27th January 2320
The Commune completes their design of their future survey fleet. While they would prefer to build large, multi-function, dependable vessels, they do not have a naval yard, and when one becomes available – which will happen before the end of the year – it will be busy building military ships. Even if that was not the case it would simply take too long to expand the yard to the needed capacity.
The first part of the fleet is a forty thousand tonne jump gate construction vessel Hephestus. While the Commune has a much better construction technology any ships using it would be much larger, and there is only a single commercial yard in Baltic, the Tomczyk Dokyard and Engineering Wokrs orbiting Courtland, which has a single slip of forty thousand tonnes.
Hephestus class Construction Ship 38 500 tons 90 Crew 858 BP TCS 770 TH 800 EM 0
1038 km/s Armour 1-101 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
MSP 14 Max Repair 16 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Spare Berths 0
Jump Gate Construction Ship: 360 days
Feliciano & Bustamante Commercial Magneto-plasma Drive (5) Power 160 Fuel Use 0.54% Signature 160 Exp 2%
Fuel Capacity 250 000 Litres Range 216.3 billion km (2411 days at full power)
This design is classed as a Commercial Vessel for maintenance purposes
The second new ship is the Amethyst, a nine thousand tonne jump capable geological survey vessel. Thanks to her size and use of only very reliable – although also very mass inefficient – parts the vessel has practically unlimited endurance, and while somewhat slow, she is capable of quite fast surveying. Unfortunately the installed engine cannot be used to escort other ships through jump points. In addition, the sensors on the ship are very limited.
The first vessel of this class will not be laid down until May when a new commercial shipyard will be launched.
Amethyst class Geological Survey Vessel 9 000 tons 90 Crew 668 BP TCS 180 TH 320 EM 0
1777 km/s JR 1-25(C) Armour 1-38 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/11/0/5 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
MSP 46 Max Repair 100 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Spare Berths 0
Pokora Turbines Small Commercial Jump Drive Max Ship Size 9000 tons Distance 25k km Squadron Size 1
Feliciano & Bustamante Commercial Magneto-plasma Drive (2) Power 160 Fuel Use 0.54% Signature 160 Exp 2%
Fuel Capacity 250 000 Litres Range 925.5 billion km (6028 days at full power)
Hillerstrom Research Inc Commercial EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 11 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 11m km
Geological Survey Sensors (5) 5 Survey Points Per Hour
This design is classed as a Commercial Vessel for maintenance purposes
The Copernicus class exploration vessel is a small ship that will be built in dedicated factories. She is jump capable, has reasonable range and endurance and while her sensors are limited, she is also very small and thus difficult to detect. The construction will unfortunately take several months as the necessary factories are still being built.
Copernicus class Exploration Ship 498 tons 13 Crew 81.34 BP TCS 9.95 TH 22 EM 0
2211 km/s JR 1-50 Armour 1-5 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/33/0/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 0
Maint Life 6.83 Years MSP 26 AFR 7% IFR 0.1% 1YR 1 5YR 15 Max Repair 33 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 36 months Spare Berths 2
Pokora Turbines Miniature Military Jump Drive Max Ship Size 600 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 1
Filipescu-Nicolae Miniature Magneto-plasma Drive (1) Power 22.4 Fuel Use 24.11% Signature 22.4 Exp 7%
Fuel Capacity 55 000 Litres Range 82.5 billion km (432 days at full power)
Narvaez-Naranjo Small EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 33 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 33m km
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes
The Einstain is the gravitational survey ship that will serve the Commune, but she's also the most limited of the existing designs due to her lack of jump drive, making her completely reliant on jump gates. And while the Baltic system has been surveyed before any colonies were even established, it will still significantly slow down the Commune expansion.
Einstain class Gravitational Survey Vessel 500 tons 14 Crew 142.84 BP TCS 10 TH 22 EM 0
2200 km/s Armour 1-5 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/1/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 0
Maint Life 10.49 Years MSP 89 AFR 4% IFR 0.1% 1YR 1 5YR 22 Max Repair 100 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 36 months Spare Berths 1
Filipescu-Nicolae Miniature Magneto-plasma Drive (1) Power 22.4 Fuel Use 24.11% Signature 22.4 Exp 7%
Fuel Capacity 45 000 Litres Range 67.2 billion km (353 days at full power)
Gravitational Survey Sensors (1) 1 Survey Points Per Hour
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and maintenance purposes
6th February 2320
The Republic has completed it's work on initial survey and cataloging of the alien ruins on New Atlantis. Six hundred and twelve installations or other items of interest are waiting to be recovered, although little is known about the original inhabitants of the planet.
The scientists will now move to Phoenix D I, the most promising terraforming candidate in the system, to explore the ruins there.
27th February 2320
The first three installations are recovered on New Atlantis by Republican troops and include a research laboratory, a genetic modification center and nine million liters of fuel. The first find is even more valuable than it seems as it had details of improved railgun launch velocity.
Due to the space non-armament treaty humanity had very limited military technology when the Destroyer arrived. Ground forces were well developed and equipped, as they were used as a 'security force' on various planets, but anti-ship weaponry was primitive. Now it seems the Republic may actually find what they need to defend themselves much sooner than expected.
4th May 2320
A new commercial yard has been completed by the Commune on Odin and moved by a tug to the Courtland habitat. The first Amethyst has been laid down and is expected to launch by July 2321, while the yard itself has begun expansion.
27th August 2320
The Commune completes designs of their first warships, but they are not happy with them.
Despite the amount of research done into the Destroyer, very little is known about it, as the expedition launched very early during it's attack. What is known for certain is that the vessel was very fast, moving at over twenty thousand kilometers per second, had enormously powerful shields and it used primarily energy weapons. Unconfirmed reports talk about incredibly powerful bombs – most likely city busters – and powerful ECM that made it almost impossible to target the alien.
During the previous hundred years the Commune has been doing some research into electronic warfare and the scientists are very confident they can negate the enemy ECM, although most likely only to a limited extent. Even so this requires additional devices – the electronic counter-counter measures or ECCM – that in fact increase the size and mass of any fire control.
All of this data points to one conclusion – the best way to defend against the Destroyer is to use large vessels using both long ranged and numerous missiles. Unfortunately the Commune does not have the infrastructure necessary to support such vessels. Not only they have no military shipyards, even after they are built expanding them would take time and their population is only three hundred and sixty million. Worse, unless a planet is found and colonized, there is only enough space for four hundred and fifty million people in the current habitats. Long story short, the Commune cannot defend itself against the Destroyer and won't have such capability for years to come.
Even so venturing into space without any military force is foolish at best, so decision was made to use small, fast, expendable vessels massing around one thousand tonnes each. Those “gunboats” will be the backbone of the Commune Defense Force for the foreseeable future, but first ships won't be laid down for quite some time as the yard is not yet ready, and another ship must be constructed first – an escort capable of moving other vessels through a jump point. The list of new designs is below.
The Jutland class was created specifically to solve the problem of Einstain class vessels not being able to move through a jump point. As this will significantly slow down exploration of nearby space an escort was designed. While very limited and possessing no other function other than escorting, she is also cheap and mobile.
Jutland class Jump Ship 1 000 tons 25 Crew 93.68 BP TCS 20 TH 45 EM 0
2250 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 1-8 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 0
Maint Life 5.97 Years MSP 29 AFR 16% IFR 0.2% 1YR 1 5YR 21 Max Repair 16 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Spare Berths 1
Oberg Engines Limited Small Squadron Jump Drive Max Ship Size 3000 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
Filipescu-Nicolae Miniature Magneto-plasma Drive (2) Power 22.4 Fuel Use 24.11% Signature 22.4 Exp 7%
Fuel Capacity 170 000 Litres Range 126.9 billion km (652 days at full power)
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
The Piranha class gunboat will be the backbone of the Commune Defense Force for the foreseeable future. The small craft is equipped with twenty four small, single shot launchers and ECCM system that will make it effective even against the Destroyer. However the ship lacks active sensor and will require assistance to track targets.
Piranha class Gunboat 1 000 tons 14 Crew 238.9 BP TCS 20 TH 124 EM 0
6200 km/s Armour 1-8 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 7.2
Maint Life 4.3 Years MSP 37 AFR 32% IFR 0.4% 1YR 3 5YR 48 Max Repair 62 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Spare Berths 1
Magazine 48
Djody & Suyanto High Performance Magneto-plasma Drive (1) Power 124 Fuel Use 170.49% Signature 124 Exp 15%
Fuel Capacity 190 000 Litres Range 20.1 billion km (37 days at full power)
Pangratiu Systems Small Box Launcher (24) Missile Size 2 Hangar Reload 15 minutes MF Reload 2.5 hours
Lindberg-Claesson Short Range Missile Fire Control (1) Range 69.3m km Resolution 100
Arrow (24) Speed: 32 000 km/s End: 32.5m Range: 62.5m km WH: 4 Size: 2 TH: 106/64/32
Compact ECCM-3 (1) 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
The Eel class will be the eyes and ears of the Piranhas, painting targets for them. However she was also given longer range and endurance than the gunboats, as well as a passive sensors, which will allow her to serve as a picket when necessary, relying on her small size to avoid detection.
Eel class Fast Scout Craft 1 000 tons 22 Crew 228 BP TCS 20 TH 124 EM 0
6200 km/s Armour 1-8 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/33/0/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 0
Maint Life 4.15 Years MSP 71 AFR 16% IFR 0.2% 1YR 7 5YR 99 Max Repair 63 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 24 months Spare Berths 0
Djody & Suyanto High Performance Magneto-plasma Drive (1) Power 124 Fuel Use 170.49% Signature 124 Exp 15%
Fuel Capacity 310 000 Litres Range 32.7 billion km (61 days at full power)
Lindberg-Claesson Short Range Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 6300 Range 69.3m km Resolution 100
Narvaez-Naranjo Small EM Detection Sensor (1) Sensitivity 33 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 33m km
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
16th September 2320
The Commune survey ship Copernicus is complete and is immediately put to work of exploring the four jump points existing in the Baltic system. However as Valhalla orbits the star at nearly eight billion kilometers, it will be a long trek.
Meanwhile the first naval yard has been completed and towed to Curland, with the first Jutland class vessel already under construction. While some point out that this makes Copernicus superfluous, as Jutland can also explore jump points, the Administrator wants the smaller ship to also check other systems for alien life, relying on her small size to avoid detection. In addition as the yard will now be busy building gunboats and scouts, replacing the Jutland may be impossible, should she be lost.
17th September 2320
The excavators working on New Atlantis found a new kind of terraforming installation. Unlike human ones, which take advantage of local resources and as such are constructed specifically for a target planet, this one is very adaptable and mobile. However the technology seems very advanced and it will likely be impossible to duplicate it any time soon.
So far the Republic have managed to recover over twenty installations, five of which were research facilities. Unfortunately only one factory has been found so far.
29th September 2320
As any expansion into the universe will be easy to spot anyway, the Commune relaxes its long standing ban on space ships. Some of the more enterprising of its citizens take advantage of that and launched two privately owned freighters. And while all habitats are self-sufficient, some still produce certain goods at a cheaper price than others, providing ample opportunities for trade.
This trade will be especially welcome as the government begins to experience budgetary deficit. The Commune population is simply too small to support the expansion effort by taxes alone.
30th October 2320
After over a hundred years of hiding, the Commune vessel Copernicus performs the first jump into the unknown. She arrives in a small system centered around a red dwarf with only five planets and twenty seven moons present, none of which has any potential for colonization.
As the habitats are closed off, the stars are never visible for an average person. Coupled with the fact that Baltic is located in a completely different region of space than Sol, many of the nearby stars are still unnamed, known only by the astronomers and only by their catalog numbers. As such, while officials argue about naming a system, each will be assigned a simple, descriptive designation. This particular system will be named ES – 01 MU1 (Explored System 01, M class central star, Uninteresting, one jump away from Baltic).
17th November 2320
Another jump point is explored by the Commune, leading to another red dwarf, orbited by a moonless gas giant and a dwarf planet. Several comets are present, which means there may be some mining potential in the system, but overall it's another disappointing find. The system is designated as ES – 02 KU1.
20th November 2320
The third jump point is explored by the Commune, beyond which lies a reasonable system centered around a red dwarf and containing eight planets, eighty four moons and a reasonable asteroid belt. The second and third planet could be colonized, albeit both are tidally locked to the star, have no surface water and one lacks atmosphere completely, while the other body has only a thin and toxic one. Even so, those two planets would give the Commune population somewhere to expand.
The system is designated ES – 03 KH1.
18th December 2320
The last of Baltics' jump points is explored. It leads to a binary of a red dwarf and a very distant – and planetless – brown dwarf. The primary is orbited by eight planets and ninety four moons, but only the first one is a candidate for colonization. Unfortunately, it's a poor one, with neither atmosphere nor hydrosphere and a tidal lock. The system is designated ES – 04 KTH1.
With all the systems adjacent to Baltic explored, there will be little to do for the Commune survey forces. The Jutland is complete, but the first Einstein won't leave construction factories until March next year and the first Amethyst is even further away from construction. Worse, the first construction ship won't be ready until November 2321 and it will take her two years to build the first pair of jump gates. The actual expansion won't begin for nearly three years.
23rd March 2321
The first Commune gravitational survey vessel is ready. She will be dispatched to ES – 02 KH1.
11th August 2321
The Hephestus construction ship and Amethyst geological survey vessel are launched from Courland shipyards by the Commune.
3rd September 2321
The Commune survey ship Copernicus explores the first jump point beyond ES – 03 KH1 and arrives in a trinary system. The first two stars are Sol-like but lack any planets. The tertiary object however is the most promising one, as despite being a red dwarf it is orbited by five planets and nearly forty moons. And more importantly perhaps, the second planet is the most inviting one found so far, with liquid water on the surface, day-night cycle of forty hours and relatively thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. All that is missing is oxygen to make the planet habitable.
The system is designated as ES – 05 GGKH2.
4th September 2321
There is a significant discussion within the Republic regarding their future. One side wants to stay on New Atlantis as a single nation, while the other wants to spread our and recreate the nation states they have lost.
The government has been indecisive so far. On the one hand a single planet is easier to defend and a single economy would likely be more efficient. However their population is extremely small. They have already made very expensive life extension treatments available to everyone, paid by the government which has increased population growth, but it's not enough. And psychologists and sociologists claim population growth on small colonies will be larger.
In the end two items have tipped the balance. First a large number of infrastructure and mobile terraforming installations have been recovered on New Atlantis, making colonization relatively easy. Second the budget is in the red and trade between planets could generate additional income.
After long discussion the government announces that all member states can petition to receive a planet of their own. New Atlantis will remain as a sort of state of it's own, inhabited by people who themselves as Phoenixians first. The first planet, Phoenix D I, has been awarded to Germany, who rename it after their lost nation. It is estimated that in the coming year two and a half million people will emigrate there.
27th September 2321
After over a year of work the Hegemony completes their work on basic trans-newtonian engines. While the government is not going to design any ships any time soon, commercial corporations have already begun using it and established a mining colony on one of the asteroids. As New Earth has no TN elements of its own, and the first national mining operations are far into the future, the government is going to buy all commercially extracted minerals. Fortunately the Hegemon has predicted it and a mass driver is already present to receive shipments.
8th September 2323
Half of Hegemony industry has been converted to TN standard, but the planet has run out of stockpiled duranium. The government was hoping that civilian shipping lines and mining companies will expand humanity beyond their current home, but so far that is not the case. No civilian ships have entered service and only a single mining colony exists, which is insufficient for Hegemony needs. Talks are ongoing with major corporations regarding government support.
25th September 2323
The first pair of Commune jump gates is ready, leading to the system of ES – 03 KH1. However the government is unlikely to colonize either of the two planets in the system.
One of the benefits of TN technology is ease of providing planets with necessities. This opens to settlement even planets that would otherwise be ignored due to, for example, lack of water or tidal lock. Even so colonizing, developing and terraforming a planet is an expensive proposition and as such it will be impossible for a long time for the Commune to just settle everything.
Over the past two years the ship Amethyst has been surveying all potential colony sites. Unfortunately the most interesting planets – the ones with reasonable day night cycle and water coverage – were devoid of TN elements. In fact only one terraforming prospect had any - the fourth planet in the ES – 07 KH2 system and even then only duranium, mercassium and sorium were in reasonable accessibility.
The planet itself is a small body, only slightly larger than Mars but with gravity half as high as Earths. Twenty four percent of the surface is covered in ice and the thin atmosphere is made of nitrogen and oxygen, but not in breathable levels. And while the planet is tidally locked the “twilight zone” is large enough to house millions of people.
After rather lengthy debate the Administrator and the Oversight Committee decide to colonize this planet. Unfortunately it will be eighteen months until a pair of jump gates is complete.
ES - 07 KH2-A IV mineral deposits:
Duranium 6 372 450 Acc: 0.5
Neutronium 122 500 Acc: 0.3
Corbomite 1 500 625 Acc: 0.2
Boronide 4 410 000 Acc: 0.1
Mercassium 12 250 000 Acc: 0.8
Vendarite 3 062 500 Acc: 0.1
Sorium 4 708 900 Acc: 0.6
Uridium 396 900 Acc: 0.1
Corundium 1 334 025 Acc: 0.1
17th October 2323
The initial survey of ruins found on Germany is complete. One hundred and fifty nine installations or other items of interest are waiting to be recovered by Republican forces. However the government is unwilling to split their efforts, so for the time being those will remain untouched. There are still four hundred and twenty two installations left on New Atlantis.
29th March 2324
After government loan guarantee, the Shellito Shipping Services, a Hegemony shipping line, launched three freighters. They already had a colony ship that was useless due to lack of sufficient infrastructure on Ares, but now the development of the planet can proceed.
Ares, the fifth planet orbiting the B component, is a huge body with gravity twenty five percent greater than Earths, water coverage of forty nine percent, a day night cycle of four and half days and a thick atmosphere of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. For fifteen years a small colony of ten thousand existed on the surface, founded by one of the nations that were eventually incorporated into the Hegemony, but the outpost has not received more support since then.
What makes the planet truly valuable however is the presence of all eleven TN elements in good accessibility albeit only mediocre quantity. With civilian mining operations growth slower than expected, the planet will become of enormous importance for the Hegemony.
11th August 2324
Enough infrastructure was recovered from ruins on New Atlantis to found a new colony. The first planet orbiting the primary, a relatively good candidate for terraforming with reasonable mineral deposits, has been awarded to the French and renamed Seine. It is estimated that two point eight million Republican citizens intend to emigrate there.
Unfortunately the process will be slow. Republican ships were built for endurance, not speed and the size of the system is a significant problem due to the presence of four stars with accompanying planets and lack of Lagrange points to use.
26th May 2325
The Commune completes gravitational survey of the systems adjacent to Baltic. One system (ES – 04 KH1) is a dead end. Two more (ES – 01 MU1 and ES – 02 KU1) have only a single jump point other than the one leading to Baltic. The last system (ES – 03 KH1) has a total of five jump points.
By now there are seven reasonable candidates for colonization as well as several other less inviting prospects, but there are still no good mining sites known. Fortunately the geological survey of those systems is still ongoing so something may still be found.
The primary colonization target is still ES – 07 KH2 IV, towards which an expedition is underway with jump gates already present. This will also be the next target for gravitational survey, but only after the ships receive a well deserved shore leave.
7th June 2325
The Republican scientists have completed their initial survey and cataloging of alien ruins on Seine, finding a total of one hundred and nineteen facilities waiting to be recovered.
26th July 2325
The first hundred thousand colonists arrive on ES – 07 KH2 IV establishing the first Commune colony since their escape from the human space. As the designations are a nasty handful to pronounce the system will be renamed Sudets, after a central European mountain range and the planet will be renamed Wieliczka after a well known Polish salt mine.
While certainly a milestone, the colonization and development of the planet will be slow for the time being. There are only two government owned colony ships in service and additional ones are slow to construct. Two more are owned by private shipping lines, but the question of infrastructure remains, as its supply is limited. It will likely be a decade, maybe two, before Wieliczka becomes a fully functional, dynamic and self sustaining world.
20th February 2326
The second civilian mining operation has been started in the Sanctuary system. As before the Hegemony government intends to buy all mined minerals.
26th September 2326
Exploring a new jump point found in Sudets Copernicus arrives in a somewhat average system centered around a Sol-like star. What is unusual however is the presence of two unknown wrecks of eighty eight hundred tonnes. The Commune ship leaves the system immediately to alert the government via a jump gate network.
The response of the Administrator and the Oversight Committee is immediate. First Gunboat Flotilla, comprising sixteen Piranhas and one Eel is ordered to suspend their training exercises and make way to the Wieliczka colony. A tanker will follow to establish an outpost in Sudets from which the new system, designated as ES – 11 GH3, will be explored.
Copernicus will stay in the new system on the jump point, using her passive sensors to spot any approaching ships. Jutland will join her after she finishes her overhaul and will be used to transport gunboats into the system. Another Jutland will be laid down in a newly constructed naval yard to explore other jump points, two more of which has already been found in Sudets.
Additional materiel, such as maintenance facilities and mineral stockpiles will arrive when transport becomes available.
23rd October 2326
The first hundred mining complexes begins their operation on Ares. Unfortunately the population of only four million is insufficient for the task.
When the Hegemony rediscovered the TN technology it was hoped that the government will be able to modify most of their industry into construction factories, leaving mining to private interests. Unfortunately the corporations are far too slow to expand with their current output being equal to only fifty mining complexes. Fortunately shipping lines are in a somewhat better shape and the colonization and development of Ares is accelerating. Even so, focusing on construction factories first has proven to be hasty and ill-advised.
Ares mineral deposits:
Duranium 267 349 Acc: 1
Neutronium 97 874 Acc: 0.9
Corbomite 80 000 Acc: 0.4
Tritanium 173 000 Acc: 0.8
Boronide 86 575 Acc: 0.5
Mercassium 65 875 Acc: 0.5
Vendarite 66 199 Acc: 0.8
Sorium 106 925 Acc: 0.7
Uridium 147 375 Acc: 0.5
Corundium 93 749 Acc: 1
Gallicite 76 150 Acc: 0.6
30th March 2327
Scandinavia, the second Commune Jutland class jump ship, arrives on Sudets – ES – 11 GH3 jump points and begins to ferry the First Gunboat Flotilla into the system. After that is done Copernicus is sent to perform flyby of the two wrecks and several other points of interest, including the second planet which is a reasonable candidate for colonization – albeit one that is tidally locked and covered by thin, toxic atmosphere – and the third planet, a superterrestrial with a very dense atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygen that is far too hostile for humans, but may be home to aliens.
16th April 2327
Copernicus finds nothing. The First Gunboat Flotilla moves back to the Commune colony Wieliczka to guard it, while the ES – 11 GH3 will be surveyed as soon as ships become available.
19th April 2327
Huygens, the second Copernicus class ship, has been exploring the last two jump points in the Commune system of Sudets. One led to a rather uninteresting system, but the other one led to a system with no less than four stars.
The enormous system consisted of three Sol-like objects and a brown dwarf. Unfortunately the B and C components were far away from the central star as well as from each other and while Lagrange points made the C component accessible, the B component is for all instances and purposes out of reach.
The system possesses a total of seven reasonable candidates for colonization, although two of them are out of reach, as well as several objects showing some potential, but requiring too much work. Better yet, the third planet orbiting the primary is the closest analogue to Earth found so far, with diameter of eleven thousand kilometers, twenty four hour day-night cycle, ice coverage of fifty three percent and an atmosphere that is almost breathable.
All of this would make the system an immediate target for colonization – if not for a presence of a single alien wreck massing sixteen thousand and six hundred tonnes orbiting the third planet of the C component, a gas giant with numerous moons, two of which could be colonized.
Huygens jumps back momentarily to report the find and then sets course for the unknown wreck. Even with Lagrange points the journey will take a couple of weeks.
In total the system possesses twenty two planets, seventy moons and over a hundred asteroids.
9th May 2327
While there are over two hundred and sixty alien installations waiting to be recovered on New Atlantis, the Republic has already recovered more than they can man. In particular they now operate sixteen research facilities, which are of enormous importance, but require almost all available manpower.
Fortunately many recovered installations can be shut down as they are simply useless, like maintenance facilities or ordnance factories.
There is some talk about moving some of those facilities to other planets, but while this will certainly happen in the long term, it is of no use short term. The first bunch of colonists haven't even arrived on Seine due to the enormous distances and Germany has population of only four point six million, many of which are required to man terraforming installations. The New Atlantis itself has population of over forty one million and rising steadily, but only twenty million is available to work TN installations.
21st May 2327
As Huygens approaches the third planet she detects four active sensors. This is enough for her captain, who orders immediate return to human space.
Unfortunately it seems the aliens are tracking the Commune vessels and are much faster than the slow exploration ship.
After nearly two hours Huygens suddenly looses the alien sensor contacts. The captain believes that her ship was tracked on passive sensors and they managed to get away from those, prompting the alien ships to give up the chase.
25th May 2327
Huygens jumps safely back to the primary, using a Lagrange point and sends a message to Scandinavia standing by on the jump point. She in turn relays message to the government using the jump gate network.
The initial reaction of the Oversight Committee is panic, but the Administrator is much more calm about the entire ordeal, as the aliens do not seem to be of the same as the Destroyer. The best evidence of that is their low speed – only forty three hundred kilometers per second as opposed to the twenty thousand kps shown by the annihilator of humanity.
The bigger problem, from the point of view of the Administrator is a complete lack of any communication attempts from the aliens. It is obvious from their heading that they knew about Huygens, but no communication was attempted. Not only that but there was no response to the per-packaged first contact message sent by the Commune ship.
Even so, as the aliens will most likely not think is a way similar to human, the Administrator recommends sending a single vessel – preferably one of the Amethyst class – to try and open a dialogue with the aliens. The Oversight Committee on the other hand see the complete lack of communication attempts as a clear proof of hostility of the new race. While in the end the final decision rests with the Committee, the Administrator tries to try a peaceful solution by appealing to the public opinion. The debate quickly escalates, leaving the government undecided.
In the meantime however everyone agrees to perform flyby of all objects in the two components closest to the jump point to see if there are any signs of aliens there.
