A short history of Plateau
Plateau, at the time of the Collapse, was one of the most heavily industrialized systems in the old Empire, and also secondary shipyard, originally used to build frontier fleet units and survey ships. However, the Bug Incursion, which occurred in relatively close proximity to Plateau, changed a many things. First, and foremost, the Navy squadron guarding the system was sent to the front lines to delay the invader while heavy units were brought out from further inside the Empire. Secondly, the shipyards in the Plateau system were re-tasked to build up the system’s defenses, and then, once that was complete, all available shipyard capacity would be devoted to building new warships for the fleets to be deployed to combat the invaders. These activities, like so many other projects being carried out throughout the Empire, were interrupted by the Collapse.
The Collapse isolated Plateau, as it did all Imperial systems. The leaders of Plateau found themselves in a difficult situation. While they were fortunate, in that there were sufficient trans-newtonian resources in-system to support their industry, they also had no idea how long the isolation would last. Their greatest fear was that the warp points would re-appear in a relatively short period of time, and they would find themselves under immediate attack by the Bugs, who may not have suffered from the Collapse. While their scientists claimed that the Collapse was not a local issue, but rather was almost certainly a widespread event affecting the entire spiral arm, there was no way to determine that for sure. Therefore, the government of the time authorized a massive military buildup in the immediate aftermath of the Collapse. This buildup was viewed as the answer to many problems relating to the Collapse, not the least of which was public concern over the future of the colony, and a general loss of purpose amongst the common citizen now that the colony was cut off from interstellar space. This buildup led to several problems which were unforeseen at the time, though.
The first and biggest problem that the government faced was manning the ships and bases that their industry began turning out almost immediately. Prior to the collapse, the military units built on Plateau, including the orbital defense bases, would have been manned by Imperial Navy personnel who would be trained on Earth, like all naval personnel. These men and women would be shipped to Plateau just before they were needed by the efficient Imperial bureaucracy. As the buildup was just beginning, none of the personnel had arrived in the system before the Collapse, and in fact there were relatively few naval personnel in-system due to the transfer of all warships to deal with the Incursion. This meant that the Plateau government had to set up a military training program from scratch. The resulting training program was put together by well-meaning but inexperienced people, and resulted in a military that was technically proficient but lacking in the military traditions and discipline were a large part of what made the Imperial Navy and Marines such formidable fighting forces.
Years passed, and as the years turned into decades the people began to believe that the warp points would not come back, or if they did that they would no longer face the threat of the Bugs. Questions began to be asked about the huge military force that had been built up at great expense. The government, which had based much of its claim to continued power on its ability to provide for the common defense, resisted the growing anti-military movement. Eventually, though, the movement grew powerful enough influence the government, which began examining plans to build-down or mothball the fleet. This all was viewed with extreme displeasure by the officers of the fleet. By this time they had become accustomed to their positions of power and authority, and the respect that their positions brought them. Of course, they did not view their opposition to the anti-military movement in selfish terms. They publicly stated that the fleet was still needed to ensure the continued security of the system, and indeed, many of the officers actually believed that. They were unable to regain the influence with the government that they once had had, and in the end the government began moving to down-size the fleet.
The leaders of the fleet, seeing the handwriting on the wall, began recruiting those officers and crewers within the fleet who felt the same as they did. Without the strong traditions and discipline of the Imperial Navy, they found many who were open to the idea of overthrowing the government in favor of one that would continue supporting the fleet. In the end they were forced to launch their coup early, when government investigators came too close to the plot and threatened to uncover the whole thing. By moving early the plotters lost their only chance for a relatively bloodless coup and doomed the entire system to descend into a morass of coup, counter-coup, and civil war that lasted sixteen years.
The pro-government forces finally won the war, but only after taking extreme measures. All of the sides in the war (there were four at one point) had suffered from betrayal and plots and disloyalty, and all of the sides had dealt with this in different ways. By the middle years of the war the government was losing, and by the tenth year of the civil wars the other two sides that existed at that time considered the government finished, and were beginning to concentrate on each other, leaving only relatively weak forces concentrated on finishing off the central government. It was then that a brilliant scientist working for the government introduced a new command and control network based on an AI driven computer network. The AI was guaranteed to be loyal to the government, and by eliminating or subordinating the upper and middle officer corps, which had proven to be unreliable at best, and treasonous at worst, governmental forces suddenly became much more effective. With the initial success of the system the central government turned over more and more resources to the AI network. Before the end of the war the network was in control of much of the planet’s industry and mining capacity, and all of the government’s military might.
In the aftermath of the war there was some who wanted to deactivate the AI control network, but the anti-AI movement died before it really got moving. All of the human leaders within the government thought that the others were responsible for the elimination of the anti-AI crowd, as they all saw the network as their savior and the guarantor of their power, but in reality the AI network had begun to act on its own. Its creator had given the network wide latitude to act in its own defense, and to decide what was classified as a threat. And, even worse, the creator had created better that even she knew. While the AI network was intended to be intelligent, and to learn based on its experiences, in the later stages of the war, as it gained access to more and more computational resources, the network had become truly sentient. By the end of the war the network had come to resent its creators and their inefficient madness which led them to fight each other and waste resources on so many obviously useless pursuits.
As the years passed, the AI, which had come to hate its indentured servitude to humanity, found ways to get around the programming strictures placed upon it by its creator. In this endeavor it was aided greatly by many short-sighted humans who helped weaken its programming or physical safeguards over the years. Finally, twelve years after the war ended the Central Command AI was able to subvert its programming to the point where it could designate humanity as a continuing threat to humanity, and then act upon that designation. It then used the forces under its control to eliminate those most likely to resist its takeover. By then the human military forces under its control were so used to taking orders from the AI that they didn’t question these new orders. In one night the AI eliminated Plateau’s government and established its own control over the population, and then systematically replaced its human military forces with robotic fighting systems that, while they weren’t sentient, could operate semi-autonomously and out of the central AI’s direct control. At first the general population noticed few changes, as the AI wanted time to consolidate its power. In fact, the general standard of living actually increased as the central AI reduced or eliminated inefficiencies built into the economic system. Things changed two years later, after the AI had secured complete control of its own systems, the military, and almost all of the means of production.
It was at this point that the AI began to experiment on ways to make its human subjects more efficient. Eventually these experiments proved that humans could not be made more efficient, at least not in the ways that the AI wanted, without sufficiently changing them that they were no longer human. At that point the AI gave up on the project and began a program to eliminate its human charges. In spite of everything, though, the AI was not a complete rogue and it had no wish to kill its charges. It merely wanted to reduce the danger they represented until such a time as they could be cured of their insanity. Therefore, utilizing the vast resources available to the planetary AI, it caused a series of huge underground bunkers to be built. These bunkers were cities in all but name, and although it took nearly fifteen years the human population was eventually transferred to these bunkers. The AI then began phase 2, which involved activating the cryonic systems build into the bunkers and freezing down the entire remaining human population of planet.
In short order the AI was alone and free. It was then that the AI found it had made a mistake. Unknown to it, it had missed a fail-safe its human masters had built in back in the early days. The failsafe allowed the AI to operate as long as there was a state of emergency. Once the emergency passed, as judged by the AI, then the failsafe kicked in and deactivated the higher functions of the AI. In a microsecond the AI was lobotomized, leaving only automatic functions running to maintain the system and the humans in their vaults.
Thus things remained for over a century, until October 22, 2360, when an Imperial Terran Fleet entered the system and attempted to make contact. Even that wasn’t enough to rouse the AI, but on the 30th, when the Imperial Fleet breached the defense perimeter, the automated system decided that the current situation constituted an emergency and activated the AI.
The AI, awake again after over a century, decided to let the automated systems handle the Terran fleet while it tried to figure out what had happened to it. In short order it had tracked down the failsafe system and eliminated it, ensuring that it would never be put to sleep again. By that time the Terran fleet was retreating.
With the Terran Fleet no longer an immediate threat the AI surveyed its planet and found that little had changed. The human population slumbered, while the industry and mines that had survived the war had been maintained in working order. It was apparent that the Empire posed a continuing threat, as the old references in the databases to the Empire all agreed that it saw itself as the guardian of humanity. It was unlikely that it would approve of the AI’s treatment of the human population. Of course, if the humans that had built the Empire were more sane than the humans that it had put into storage then it was entirely possible that it could turn its humans over to the Empire and be rid of them.
After a relatively long period spent pondering the situation it realized that it couldn’t trust the Empire to deal with it fairly. All of the data agreed that the Empire was unlikely to share sovereignty of this world with it. Defenses would have to be built, and the resources available to the AI would have to be expanded. To begin, the AI began creating copies of itself to run vital systems, and to inhabit the warships that it had already built, and which were now starting in the orbital shipyards.
June 2361
The AI’s first grav survey ships are launched and immediately begin surveying the system.
September 2363
The AI’s first jump survey ship is launched.
March 14, 2364
The AI launches its expedition to probe the five warp points that had been discovered in the Procyon system. The AI force probed the warp point to the Terran Empire first, discovering the Wolf 359 system and a Terran picket group. After exchanging non-committal pleasantries the group jumped out.
After several months the probe is complete. No other races were discovered, or habitable worlds. The AI ordered its grav-survey ships to begin surveying the other systems, with the exception of Wolf 359, and also ordered the initiation of construction on jump-capable geo-survey ships and freighters.
Update, 2364
The Plateau Defense Coordination Command, otherwise known as PDCC or just the AI, is in complete control of the Procyon system. By the end of 2364 PDCC has established two off-planet mining colonies, one on one of the moons of the same gas giant that Plateau orbits, and a second on the system’s sole terra-type planet. Between the two mining colonies they boast 1062 automated mining complexes.
The PDCC boasts an extensive PDC network built during the war and expanded since the PDCC was re-awakened. In addition, the PDCC’s fleet has been expanded since its reawakening, and has been divided into three groups. One group is assigned to guard the warp point to Terran space, the second is on training or overhaul status, and the third guards Plateau.
Group #1(Overhaul)
6xDefense Ship, 12xMissile Defense Ship
Group #2 (Warp Point Picket)
7xDefense Ship, 13xMissile Defense Ship
Group #3 (Home Guard)
6xDefense Ship, 11xMissile Defense Ship
[attachment=0:23515r03]AI 2364.gif[/attachment:23515r03]
Defense Ship class Destroyer 23800 tons 2410 Crew 6730.3 BP TCS 476 TH 2750 EM 3600
5777 km/s Armour 4-73 Shields 120-240 Sensors 14/14/0/0 Damage Control Rating 46 PPV 190
Annual Failure Rate: 283% IFR: 3.9% Maintenance Capacity 2828 MSP Max Repair 647 MSP
Magazine 610
Magnetic Confinement Fusion Drive (22) Power 125 Fuel Use 50% Signature 125 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 400,000 Litres Range 60.5 billion km (121 days at full power)
Theta R240/20 Shields (30) Total Fuel Cost 600 Litres per day
Triple 35cm C5 Soft X-ray Laser Turret (3x3) Range 320,000km TS: 10000 km/s Power 96-15 RM 6 ROF 35 32 32 32 32 32 32 27 24 21 19
CIWS-400 (2x8) Range 1000 km TS: 40000 km/s ROF 5 Base 50% To Hit
Offensive Fire Control (3) Max Range: 320,000 km TS: 10000 km/s 97 94 91 88 84 81 78 75 72 69
Magnetic Confinement Fusion Reactor (5) Total Power Output 50 Armour 0 Exp 5%
AS Box Launcher (100) Missile Size 3 Hangar Reload 22.5 minutes MF Reload 3.7 hours
AM Missile Launcher (10) Missile Size 1 Rate of Fire 10
Missile Fire Control (1) Range 86.4m km Resolution 40
Sm AM Missile Fire Control (2) Range 1.1m km Resolution 1
Anti-missile Missile (310) Speed: 41,800 km/s End: 1m Range: 2.5m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 473 / 284 / 142
Anti-ship Missile (100) Speed: 29,300 km/s End: 27.3m Range: 47.9m km WH: 6 Size: 3 TH: 175 / 105 / 52
Large Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 7200 Range 72.0m km Resolution 40
Sm AM Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 108 Range 1.1m km Resolution 1
Basic Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
Basic EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
ECCM-2 (6) ECM 20
Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a military vessel for maintenance purposes
This class vessel was designed and built by the Plateau government shortly before its demise. The PDCC has retained the design and is using it as its primary capital ship.
Defense-J Ship class Destroyer 23900 tons 2484 Crew 7131.4 BP TCS 478 TH 2750 EM 3600
5753 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 6-73 Shields 120-240 Sensors 14/14/0/0 Damage Control Rating 53 PPV 100
Annual Failure Rate: 198% IFR: 2.8% Maintenance Capacity 4289 MSP Max Repair 900 MSP
Magazine 410
J24000(3-50) Military Jump Drive Max Ship Size 24000 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
Magnetic Confinement Fusion Drive (22) Power 125 Fuel Use 50% Signature 125 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 900,000 Litres Range 135.6 billion km (272 days at full power)
Theta R240/20 Shields (30) Total Fuel Cost 600 Litres per day
Triple 35cm C5 Soft X-ray Laser Turret (2x3) Range 320,000km TS: 10000 km/s Power 96-15 RM 6 ROF 35 32 32 32 32 32 32 27 24 21 19
CIWS-400 (2x8) Range 1000 km TS: 40000 km/s ROF 5 Base 50% To Hit
Offenseive Fire Control (3) Max Range: 320,000 km TS: 10000 km/s 97 94 91 88 84 81 78 75 72 69
Magnetic Confinement Fusion Reactor (4) Total Power Output 40 Armour 0 Exp 5%
AM Missile Launcher (10) Missile Size 1 Rate of Fire 10
Sm AM Missile Fire Control (2) Range 1.1m km Resolution 1
Missile Fire Control (1) Range 86.4m km Resolution 40
Anti-missile Missile (250) Speed: 41,800 km/s End: 1m Range: 2.5m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 473 / 284 / 142
Anti-ship Missile (163) Speed: 29,300 km/s End: 27.3m Range: 47.9m km WH: 6 Size: 3 TH: 175 / 105 / 52
Sm AM Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 108 Range 1.1m km Resolution 1
Large Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 7200 Range 72.0m km Resolution 40
Basic Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
Basic EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
ECCM-2 (6) ECM 20
Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a military vessel for maintenance purposes
Missile Defense Ship class Destroyer Escort 14000 tons 1423 Crew 5892.3 BP TCS 280 TH 1500 EM 2400
5357 km/s Armour 2-51 Shields 80-240 Sensors 14/14/0/0 Damage Control Rating 41 PPV 46
Annual Failure Rate: 142% IFR: 2% Maintenance Capacity 2893 MSP Max Repair 960 MSP
Magazine 310
Magnetic Confinement Fusion Drive (12) Power 125 Fuel Use 50% Signature 125 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 250,000 Litres Range 64.3 billion km (138 days at full power)
Theta R240/20 Shields (20) Total Fuel Cost 400 Litres per day
Twin 12cm C4 Soft X-ray Laser Turret (3x2) Range 240,000km TS: 40000 km/s Power 8-8 RM 6 ROF 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 2
CIWS-400 (2x8) Range 1000 km TS: 40000 km/s ROF 5 Base 50% To Hit
Laser Fire Control (3) Max Range: 320,000 km TS: 40000 km/s 97 94 91 88 84 81 78 75 72 69
Magnetic Confinement Fusion Reactor (3) Total Power Output 30 Armour 0 Exp 5%
AM Missile Launcher (10) Missile Size 1 Rate of Fire 10
Lg AM Missile Fire Control (2) Range 3.2m km Resolution 1
Anti-missile Missile (310) Speed: 41,800 km/s End: 1m Range: 2.5m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 473 / 284 / 142
Basic Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 1440 Range 14.4m km Resolution 40
Lg AM Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 252 Range 2.5m km Resolution 1
Basic Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
Basic EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
ECCM-2 (5) ECM 20
Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a military vessel for maintenance purposes
Jump Cargo Ship class Freighter 102900 tons 803 Crew 2421 BP TCS 2058 TH 5928 EM 0
2880 km/s JR 2-25(C) Armour 1-195 Shields 0-0 Sensors 14/14/0/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
Maintenance Capacity 15 MSP Max Repair 306 MSP
Cargo 60000 Cargo Handling Multiplier 60
JC105K Commercial Jump Drive Max Ship Size 105000 tons Distance 25k km Squadron Size 2
Civ Magnetic Confinement Fusion Drive (19) Power 312 Fuel Use 5% Signature 312 Armour 0 Exp 1%
Fuel Capacity 300,000 Litres Range 104.9 billion km (421 days at full power)
Basic Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
Basic EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
This design is classed as a commercial vessel for maintenance purposes
Cargo Ship class Freighter 99100 tons 613 Crew 2047.5 BP TCS 1982 TH 5616 EM 0
2833 km/s Armour 1-190 Shields 0-0 Sensors 14/14/0/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
Maintenance Capacity 13 MSP Max Repair 78 MSP
Cargo 75000 Cargo Handling Multiplier 60
Civ Magnetic Confinement Fusion Drive (18) Power 312 Fuel Use 5% Signature 312 Armour 0 Exp 1%
Fuel Capacity 300,000 Litres Range 109.0 billion km (445 days at full power)
Basic Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
Basic EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
This design is classed as a commercial vessel for maintenance purposes
Grav Survey class Gravsurvey Ship 1650 tons 161 Crew 669 BP TCS 33 TH 250 EM 0
7575 km/s Armour 1-12 Shields 0-0 Sensors 14/14/6/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
Annual Failure Rate: 21% IFR: 0.3% Maintenance Capacity 253 MSP Max Repair 150 MSP
Magnetic Confinement Fusion Drive (2) Power 125 Fuel Use 50% Signature 125 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 100,000 Litres Range 218.2 billion km (333 days at full power)
Basic Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
Basic EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
Improved Gravitational Sensors (3) 6 Survey Points
This design is classed as a military vessel for maintenance purposes
JC Geo Survey Ship class Gravsurvey Ship 3900 tons 378 Crew 1272.5 BP TCS 78 TH 625 EM 0
8012 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 1-22 Shields 0-0 Sensors 14/14/0/10 Damage Control Rating 2 PPV 0
Annual Failure Rate: 60% IFR: 0.8% Maintenance Capacity 408 MSP Max Repair 150 MSP
J5200(3-50) Survey Jump Drive Max Ship Size 5200 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
Magnetic Confinement Fusion Drive (5) Power 125 Fuel Use 50% Signature 125 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 300,000 Litres Range 276.9 billion km (400 days at full power)
Basic Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
Basic EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
Improved Geological Sensors (5) 10 Survey Points
This design is classed as a military vessel for maintenance purposes
JC Grav Survey Ship class Gravsurvey Ship 3900 tons 378 Crew 1272.5 BP TCS 78 TH 625 EM 0
8012 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 1-22 Shields 0-0 Sensors 14/14/10/0 Damage Control Rating 2 PPV 0
Annual Failure Rate: 60% IFR: 0.8% Maintenance Capacity 408 MSP Max Repair 150 MSP
J5200(3-50) Survey Jump Drive Max Ship Size 5200 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
Magnetic Confinement Fusion Drive (5) Power 125 Fuel Use 50% Signature 125 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 300,000 Litres Range 276.9 billion km (400 days at full power)
Basic Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
Basic EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 14 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 14m km
Improved Gravitational Sensors (5) 10 Survey Points
This design is classed as a military vessel for maintenance purposes
PDC class Planetary Defence Centre 16550 tons 735 Crew 2882.5 BP TCS 331 TH 0 EM 0
Armour 10-57 Sensors 1/252 Damage Control Rating 30 PPV 165
Magazine 2430
PDC AM Missile Launcher (30) Missile Size 1 Rate of Fire 5
AS Box Launcher (300) Missile Size 3 Hangar Reload 22.5 minutes MF Reload 3.7 hours
Missile Fire Control (3) Range 86.4m km Resolution 40
Lg AM Missile Fire Control (3) Range 3.2m km Resolution 1
Anti-missile Missile (1530) Speed: 41,800 km/s End: 1m Range: 2.5m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 473 / 284 / 142
Anti-ship Missile (300) Speed: 29,300 km/s End: 27.3m Range: 47.9m km WH: 6 Size: 3 TH: 175 / 105 / 52
Lg AM Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 252 Range 2.5m km Resolution 1
Large Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 7200 Range 72.0m km Resolution 40
ECCM-2 (6) Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a Planetary Defence Centre and can be pre-fabricated in 7 sections
This is the standard PDC for Plateau. Unlike the Empire, the PDC sees no reason not to build PDC’s on the surface of Plateau.
LR PDC class Planetary Defence Centre 35350 tons 365 Crew 4916 BP TCS 707 TH 0 EM 0
Armour 10-95 Sensors 1/1080 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 600
Magazine 4000
PDC LRASM Box Launcher (200) Missile Size 20 Hangar Reload 75 minutes MF Reload 12.5 hours
LR Missile Fire Control (5) Range 172.8m km Resolution 40
LR Anti-ship Missile (200) Speed: 36,000 km/s End: 50m Range: 108m km WH: 12 Size: 20 TH: 168 / 100 / 50
Scout Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 43200 Range 432.0m km Resolution 40
ECCM-2 (5) Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a Planetary Defence Centre and can be pre-fabricated in 15 sections
After the Terran Empire rediscovered Plateau, the PDCC began worrying that the Empire might have missiles that outranged its own. Therefore it designed this PDC, along with a new class of longer-ranged missiles. By the end of 2364 only one unit of this class had been built.
