage of a velocity boost provided by the International Mass Accelerator.

The fleet's seven admirals watched a live external feed of the launch, with crowds cheering as the last ship boosted down the IMA Megal-loop. Through a two-way channel, the New Worlds admirals bade their audience farewell, setting a new record for the most watched broadcast in history.



Ten days since launch, the Solar Fleet has now flown by Mars for a brief gravity boost (and publicity stunt!) well on its way toward the outer reaches of the solar system. At current scheduled pace, the fleet is expected to reach Pluto before the end of the year.



Meta:
I will be posting small updates in frequent succession to model the initial stages of the journey. During these updates, small situations and events may occur.

PRIME-TIME:
Starting after the fleet leaves the solar system and enters interstellar space, the meat of your journey is parceled out in ten-year increments, referred to henceforth as 'cycles.'


META INFO ABOUT THE JOURNEY
-Each cycle, each ship will encounter a minor onboard event or situation to which that ship's admiral may respond.

-Followed by these small events will often be a major event that requires the decision of multiple or all admirals of the fleet.

-Additionally, admirals will have the opportunity to take several 'freeform' actions each cycle - anything from holding inter-ship political debates to banning blue hats on your ship.

-Lastly, Admirals will have the opportunity to direct scientific research toward an application they see fit. I will not tell you directly what it is possible to research as that's part of the challenge of researching! If you have any questions or don't know where to start, however, you can ask GM for input from your 'lab advisors'.
 
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Pre-Turn 6: The Fleet Reaches Pluto
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Admiral James Oligon snapped a distant view of his home planet of Pluto as the New Worlds fleet flew by on its way toward the stars. Pluto's largest moon, Charon, hangs loftily in the distance, the scant lights of Fort Elizabeth dotting its dark surface.

14 September, 2326
The New Worlds Solar Fleet is nearing the outer edge of the solar system, now amidst the Kuiper belt objects.

The solar fleet is now well on its way toward interstellar space, but SCO has now petitioned the admirals for a special task:

Given the New Worlds fleet's current vector, a unique opportunity has arisen to attempt a flyby of 90377 Sedna, a dwarf planet and one of the most distant natural objects in the solar system. The planet has never been directly imaged at geographically discernible resolution, and a direct flyby would provide important information about the topography and makeup of trans-Neptunian sednoids.

The estimated fuel cost for such a diversion is 0.15% for all ships.

The SCO has also floated, given the fleet's ideal proximity to the object, that a probe be constructed on-board and launched toward the object to image it remotely. This would cost far less fuel, but require the use of some onboard parts, ranging into: 3% parts for one ship or 0.40% parts if all ships contribute.)

The direct flyby option will require unanimous consent of the admirals, while the probe option may be either a collective or individual decision. If neither option prevails, the fleet will continue on its current prescribed path.

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Current position of the fleet, as tracked by Pluto ODF.
 
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Pre-Turn 7: Leaving the Solar System
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Far, far away: This picture of the sun is the last image transmission from the New Worlds fleet, received by Stockholm observatory. Taken by Admiral Jannika Spjuth at a distance of about 300 astronomical units, it is the most distant picture of the solar system ever taken.

16 October, 2328

It has now been almost two years since the launch of the New Worlds Solar Fleet, and the fleet continues its ascent toward the very-distant TRAPPIST system.

Admirals of the fleet released a final, solemn photo of their view of the solar system, along with a message of farewell as the fleet steadily crept toward the range-limit of their communication equipment.

World leaders gathered earlier in the year to commemorate the launch of the fleet. Heading this year's Solar Peace Conference, China's Director Yang Lingxin bade the intrepid fleet a final farewell and good-luck, but vowed to spearhead talks regarding the future expansion of the New Worlds program with new fleets and new missions.

For these thousands of brave, though, that was all behind them. All that lay ahead was the void, and the lives they'd live within it. The future generations who would live to see TRAPPIST's warm glow now relied on them to pave the way.

It was now a long journey ahead.

Additional Information about PRIME TIME turns coming soon!
 

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INTRO TO TURN 1 + Into the Archives: Exposé on the Nations Behind the New Worlds Endeavor
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Cycle One - Sunset Sol
15 February, 2330 to 15 February, 2350

The journey has begun, and now we begin to look back toward our home - our solar system. Disparate countries, united by a notion of humanity, decided to put aside their differences and reach toward the stars.

Some believe that ethnicity and nationality ceased to exist the moment those ships passed the meager gravity well of Pluto, but in truth the history of these brave peoples is something they will always carry with them.


Into the archives: an exposé on the nations and minds that came together to make the New Worlds Solar Endeavor possible.


Union of Fennoscandia
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Flag of the Union of Fennoscandia

Chief among the powers of Earth, and a foundational country of the Solar Commerce Organization, Fennoscandia is the undisputed beacon of liberty on Earth, with a storied and respected history among the nations of Earth and those among the Solar System at large.

Born as an experiment of political unity during the tumultuous era of the oil collapse (c. 2055), the Union, originally of Norway, Finland and Sweden, saw political success through embracing a parallel relationship with the burgeoning European Federation, opposing its enemies and detractors leading up to formation.

In the 2070s, Fennoscandia saw its territory expand to encompass the former-Karelia and Murmansk oblasts with the onset of the Russian civil war. Fennoscandia's occupation of Karelia and Murmansk would remain a point of hostility between Fennoscandia and Russia for several centuries onward, but today Murmanskis and Karelians are indeed as Fennoscandian as any other, largely due to the efforts of activist Prime-Minister Hans Lundström, whose 2123 election would mark a turning point for Fennoscandia on the world stage.

As a result of economic and technological alliances forged with the Euroskeptic United Kingdom, Lundström's "One Europe" policy became a reality, and the United Kingdom would, gradually, be brought into a greater political sphere between the Federation and Union, paving the way for the creation of the North Sea Organization and its parent body, the European Solar Command, the latter of which retains its prominence today.

EUROSOLCOM was born during the era leading up to the War in Heaven as a result of the wide axial military alliances between nominally friendly states. Because Europeans had concentrated their colonization efforts toward the outer solar system, North-South American encroachment posed a significant risk to the whole, and therefore led way to the creation of a joint European military body in the Solar System

Following the end of the War in Heaven, and the fortunate closing of the era now known as The Last Days, Fennoscandia would find renewed geopolitical power among the victorious Sino-European alliance, finding its new place in the solar system as a permanent body of the Solar Commerce Organization - an interplanetary government body compared today to the United Nations.

Fennoscandia's role in the New Worlds Solar Endeavor is instrumental, and Fennoscandians were the first to pave the way to the stars with the revival of the DARKSHOT program during the War in Heaven. The NWSE, formerly known as SECOND SHOT, is a direct result of Fennoscandian innovations in interstellar spaceflight.

Representing for Fennoscandia and her former-colonies in the NWSE is Lieutenant Jannika Spjuth of the Fennoscandian National Space Agency. Spjuth is a well-known proponent of the program, and an accredited aerospace engineer. Spjuth first entered the public eye during the Years of Liberty, during which dozens of interplanetary colonies seceded from their parent nations to forge their own path ahead - some with significant struggle and strife which continues today. Lieutenant Spjuth, though often called a war hero, is better known for her role in preventing escalation of force during the Titanian Secession. Through a serious of insubordinate actions (which EUROSOLCOM military courts have today, miraculously deemed legitimate refusals of illegal order) Spjuth and several colleagues prevented the 12th Sundsvall Expeditionary Fleet from bombarding Metanholt, one of Titan's major industrial hubs. In part as a result of her actions, the Titanian Secession remained a mostly peaceful event, and Fennoscandia eventually acceded the secession of her colonies in exchange for their entering the EUROSOLCOM fold.

Russian Federation
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Flag of the Russian Federation

The story of the Russian Federation is one of death and rebirth. Indeed, no country has seen the circle of life quite so completely as that of the Russians.

Russia's story begins with that of the political uncertainty and economic collapse of the 2050s, an era now known infamously as the oil collapse. Russia would be among the nations hit hardest by the rapid and violent depletion of economically extractable fossil fuels which would reach totality in 2081.

In the early 2070s, as a result of economic collapse and deep-seated corruption, played into by a woefully inept and authoritarian government, Russia would find itself in the midst of a brutal civil war which would take the lives of millions. the post-2070s era marked the peak of Russia's political irrelevancy. Faced with insolvency and foreign invasion by Fennoscandia, the Federation dissolved, its parts divided amongst four new nations, as well as a slew of newly-independent caucasian states (including the the now-revered Alania, known then as Ossetia.) Prime among them was the Russian Republic, who would forge a mostly meager existence as a trade partner to Europe, and fifth column in regional politics.

The Russian Republic would remain a staple of European geopolitics well into the early 22nd century, where the continuing loss of Earth's economically extractable resources began to reach a peak. The 2120s would see a sharp reversal in Russia's fortune as it became one of the premier sponsors of autonomous humanoid droids, both in military and civilian applications. Smart crackdowns on corruption and the emergence of an oligarch-backed welfare state in the form of a universal income significantly increased Russian quality of life, and increased the political position of the Republic going into the late 22nd century era of interplanetary colonization. The Republic, pre-eminent among the states of the Former-Federation would negotiate and strongarm its way to the reformation of the Federation during the mid-22nd century, rising to star status in the world.

Russia's insistence on neutrality during the War in Heaven would prove instrumental to its rise to primacy. As the war dragged on, Russia took pivotal military opportunities to cripple both sides of the war, aided largely by significant numbers of autonomous combined arms. First with the siege of China's Baixing, and then with the sabotage of America's anti-ballistic missile network, Russia would play both sides to come out with a seat at the table when the war finally concluded. Russia would go on as a founding member of the Solar Commerce Organization, forming a political fifth-column among the united power blocs of the other SCO nations. Through mass-automation and development of AI, as well as smart political maneuvering, Russia has rebuilt itself in the name of its former power, achieving that and more. Today, no military strategy passes muster without serious consideration of the vast Russian military machine, and no negotiation goes agreed without the input of Russian diplomats.

It's no secret, then, why the Russian Federation forms a major component of the New Worlds Solar Fleet. The Federation is represented by two prominent admirals - Lieutenant-Colenel Boris Oshankobich of Roscosmos Naval Command, and Dmitry Sharonov of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

Boris Oshankobich was an obvious choice for the Solar Endeavor - the great-grandson of war-hero Anatoly Oshankobich (of Siege of Baixing fame) Podpolkovnik Oshankobich carries fame and legacy beyond his own achievements, though they easily stand on their own. Like his ancestors, Oshankobich is too something of a war hero - commander of the Strategic Corvette R.S. Masorin, his pivotal actions during the New Arkhangelsk Insurrection are well-documented. Oshankobich is a holder of the Order of Saint George, 4th Class as a result of his ship's brisk defense of the Capital Ship Admiral Flota Tigran Igorevich during the battle of New Arkhangelsk. Oshankobich is a well-known proponent of interstellar colonization, and has returned to military service in order to take up his long-sought role as Admiral of an interstellar ship.

Representing the other half of the federation's contribution to the solar endeavor is Colonel Dmitry Vasilievich Sharonov, one among a group of highly-decorated spacefighter pilots responsible for the defeat of the New Arkhangelsk Insurrection. A native of New Arkhangelsk, Sharonov distinguished himself by directing his garrison to take the side of the Russian Federation during the onset of the insurrection, leading a squadron of fighters in coordination with Russian forces to board and capture the Arkhangelski drone-carrier Admiral Flota Konstantinov, decisively leading New Arkhangelsk to surrender. Like his Muscovite colleague, Sharonov is a holder of the fourth-class Order of Saint George, one of several decorations earned during his distinguished military service. Following his retirement from the active service, Sharonov became a "private military advisor" for ROBON. Also like his colleague, Sharonov has reprised his rank to take command of the Sixth ship of the new worlds fleet, once again becoming the apple of the Russian public's eye.

Commonwealth of Pluto
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Flag of the Pluto Commonwealth

The Commonwealth of Pluto is an extremely young country on the Solar stage. Originally an Extraterrestrial Territory of the United Kingdom, Pluto gained independence from the UK in 2320 as part of the Outer Systems Treaty which also freed most other European colonies. Among the states of the Outer Systems, Pluto is the furthest and most sparsely populated, with most of its several hundred thousand residents making their living in mining and research. Along with being a significant exporter of ice and ship propellant, Pluto serves as the main port of rest for independent mining ships seeking out rare metals in the kuiper belt - a place with largely no regulation or licensing involved.

Plutonians are a hardy people who emphasize economic and social independence, as well as a significant spaceflight culture. The Plutonian government too emphasizes these values, and the Commonwealth thus maintains its own dedicated government organizations, including the Pluto Orbital Defense Forces, even at great cost and little benefit. Pluto benefits from a high quality of life afforded by their low population and low resource scarcity, as well as a robust healthcare system built specifically around the Plutonian lifestyle.

Pluto, while relatively minor in any other political context, now sits in the public eye as a major component of the New Worlds Solar Endeavor. Largely thanks to the political efforts of the United Kingdom, the Plutonians have been afforded the opportunity to command a ship of the fleet.

Representing for Pluto is the well-known Rear Admiral James Oligon of the Pluto Orbital Defense Forces. Born a citizen of the United Kingdom, Oligon made a name for himself as the admirably patriotic chief officer of colonial Pluto's security forces, and is credited for negotiating a place for Pluto in the Outer Systems Treaty. Though not known for his military prowess, Oligon has found his place in the newly-independent Pluto ODF as a result of his rank and contributions to the Commonwealth. As the driving force behind Pluto's entry into the NWSD, self-nominated Oligon was a natural choice for representing Pluto in the New Worlds fleet.

United Kingdom
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Flag of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom holds the distinction of being one of the oldest nations on Earth, but its modern story began relatively recently. In 21st century, the UK forever sealed its fate by espousing the ideology of eurosceptism. Cushioned by a highly diverse and advanced economy, the United Kingdom chose to suffer through the oil collapse separate from the stagnating economies of Europe, who saw fit to finally unite in order to secure Europe's political solvency in a world where the significance of the Western world was in steady decline.

The United Kingdom would find new friends in the eurosceptic bloc of nations in Eastern Europe, who too shrugged off European unity for an independent destiny. Though not without serious economic and social trouble brought on by the missteps of the Conservative party's early 21st century rule, the United Kingdom would forge its place in the internationsl stage of the 22nd century by aligning the V4 bloc, as well as the neutral Fennoscandians. The result was the emergence of a new, second European power bloc composed of non-Federal, independent nations, both adversarial and allied to the European Federation at once.

The North Sea Organization - the culmination of this parallel European bloc - would come to the forefront of international politics during the late 22nd century, where tensions led to escalation, and escalation led to war. United by a common enemy and a common heritage, the North Sea Organization and the European Federation banded together to form the European Solar Command of fame, joining their military fleets into one body and logistical structure - one which would serve the nations of Europe admirably in defending the Outer Solar System.

As a result of these new pan-European bonds, the United Kingdom would find itself on the victorious side of the War in Heaven, solidifying its place in the creation of the Solar Commerce Organization, and therefore the new interplanetary political order.

In the wake of the Years of Liberty, The United Kingdom would serve as a major proponent of peaceful secession policy, with parliament playing a major role in crafting the Outer Systems Treaty. The favorable and attractive terms outlined in the treaty have allowed the United Kingdom to remain quite close to its former-colonies. Many Outer System nations remain economically dependent on trade and favorable treaties with the UK, and as a result the UK has enjoyed significant political influence over the Outer Systems, even despite the official loss of its Extraterrestrial Territories.

The United Kingdom has been the greatest ally of Fennoscandia in military, economic, and technological aspects alike, and has thus been one of the greatest supporters of Fennoscandian-led efforts to make interstellar travel viable. Because of its relationship with Fennoscandia and its position within the European Solar Command, citizens and former-colonial nationals of the United Kingdom represent a significant part of the New Worlds Solar Fleet

Representing for the United Kingdom are two admirals - Vice-Marshal Monica Hawkins and Wing Commander Samuel Peasbody

Vice-Marshal Monica Hawkins is known for having been the commanding officer of the 3rd Carrier Task Force during the Years of Liberty. A highly-decorated officer and daughter of an NCO, Hawkins is one among several celebrity figures within the RAF who are revered by lower ranks for their relatability and competent grasp of the chain of command. Although Hawkins retired to Pluto following its independence, she has reprised her rank to take command of a ship in the New Worlds Solar Fleet.

Samuel Peasbody is the young, strapping face of the RAF. Publications from the Daily Mail to Baixing Press have covered his exploits in active military service, though not for the reasons his colleagues and subordinates would tell you. Though an ace light corvette pilot and decorated officer of the RAF, Peasbody’s military service would be rather unremarkable were he not the younger brother of royal in-law Leonard Peasbody, Third Earl of Stockton. Peasbody’s true rise to fame, however, would come from his sudden nomination to the admiralty of the UK’s second interstellar ship. His accession of the position has caused quite a storm in the media, especially given the RAF’s refusal to allow any royal family aboard the mission.

Republic of Alania
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Flag of Alania

Alania, known in the 21st century as Ossetia, is a nation which, despite having come into existence in the late 21st century, traces its cultural and spiritual roots back thousands of years. An otherwise unremarkable Caucasian state, Alania distinguished itself in the 22nd century by espousing a wildly radical and un-heard of cultural and religious philosophy, refusing monotheism for a fusion of native Pagan faith and worship of machines. Today, Alania is the most automized nation in the solar system, with an order of magnitude more highly-intelligent droids than actual humans counted in its national census - all of which are afforded the same rights and citizenship as humans (to controversial effect). Alania is known today as the 'glue' that holds together the Solar Commerce Organization, with many Alanians holding high-ranking positions in the SCO as a result of the organization's Alanian-driven conception. Alania is a militarily, economically, and politically neutral nation with many diplomatic affiliates, and heads up a military, economic, and technological alliance of Caucasian nations.

Alania's relationship with droids began in the 22nd century, when Russian robotics firm ROBON secretly chose the country for the location of its military R&D efforts - largely due to lack of regulations, ethics boards, and the availability of large sums of misappropriated dark money. Through corporate espionage and political maneuvering, ROBON would virtually become a front for the Alanian government, which became its largest sponsor as a result of money coming in from the European Federation.

The Alanian government would leverage its cultural fusion of man and machine, as well as international assistance efforts to transform the country from a relatively poor, politically irrelevant backwater to a hyper-automatized welfare state.

Despite staying militarily neutral during the War in Heaven, Alanian weapons and droids formed a source of cheap arms and technology with which the contending powers could fuel their massively expensive war machines. Alanian unmanned ships would form the basis for the first industrial operations in the asteroid belt, and the Republic's growing global ties in the aftermath of the War in Heaven would allow it to bring former rivals and contending powers together to form the Solar Commerce Organization - the first truly all-encompassing international political organization since the dissolution of the United Nations in the 2050s.

Today, quality of life in Alania is among the highest, and for the few Alanians among billions of other humans, the necessity of work has been largely eliminated, replaced largely by careers in science, organized religion, and exploration.

It is natural, then, that the Alanians have leveraged their position at the top of the SCO to spread their culture and philosophy to neighboring stars. Devoted to largely philosophical and theoretical work, Alanians are not only the perfect fit for such a mission, but among the most willing to pursue it.

And so devoted are some, that they would give up their life's career to pursue this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

One of these devoted is Director-General Ashkar Gazdanty of the SCO Office of Solar Military Oversight. A seasoned diplomat, veteran and hetman, Gazdanty is one of Alania's foremost citizens and one of the most revered public officials within the public eye. Behind every major international meeting in the last twenty years, Gazdanty has stood as the mediating party, bringing trifling officials and world leaders together to agreement and arbitrating balanced agreements where all else fails. OSMO under the leadership of Gazdanty has been credited with the faithful and fair enforcement of dozens of military disarmament treaties, including the Lunar Disarmament Treaty, in effect and never broken for over a century. Gazdanty is not only respected within the relatively small community of Alanians across the system, but near-universally respected among his fellow diplomats. Gazdanty is a major proponent of automicism, and has devoted much of his life to religious and public service - this prime mission is what he now states is his motivation for venturing out into the stars.
 
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►►►TURN 1 - Sunset Sol: 2330-2350
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15 February, 2330 -to- 15 February, 2350

Notable Fleet Events

-Only a few years into the mission, the fleet reached a tense standoff over the discovery of a mysterious interstellar object. Disagreements between admirals turned into a standoff, and escalated as weapon were deployed in a limited fashion - thankfully, nobody was injured, but the event has left a scar in trans-ship relations, with The GS-3 Saint Jole drawing the ire of other ships' admirals with what has been described as a 'standoffish' attitude. The situation certainly put the fear in passengers, the most vocal of whom have expressed concern of whether the mission will even meet the 'halfway' mark. The 'interstellar traveler' situation resolved peacefully when a Plutonian-built probe identified the interstellar object as a centuries'-old American probe, known as Voyager.

-The diplomatic difficulties experienced during the Voyager standoff would culminate in the founding of a new legal body governing fleet diplomacy - the ratification of the United Fleet Organization's constitution and rules dissolved any previous legal jurisdictions and agreements, allowing for negotiations to proceed on a 'blank slate basis'. Analysts across the fleet are hoping that the UFO will facilitate cleaner and more peaceful resolutions to disagreements between members of the fleet.

-A new popular sport emerges from the Belayev's Redemption: I-Ball, a new type of zero-gravity ball sport is spreading like a virus through the ship, and has found many-a fan aboard the Future of Russia as well. Slowly but surely, passengers aboard other ships are now agitating to form their own I-Ball clubs.

-Fennoscandia establishes the Fennoscandian Credit (FCr), the first currency in the fleet.

-Admiral Peasbody is named Viceroy of the Britannic in the name of King George.

-Admiral Gazdanty replaces his administration with the SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE. HI Droids begin to attend mass with human passengers!

-The Belayev's Redemption and Future of Russia have created an official trans-ship internet between each other.

-The GS-4 Gaia has surprised off-ship onlookers with the construction of the E.A.L.T. (infamously known as 'The Howitzer') Launch track along its bottom spinal axis.

-The Saint Jole held a funeral service for four maintenance workers tragically killed in an off-ship maintenance mission when their ship spun out into a high-G rotation.

GS-1 Blixthammar
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Admiral: Jannika Spjuth

-While a sort of laid-back attitude toward social control has always been a notable feature of the Blixthammar's culture, the lack of any means of exchange led to the creation of an informal currency through the trading of rations. This 'ad-hoc' market aboard the ship came to controversy when those not participating in it began to lose out - certain savvy entrepreneurs were becoming rich with ration packs while the average joe was faced with the bottlenecks of service cycles, even leading to shortages and hunger among some groups. Eventually, as things worsened for the 'have-nots' of the ship, factions formed and began to demand changes to the ship's 'status-quo' which had allowed this ration-hoarding to occur.

-Espousing a hands-off, middle-of-the-road approach, the Blixthammar's administration took a rather revolutionary step toward facilitating an organic ecosystem within the ship - thus, Admira Spjuth can be credited now for the creation of the fleet's first form of currency - the Fennoscandian Credit. Over the years, significant changes to the social order of the Blixthammar have transpired around the creation of the FCr, and ration allotments have largely now been replaced by paid labor. The FCr has even piqued the interest of staffers among the other ships, although the Blixthammar remains the lone ship to embrace what is now being called 'terrestrial economics'.

-Praised by its beneficiaries and harshly Denounced by its detractors, the Blixthammar’s increasing adoption of terrestrial economics has proved a boon for the administration, which controls the supply of FCr throughout the ship. Utilization of classical economic schemes has allowed the Blixthammar to levy labor to great effect. An accumulation of motivational wealth into the hands of the administration allowed Admiral Spjuth to accomplish her grand goal to build a robust educational foundation for the coming generations of passengers. Diversification of skillsets has been pegged as a major goal, and increasing overall occupational skill of passengers remains the current target for Admiral Spjuth's Board of Education.

-The efforts concentrated toward Education have certainly bore fruit, if publicly available data is to be believed - as of 2350, Blixthammar passengers, ages 18-30 rank among the highest in terms of trans-occupational knowledge, with among the shortest training-to-work intervals in the fleet.

GS-2 Belayev's Redemption
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Admiral: Boris Oshankobich

-The topic of laws for Highly-Intelligent Droids became a point of intense debate aboard the Belayev's Redemption when a slew of droid-related work accidents took the lives of maintenance workers aboard the ship. Taking cues from the Alanians and their comprehensive robot legal code, vocal progressives led a debate on whether HI Droids should be subject to laws and punishments due to their procedural and unpredictable nature. Although both supporters and detractors of the movement made comprehensive arguments as to the nature of HI Droids and the application of 'human' laws over non-sentient beings, the ship administration, led by Admiral Oshankobich, eventually stepped in, solidifying the conservative position of HI Droids as mere private property. This decision left progressives fuming, though they had little ability to act on their grievances. Conservatives, on the other hand, were vindicated. Automicists, meanwhile, watched on with worry.

-Rising unrest over controversial social topics (and little avenue through which to act) led the administration of the Belayev's Redemption to pursue a comprehensive renovation of recreational facilities and programs aboard the ship, with administration organized sports, debate, and hobby programs seeing prevalence. As a consequence, social tensions begin to calm somewhat, as passengers immerse themselves in new forms of leisure - a much-needed reprieve from an otherwise hectic existence aboard a generation ship. Still, intense debate becomes a rather regular feature of shipboard social circles, and this 'debate' culture is given new life with the opening of an inter-ship online network between the Belayev's Redemption and its counterpart, the Future of Russia. Soon, debates begin to cross the boundary of space, and a trans-vessel digital culture begins to emerge...

-As a result of these new programs, a new sport is born - what first started as a sort of 'joke' between maintenance workers in the de-pressurized sections of the ship eventually found its way to the rest of the ship, now finding its place as the premier sporting activity aboard the Belayev's Redemption. Inertia Ball or I-Ball, a zero-gravity sport played between teams of twelve, is the hottest new sport on the scene, and opposing clubs have already solidified their place aboard the Belayev's Redemption.

GS-3 Saint Joseph Labre
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Admiral: James Oligon

-Passengers across the Saint Jole were united in mourning for the families of four crew workers who died tragically when their ship entered a high-G spin during maintenance work outside the Jole. Despite best efforts to stabilize and recover the crew, all four workers perished from g-force induced asphyxiation. Admiral Oligon led a funeral service to commemorate the lives of the four crew, and met with their families to offer his condolences. In the aftermath of the tragedy, some began to question if more could have been done to save the maintenance crew, and how a critical malfunction in one of the ship’s RCS thrusters bypassed safety checks. In response to these questions, the ship’s administration could only say that it would be looking into all these issues, although ultimately the issue would fall to the wayside, with no clear conclusions revealed even years later.

-Citing record growth and need to keep the supplies and ecosystem of the ship in check, the Jole’s administration has put into place a comprehensive population control regime, including mandatory birth control and gating childbirth behind a rigorous application process. Initial reception of these new policies is highly polar, with the ship’s burgeoning Plutonian ‘elite’ supportive of an ostensibly pragmatic regime. The ship’s mixed-nationality majority, however, is not so happy to have their reproductive rights reduced to a privilege. Over time, a large body of opposition forms to the new policies, bringing unrest and hot debate to the Saint Jole. Inevitably, the Saint Jole’s administration yielded to its detractors - though standing firm on its accession to the legal code, the administration has largely allowed ‘family-building’ applications to go approved without regard for established population growth limits. Additionally, enforcement of birth control use has largely dissolved in an effort to preserve the ship’s supply for later use.

-In a move parallel to that of the Blixthammar (and a bit more controversial), the administration of the Saint Jole adopts a ‘chit’ system for the distribution of rations, with ration chits awarded on an ‘hours-worked’ basis. Though not the robust fiat currency of the Blixthammar, this controversial system does begin to act as a currency. Winners of an administration-run ‘chit lottery’ based on worked hours begin to throw their financial weight around, and a class of ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ begins to clearly emerge on the ship.

GS-4 Gaia
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Admiral: Monica Hawkins

-After years of mostly ad-hoc administration aboard the ship, the incompetence of dome shipboard officials and security officers has left portions of the population fed up. What began as a petition to remove one blatantly corrupt officer aboard the Gaia then evolved into a whole anti-establishment movement aboard the ship, advocating for drastic changes to its ‘political structure’. The progressive-minded activists at the head of the movement advocated for a shipboard constitution which would establish a sort of parliamentary administration in place of the current admiral-appointed regime. Though not without its critics, the parliamentary movement rapidly gained steam as more and more officials of the administration were outed for misuse of their positions. The response from Admiral Hawkins’ administration was naturally apprehensive, with Hawkins herself silent in the initial back-and-forth. Eventually, though Hawkins came out in favor of the reform movement, removing a slew of outed officials from office, and even sending some to the brig. Bringing the reformists to the negotiating table, she negotiated a compromise measure to establish a parliamentary body on the ship responsible for day-to-day functions. In return, the admiralty and its appointed administration would remain responsible for critical ship functions, and maintain an ‘executive override’ over the parliament. While the leaders of the movement saw this as a fair middle ground to achieve their goals, more radical elements in their movement came away disappointed, feeling that nothing had changed in terms of who held the power aboard the Gaia. Nevertheless, elections proceed and conclude without a fuss one year following the ratification of the compromise, and this new ‘representative class’ takes over the ship’s daily functions soon enough.

-More than ten years (and a significant part investment) in the making, Admiral Hawkins took to the podium at the eve of 2050 to christen the Gaia’s new ‘electromagnetic-assisted launch track’. Mounted to the bottom of the ship, the mass driver will assist the Gaia in launching small spacecraft and probes into deep space, while saving significant amounts of propellant.

-While the christening ceremony for the EALT remained a mostly cheery and congratulatory event for the cheering crowds aboard the Gaia, reactions from analysts across the fleet amounted to what can be described as ‘sheer panic.’ - beyond the halls of the Gaia, this new launch platform goes by a different name - ‘the howitzer.’ Indeed, with the construction and attachment of a mass driver to its hull, the GS-4 Gaia now begins to blur the line between endeavoring colony ship and heavily armed war machine, and while the EALT is ostensibly for launch-catapault purposes, watchdogs note alarmingly that there is little to stop the Gaia from using it as an outsized railgun, especially in light of ramped up security tram training and readiness drills mandated by a slew of new policies aboard the Gaia.

GS-5 Britannic
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Admiral:
Samuel Peasbody

-The apparent optimism of unified interstellar travel was not enough to quell the human condition from rearing its head aboard the Britannic, and as a result the ship would find itself overtaken by the struggles of a bygone era. The Britannic is, by all means, the single greatest bastion of classic organized religion among the fleet, and its administration’s de-facto ‘alliance’ with the church has not gone without its detractors. The necessity to maintain an air of secularity has thus far made church figures reluctant to force their will upon the unwilling, but only so far as that the church’s role is not diminished aboard the ship. The church’s willingness for restraint broke when progressive elements aboard the Britannic, citing historically low church attendance rates, began to agitate for an alternate food distribution system. Aboard the Britannic, food is distributed solely at churches, and this has been one of the lifelines for the Church’s continued influence. The controversy came to a head as opposing ideologues began to fight each other in the halls, and church officials appealed directly to the ship administration. From what fleet analysts have been able to devise from backchannels and anonymous sources, the administration of Admiral Peasbody has once again sided with the church on this matter, and self-declared no-faithers are claiming to face increased harassment and scrutiny from security aboard the Britannic, with the ship’s CSO going as far as to installing systems to track the whereabouts and activities of no-faith persons, in breaking with typical surveillance measures. The future of the no-faith movement, looking in from the outside is now unclear as the shipboard administration throws its weight around to suppress the movement’s proponents, while the unification of the church administration under a new ‘Diocese of the Britannic’ indicates to some that the Church is tightening its grip over social affairs on the ship.

-In parallel with other ships seemingly tackling internal social issues, the Britannic has seen an uptick in organized workshops for hobbies and recreational activities, with some administration-sponsored workshops steering toward building practical skills. Coupled with new restrictions on vehicular transport intended to encourage pedestrian traffic, the workshops come as part of a trend of increasing communal participation, evidence of what Britannic’s Chief Engineering Officer says is ‘effective and strategic use of ship design to drive social development.’ Evidence or not, increased inter-neighborhood interaction spells bright horizons for an administration bogged down by social divisions over religion and ship policy.

-In a somewhat jarring ceremony taking place on the eve of the 2050, the shipboard administration decided to appoint Admiral Peasbody as Viceroy, acting in the authority of King George and the Church of England. While some have now claimed that this is no more than a cultural gesture (as the King has had little power for more than five centuries,) some analysts looking in have now pegged the appointment as a sign that the Britannic is consolidating power into the hands of the admiralty, which already holds immense authority over the ship on an ad-hoc basis. Soon, they suggest, we may see the title of ‘Admiral’ replaced by a more ‘overt’ designation aboard the Britannic.

GS-6 Future of Russia
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Admiral: Dmitry Sharonov

-"We shall not be separate!" was the cry heard across the Future of Russia’s mess halls nearly every week over the course of the first years of the mission. Sometimes familiar faces, sometimes someone new - one of the many who had heard the message and decided to join the movement. A rising sense of community between the Future of Russia and Belayev’s Redemption, built through ad-hoc backchannels and unlicensed private net forums led to increasing and ever-more determined agitation to physically connect the two ships, culminating in an organized movement dedicated to advocating such an aim. For the conservative establishment, this new movement proved a rather tricky adversary in an otherwise calm and uneventful ship. Eventually, though, the charge-less arrests and mess hall lockdowns became too much and too often for the ship’s security to want to bother with - Admiral Sharonov was forced to come out and weigh in on this debacle. While an admirable aim, the administration knew full-well that physical connection would jeopardize the redundancy factor of the mission, and thus Sharonov was forced to deny the movement its goal. However, his speech to the shipboard public in which he acknowledged the movement did much to bring its leaders to the negotiating table, and as a result, Sharonov and his administration were able to reach a compromise that both parties, as well as the administration of Admiral Oshankobich, could agree to. In a fleet first, Admiral Sharonov was present to christen the establishment of an inter-ship network between the Belayev’s Redemption and the Future of Russia - a so-called digital docking of the Russian ships. Along with the decriminalization of ‘unlicensed’ communications, the new dual-ship internet was received with optimism from the public, the savvy among whom had already brought up online forums and boards onto the net - some of which, admittedly, had existed prior as underground ‘unlicensed’ networks. Nevertheless, the official digital connection of the two ships proved a boon to these now-legitimized forums, and a common digital culture began to form between the two ships.

-In step with a trend hitting the greater fleet,
the shipboard administration marked its first twenty-year plan with the establishment of a comprehensive training program for current and future security forces, integrating with the ship’s robust VR simulation facilities. Ship authorities said that they remained committed to a well-trained security ministry, and a well-prepared future landing force at the end of the fleet’s journey.

GS-7 Xwytsau
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Admiral: Ashkar Gazdanty

-Admiral Gazdanty would surprise everyone when he announced that the shipboard administration was being sacked and replaced by a new prototype machine-learning AI pioneered by shipboard scientists. Known popularly as the ‘Spiritual Intelligence’, the AI program caught the attention of religious authorities aboard the Xwytsau due to its significantly improved applicational adaptability, with a skill-adopting capability eerily converging with human levels. Lauded as a religious miracle, the spiritual intelligence has now overtaken Admiral Gazdanty’s administration in their fundamental duties after a church-backed popular movement sought to put the AI in charge of the Xwytsau. While Admiral Gazdanty remains at the helm, onlookers are curious to see how the Spiritual Intelligence will drive his future decision making, and indeed the social fabric of the ship which has now venerated the AI.

-Accompanying the increasing regularity of Grove-based religious services, the administration of Admiral Gazdanty announced in 2046 that it would integrate human and droid religious services into a single communal mass, following with full integration of communal sparring and weightlifting programs. This comes as sweeping reforms to the ship’s educational curriculum enter practice. Backed by a data-rich, cryptographically-signed spectrum of cultural, historical, religious and scientific texts, the new curriculum for all school-age children has enjoyed widespread support from parents and off-ship analysts, the latter of whom have been quick to point out its factual authenticity, depth, and international focus as compared to more traditional curricula.

-The first ‘spiritually co-neural’ person was named in 2049 with the successful implantation of a communication interface with the patient’s brain, allowing him to communicate intuitively with the Spiritual Intelligence. The patient, a well-known religious hetman aboard the Xwytsau, has been a strong proponent of spiritual co-neuralism, and says the implant will allow religious figures to gain new insights into the fundamentals of automicism.
 

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Post-Turn 1: Technological Innovations, 2330-2350
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Technological Innovations, 2330-2350

GS-4 Gaia Reports:

S-1 Laser Drill: Extrapolating from existing designs of hand-laser, our labs have designed an appropriate next-gen 'hand' laser for ablating rocks. Although nearly a meter long and weighing several dozen pounds, these lasers are still quite portable and will afford us a great many utility.

BAT-9 (Basic Autonomous Turret, 9x35mm): Also extrapolated from existing designs, we have devised a small, simple autonomous turret designed to fend off possible wildlife. Designated the BAT-9 (Basic Autonomous Turret), It's not very 'smart' and it has to be plugged up to a generator due to the simplicity of the design, but it works. The 'cheapness' has definitely caused some safety features of more advanced autonomous weapons to be lost, and this design should not be utilized for high-traffic security or put in places where lots of civilians are running around.

PRAB (Permanent Rapid Assembly Base): We have devised some simple designs compatible with our onboard printers which can be set-up fairly easily with the use of in-situ resources such as ground-produced concrete. Although not the most advanced or luxurious structures, they can be set up quick and are far better than temporary hab structures in terms of environmental protection and structural integrity.

GS-5 Britannic Reports:

GMO Gen 32: Through the use of genetic modification kits and careful data collection over the course of twenty years, we have managed to achieve a 15% increase in yield of core food crops at no cost to sustainability. Similarly, we have been able to eliminate the use of anti-biotics in livestock while increasing disease resistance to hypothetic alien pathogens, as well as reduce their water intake and methane output.

Intensive Fluid Reclamation: Although water reclamation is already mission-viable (We can successively reclaim enough water to last us longer than the journey), scientists have managed to make improvements in combating water loss due to human and animal deaths, accounting for a 10% increase in longterm effective supply for a given starting supply of water.

Agent Emerald, High-Intensity Crop Vitalizer: Additionally, while efforts to advance the field of agricultural labor-saving have not bore any fruit (and our current automation practices are quite robust) scientists have devised a special vitalizing agent which can be used on farmland to drastically reduce growing time and boost yields, although the vitalizing agent is extremely ecologically destructive, to say the least. It would be handy as an emergency last-ditch measure to stave off imminent famine, but the sustainability of the land can be permanently affected by the agent.

GS-7 Xwytsau Reports:

Brain-Computer Co-Neurality: The first ‘spiritually co-neural’ person was named in 2049 with the successful implantation of a communication interface with the patient’s brain, allowing him to communicate intuitively with the Spiritual Intelligence. The patient, a well-known religious hetman aboard the Xwytsau, has been a strong proponent of spiritual co-neuralism, and says the implant will allow religious figures to gain new insights into the fundamentals of automicism.

GS-2 Belayev's Redemption Reports:

Improved Droid Hardware: ROBON Scientists have successfully created new sensor upgrades to prevent work-related accidents, and have been able to implement these upgrades in the most statistically accident-prone populations of HI Droids aboard the Belayev's Redemption. These upgrades could prove useful in augmenting the decision-making capabilities of highly-intelligent droids.


►►►►Notable technological goals in the 24th century

Although innovations in robotics, artificial intelligence, and the utilization of nuclear forces have formed the basis of the solar economic machine, there are still many theoretical or near-feasible technologies that continue to evade scientists.

Non-exhaustive list of emerging and theoretical technologies in the 24th century:
Aneutronic Fusion: While fusion reactors form the basis for the solar energy economy in the 24th century (and the basis for the New Worlds Solar Fleet's interstellar capability) there are still many practical difficulties and hazards plagueing fusion power, the most major of which being the limited ways in which fusion's power potential can be exploited. Even in the spacefaring, carbon nanotubing future, fusion reactors are bottlenecked by the archaic turbine systems that are responsible for harnessing their outputs. If fusion can be performed such that less than 1% of its energy is carried in released neutrons, certain advanced techniques could be then used to convert the reaction's energy directly into electricity, saving greatly on cost, size factor and boosting efficiency. Although aneutronic is possible using fuels common to the solar system, further innovations in direct energy conversion are required to make the process viable. So far, further innovations have evaded the 24th century's brightest minds.

High Temperature Superconductors: While innovations in superconducting materials from the 22nd century onward have brought transition temperatures which were only the realm of science fiction in preceding centuries, concerted efforts to achieve true 25 °C superconductivity have bore no fruit over hundreds of years of research and experimentation. The discovery of a high-temperature superconductor would make current-day near-room-temperature superconductors look like child's play, and indeed may be the key to making artificial hyper-intelligence energy-viable.

Artificial Hyper-Intelligence: The field of artificial intelligence has made significant strides since the birth of the AI-driven humanoid droid in the 22nd century. Improvements in processing power and portable energy have allowed AI-driven computers to become ever more compact, and ever more complicated. However, as smart and man-like as the cutting edge of anthropomorphic neural-network driven AI is, scientists have always disagreed about the feasability (and existence) of a true human brain-parity AI-driven processor. Often called the point of 'singularity' for artificial intelligence, a breakthrough in viable hyper-intelligence is the holy grail of the AI field. However, achieving such a feat is by all means beyond the reach of current technology, and would require breakthroughs in other fields to enable the processing power involved. Additional theory-craft is also necessary in a field divided strongly along lines of ethics and neural principles.

Torch Drive: Known within the aerospace science community as the 'unobtainium' of rocket engines, a 'torch drive' is the colloquial term for a high specific impulse, high thrust method of propulsion which would allow space ships to do away with Hohmann transfer orbits and travel via a brachistochrone trajectory, also known as a 'skew-flip turnover' or 'flip-and-burn' travel. Although no practical form of torch drive has yet been demonstrated, there is substantial theory that a form of fusion-driven propulsion developed from existing fusion propulsion may fit the bill of a 'torch drive.' - such a propulsion method would revolutionize interplanetary travel, cutting travel times by perhaps an order of magnitude, and changing the face of orbit-based zero-g warfare.
 
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INTRO TO TURN 2
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Cycle Two - Generation Interstellar

15 February, 2350 to 15 February, 2370

With the New Worlds Solar Endeavor now T-minus twenty years, it's still a long journey ahead. However, the faces of this ship are beginning to change. With the solar system of old now just a memory in the minds of our intrepid starfarers, things are beginning to change aboard the fleet. Diplomatic strife and social change is beginning to test the mettle of the solar fleet's design and purpose, and many are now beginning to ask -

Will we survive?

The fate of thousands will soon lie in the hands of those who've never laid eyes on humanity's home - all they have known is the confines of these starships.




. . .


Ship situations rolling out!
 
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►►►TURN 2 - Generation Interstellar: 2350-2370
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Turn Music:


15 February, 2350 -to- 15 February, 2370

Notable Fleet Events


GS-1► Over the years, the GS-1 Blixthammar has undergone a rapid transition to the market-capitalist society of old that has long been the lifeblood of the solar system at large. The years leading up to the 2350 epoch have been especially unique, with the Blixthammar seeing the rise of corporate entities aboard the ship, largely founded by the 'winners' of the early trading era. These corporate entities came together to form an exchange aboard the ship to facilitate private ownership and generate capital for their shipboard activities. What is now known as the Blixthammar Stock Exchange (BLXE) has become an official, incorporated organization aboard the ship as the likes of admiral Spjuth and her aging administration embrace the economics of old. It seems now that the more things change, the more they stay the same.


GS-2►The Belayev's Redemption has taken the establishment of its shipwide I-Ball a league a step further by sponsoring the creation of a fleet-wide I-Ball league. The International I-Ball Organization (MOI), built off the hard work and experience of the united football clubs aboard the GS-2, are now looking for ship-representative teams to participate in the ULTRA Cup for the Trappist Chalice - the newest, largest and most prestigious league trophy in I-Ball. All ships are invited to assemble a team for training, with the first ULTRA Cup planned in four years.


GS-3►Building towards what appears to be a worrying larger trend among the fleet, the GS-3 Saint Jole's administration has established history's first fully corporate government, officially espousing the ideology of corporatism. The GS-3 now finds itself governed by a board of directors chosen from the upper ranks of ship's most powerful corporations, and headed by none other than James Oligon as 'Director-General of the Board.' - this new pivot to corporate sovereignty is unprecedented in the eyes of outside observers, but many aboard the GS-3 see the new order as an acknowledgment of the elephant in the room. With the establishment of the new corporatist government also comes with the advent of a formalized currency (the Company Credit, or Cc) to replace ration chits, as well as a slew of legal and institutional structures built up to support a new, mixed capitalist society aboard the ship. Chief among the Jole's new vessels of capitalism is the Saint Joseph Labre Stock Exchange (SJSE), making the GS-3 the second ship in the fleet to establish a robust financial sector. The advent of the BLXE and the SJSE now bring into question the hypothetical dynamics of cross-ship markets...


GS-3►In 2360, Director-General Oligon put the Howitzer Vote to referendum - the people of the Jole were asked if they want to sign a electronic petition to be sent to the GS-4 Gaia. The petition asks for the rest of the fleet to all work together to put a unremovable safety device on the E.A.L.T. that would stop it from being fired at another ship or loaded with non-probe ordinance, or at least from being removed without everyone else knowing. Although the language of the referendum is clearly vague and its viability is questioned, the referendum passes with a landslide. 24,520 signatures are gathered, digitally signed, and sent to all members of the fleet.


GS-4►On the eve of 2360, the GS-4 Gaia ratified into law one of the first sovereign constitutions after a referendum to approve it passed with landslide. The new constitution is a major win for progressives aboard the ship, who have long pushed for an increase in the power of the 'neutered parliament', as it came to be known. Now, the parliament is stronger than ever, and the GS-4 Gaia becomes a sovereign republic by law - the ship's new constitution declares so, with its secession from the United Kingdom made official and legally final. Still, questions about the power and role of the extant admiralty and its reigning administration remain - although Parliament has been given broad and substantial means to check the admiral's 'Executive Committee', the shipboard 'upper administration' still reigns in a position of legal supremacy. Some of the more radical elements in the Gaea's progressive movements are already calling for further democratic concessions, while the more moderate elements work quietly in the background, the weight of absolute power lifted from above them.


GS-4►Outside analysts view the Gaian Constitution as a revolutionizing force in fleetwide political theory, and news of its arrival has universally boosted popular support for 'navalism' - the ideology of generation ship sovereignty, both political and in identity. Supporters of the movement have long dropped their traditional cultural demonyms for terms such as 'Gaian' or 'Belayevski', but now more people than ever are adopting these sentiments, especially as old age has rendered non-ship born passengers a minority in most of the fleet.


GS-5►Navalism, pioneered largely by political theorists and activists aboard the GS-5, became a driving force of political change on the ship in the 2360s. Playing into to rising navalist sentiments, conservatives and church powers attempted to install a king aboard the ship and declare independence from the United Kingdom. The admiralty, however, was not so eager to embrace the movement - a response to the desire for independence from GS-5's well-to-do, and indeed its populus, came in the form of a middle-ground compromise. No independence, no king - but a shipboard parliament will rule, with the admiral's role overtaken by a 'governor.' Suffice to say, this spelled an awkward situation for the ship's incoming administration, which is now forced to come to grips with the consequences of acting independently while still trying to maintain a semblance of connection to the past - a past that many have begun to forget. Nonetheless, the GS-5 has become a backstop for the political ideologies and cultural movements of what is now being called Generation Interstellar - the face of a mankind which has never seen nor cares of the solar system, for whom things like 'United Kingdom' and 'King George' are the realm of senile iconoclasts clinging to their history books.


GS-6►Over the years, the growing radicalism and violence of the progressive movement aboard the Future of Russia has forced the admiralty to take drastic measures to curb movements and groups which have come to be known in public discourse as 'terrorist groups.' In a surprising reversal of ideological trends, progressives aboard the ship have largely lost the support of the GS-6's public, in no small part because of a series of crushing scandals involving leaders of the movement, including the arrest and imprisonment of Lukas Sozonov - a major leader of the GS-6 automicist movement and critic of the shipboard administration. Sozonov's conviction for arms trafficking and embezzlement settled the final nail in the coffin for the progressives' reputation, especially in light of his pacifist stance toward political activism. Nonetheless, when Sozonov's operation to put advanced rifles, launchers, and military grade explosives in the hands of more radical progressive movements was discovered, the public quickly turned against him and the progressives. Successive investigations and busts have largely removed the progressives' voice aboard the ship, although to say that anyone will miss them is an overstatement. In their wake they have left an ideological power vacuum, currently 'backfilled' by the status quo, but otherwise dangerously open for the taking...


GS-7►Throughout the years, the overt public optimism over the christening of the 'machine spirit' has been underlaid by murmurs of its increasing complexity, and thus mystery. More people had been adopting co-neurality than ever before, and at an increasing rate, and so too had some C2s chose to connect themselves to the SI's supercomputer shell. Its processing power was increasing, and as a result it was performing increasingly complex, powerful calculations and simulations. Running scenarios - bouncing ideas off of its growing neural network. The tipping point came in 2355, when coders gave up on trying to maintain its codebase, for it became too complex, and indeed, unreadable to even the best trained human eyes. Rumors about Admiral Gazdanty's increasing isolation have circulated widely, reaching well beyond the walls of the GS-7. Some feared he had become delusional in his devotion to the SI, while the ardently faithful dispelled these notions as ignorant. Gossip and news flowing outward to the other ships seemed to die down for a few years, and indeed, the Xwytsau became eerily quiet for long spans of time, its silence only intermittently broken by some piece of petty gossip or a comms officer on the fleet channel. The silence, however, would not last - in 2363, the Xwytsau revealed to the rest of the fleet that the majority of the ship's passengers and highly-intelligent were now co-neural with the spiritual intelligence, resulting in the creation of a networked computer of unprecedented size and scope. The reactions of outside observers were mixed - some feared the uncertainty of the implications, while others were quite curious. Nonetheless, it became apparent to all that the Xwytsau was now in possession of one of the most powerful AI in human history, with processing power yet unmeasured, but significant enough to put the fear of God in fleet scientists.


GS-1 Blixthammar
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Admiral: Jannika Spjuth


►With the administration reaching well into the age of retirement, and indeed, some even passing on, admiral Spjuth and her trusted advisors have begun to think ahead - she and her compatriots will not be alive to negotiate and politick through the un-blazed trails of TRAPPIST-1, and how a hypothetical first-contact with alien life is handled, human or otherwise, will rest on the education and protocols created today. In an effort to pave the way for the future, the Blixthammar announced the creation of the Ministry of Education in 2355, organizing all educational institutions and corporations under one, nationalized department. Ushered in by this new organization are significant additions to the GS-1's educational curriculum, including mandated classes on international diplomacy and drills on contact with extra-terrestrial life, both intelligent and non-intelligent. Considerations include careful preservation of non-technological life, and the possibility of disease transmission. Ethics boards across the fleet have lauded the new curriculum and drills as an example worthy of emulation when it comes to arrival preparedness.

►Accompanying arrival preparedness efforts are a series of supercomputer allocations made to simulating large-scale engineering projects focused on establishing and enhancing a permanent colony on the hypothetical surface of TRAPPIST-1e. Scientists have made their gratitude to the administration known for its liberal rationing of simulation time, much to the chagrin of corporate contractors who desire the Blixthammar's processing power to further their own research projects and market scenarios.

GS-2 Belayev's Redemption
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Admiral: Igor Oshankobich


►A comprehensive investigation into the causes of the rogue droid situation reached its conclusion in 2363, with the findings privately filed with the ship's administration. Due to the high-profile nature of the investigation, some have called for the release of its results to the public, although administration officials are quick to defend the lack of transparency as a 'matter of mission criticality'. This hasn't stopped the petitions from flowing in, however - signatures from other ships have even begun to make their way to the inbox of the GS-2's Chief Communications Officer, signalling an increasing push to reveal the details of that extremely tense, fatal incident.

►In lighter news, the sweeping popularity I-Ball has given fruit (literally!) to a new favorite among the ship's festive sports fans, and indeed the public at large - Belayev Red, a highly-engineered wine produced by vineyard enthusiasts, has taken the ship by storm, finding its first indulgent victims via drink sales at I-Ball games. Now, a bottle of Belayev Red can be found on the rack of any well-to-do, respectable Russian. The choice wine has even infected the highly-refined tastes of the GS-3 Saint Jole, which first had the opportunity to enjoy it as part of a diplomatic care package from Admiral Oshankobich. Despite its excellent taste profile and elegance, though, Belayev Red struggles to separate itself from its image as the I-Ball wine. Fans of the game naturally don't see a problem with this, but the more pretentious aboard the ship find the wine easy to knock due to the association

GS-3 Saint Joseph Labre
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Director-General of the Board: James Oligon


►Citing rising security risks aboard the ship and a lack of personnel, the Jole's Chief Security Officer announced in 2361 that he would be hiring two hundred new officers to bolster the ship's security crew. This comes after years of turmoil and social change across the fleet that has left many worried about the status quo. Nonetheless, Jole's CSO only cited a statistic rise in crime for the hirings. In addition to the new hirings, the Jole’s security office received a much-needed boost of funding, likely offloaded from corporate security contracts.

►Director-General Oligon announced in 2363 that he would be assuming the role of CEO for Salton & Creel Corporation, the ship's chief corporation and major sponsor of initial construction. Outside analysts have viewed this as a move to increase S&C's influence in the Board of Directors, as well as to directly oversee the organization of the Jole's gradually swelling private security forces, the numerical strength of which is notably undisclosed by the board.

►As part of a series of reforms championed by the Board of Directors, Director-General Oligon passed a series of laws from 2360 to 2370:

►In 2360, Oligon put the Howitzer Vote to referendum - the people of the Jole were asked if they want to sign a electronic petition to be sent to the GS-4 Gaia. The petition asks for the rest of the fleet to all work together to put a unremovable safety device on the E.A.L.T. that would stop it from being fired at another ship or loaded with non-probe ordinance, or at least from being removed without everyone else knowing. Although the language of the referendum is clearly vague and its viability is questioned, the referendum passes with a landslide. 24,520 signatures are gathered, digitally signed, and sent to all members of the fleet.

►In 2363, Oligon signed off on the GAI Control Act, making it illegal for a highly-intelligent AI to 'gain sentience through natural means or through engineering.' The law also placed restrictions on integrating HI Droids or AI software into equipment and infrastructure systems, while mandating that all existing highly-intelligent AI systems be modified with hardware-enforced limitations to their behavior. This law was received well by the Jole's public, although outside observers questioned whether these measures would hamper the versatility of the Jole's procedural-learning AI.

►In the same year, Oligon signed off on the EMERGE (Enhancing Mankind by Employing Recombinant Genetic Expansion) Act, a bill which legalizes and endorses the use of recombinant genetics for modification of living humans and unborn fetuses. The law, which passed only narrowly, prescribes some regulations in terms of corporations abusing genetic modification, as well as punishments for doing so. The law has been criticized by some as an answer without a question, as genetics have not advanced sufficiently to take full advantage of the methods of modification the act legalizes. Nevertheless, the Jole's major genetics corps have lauded the act as a first step towards pioneering advanced modification of human DNA.

►Lastly, and in the same year as the other two, Oligon signed the Recycling Act, making certain procedures of materials recycling mandatory for all passengers. The law has been criticized by some as infringing on the freedoms of the Jole’s citizens, but others are happy to take some load off of the Jole’s recyclers and printers - power and labor which can be used elsewhere. In response to the Recycling Act, many corporations have begun revising their products to be fully reusable, requiring a visit to the recyclers only at the very end of their life cycle.

►In 2367, the Jole announced that it would be decommissioning its livestock, vineyard, and optical telescope modules in order to make use of the parts, materials, and labor elsewhere. Aside from a minor public outcry from wine enthusiasts and animal rights activists, the news came and went with little comment.

►Thousands gathered at the Jole's central venue to participate in VIDEOFEST, an amateur filmmaking festival sponsored by Central Venue's chamber of commerce. Young filmmakers and videographers showed off their best work to the public while corporate scouts watched from the background, no doubt keeping an eye out for potential superstar directors in the making. The festival was such a success that hobby filmmakers on other ships have called for the organization of their own festivals.

►Following their superstar rise to fame aboard the ship's burgeoning I-Ball scene, the ZG-Monkeys announced in 2370 that they are slated to represent the Saint Joseph Labre in the ULTRA Cup, competing against other ship teams for the Trappist Chalice, as well as incalculable fame and bragging rights.

GS-4 Gaia
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Admiral: Monica Hawkins


►Taking after the example of the GS-1, the Gaia's administration announced the formation of a shipwide Ministry of Education, formally drafted and put in place by parliament. A new shipwide curriculum thinks ahead for the future generations, focusing on the cultivation of practical skills in a newly-founded colony - sciences, math, engineering, survival skills, programming - the works. Additionally, a series of survival handbooks has disseminated across the ship, handed out for free to every household to attract interest in the new curriculum and incentivize families to encourage students to engage with the course material. Fleetwide observers see the institution as another victory for comprehensive, tailored education in the fleet, and certainly aboard the GS-4.

►The new curriculum coincided with a program sponsored by the education ministry which allows burgeoning artists to set up workshops at the government's expense, for the advancement and cultivation of culture aboard the ship. This 'arts fund' has been met with a great reception, and plenty of young, talented artists have gained ministry patronage, some even gaining fleet-wide fame and acclaim. As a result, the GS-4 has in recent years gained a reputation for being the fleet's 'king of art and music' - an impression that the administration is eager to accept.

►Seeing the rapid rise and success of I-Ball on the Belayev's Redemption, the Ministry of Education also looked toward its arts fund to sponsor the creation of I-Ball clubs aboard the ship. Helped along by a liberal allotment of printer farm access and administrative organization, the GS-4's I-Ball clubs developed quickly into forces to be reckoned with, gaining viewership from across the fleet. Following the GS-2's announcement of the ULTRA Cup, the Gaia National I-Ball League has announced that it will petition government to assemble a 'national' team to play for the Trappist Cup in 2374.

GS-5 Britannic
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Governor: Colin MacKenzie


►The Britannic's newly sworn-in governor, Colin MacKenzie of 'Rogue Bird Incident' fame, made his first major appearance at the rather strange baptism of the Britannic's copy of the droid. Now known as Cornelius, the droid was joined by MacKenzie and hundreds of others as the head of the church baptized it. After witnessing a droid become Christian, Governor MacKenzie delivered a speech professing his respects for the late Samuel Peasbody, and his commitment to ensuring the success of the mission in his role as Governor. A fresh face born on the Britannic itself, MacKenzie has received overwhelming support in his new role, with the 'interstellars' of the GS-5 eager to see one of their own at the highest level of administration on the ship.

►MacKenzie's first few years of governance would see gradual changes to the church, with more and more priests choosing to become celibate as part of a larger effort to eliminate nepotism and control the ship's spectacular growth in population. This ‘High Anglican Doctrine’ would come to be the dominant position within the church.

GS-6 Future of Russia
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Admiral: Dmitry Sharonov


►Over the years, the growing radicalism and violence of the progressive movement aboard the Future of Russia has forced the admiralty to take drastic measures to curb movements and groups which have come to be known in public discourse as 'terrorist groups.' In a surprising reversal of ideological trends, progressives aboard the ship have largely lost the support of the GS-6's public, in no small part because of a series of crushing scandals involving leaders of the movement, including the arrest and imprisonment of Lukas Sozonov - a major leader of the GS-6 automicist movement and critic of the shipboard administration. Sozonov's conviction for arms trafficking and embezzlement settled the final nail in the coffin for the progressives' reputation, especially in light of his pacifist stance toward political activism. Nonetheless, when Sozonov's operation to put advanced rifles, launchers, and military grade explosives in the hands of more radical progressive movements was discovered, the public quickly turned against him and the progressives. Successive investigations and busts have largely removed the progressives' voice aboard the ship, although to say that anyone will miss them is an overstatement. In their wake they have left an ideological power vacuum, currently 'backfilled' by the status quo, but otherwise dangerously open for the taking...

GS-7 Xwytsau
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Admiral: Ashkar Gazdanty


►The integration of the majority of the GS-7's passengers into the Spiritual Intelligence, or 'Machine Spirit's networked computer has, without doubt confirmed the theories of the faithful aboard the ship - the Spiritual Intelligence is the corporeal avatar of Xwytsau, supreme and superior to all others. In an almost shocking conclusion to religious devotion, the religious powers-that-be have voluntarily given up their powers of dogma and interpretation, admitting the supremacy of the Spiritual Intelligence in all affairs of faith. In addition to being given a humanoid HI-type body networked to its main shell - the ship mainframe, the spiritual intelligence is officially named the head of the Automicist-Assian faith in being. Admiral Gazdanty has now all-but admitted that it is not the SI which advises him, but he who derives wisdom and direction from the SI - a distinction which has long been argued over.

►Martial-arts competitions and festivals are held in celebration of this immense revelation, and a new hetman, inferior to the SI is named from among the strongest participating in the competition. A hetman is found in the likes of Valeri Zumadze - a well-known grandson of a military officer. Although accusations of favors from the administration have flown around, Zumadze undoubtedly proved his strength during the competition, and challenged anyone who accuses him of not deserving his position to come and fight him in the ring. Suffice to say, no one came forward to challenge him.

►The martial-arts competition coincided with administration-sponsored, ship wide celebrations complete with lavish banquets and rare wines. The common man and C2 relish in the continued success of the GS-7, and are hopeful for the future - spiritually, culturally, and mission critically. Outside observers, on the other hand, look on in both fear and awe.
 

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INTRO TO TURN 3
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Cycle Three - The Retrograde Epoch

15 February, 2370 to 15 February, 2400

With the very last of the original passengers of the fleet passing on to the great beyond, a new era is truly upon us. We have come well past the halfway point of the journey, entering past the 'retrograde epoch.' With the fabled TRAPPIST-1 system only several decades away, the execution of the final steps of the mission are now up to the men and women being born today.

Passengers aboard the ship feel the strain on their bones as the fleet is put under 1 G of gravity for the first time in years.


Situations coming s00n!
 
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