The Galaxy Awaits ... Choose Your Path!

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

I'm glad I left page 26 open in my browser, it and page 25 have been lost during the transition Sad

I'll repost them, no need to worry about that(other than what other people wrote). 

[hunter james]

dangit my speech got lost and I don't have that anymore.

[MarcAFK]

Dangit, I lost the cache before reading it

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

As to the general idea I should mention I've decided mostly against it.  In general there aren't enough administrators to bench them early via forced retirement.  Additionally I find that it adds to the possible storylines and there are 'low-health' admins that have been extremely important, most notably Albert Eighmy.  The more/younger requires more academies, which will be done up to a point but for RP reasons and my personal sanity in playing the game as well I like to keep it at a point where the most 'stressed' branch of service has no lower than an 80-90% employment rate.  Usually but not always that's the politicians. 

Ultimately I think like most things it's an issue that will resolve itself.  I.e. several years ago there were barely enough, now(2089) there are about a dozen unemployed politicians.  Some will lose their jobs as comets run out of minerals, but more will be created in new colonies/outposts during colonization.  All the branches go through cycles where they lose a lot of skilled/highly-ranked personnel, then periods where they don't lose many at all and the quality increases ... it's an ebb and flow basically. 

FWIW. 

[MarcAFK]

How about that repost? :p

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

Yeah, how about that?   I have some potentially bad news. I had most of the 2090 SOS done and was planning on getting things going again after the holiday which is always crazy for me at work. This weekend there's time so I intended to start the repost and get things back up to speed.  However my new year's present from my computer was a lovely batch of epic fail. At this point I'm planning on attempting to reinstall windows on Friday which is really the last straw since it will not even boot up at this point. If that doesn't work, I'll need a new hard drive and this story will be over. That possibility makes me sad, I really really wanted to finish the story. I'm not really sure what I'll do if that happens, but I will post here other way once I find out if it works.

[MarcAFK]

Sadface.gif 
Don't worry about it, quite normal for Aurora AAR's to go unfinished (hell my own attempts never get far enough to be noteworthy)

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

I am pleased to announce that I have successfully extracted the essential Aurora files(saved database and the text file holding all my notes) from the fubared HD.  That means this story will continue barring something extremely bizarre.  When is another matter, I'm going to pull anything else useful off and then I need to format it.  If that doesn't work I'll need a new hard drive, so it could be a week or two but the adventures of SPACE appear to have been snatched from the clutches of data fail.  In the meantime I plan on finally starting the reposting here and there to get this thread caught up to current events. 

To infinity, and beyond!

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

September - December 2084

October was another big month.  New army battalions were finished, another military engine prototpye tested, and then on the 23rd Reynaldo Darrington certified the WP ID 240, the largest of the commercial engines at 2.5kt.  Engineering suddenly became very busy.  A total of ten different classes needed an upgrade with the new engines and some other systems improved as well.  The '84i' naming scheme was adopted, indicating 2084 technology and the upgrade to ion drives. 

Arleigh Burke 84i Brigade Transport

Size:  17.3kt(17.
Crew:  127(136)
Speed:  695 km/s(563)
Fuel:  250k(350k)
Range:  57b km(38b)
Troop Capacity:  1 brigade(5 battalions, i.e. 4 + HQ)
Armament:  2x CIWS 79 battery(2x CIWS 71)
Cost:  544k(553k)

This will be a consistent pattern throughout these redesigns, but the impact of the leap to ion drives, and to a lesser extent the advances made in armor, CIWS, etc., is obvious here.  The new version is more than twice as fuel efficient which is the most important thing about it:  it's 23% faster, yet carries a lot less fuel and gets 50% more range.  It's even a hair cheaper, superior across the board. 

Portland 84i Battalion Transport

Size:  4.35 kt(4.5 kt)
Crew:  39(43)
Speed:  1379 km/s(1111)
Fuel:  50k(60k)
Range:  45b km(29b)
Troop Capacity:  1 battalion
Cost:  189k(182k)

Same story here, with the minor exception that the new Portland is a hair more expensive than the old one. 

Cleveland 84i Supply Ship

Size:  2.0 kt(2.1 kt)
Crew:  28(30)
Speed:  3000 km/s(2380 km/s)
Fuel:  50k(100k)
Range:  99b km(92b)
Maintenance Supplies:  1000
Cost:  143k(137k)

Tarawa 84i Collier

Size:  6.0 kt(6.4 kt)
Crew:  66(85)
Speed:  1000 km/s(781 km/s)
Fuel:  100k(250k)
Range:  66b km(76b km)
Magazine Storage:  1200(1050)
Cost:  577k(573k)

Room for another 25 anti-ship missiles was added, while an unneeded glut of maintenance supplies and other dead weight was culled from the original design. 

Wickes 84i Salvage Ship

Size:  21.7 kt(20.6 kt)
Crew:  191(188)
Speed:  829 km/s(486 km/s)
Fuel:  250k
Range:  46b km
CryoStorage:  1000
Cargo Storage:  5000
Salvage Modules:  1 @ 500t/day.
Armament:  2x CIWS 79 Batteries(2x CIWS 71)
Cost:  708k(682k)

In addition to the new engines, the Wickes gets the latest CIWS system and a couple of sensor upgrades that weren't ready when it was originally designed.  A third engine was added as well to give it a more respectable speed.   As a result this is an exception that is a little bigger and more costly than it's predecessor. 

Iowa 84i Fuel Tanker

Size:  8.5 kt(9.8 kt)
Crew:  44(53)
Speed:  1411 km/s(1020 km/s)
Fuel:  5m(6m)
Armament:  1x CIWS 79 Battery(1 CIWS I)
Cost:  394k(604k)

This version slightly reduces the capacity of the Iowa tanks, but with the improved fuel efficiency that is not expected to be a concern.  The new huge fuel tanks can handle as much as five of the old very large ones, and at less than 60% of the cost.  SPACE taxpayers can see that savings reflected impressively in the new ship's bottom line layout. 

Iowa XR 84i Extended-Range Fuel Tanker

Same as the regular Iowa 84i, except:

Size:  8.55 kt
Speed:  1403 km/s
Cost:  404k

This is the version with crew facilities and supplies for a five-year tour to accomopany the ESFs, not the standard two-year accomodations. 

Gato 84i Small Freighter

Size:  7 kt
Crew:  33
Speed:  857 km/s
Fuel:  100k
Range:  57b km
Cargo Capacity:  5k
Cost:  182k

For further efficiency it was designed to add a third class of freighter.  The Gato is designed for small loads of minerals in various circumstances where a larger load is not expected to be needed.  In such cases sending even a Fletcher is inefficient as the fuel used to push around a larger cargo hold is just wasted.  The plan here is to have small numbers of each class of freighter, instead of the one-size-fits-all approach that the Fletcher filled for decades. Another engine was contemplated for the Gato, but was considered to not be worth the cost.   

Fletcher  84i Freighter

Size:  35.9kt(36.9 kt)
Crew:  153(162)
Speed:  1002 km/s(813 km/s)
Fuel:  250k(650k)
Range:  41b km(51b km)
Cargo Capacity:  25k
Armament:  4x CIWS 79(4x CIWS I)
Cost:  614k(644k)

The Fletcher was the workhorse of the Sol mining rush.  Its deployment in the late 40s and 50s was indispensable to the development of SPACE throughout our home system.  Since the South Carolina came on the scene it has changed roles to more of a short-range freighter, with the occasional longer run if a small load is called for(a single facility or a small amount of minerals needed to build a base, etc.).  For this revision an extra cargo handling system has been added(a total of 2 now) to decrease loading times, yet the cost was still able to be reduced by 30k.  This is mostly due to a drastic reduction in the needed amount of fuel. 

South Carolina 84i Superfreighter

Size:  163kt(165 kt)
Crew:  487(531)
Speed:  735 km/s(607 km/s)
Fuel:  1.5m(2.15m)
Range:  54b km(38b km)
Cargo Capacity:  125 kt
Armament:  21x CIWS 79(18x CIWS 71)
Cost:  1.99m(2.08m)

The fuel saved here during the coming interstellar colonization startup will be considerable.  Even a moderate speed increase like the 21% here will be significant as well.  At least weeks, probably months per trip will be saved.  As with the other revisions the fuel efficiency here is just over twice the standard South Carolina now in service. 

Long Beach 84i Fuel Harvester

Size:  80.8kt(79.1 kt)
Crew:  429(411)
Speed:  445 km/s(379 km/s)
Fuel:  2m(1.5m)
Harvesting Modules:  26(rated at 832k per year)
Armament:  10x CIWS batteries(5 CIWS 71)
Cost:  1.77m(1.66m)

The Long Beach is of course a 'younger' or 'newer' design than most of the others.  It also held a bit of a special concern.  The recent improvement in mining techniques has led to some ships with particularly skilled COs nearly maxing out their tanks before shore leave.  A good problem to have, but in the redesign it was decided that an attempt needed to be made to expand the fuel capacity.  As a result, the new version is somewhat larger.  These will fare much better than the originals if they are deployed somewhere with more accessible sorium than Saturn's 70%. 

After all this some major reworking of the commercial shipyards was needed.  The new one being built will service the Portland and Gato when it is ready, probably in a couple years.  Vickers-Armstrong, idle since the Lexingtons were retired, will expand to be able to handle the Arleigh Burke.  Howaldtswerke is set up to handle the Wickes, Oregon will continue to service the Iowa/Iowa XR classes, and the new Vegesacker SY will handle the Fletcher.  P&A Group will have more work than they can possibly handle keeping up with the Long Beach harvesters, ENDM is expanding to match the needed size for the massive jump ships that will be built once the drive is ready, and the Tod & MacGregor handles the South Carolina. 

After the Wickes is updated, Howaldtswerke should be able to handle whatever kind of colony ship SPACE comes up with, but this still leaves us a little tight.  Another yard really is needed to keep things running smoothly, and is added to the queue.  There's always a need for more, it seems.  Always. 

If you can keep all that straight, you're a better man than I.  And we haven't even gotten to the military side yet ... Millions of workers at the shipyards were back at work retooling several of the yards to get ready for new or refit ships. 

In November, a change to the optimal ESF loadouts was decided upon.  Every system surveyed so far has finished the geological work long before the jump points are finished.  It was decided to shift the balance of survey craft from three of each to two Prospectors and four Frontiers in order to balance this out a little bit.  The new engines, when ready, will also help, as would better grav sensors but that last part is quite a ways off yet. 


RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

** October 16 -- Vertigo 144 finished(Alejandro Otteson). 

October 23 -- The larger of the two commercial engines, the WP ID 240, has been finalized, led by Reynaldo Darrington.

December 16 -- Vertigo 180 completed(David Gruis).  Meanwhile


EARTH

Mid-October -- Two assault infantry battalions enter service.  One more construction brigade begins training, and the third training facility will idle now as that is all that is needed. 

November 26 -- Another shipment of auto-mines departs for the Swift-Tuttle comet.  They won't arrive until well into next year. 


LEADERSHIP PERSONNEL

Early November -- Recent graduate Timmy Sheerin has now doubled his administrative skills to an accomplished level.  He can handle pretty much any assignment short of Earth now. 

November 30 -- Burt Stonerock moves into the accomplished tier in factory production, strengthening his resume for a run at the director's office in a month. 

Mid-December --  The navy is touting the name of Patsy Demange, recent academy graduate.  already accomplished in training, xenology, and factory production ... though im not sure what good the last one will do. 

[MarcAFK]

"Sir! The archaeology team has discovered an alien artefact, engineers are attempting to recover it's data" :

Good thing the database was securely encased inside that thing :p

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

Lol!

STATE OF SPACE, 2085

I.  IMPERIAL HOLDINGS

IA.  Populated Colonies

Earth(1.75b, 500 CF, 109 OF, 75 REF, 49 RL, 4 AC, 3 GFT, 5 DSTS, 15.2k MF, 1 SP, 1 SC, 4x Alaska MB)
Mars(76.9m, Tennessee MB)
Luna(74.1m, Tennessee MB)
Mercury(22.0m, Ticonderoga SB)
Titan(17.8m, 1 DSTS, Alaska MB)
Venus(16.0m)
Io(120k)
Europa(120k)
Ganymede(110k)
Callisto(110k)

Total Population:  1.96b(+9.5%)

The increasing political force of the colonies can be seen in the fact that populatons on Mars and Luna continue to grow at more than twice the rate of Earth.  Percentage-wise, that is, most of the growth in terms of pure numbers of people is still on our homeworld.  Civilian contractors continue to bring staggering amounts of infrastructure to Mercury, which has surpassed Titan as expected, growing by over 30% this cycle.  Venus continues to grow as well albeit more slowly and there has even been the rare delivery of infrastructure to the moons of Jupiter, though in minute quantities.  Colonial population now numbers more than 200 million people, 10.7% of the total.  Humanity will likely reach the two billion mark sometime in the next year. 

IB.  Outposts

Sedna(40 CMC, 16 eff, 11.7 kt)
Triton(117 AM, 23.6 eff, 4.58 kt) -- mercassium(1.
Earth(50 SM, 6.2 eff, 515 t)
Borrelly(39.8 AM, 40 eff, 3.70 kt) -- vendarite(1.4)
Halley's Comet(36 AM, 33 eff, 2.17 kt) -- corbomite(9.5)
Reinmuth(33.8 AM, 30 eff, 1.68 kt)
Stephan-Oterma(28 AM, 32 eff, 1.49 kt) -- gallicite(0.2)
Machholz(27.6 AM, 24 eff, 1.10 kt) -- sorium(4.1)
Neujmin(25.8 AM, 25 eff, 1.07 t) -- duranium(6.0)
Titan(25 SM, 6 eff, 311 t)
Faye(25 AM, 24 eff, 995 t) -- neutronium(4.4)
Comas Sola(25 AM, 29 eff, 1.20 kt) -- boronide(0.5), tritanium(8.5)
Schaumasse(21.8 AM, 36 eff, 1.76 kt)
Crommelin(20.4 AM, 26 eff, 881 t)
Wolf-Harrington(17.8 AM, 40 eff, 1.18 kt) -- uridium(8.6)
Tempel-Tuttle(14 AM, 40 eff, 930 t)
Callisto(10 SM, 6 eff, 10 t)
Van Biesbroeck(10 AM, 55 eff, 912 t)
Prokne(10 AM, 7.9 eff, 131 t)
Wild(8 AM, 34 eff, 452 t)
Wolf(8 AM, 26 eff, 346 t)
Swift-Tuttle(5 AM, 71 eff, 618 t)

Total Production: 37.73 kt, +20%.  This is by far a record total amount that SPACE mines are bringing in.  Expansion on Sedna and Triton, new productive outposts on Tempel-Tuttle and Swift-Tuttle were the key factors.  Swift-Tuttle is particularly worthy of mention as it is the most efficient comet ever developed.  That fact will last for less than a decade as a number of minerals are in short supply, but it's certainly a short-term boon.  16 of the 21 comets that don't have a prohibitively long period have been developed now.  At least one more, Herschel-Rigollet, soon will be.    This is certainly a case of the boom before the crash, but right now it's more than enough to keep the wheels turning.  Looking ahead, it is now projected that Comas Sola will be the first to completely run out sometime in the mid-90s.  The crash is coming. 

IC.  Mineral Stockpiles & Production

Tier A(rare usage):  Corbomite(79 kt), Vendarite(71 kt), Sorium(56 kt)

Supplies of all three rose sharply as they continue to do.  It's rather stunning to recall that sorium was once considered a key mineral some decades ago.  Now we bank roughly two kilotons a year in the ever-growing storage compounds.  Vendarite usage varies greatly, and while it moves up to an A-list material now that may well change by next cycle as shipbuilding for the refits, Frozen Vengeance, etc. will likely move it down a tier again. 

Tier B(some usage, but a good stockpile):  Uridium(127 kt), Tritanium(52 kt), Boronide(37 kt), Gallicite(31 kt)

There is now 62% more uridium than any other mineral in the stockpiles.  When Sedna's deposits of it vanish, which will happen sometime around the end of the century, that fact may change.  We may have approaching 200 kt of it by then, despite significant constant use, so there is not even the shadow of concern.  Tritanium has remained fairly steady over the last couple of decades, and boronide is starting to decline a bit with increased shipbuilding. 

Gallicite is the biggest concern here by far.  It notably dropped by 5 kt with the Defender 76 missile production run, and while it'll get a relative break here, once Exorcist and Interceptor missiles are needed for the next generation it will be needed in large quantities again.  Gallicite is the unquestioned favorite to join the big four minerals, but there is enough of it still that this is not an immediate concern. 

Tier C(major usage, needs close watching/ under 20 kt):  Mercassium(19.4 kt), Neutronium(17.5 kt), Duranium(16.9 kt)

Duranium has recovered from the recent dive, mercassium is nearly stable at this point and neutronium has steadily risen for about a decade now.  The coming massive round of shipbuilding will stress all of them. 

Tier D(major usage, economic growth limiter):  Corundium(8.36 kt)

Recent development of the new comet outposts to increase supply has served to greatly reduce the decline in corundium, but the supply still shrinks and that fact is likely to continue.  This will limit the amount of new mines put out there, but should be enough to allow some to continue.  Duranium is very likely to rejoin this tier as shipbuilding activity ramps up again. 

ID.  Income

Taxes(population):  43.1m
Taxes(civ. tourism):  14.5m
Taxes(civ. shipping):  5.3m
Taxes(civ. fuel):  238k

Total:  63.1m(+15%)

Tourism is an overall powerfully growing but also volatile sector of the economy.  SPACE expects this to make revenue projections increasingly difficult and inaccurate in the future.  Right now planetary taxes make up only about two-thirds of income, a share that is expected to continue to decline, and they are the only real predictable element in the mix. 

Balance:  809m(+90 m)

IE.  Expenses

Research:  11.7m
Mineral Purchases:  9.89m
Shipbuilding:  7.65m
Installation Construction:  5.76m
Shipyard Modifications:  1.72m
PDC Construction:  1.35m
Maintenance Facilities:  1.12m
Ordnance:  813k
GU Maintenance:  553k
GU Training:  281k

Total:  40.8m (+21%)

Yet again income far outpaces expenses.  SPACE expects this situation to become much more unpredictable as well, with greater and greater periodic swings in the needed amount of activity in the shipyards and army training facilities. 

II. SHIPYARDS

IIA.  Commercial Yards

Tod & MacGregor(2 slipways, 166 kt capacity)
** Retooling for the South Carolina 84i(June 2085)
Estalerios Navais do Montego(ENDM)(2, 132 kt)
** Expanding to 170kt(unknown)
P&A Group(5, 80 kt)
** Building a tenth group of harvesters(September 2085) and a sixth slipway(same time).  P&A has been the busiest shipyard by far, seeing constant activity for over a decade now. 
Howaldswerke/Deutsche Werft(HDW)(1, 55.3 kt)
** Retooling for the Wickes 84i(February)
Oregon Shipbuilding(1, 50.7 kt)
** Retooling for the Iowa 84i XR(April)
Vegesacker Werft(1, 40.7 kt)
** Set up for the Fletcher 84i.  The next administration will decide how many to build. 
Vickers-Armstrong(4, 10.8 kt)
** Expanding to 17.3kt or so for use with the Arleigh Burke. 

IIB.  Naval Yards

Wartsila(1, 17.6 kt)
** Idle.
Yokohama Dock Co.(1, 15.2 kt)
** Idle.
Baltimore Marine(2, 12.2 kt)
** Idle.
Permanant(1, 10.1 kt)
** Idle
International(2, 1 kt)
** Building the first of two additional pairs of Frontier Gravitational Survey vessels for the ESFs. 
Niehuis and van den Berg(2, 1 kt)
** Idle.
KSEC(4, 1 kt)
** Idle. 

The lack of activity in the naval yards is due to this being a significant waiting period.  Once the new jump drive, military engines, etc. are finished they'll have about as much work as they can handle. 

III.  ARMY TRAINING FACILITIES

IIIA.  Earth

** Three active training facilities
** One idle, the final two planned Construction Brigades are being trained up. 

IV.  INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY

IVA.  Earth

Research Lab(25%) -- August 2085.  The pace has slowed to less than one per year with the recent diversification and the sudden retirement of Governor Alborn. 
Mine Conversions(standard to automated, 15%) -- approx. 8/year
Mine Construction(12%) -- approx. 8/year
PDC Alaska 82(12%) -- Four bases for Earth, to be finished sometime in 2099
Ordnance Factories(10%) -- 41 still on order, about 6 per year
Commercial Shipyards(10%) -- Two more needed, ETA mid-2089
Prefab PDC Alaska 82(5%) -- An upgraded base for Titan, ETA 2092
Naval Shipyards(5%) -- Two ordered, the amount will be under review by the new admin.  ETA 2092
Mass Driver(2%) -- Replacement for those sent to the new comet outposts.  One left, est. late 2086
Prefab PDC Ticonderoga 82(2%) -- Eight upgarded sensor bases for populated colonies.   Two are already finished and being assembled on Mars and Luna, the rest are estimated completed roughly by the end of 2092
Terraforming Installation(2%) -- The new 2% Initiative in operation.  First installation is expected ready this November. 

V A. PRIORITY RESEARCH PROJECTS

** Quad WT Excalibur 135-16(Meson Turret)(Leonel Wessels) -- February/March 2085
** JPS ID 63(Ion Shuttle Thruster)(Alejandro Otteson) -- March/April 2085
** Eagle 72 Military Engine(David Gruis) -- May 2085
** SPPI ID 525(Exorcist Missile Engine)(Jerry Bartholf) -- September 2085
** GEI GCF 5400(Large Power Plant)(Norris Gunterman) -- November/December 2085
** Eagle 60 Military Engine(Reynaldo Darrington) -- December 2085/January 2086
** Vertigo 90(Combat Engine)(Irving Steinmeyer) -- 2Q/3Q 2086
** GEI MSS 336.7(Active Missile Search Sensor)(Elwood Tousant) -- 4Q 2086
** GEI SSS 336.7(Active Ship Search Sensor)(Bessie Wallander) -- Early 2087
** AKH CJ-90.4(Commercial Jump Drive)(Rosemary Urenda) -- Late 2087
** MFC 126-1.7(Interceptor Missile Fire Control Suite)(Carl Fosberg) -- Late 2087
** SITG Emdar 132.7(Military Electromagnetic Sensor Suite)(Ross Dodge) -- Late 2087/Early 2088
** Improved Planetary Sensors(Julio Kuchler) -- Early 2088
** Colonization Cost Reduction(Alphonse Lambeth) -- Mid-2088
** SITG ThermoScan 176.7(Military Thermal Sensor Suite)(Sung Padro) -- 2090
** RSJ Sniper 16-72.7(Anti-Missile Beam Fire Control Suite)(Irma Bartlebaugh) -- 2090/2091
** Improved Terraforming Rate Garland Sidhom) -- 2090/2091

A cursory examination of this list shows the massive effort currently being put forward by R&D to support Frozen Vengeance and the Navy's refits/upgrades.  Most but not all of the prototypes are either finished or currently being worked on. 

V B.  NOTABLE SCIENTISTS

** Biology/Genetics
Garland Sidhom(Elite)

** Construction/Production
None!

** Energy Weapons
Leonel Wessels(Accomplished)
Freddy Salsgiver(Accomplished)
Minh Klausner(Accomplished)

** Logistics/Ground Combat
Alphonse Lambeth(Elite)
Stanley Kogut(Accomplished)

** Missiles/Kinetic Weapons
None!

** Power/Propulsion
Rosemary Urenda(Elite)
David Gruis(Accomplished)
Norris Gunterman(Accomplished)
Alejandro Otteson(Accomplished)

** Sensors/Fire Control
Julio Kuchler(Elite)
Elwood Tousant(Accomplished)
Bessie Wallander(Accomplished)

It's a mixed bag right now.  The strongest fields are those SPACE needs the most.  Things would be far worse if Propulsion or Sensors had a shortage of quality project leads.  Energy Weapons is strongly on the comeback trail en route to probably being a great strength for decades, and Logisitics is solid even if there isn't the bevy of geniuses that there has been in the past.  The negatives are big though as well.  Missile technology is crucial to the effort to combat the aliens and it's a dead area right now.  Construction and Production advances are vital to growing the industrial base, getting the most out of our mines, etc., and this is the first time there hasn't been a top-drawer project lead though at least in that case we can say there are a couple of youngsters who might develop.  All the gains in recent years have been wiped out by retiring elite researchers, but at least some of them have been replaced. 

VI.  ACTIVE NAVAL ASSETS

VI A.  Military Bases

Alaska(5, 59.45 kt, 1020 crew, major missile base)
Tennessee(Lt)(2, 12.1 kt, 214 crew, missile base)
Ticonderoga(8, 3.0kt, 16 crew, sensor base)

Total:  15 installations(+25%), 345 kt(+15%), 5.66k crew(+11%)

VI B. Combat Ships

MB Nimitz(3, 14 kt, 373 crew, 2437 km/s, 1.75m fuel, missile-armed)
MB Nimitz '76c(4, 10.3 kt, 273 crew, 2439 km/s, 1.25 m fuel, missile-armed)
GB Brooklyn '72(4, 13.5 kt, 356 crew, 2379 km/s, 1.75 m fuel, beam-armed)
GB Brooklyn '81(1, 10.5 kt, 282 crew, 2380 km/s, 1.25 m fuel, beam-armed)

Total:  12 ships(+72%), 148 kt(+60%), 3.92k crew(+59%), 18.5m fuel(+57%)

One more Brooklyn 81 is due to be finished soon, but that will be the last of these to be built.  Ironically it looks like this first-wave combat Navy will end up having served only PR purposes, unless the aliens change it up and come hunting. 

VI C.  Military Non-combat Ships

CC Baltimore(2, 10 kt, 284 crew, 600 km/s, 750k fuel, command carrier)
ST Caldwell(32, 950 t, 14 crew, 2210 km/s, 500k fuel, VIP shuttle w/8 capacity)
MV Cleveland(2, 2.1 kt, 30 crew, 2380 km/s, 100k fuel, supply ship)
SC Explorer(6, 850 t, 18 crew, 1411 km/s, 250k fuel, jump scout)
SB Forrestal III(14, 650 t, 14 crew, 3692 km/s, 50k fuel, sensor buoy)
GSV Frontier(6, 950 t, 24 crew, 1263 km/s, 250k fuel, gravsurvey)
SVC Gearing(2, 10 kt, 158 crew, 600 km/s, 750k fuel, survey carrier)
GEV Prospector(6, 950 t, 24 crew, 1263 km/s, 250k fuel, geosurvey)
CO Tarawa(2, 6.4 kt, 85 crew, 781 km/s, 250k fuel, supply ship)

Total:  72 ships(+36%), 107 kt(+58%), 2.21k crew(+84%), 24.9 m fuel(+69%)

Most of the growth came from finishing up the Caldwell VIP shuttles, with the carriers being added to the ESFs as well.  With the coming refits and upgrades I don't see the total numbers climbing much if at all. 

VI D.  Commercial Vessels

TT Arleigh Burke(6, 17.8 kt, 136 crew, 563 km/s, 350k fuel, brigade troop transport)
FT Fletcher IV(2, 36.9 kt, 162 crew, 813 km/s, 650k fuel, freighter)
FT Fletcher IVb(2, 36.9kt, 162 crew, 813 km/s, 650k fuel, freighter)
FT Fletcher IVc(4, 36.9kt, 162 crew, 813 km/s, 650k fuel, freighter )
TK Iowa(2, 9.8 kt, 53 crew, 1.02k km/s, 6m fuel, fuel tanker)
TK Iowa XR(2, 9.7 kt, 53 crew, 1.03k km/s, 6m fuel, fuel tanker)
FH Long Beach(36, 79.1 kt, 411 crew, 379 km/s, 1.5m fuel, fuel harvester)
TT Portland(2, 4.3 kt, 35 crew, 581 km/s, 60k fuel, troop transport)
FT South Carolina(4, 164.6 kt, 531 crew, 607 km/s, 2.15m fuel, superfreighter)
SV Wickes(1, 20.6 kt, 188 crew, 486 km/s, 250k fuel, salvage/recovery)

Total:  61 ships(-20%), 3.98 mt(+38%), 19.5k crew(+58%), 89.4m liters fuel(+31%)

The new Iowa XR tankers were finished for the ESFs, a couple of Arleigh Burke brigade transports added, and of course the continued growth in the Long Beach harvester portion of the fleet.  Meanwhile the old Lexingtons and Perrys have all been scrapped now.  Out with the old, in with the new, and that process will definitely continue now for at least a decade. 

Grand Total:  160 assets(+13%), 4.58 mt(+51%), 31.3k crew(+75%), 133m liters fuel(+41%)

It just keeps growing ... and growing ... and growing ...

Available Crew:  170k(+10%)

VI E.  Fuel Status

Earth -- 10.9m liters
Titan -- 8.3m
Callisto -- 5.0m

Total -- 24.2m liters(-9%)  A second straight decline, but probably the last one.  Given the reduced fuel needs of the new ships and the ever-increasing amount being harvested, it looks like the recovery is well under way. 

VII.  ACTIVE ARMY ASSETS

** Brigade HQs(6)
** Construction Brigades(
** Assault Infantry Battalions(4)
** Mobile Infantry Battalions(12)
** Garrison Battalion(34)

Total Active-Duty Soldiers:  480k(+14%)

The army will reach the half-million mark when the latest construction brigades finish their training.  It's interesting that an obscenely higher amount of money is spent on the navy, yet there are 15 soldiers in the army for every 'sailor' in the navy. 

VIII.  CIVILIAN SHIPPING CORPORATIONS

Tolles Transport & Logistics(53 ships, 8.62m annual income)
Jensrud Transport and Trading(60, 5.32m)
Voliva Carrier Company(77, 4.87m)
Ridolfi Interstellar(3, 1.11m)
Everton Shipping & Logistics(3, 150k)
Hayter Container Group(3, 100k)
Suter Shipping Services(2, 40k)
Clavette Shipping Line(2, 10k)

Total Vessels:  203(+32%)
Total Civilian Income:  20.2m(+60%)

Voliva's ever-increasing ship count and profits and ever-decreasing market share is rather humorous to watch.  Once a near-monopoly, they are now third in the sector.  The key to Tolles Transport's inconceivable rise, as they doubled their operations again this cycle, has been a strong mix of fuel harvesting from Uranus and infastructure deliveries to the ravenous appetites for that on Mercury and Venus.  Newcomers Ridolfi Interstellar are off to a strong start with a primary focus on colonist transport.  For every success story there are at least an equal number of failures.  7 of the 13 registered civilian firms are all but defunct. 

** Beginning in this report, those with no income at all are removed.  This continues the focus on only reporting the most important things. **

IX.  SPACE LEADERSHIP PROSPECTUS

** Naval Officers:  174 of 196 assigned(89%), +5%
** Ground Forces Officers:  64 of 84(76%), --
** Civilian Administrators:  29 of 37(78%), -1%
** Scientists:   29 of 37(78%),  -12%

Overall:  296 of 354(83.6%), +3.8%

BOG has recovered nicely with a record number of candidates, even though most are unimpressive.  R&D has actually seen a small decline from 40 to 37 researchers, with retirements outweighing new talent recently.  The overall picture has never looked better, with only one in six 'qualified' candidates out of a job.

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

As an FYI, I can officially say my hard drive is kaput.  It still 'runs' but hangs for several minutes at a time unpredictably on really intensive tasks like opening a file folder .  This is upon a fresh windows install. 

So there's a new one incoming.  That will probably take about a week, then I'll need to reinstall windows, all the drivers, etc. so probably the last week of January potentially before I'm ready to 'hit the ground running' so to speak with new Aurora material past 2090. 

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

RETIREMENTS

None.  Definitely a polar opposite of what happened in 81.  In this case there are a handful of BOG members in the upper 50s or early 60s, but all of them are in good health.  That's good news for almost everybody.

2085 ELECTION

Overall, Director Riley Awad had a highly successful first term.  A much better, although far from optimal, first contact in Lalande 21185 saw no ships lost.  Operation Renewal has gone extremely well, with some significant new resources and new systems found and all assets working as designed/expected.  Most of this is the result of those who came before him, but it's always the man in charge when it happens that gets the credit.  Awad was a near-prohibitive favorite to win another term.  At 60, it's his final election win or lose.

Luna governor Burt Stonerock was the only serious challenger.  Out of nine qualifiers, just four made it to the final ballot.  That's the smallest field since the first few elections in the 20s and 30s, half a century ago.  Stonerock is a real lightning rod, 'rhetorically undiplomatic' is I believe the polite way to put it.  His concept is essentially to tell the whining colonialists to stick it where the sun don't shine, only in less charitable language.  For the health of the body politic it certainly was an important vote. 

It also, much to everyone's surprise, ended up being one of the closest votes SPACE has ever had.  Stonerock's 'plain talk' appealed to far more people than was initially considered(and hoped).  Awad looked a little uninspired, a little tired, perhaps unsure he really wanted to do this for another four years.  And so it came right down to the wire.  The final tally:

Riley Awad -- 33.4%
Burt Stonerock -- 32.2%
Errol Igoe -- 17.9%
Russell Salvuccii -- 16.5%

The status quo held, but barely.  The fault lines in SPACE have clearly not healed as much as it has sometimes appeared.  There have been many changes in recent years, perhaps too many to be fully and seamlessly assimilated.  Meanwhile, it was another stronger-than-expected showing by Errol Igoe, governor of Titan, considered by far SPACE's top expert in shipbuilding.  The Clemson project still has considerable backing, and there was no doubt Igoe was the colonial's choice. 

POLICY REVIEW

Never afraid to stir things up, Awad almost had that propensity cost him the election.  But it didn't, and he was in the Director's Office at Sector Command for a second and final term. 

A growing concern was that factory production just didn't go as far as it used to.  Mines, research laboratory complexes, nothing is getting built any faster than it was twenty years ago.  The relative amount added to the economy shrinks -- adding a lab a year is not as impressive when there's almost 50 as it is when there's 30 in service.  Meanwhile the shipyards continue to claim more and more workers and minerals.  Believing in a balanced economy as ever, Awad ordered an investment in equalizing the number of workers employed in the factories and shipyards over time, which right now requires a the first significant investment in new factories that has been contemplated in decades.  Certainly mineral supply will become an issue with this at some point, but the goal is to be able to switch or pivot wherever production is needed.  With the factories 'falling behind', the entire economy suffers.  They need to be able to kick out equipment faster during slow times for the navy.  Initially it was determined that 168 new factories in addition to the present 500 were needed to match shipyard employment, nearly a 30-year proposition with a 10% investment and the needed factories would grow as the new shipyards come into service.  In just a few years Earth has gone from a very concentrated effort on mines and research labs to the most diversified set of efforts ever(12 ongoing projects). 

The second was far more controversial.  It was announced that, witnessed by two World Court justices, Riley Awad had invoked the little-known and never-used Sealed Order[/I] provision of the SPACE constitution at the end of the previous term.  The Sealed Order is a means by which a Director may change major elements of governmental structure and/or procedure, but only if approved by the winner of the next directorial election and a majority of BOG. 

The subject at hand was the continuity of government.  The Sealed Order laid out several problems with the current arrangement, which had remained essentially unchanged since the charter was enacted 60 years ago:

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

At an impasse again for a different reason, hopefully temporary.  The last post was about half of one of the previous things I needed to repost.  It wouldn't post in it's entirety, and neither will the second half post seemingly no matter how I break it up.  I don't know what to do about this for the time being. 

[MarcAFK]

Oh bother.