January 2028
6th January. EDA, Earth.
Today the Peoples Republic of China became an integral part of the Earth Defence Authority. President Chairman Lei Yi Ni became the first of two Deputy Directors of the Earth Defence Authority, with special responsibility for the China Sector. The second Deputy Directorship is reserved for President Digman when he completes the integration of the World Free States. The day was marked by a national holiday in China.
EDA Resource Commission announced that the commercial mining operation on Asteroid #11 has been expanded to 3 mining complexes.
The Emanuela Maya Segovia research group has completed research on the new FAC magneto-plasma propulsion system. Work has immediately commenced on a military and commercial propulsion system.
11th January. EDA, Titan, Xanadu City.
The Titan colony has been officially renamed Xanadu City.
The 14th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
25th January EDA, Xanadu City, Titan
The 15th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
EDA, Earth.
The Hao Long Qian research group has completed research on sensor strength 28, it will now work on an improved sensor for the Hurricane F2
27th January. EDA.
EDA Survey Command announced that the EDAV Sir Frances Drake had surveyed Comet Beersatron (#4), and discovered substantial amounts of TN minerals at excellent availabilities.
Duranium 14,846 tonnes (0.8 ), Tritanium 6,782 tonnes (0.7), Boronide 10,308 tonnes (0.7), Mercasium 186,920 tonnes (0.8 ), Uridium 19,157 tonnes (1), Corundium 3,899 tonnes (0.8 ), Gallicite 6,462 tonnes (1).
Feburary 2028
2nd February EDA, Earth.
EDA Resource Commission announced that the commercial mining operation initiated on Asteroid #11 has been expanded to 4 mining complexes.
EDA Survey Command announced that TN minerals had been found on asteroid #148
Neutronium 4,199 tonnes (0.9), Sorium 9,216 tonnes (1), Uridium 23 tonnes (1)
and asteroid #176.
Duranium 822 tonnes (1), Neutronium 676 tonnes (1), Boronide 100 tonnes (1), Mercasium 289 tonnes (1) respectively.
The Emanuela Maya Segovia research group completed research on the military version of the Magneto-plasma propulsion system. Work has immediately commenced on the commercial version of the propulsion system.
EDA, Titan, Xanadu City.
The 16th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mining facility on Titan.
Captain Matthews inserted the data stick into the console he thought was the central control unit. He tensed; ready to make the life saving dash to the street four floors below which had served him in good stead on previous occasions. The panel in front of him lit with predominantly orange and gold lights, few were dark. Hieroglyphics scrolled across the display panels, then suddenly changed to standard English! There was a noise like a rusty gate being forced back on its hinges, which then changed to a loud purr as the machinery threw off the inactivity of millennium. The business end of the mining facility began to seek fruitlessly for TN minerals. Captain Matthews entered the commands into the console that put the installation into neutral. Over the Brigade coms channel there was the sound of cheering, the 16th had broken its duck!
8th February. EDA, Titan, Xanadu City.
The 175th Engineering Brigade found five mothballed packing cases. Once removed from the derelict storage area they were carefully unpacked to reveal five identical ship components. It took a while but they were identified as ECM-3 units and once power at the correct frequency was applied, they still worked! This was tech well in advance of that possessed by the EDA.
World Free States
Arezoo Ebrahimi was loading the van prior to the evening’s activity. He was going to oversee the cleaning of the Spacecraft Research and Design Centre and of course compromise the IT network. It should be a very fruitful night’s work. A nondescript sedan pulled up across his driveway. Arezoo looked at it in annoyance as two men got out and approached him. The leading man approached to within three feet and addressed him “Mr Ebrahimi?” “Yes?” Arezoo replied. “Mr Ebrahimi, I am Colonel Elliot Findlay, EDA Security Services, please come with us, you are under arrest for suspected espionage against the World Free States and of passing secrets to a hostile power.” Arezoo turned to run but the second agent, Maurice Foss, shot him with a Taser. Arezoo’s world blacked out as two steel darts lodged in his back and he convulsed on the concrete.
A second car drew up and three more agents, Kris Inglish, Donnell Stroll and Mauro Salvaggio, got out as Findlay and Foss secured Arezoo, now lying still on the ground. Leaving Foss outside the other four went inside the house. In one bedroom they found Habib Mehdiabadi, the team leader, in a second bedroom was Camelia Farrahi. Once the occupants of the house had been secured it was turned over to the forensic team who set to work taking the place apart, paying particular attention to the three laptops found in the house.
Later that afternoon, following leads turned up at the previous location, the same five agents approached a rundown tenement in one of the more undesirable parts of town. Leaving Inglish with the car the remaining four entered the building and went up to the second floor. Outside an apartment door Foss and Stroll wielded the blunt force door opener while Findlay and Salvaggio drew Tasers from shoulder holsters. It was the work of moments to burst into the apartment hallway. Findlay entered with the other three on his heels. One person coming out of a doorway leading from the hallway raised their hands as Findlay’s Taser covered them. In the living room a man was caught trying to escape out the window and down fire escape. The two occupants turned out to be Ayda Adeli and Iran-dokht Validani, the last two members of the Mehdiabadi spy ring.
Someone had wondered how Nakhoda Cleaning Services could bid so low and stay in business, his competitors. They had alerted the Authorities who took one look at the name of the company and the list of establishments Nakhoda Cleaning Services had bid on and called in the EDA Security Services.
EDA, Earth
The Hao Long Qian research group has completed research on the missile fire control FC13-R20 enabling the finalisation of the Hurricane F2 Attack Craft. It now mounted a fire control with a 13.4 million kilometre range, hopefully robust enough to burn through any ECM and capable of 9696 km/s. 136 have been ordered, however at current construction rates this would take until the end of 2035 to deliver, and there are still the Atlantique Mk II’s to build.
Hurricane F2 Class Attack Craft 247.5 tons 16 Crew 64.45 BP TCS 4.95 TH 24 EM 0
9696 km/s Armour 1-3 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 2.25
Annual Failure Rate: 4% IFR: 0.1% Maint Capacity 16 MSP Max Repair 28 MSP Est Time: 4.33 Years
Magazine 15
FTR Magneto-plasma Drive E700 (1) Power 48 Fuel Use 7000% Signature 24 Armour 0 Exp 25%
Fuel Capacity 5,000 Litres Range 0.5 billion km (14 hours at full power)
Size 3 Box Launcher (5) Missile Size 3 Hangar Reload 22.5 minutes MF Reload 3.7 hours
Missile Fire Control FC13-R20 (1) Range 13.4m km Resolution 20
Star Flash 4 AS (6) Speed: 29,000 km/s End: 4.1m Range: 7.1m km WH: 7 Size: 3 TH: 154 / 92 / 46
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 design is classed as a fighter for production and combat purposes
EDA Survey Command announced that the EDAV Sir Frances Drake had surveyed the Comet Welch (#9), and discovered substantial amounts of TN minerals at excellent availabilities.
Duranium 30,488 tonnes (0.8 ), Tritanium 9,265 tonnes (0.8 ), Boronide 1,601 tonnes (0.9), Corbomite 41,183 tonnes (0.8 ), Corundium 12,039 tonnes (1).
13th February. EDA, Earth.
The Terraformers Sir Barnes Neville Wallis, Werner von Braun and Sir Frank Whittle were commissioned today at the Nederlansche Dok en Scheepsbouw Orbital ‘Yard. They will join the terraforming group at Mars. Three more hulls are to be laid down to an improved design. The vessels will be named the Sir Joseph William Bazalgette, the James Watt and the Gustave Eiffel.
16th February, EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 14th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate an automated mining facility on Titan.
24th February EDA, Earth
EDA Survey Command announced that the EDAV Sir Frances Drake had surveyed the Comet Sotak (#3), and discovered substantial amounts of TN minerals at excellent availabilities.
Duranium 18,052 tonnes (0.9), Tritanium 7,744 tonnes (0.9), Boronide 98,000 tonnes (0.9), Mercassium 12,871 tonnes (1), Sorium 7,796 tonnes (0.8 ), Uridium 1,533 tonnes (0.7), Gallicite 59,540 tonnes (0.8 ).
29th February. EDA, Xanadu City, Titan
The 14th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
EDA Earth.
The Emanuela Maya Segovia research group completed research on the commercial version of the Magneto-plasma propulsion system. The Nederlansche Dok en Scheepsbouw Orbital ‘Yard began to retool for the new class of terraformers.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel Mk II class Terraformer 32400 tons 376 Crew 1090.4 BP TCS 648 TH 500 EM 0
1543 km/s Armour 1-90 Shields 0-0 Sensors 8/8/0/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
Maint Capacity 21 MSP Max Repair 500 MSP
Terraformer: 1 module(s) producing 0.001 atm per annum
Magneto-plasma Drive E0.7 Commercial (5) Power 200 Fuel Use 7% Signature 100 Armour 0 Exp 1%
Fuel Capacity 210,000 Litres Range 166.6 billion km (1250 days at full power)
Active Search Sensor MR7-R60 Nav (1) GPS 960 Range 7.7m km Resolution 60
Thermal Sensor TH1-8 (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 8m km
EM Detection Sensor EM1-8 (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 8m km
This design is classed as a commercial vessel for maintenance purposesMarch 2028
4th March. EDA Earth.
EDA Resource Commission announced that the commercial mining operation on Callisto has expanded to 5 mining complexes.
9th March. EDA, Earth
The Hao Long Qian research group has completed research on the search sensor MR13-R20 enabling the finalisation of the Atlantique Mk II Target Designator Craft. It now mounted a Search Sensor with a 13.4 million kilometre range.
Atlantique Mk II class Fighter-Scout 250 tons 37 Crew 109.2 BP TCS 5 TH 24 EM 0
9600 km/s Armour 1-3 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 0 PPV 0
Annual Failure Rate: 1% IFR: 0% Maint Capacity 82 MSP Max Repair 84 MSP Est Time: 10.32 Years
FTR Magneto-plasma Drive E700 (1) Power 48 Fuel Use 7000% Signature 24 Armour 0 Exp 25%
Fuel Capacity 5,000 Litres Range 0.5 billion km (14 hours at full power)
Active Search Sensor MR13-R20 (1) GPS 1680 Range 13.4m km Resolution 20
This design is classed as a military vessel for maintenance purposes
This design is classed as a fighter for production and combat purposes
17th March. EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 16th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate an automated mining facility on Titan.
29th March. EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 105th Engineering Brigade arrived to reinforce the engineering effort on Titan. It is the first of two more brigades to be redeployed to Titan.
EDA, Earth
The first of the new model Hurricane F2’s rolled off the production line.
April 2028
4th April. EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 105th Engineering Brigade (late of the PLA) managed to reactivate an automated mining facility on Titan only days after the unit’s arrival.
11th April EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 14th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate an abandoned mining facility on Titan.
15th April. EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 144th Engineering Brigade (also late of the PLA) arrived to reinforce the engineering effort on Titan.
16th April. EDA, Earth
EDA Survey Command announced that the EDAV Vasco Da Gama had surveyed the Comet Symon (#6), and discovered substantial amounts of TN minerals at excellent availabilities.
Duranium 31,724 tonnes (0.9), Tritanium 7,744 tonnes (0.9), Boronide 27,168 tonnes (0.9), Uridium 2,510 tonnes (1) , Gallicite 4,940 tonnes (0.9).
24th April
EDA sensors detected the launch of three new Falakhon class FAC from the Islamic Block orbital yard.
EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 144th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mothballed construction facility on Titan.
The 175th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate three mothballed maintenance facilities on Titan.
The 16th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
Captain Matthews stared at the heap of rubble that was the Brigades latest attempt to reactivate one of the Chapineria Imperium installations. Once again having perfected the means of escape when the hammer came down had served his unit well. But it was galling to watch the Chinese Brigades go at it. Both had only just arrived, but both Brigades had recovered installations and had easily surpassed the pathetic record of the 6th or the 15th, which didn’t take much after all. It would only take one more recovered facility to equal the record of the 16th, without the failures!
[attachment=0:3mdz1std]Saturn Rising above a habitat dome on the outskirts of Xanadu City, Titan..jpeg[/attachment:3mdz1std]
28th April. EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 175th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
The 16th Engineering Brigade found 25,000 tonnes of refined Boronide in a storage facility in Xanadu City.
Captain Matthew peered round the door his men had just forced open on building 634, the latest installation allocated to the Brigade. His spotlight revealed a vast open space; in one corner there was a large stack of containers in an otherwise empty building. Matthews approached the stack of containers; he could make out the hieroglyphics on the outside of one of the bottom most containers. He unclipped the scanner from his equipment belt and ran it over the inscription. The scanner’s display lit up spelling out Refined Boronide. Each container must weigh about quarter of a tonne, and there were tens of thousands of them! Thousands of tonnes of refined Boronide! At least the Brigade would stay ahead of the Chinese for a while yet.
May 2028
7th May. EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 14th Engineering Brigade recovered 50 tonnes of Boronide from a storage facility in Xanadu City.
Captain Matthews couldn’t help a quite smirk as the 14th wheeled out their latest find of 50 tonnes of Boronide. It was dwarfed by the enormous stack of containers his company had found, as the 14th added their contribution to the stockpile.
EDA, Earth.
The Hao Long Qian research group has completed research on the search sensor MR22-R20 intended for the Mk III Gomati Missile Boat. The Mk III would mount a search sensor with a 22.4 million kilometre range.
16th May. EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 15th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate an abandoned ordnance factory on Titan, although all the missile blue prints and data files had been corrupted.
26th May EDA, Earth.
The Hao Long Qian research group has completed research on the missile fire control FC26-R20 intended for the Mk III Gomati Missile Boat. The Mk III will mount a missile fire control with a 26.9 million kilometre range, this should enable the new craft to burn through a considerable amount of ECM. The Viktor Lenac Orbital ‘Yard began retooling for the new class.
Gomati Mk III class Missile Boat 3750 tons 305 Crew 967.3 BP TCS 11.25 TH 120 EM 0
3200 km/s Armour 1-21 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 3 PPV 15.6
Annual Failure Rate: 37% IFR: 0.5% Maint Capacity 484 MSP Max Repair 312 MSP Est Time: 2.38 Years
Magazine 104
Magneto-plasma Drive E7 Mil (3) Power 80 Fuel Use 70% Signature 40 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 120,000 Litres Range 82.3 billion km (297 days at full power)
Size 4 Box Launcher (26) Missile Size 4 Hangar Reload 30 minutes MF Reload 5 hours
Missile Fire Control FC26-R20 (1) Range 26.9m km Resolution 20
SIM-3 Phoenix (23) Speed: 24,100 km/s End: 10.6m Range: 15.4m km WH: 8 Size: 4 TH: 152 / 91 / 45
Active Search Sensor MR22-R20 (1) GPS 2800 Range 22.4m km Resolution 20
Cloaking Device: Class cross-section reduced to 15% of normal
Compact ECCM-2 (1) 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
June 2028
4th June. 4th March. EDA Earth.
EDA Resource Commission announced that the commercial mining operation had been established on Comet Sotak consisting of 3 mining complexes. Brigadier General Freya Cooke has been assigned to command the garrison.
EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 144th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate 80 habitation (infrastructure) units in Xanadu City, and using the integral atmosphere controls in the units made them suitable for human habitation. The fact that the environmental controls were able to do this argues that the sentients of the Chapineria Imperium enjoyed a similar if not identical atmosphere to Homo sapiens. If this is so what were they doing on Titan in the first place? Mars would have been a far pleasanter place to set up shop and it had extensive reserves of TN minerals. Could they have been there for the hydrocarbons? Was it a trading post with a cold Methane atmosphere race? Or did they just like the view?
The much-maligned 6th Engineering Brigade finally brought home the bacon. They had finally managed to breach the lowest level of the facility they had been working on for nearly nine months. Most of the access ways between the floors had collapsed and as they went deeper the operation turned into a painstaking mining enterprise. It had obviously been a storage facility and had the broken remains of shipping cases and packing material strewn around each floor. Whatever was stored in it had been evacuated long ago. Every new floor they entered had been an empty echoing cavern. They were now five levels below the rest of the city and there was only one floor left to explore according to the ground scans.
The lowest level was another derelict storage facility; in it tucked away in a neglected corner were two immense crates with a mass of some 1200 tonnes each and all manner of hieroglyphics stencilled onto them, and they were still sealed. Once translated the hieroglyphics inferred these crates each contained a ”star make closer engine” the fabled interstellar drive unit! All they had to do now was get them out! Oh and analyse how they worked of course!
10th June. EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 175th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mothballed construction factory on Titan.
EDA, Earth
EDA Survey Command announced that the EDAV Vasco Da Gama had surveyed the Comet Waresky (#1), and discovered substantial amounts of TN minerals at excellent availabilities.
Duranium 19,334 tonnes (0.9), Corbomite 414 tonnes (0.7), Vendarite 13,431 tonnes (1), Sorium 9,452 tonnes (0.8 ) , Gallicite 193,320 tonnes (0.8 ).
The first commercial spaceport has been completed on Earth in the former Peoples Republic of China, now the China and Far Eastern Sector.
15th June EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 175th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
EDA, Earth
The first of the Atlantique Mk II Target Indicator Craft came off the production line today.
July 2028
2nd July. EDA, Earth.
The Maggart Freight Corporation commissioned its second Neiuw Amsterdam Class Colony Transport today.
10th June. EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 175th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate an abandoned mining facility on Titan
The 105th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mothballed fuel refinery on Titan.
The first 100,000 colonists arrived at Xanadu City to form the permanent work force. Unfortunately the Maggart Freight Corporation also delivered 50,000 for which there was no infrastructure, 50,000 were evacuated to Mars. This provided the only activity the 7th Cavalry Brigade had seen for months as they were forced to patrol the streets to quell the rioting prior to the evacuation.
10th July. EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 14th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate an abandoned Terraforming Installation on Titan. It was unclear whether this was intended for use on Titan or enroute to another destination.
The 175th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
The 105th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
EDA, Earth
The EDAV carriers Illustrious, Victorious and Téméraire left the BAE Systems Orbital ‘Yard this morning on their shakedown cruise. Fighter production is lagging meaning there is only one understrength fighter squadron available. These will be the only ships of their class as the design is re-examined. Will future vessels built for the EDA Navy need to have a self defence capability or can that be based in their escorts, is the armour belt necessary? These changes would free up considereable space for an enlarged hanger deck and therefore larger strike package.
World Free States
The fleet Supply ships Alaska and Alabama were commissioned into the EDA Navy at the General Dynamics Orbital ‘Yard. They will join Ohio and Montana of the same class at Mars.
17th July. World Free States
This was the day that the World Free States became an integral part of the Earth Defence Authority. While the most powerful part of it was the US it also included Japan, South Korea and many of the moderate Gulf States. The day was declared a National Holiday in North America and in future would replace the 4th July holiday.
This was another big block of population for the EDA to absorb. Ex-President Digman assumed his duties as the second Deputy Director of the Earth Defence Authority with special responsibility for the North American Sector. With some relief he walked away from ever having to be elected again, leaving that to the National Representatives of the North American and Allied Countries Sector of the UN.
22nd July, Mars
19th Engineering Brigade was delivered to Mars to begin construction of an Astrodrome.
27th July EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 15th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mothballed construction factory on Titan.
Captain Matthews approached his commander’s office wondering what he had done wrong. Recovery operations today had gone well. Colonel Brooke Payne commander of the 16th Engineering Brigade rarely summonsed anyone as lowly as a company commander to see him unless they had screwed up by numbers. Matthews knocked on the flimsy door and entered the outer office where the Colonel’s clerk noted his arrival and said “please take a seat Captain Matthews, the Colonel will see you in a few minutes.” Twenty minutes later there was a noise from the inner office, the door opened and Matthews immediate superior, Major Jones came out accompanied by Matthew’s company sergeant major, they both nodded to Matthews but went out without saying anything, the Major did not look particularly happy. A couple of minutes later the office intercom buzzed on the clerk’s desk “Captain Matthews, the Colonel will see you now” said the clerk.
Matthews entered the inner office with some trepidation, Colonel Payne looked up” Ah, Captain Matthews, please have a seat,” a few moments passed before the Colonel began to speak “As you know your last half year fitness report was a good one, I forwarded it to Central Command with my recommendations, but as you are aware the 16th doesn’t have any vacancies for a newly minted Major and frankly there is no room on the current deployment for a supernumery.” Matthews’s heart sank, knocked back again, if he didn’t get promotion soon he would be too old, and in a few short years faced return to a cold radiation ravaged Earth and the prospect of an all too short retirement, at least here there were four square meals a day and the work was interesting if a little hazardous at times. The Colonel continued. “However the 15th Brigade’s Major Peterson was invalided home last month. So its been arranged that you will transfer to the 15th Brigade and take over Peterson’s battalion, I’ve had my batman get your kit together and transport is waiting outside for you. Congratulations Major, Jones was most peeved to lose his star company commander, but I expect he will get over it!” The Colonel held out his hand and passed across a small box containing Matthews’s new insignia, they shook hands. “Put these on before you leave the outer office and good luck.” Matthews was in a bit of a daze as he left the office.
Islamic Block, Earth
The Supreme Leader, in a ceremony broadcast throughout the Block, gave a new Assault Infantry battalion its colours today. The Religious leader addressed the troops stressing their honour, valour and the rewards they will receive in Paradise for their sacrifice and railed against the EDA, denouncing it as Satan’s spawn.
29th July, Mars
20th Engineering Brigade arrived on Mars to assist in the construction of an Astrodrome.
August 2028
3rd August EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 14th Engineering Brigade managed to recover 10 advanced internal confinement fusion drives on Titan, more advanced than any propulsion unit the EDA had.
EDA, Mars
21th Engineering Brigade arrived on Mars to assist in the construction of an Astrodrome.
EDA, Earth
Construction of the Isambard Kingdom Brunel Mk II Terraformers, the Sir Joseph William Bazalgette, the James Watt and the Gustave Eiffel began today at the Nederlansche Dok en Scheepsbouw Orbital ‘Yard.
11th August, EDA Mars
EDA Ground Forces Command announced 21st Engineering Brigade arrived on Mars to assist in the construction of an Astrodrome.
EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 175th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate 400 habitation (infrastructure) units in Xanadu City, and using the integral atmosphere controls in the units made them suitable for human habitation.
It was becoming apparent that there were nowhere near enough habitation modules for the amount of industry Xanadu represented. Only enough for 600,000 colonists had been recovered, and while there were considerable numbers of ruined habitation units they still would not come close to housing all the workers needed to run all the industry this site represented. There were also those strange structures which were initially thought to be habitation units but appeared to be for a race with different environmental tolerances and unsuitable for humans. Coupled with the mothballed terraforming installations the idea that Xanadu was a trading post between two or more races with different environmental tolerances was gaining credence.
EDA, Earth
EDA Survey Command announced that trace TN minerals had been found on asteroid #200
Duranium 585 tonnes (1), Corbamite 40 tonnes (1), Mercassium 562 tonnes (1),
and asteroid #203
Vendarite 1 tonne (1)
15th August, EDA, Earth.
The Varne Orbital ‘Yard commissioned the EDA freighters Port London and Port Rotterdam. The Port Cadiz was laid down.
The EDA Resource Commission announced that the commercial mining operation on Callisto has expanded to 6 mining complexes.
22nd August EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 175th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
Africa & Middle East
An Assault Infantry battalion completed its conversion from a conventional unit. EDA officials have become increasingly concerned over the apparent closeness of the Islamic Block and the African and remaining Middle Eastern countries outside the EDA and the ground forces that were being built up.
25th August
The EDA salvage ships Grapple and Salvor completed clearing obsolete ICBM bases from South America and debris in near Earth orbit. After unloading at Mars they will then proceed to salvage the first of the Intruder wrecks.
September 2028
2nd September EDA Earth.
The EDA Resource Commission announced that the commercial mining operation on Asteroid #11 has expanded to 5 mining complexes.
EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 6th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mothballed automated mine on Titan.
The 144th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
9th August EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 6th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mothballed automated mine on Titan.
The 14th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mothballed fuel refinery on Titan.
15th August, EDA, Earth.
EDA Ground Forces Command announced the formation of two marine battalions. These units will form the core of No. 40 Commando and initially be based in the China and Far East Sector.
20th September EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 105th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
20th September, EDA, Earth
EDA Ground Forces Command announced the formation of two more Garrison Battalions, the 25th 26th to improve the administration of martial law as a counter to the civil disturbances with still plagued all corners of the EDA and the World as a whole.
25th September EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 6th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate another mothballed Terraforming Installation on Titan. Most of the records associated with the installation were corrupted; however the last operating instructions could be interrogated. The Terraforming unit had been used to add methane to the atmosphere, presumably in an attempt to warm it. Did this help account for Titan’s thick methane atmosphere?
EDA, Earth
The second production model Atlantique Mk II landed aboard the EDAV Illustrious completing the ships strike group of ten Hurricane F2s and two Atlantique Mk IIs. The Illustrious then departed Earth orbit bound for Mars and the Battlefleet.
A slipway has been added to the commercial Varna orbital ‘Yard which is now retooling for the improved Mk II Port Calais class freighter.
26th September EDA Earth.
The Grapple and Salvor completed salvaging the wreck of the nearest Intruder ship to Earth. From the larger hull sections left intact it appeared to be one of the missile carrying ships. Several pieces of more or less intact ship systems and components were salvaged from the wreck. These included two advanced search sensors, a missile fire control system, two missile launchers for size 5 missiles, 30 advanced magazine systems, a recognisable Stellarator fusion reactor and eight components which looked like generators but of unknown function.
30th September EDA, Earth.
The Gomati Mk II vessels Cod, Cuttlefish, Conger, Darted and Devilfish completed and immediately left for Mars. The Viktor Lenac Orbital ‘Yard will complete retooling for the Gomati Mk III class in October, when five of the new Mark will be laid down.
EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 6th Engineering Brigade managed to recover 1800 tonnes of stored Uridium
The 15th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mothballed Genetic Modification Centre and recovered technical details of Genome sequence research on Titan.
The Installation was vast; it must have been the place of work for tens of thousands of workers. This structure was an unusual one, tanks and vats crowded the first two floors, there were acres of laboratories and clean room suites many containing equipment marked with the angry sunburst they had come to associate with a radiation hazard, there was also a new hazard sign, vaguely like stylised virus particles. Then there was the divided environments on the third floor, one tolerable for humans the others increasingly hostile. The best guess was it had been a research establishment of some sort.
Major Matthews watched the view from the camera riding the shoulder of his ‘A’ Company commander, Captain Redmond, a capable officer. While rank has its privileges he still missed the personal satisfaction of bringing an alien installation back on line. Redmond found the central control room of the complex; the signs were good, there had been very few environmental breaches and little apparent internal damage. The Captain inserted the data stick into the receiver. The panels about him lit up with gold and orange lights, troopers positioned on other floors reported equipment coming alive, predominantly displaying the blue lights of standby. The display screen in front of the Captain came on with the message “Consumable supplies depleted” at least the translation software was working.
Matthews walked around the facility, it certainly looked like an R&D lab, but a distorted one, there was something on the edge of his awareness, something seemed familiar, he just couldn’t place it. He was on the second floor looking at the tanks and vats with their associated pipe work when it began to gel in his mind, he was back as an undergraduate, taking an elective course on biochemical engineering (because ”everyone knows bioscience is much easier than hard science”), the class was on a study trip to a large stem cell culture facility, while not on this scale it was very reminiscent, the tankage, labs and clean rooms. The Major moved up to the control suite, off to one side there was a large console with several large screens. He inserted his data stick into the consol, activated a few of the controls in safe mode, he then triggered a small interrogation program from his data stick, the central screen lit up and displayed a double helix, hieroglyphics flashed up briefly before the translation program caught them and translated them to read “identify genomic modification site, select chromosomal arm, insert gene splicing site, define gene insert, replenish gene construct supplies” then in large text “Warning No Subjects in Crypt”. A second monitor awoke showing a scene on another floor, rows of hundreds of coffin-like containers, their doors ajar. A chill ran through Matthews as the realisation of what the installation was for, he opened a channel to his new Colonel “Colonel Doyle, Major Matthews here, I think I know what they used this place for sir, it ties in with the lack of Earth normal living quarters, I think we had better get some of the life scientists here! I’m not sure I like the Chapineria Imperium anymore!”
A scientific committee was formed from the foremost life scientists within the Earth Defence Authority. Professor Dalton Miskell, Professor Chanda Vaidyam and Professor Micaela Ryals. It took little time for the eminent scientists to confirm the facility was a genomic modification facility that could alter the genome of the organism after it had matured to an adult, and this technique would work on humans. Although the evidence was that any modification on humans would not be as extensive as that the Chapineria Imperium was apparently practising on its citizens, effectively creating a new cold tolerant race, but still one requiring a modest amount of oxygen. The recovered facility could handle thousands of subjects a year. The technological breakthrough the genetic modification centre represented could not be underestimated. There were the tantalising possibilities of improving the human genome to increase disease resistance and environmental tolerance, perhaps even treating terminal disease or increasing tolerance to the radiation that still blighted the Earth. However the ethical considerations were considerable and the committee urged that an EDA Commission should be set up to explore the ramifications of this new ability before any resources were committed to this new science.
October 2028
5th October EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 15th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mothballed fuel refinery on Titan.
EDA, Earth.
The EDA Resource Commission announced that the commercial mining operation on Comet Sotak has expanded to 4 mining complexes.
The Viktor Lenac Orbital ‘Yard has completed retooling for the Gomati Mk III class and laid down the first five ships in the class, the Dolphin, Finback, Halibut, Grampus, and Hammerhead.
8th October, EDA, Earth.
EDA Survey Command announced that TN minerals had been found on asteroid #321
Duranium 1,848 tonnes (1), Tritanium 538 tonnes (1), Corundium 256 tonnes (1).
13th October, EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 175th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
15th October, EDA Survey Command, Earth
EDA Survey Command announced that substantial amounts of TN minerals had been found on Comet Burton (#5)
Duranium 30,708 tonnes (1), Corbomite 13,512 tonnes (0.9), Boronide 8,064 tonnes (0.9), Mercassium 12,871 tonnes (1), Sorium 7,796 tonnes (0.8 ), Uridium 1,533 tonnes (0.7), Gallicite 59,540 tonnes (0.8 ).
The Alexandra Marshal Research Group has completed development work on the new Stellarator fusion reactor intended for the new Defender class PDCs designed in light of the aggressive attitude of both the Islamic Block and the new African and Middle Eastern Block which was rearming with TN technology and still had a very substantial number of conventional ICBMs, if that term could ever be applied to nuclear weapons. Each sector in the EDA would have ten of the new PDCs, but those intended for South American Sector would take considerably longer to build owing to the lack of construction factories.
Defender Mk I class Planetary Defence Centre 20000 tons 1300 Crew 3083 BP TCS 400 TH 0 EM 0
Armour 14-65 Sensors 24/800 Damage Control Rating 10 PPV 62
Troop Capacity: 1 Battalion Magazine 1150
Quad R6/C3 Meson Cannon Turret (2x4) Range 60,000km TS: 16650 km/s Power 6-6 RM 6 ROF 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
CIWS-120E (2x4) Range 1000 km TS: 12000 km/s ROF 5 Base 50% To Hit
PDC Fire Control S16 96-12000 (2) Max Range: 192,000 km TS: 12000 km/s 95 90 84 79 74 69 64 58 53 48
Stellarator Fusion Reactor Technology PB-1 AR-0 (4) Total Power Output 24 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Size 1 Missile Launcher (30) Missile Size 1 Rate of Fire 5
Missile Fire Control FC0-R1 (3) Range 154k km Resolution 1
AMM-1 Spartan (1150) Speed: 30,800 km/s End: 2.8m Range: 5.1m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 297 / 178 / 89
Active Search Sensor MR640-R100 (1) GPS 80000 Range 640.0m km Resolution 100
Active Search Sensor MR30-R20 (1) GPS 3840 Range 30.7m km Resolution 20
Active Search Sensor MR0-R1 (1) GPS 48 Range 384k km Resolution 1
Thermal Sensor TH3-24 (1) Sensitivity 24 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 24m km
EM Detection Sensor EM3-24 (1) Sensitivity 24 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 24m km
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 8 sections
22nd October, EDA between the orbits of Earth and Mars
The Grapple and Salvor completed salvaging the wreck of a second Intruder ship near Earth. From the larger hull sections left intact it again appeared to be one of the missile carrying ships. Several pieces of more or less intact ship systems and components were salvaged from the wreck. These included three advanced ECM and ECCM components, two search sensors, an EM sensor, two missile fire control systems five advanced drive systems, 36 advanced missile magazines, three size 5 missile launchers, a recognisable stellarator fusion reactor and another eight generators of undetermined function.
23rd October, EDA, Earth.
The EDA Ground Forces Command announced the formation of a Marine battalion that will join No. 40 Commando Brigade currently stationed in China and Far East sector.
7th November EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 15th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mothballed mine on Titan.
Major Matthews felt the satisfaction of a job well done, another installation successfully recovered without mishap. This was one of the easy ones, a manned (aliened?) mining complex that required many operators to ensure its smooth running. There was talk of shipping the manned mines to Mars once transport capacity was available, although there was still a severe shortage of manpower there. Colonel Doyle seemed to be happy with him according to his interim fitness report.
18th November, EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The Sam Peacock Geology Team has found a 100,000 tonnes (0.2) deposit of Boronide on Titan that was missed by the orbital survey. They are continuing their efforts to locate more deposits of TN minerals..
The 14th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mothballed construction factory on Titan. In addition they were able to access detailed information on how to improve the efficiency of construction factories by relatively simple alterations in work flow plus a small number of simple technical innovations that will increase the construction rate by nearly 17% system wide for all EDA factories (construction rate 14BP).
24th November, EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 6th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mothballed automated mine on Titan.
The 144th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
EDA between the orbits of Earth and Mars
The Grapple and Salvor completed salvaging the wreck of the third Intruder ship; from the larger hull sections left intact it appeared to be the final missile armed warship. Several pieces of more or less intact ship systems and components were salvaged from the wreck. These included an advanced ECCM system, two search sensors of differing resolutions, a fire control sensor, 32 advanced missile magazines Cap18 magazines, a size 5 missile launcher, four advanced internal confinement fusion drives, eight components which looked like generators of unknown function and a recognisable Stellarator fusion reactor,
While conducting the salvage operations knowledge was gained on an advanced capacitor from the damaged meson beam turrets examined. Most exciting was the small fragment of the AI memory back up recovered, the component was only a centimetre long and was a piece of the redundant AI memory storage that seemed to be holographic in nature. Only a small fragment of data was recovered, but it gave hints on a space borne structure, which could open a wormhole between star systems, the first idea perhaps of how the Intruders travelled between the stars. Unfortunately if there was such a structure none had been found in the Solar System.
Islamic Block
Three more units of the Falakhon class FAC left the yards. The Islamic Block continued its slow build up of forces, handicapped by the destruction of half its R&D labs in the intruder bombardment, the replacement of which was tying up much of their industrial capacity.
2nd December, EDA, Earth.
The EDA Ground Forces Command announced the formation of the 22nd Engineering Brigade that will join other Brigades currently stationed on Mars and Titan.
EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 16th Engineering Brigade managed to reactivate a mothballed automated mine on Titan.
The 144th Engineering Brigade managed to recover 380 habitation (infrastructure) units in Xanadu City.
10th December, EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 6th Engineering Brigade managed to recover an abandoned fuel stockpile of 3,600,000 litres on Titan.
19th December EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 175th Engineering Brigade failed to recover the abandoned installation assigned to it.
EDA, Earth
Grasper and Gripper left the Deutsche Werft orbital Yard and joined Grapple and Salvor clearing wrecks from the inner system. The last vessel of this class, Recovery was laid down.
26th December, EDA, Xanadu City, Titan.
The 6th Engineering Brigade managed to recover an abandoned fuel stockpile of 2,900,000 litres on Titan.
EDA between the orbits of Earth and Mars
The Grapple, Salvor, Graper and Gripper completed salvaging the wreck of the fourth and final Intruder ship, from the larger hull sections left intact it appeared to be the beam only armed warship. Many theorists had speculated that this was the command ship of the group based on how the capabilities of the squadron deteriorated after it was destroyed. Several pieces of more or less intact ship systems and components were salvaged from the wreck. These included two search sensors of differing resolutions, four advanced internal confinement fusion drives, eight components which looked like generators of unknown function, an improved damage control system and seven recognisable Stellarator fusion reactors,
In addition information was gained by the examination of the damaged and partially destroyed components advancing knowledge of advanced beam fire control range 24,000 km.
The Earth 2028
Radiation was still reducing industrial output by 3.43% while the temperature deficit had reduced to -8.53 degrees C. There were still civil disturbances world wide, only martial law enforced by the military kept it in check. Life for the average citizen was a grind; although starvation had been fought off the radiation still took its toll on the very young and the old. Life expectancy had fallen dramatically. The population was still decreasing though not as fast as in previous years. The EDA was faced by the implacable hostility of the Islamic Block only kept in check because of the unquestioned superiority of the EDA war machine, and an African-Middle Eastern Block that resented that same superiority and as it saw it, a virtual monopoly on TN technology.
