The Galaxy Awaits ... Choose Your Path!

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

(Also dont forget to herman fox's planned little trip to the stars.)

Did you possibly miss my post on this?(5 up from yours I think, between the '50 and '51 reports)

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

** OOC Note: I’ve been thinking for a while now about how to keep the thread updated with periodic overviews of how the key indicators are doing.  I’ve come to the following plan, which is to update naval assets, populations, research, etc. in a once every four years report.  Here’s the first one, as always feedback is a good thing if there are any particularly strong opinions.  My goal was to have it in a sensible and consistent order, so that you can skip to the parts you care about and use it for easy reference should that be desired.  

STATE OF SPACE, 2053

**Yup, it's the SoS Report.  Insert dumb joke here.  Really, go ahead.**

I.  IMPERIAL HOLDINGS

** Key:  Location(population).
CF = Construction Factories
CI = Conventional Industry
OF = Ordnance Factories
FF = Fighter Factories
REF = Refineries
RL = Research Labs
AC = Academies
MF = Maintenance Facility Size         

** Note: I don’t have mines here as I think those are best included in the mining section.  

IA.  Populated Colonies

** Note: For the purposes of this report, ‘colony’ means ‘anyplace where people live’ and ‘outpost’ means ‘anyplace where there is SPACE-operated industrial equipment’.  Obviously there is some overlap, in which case a location will appear in both lists.  

Earth(895.6M, 322 CF, 253 CI, 50 OF, 10 FF, 75 REF, 16 RL, 2 AC, 2.4kt MF)
Luna(29.18M)
Mars(9.00M)
Titan(4.85M)
Venus(20k)

IB.  Outposts

Earth(129 SM, 12.9 efficiency, 2.99 kt annual yield) – Uridum is set to deplete next, in mid-2057
Titan(25 SM, 6 eff., 234t)
Venus(6 AM, 24 eff., 208t)
Stephan-Oterma(35 AM, 40 eff., 1.68kt yield)
Machholz(27.6 AM, 56 eff, 2.04kt) – just under 8 years of duranium remains
Comas Sola(25 AM, 65 eff, 2.63kt) – vendarite will deplete in about 17 months
Crommelin(20.4 AM, 66 eff, 1.78kt) – less than 3 years of vendarite left
Borrelly(12.8 AM, 58 eff, 1.16kt) – Less than 8 years of sorium remains
Van Biesbroeck(10 AM, 55 eff, 857t)
Wolf-Harrington(9.8 AM, 67 eff, 906t) – Less than 3 years of gallicite
Neujmin(9.8 AM, 59 eff, 694t) – Just over 3 years of corbomite
Schaumasse(1.8 AM, 36 eff, 94t)
Reinmuth(1.8 AM, 47 eff, 113t) – 8+ years of duranium remaining

As can be seen, we are fast approaching the point where Earth will no longer even be the largest supplier of minerals in total, never mind the fact that none of the most important ones are found there.  More than half the mines have already been converted to automated and transferred off-
world, a process that will definitely continue.  

IC.  Mineral Stockpiles & Production

Four categories have been established to guide our mining efforts.

** Tier A are minerals that have a supply of 20k or more on Earth in stockpiles and are in minimal demand.  This combination of high supply and low usage means they are a complete non-concern and no thought needs to be given to developing further resources.  Their presence is considered merely a bonus, and not that much of one.  

Uridium(40.7kt), gallicite(28.2kt), and vendarite(24.4k) are at present Tier A minerals.

** Tier B consists of minerals that either see moderate or higher use, but have supplies expected to last at least a decade, or else see minimal use but have less than 20kt in reserve.  In this case, it is important to review the supply each successive SoS report, and their presence is marginally notable, but developing further supplies does not need to be a priority.

Mercassium(25.8kt) is primarily used in research labs, and at the rate of less than 1kt per year.  Low-use substances corbomite(15.5kt), tritanium(17.9kt), and boronide(14.8kt) also fit here.

** Tier C are minerals that see considerable use, but where supply is presently sufficient to current needs.  They bear close watching, but expanding production is merely a low-level priority at present.  Careful monitoring of the current supply levels for C and above materials is mandated.  

Corundium has just been moved here, as supply has moved past the rate at which earth is using it.  With only 316t in the reserve and well over 800t consumed each year, it still teeters very much on the edge.  Current annual yield is 979 tons.  

The second Tier C mineral is sorium, holding steady between 10-11kt for several years now.  With massive fuel reserves(31.5m liters and rising) it is a long-term but not short-term concern.  Production is 1.42 kt per year, which sounds like a lot but is actually about 65t less than the refineries consume.  

** Tier D are minerals that are ‘bottleneck’ materials: that is, a lack of them makes increased economic activity of some kind impossible.  Naturally, these are the most vital economic priorities that SPACE will focus it’s policy on for the next term.  

At present, it will be unsurprising that neutronium(3.83kt, 1.36kt yield) and duranium(4.48kt, 2.98 kt yield) are the Tier D materials.  To really be comfortable in economic terms and support significant economic expansion, both amounts would need to be doubled if not more.    

ID.  Income

Taxes: 22.06M credits
Colonist Fees: 3.05M
Trade Goods Tariffs: 1.33M
Export Tariffs: 1.27M
Tourism Fees: 460k

Total: 28.17M

The tourism industry is just getting off the ground, but over a fifth of our income now comes from various taxes and fees associated with civilian shipping.  Over two-thirds of our current operating expenses could be funded by this alone!

IE.  Expenses

Installation Construction: 4.16M
Research: 3.10M
Shipyard Expenditures: 1.19M
Mineral Purchases: 501k
Ground Unit Maintenance: 101k
Maintenance Facilities: negligible

Total: 9.05M

We’re still printing money, but research is gradually growing as a percent of expenses(34% now) and of course there would be a lot more shipyard operations had we the mineral resources to do so.   Finance continues to be a total non-concern.  

II.  SHIPYARDS

** For now, and until stated otherwhise, all orbital shipyards are at Earth.  One of each type remains under construction.  Except where noted, they are presently inactive.  

IIA.  Commercial Yards

Tod & MacGregor(1 slipway, 36.4kt capacity)
P&A Group(2 slipways, 20kt capacity)
Vickers-Armstrong(2 slipways, 10kt capacity)
** Building 2x TT Portland

IIB.  Naval(Military) Yards

Wartsila A\B & O\Y(1 slipway, 10kt capacity)
 ** Building JSC Intrepid, first of the Pioneer Class

III.  Industrial Activity

IIIA.  Earth(at present, there is no construction capacity beyond our homeworld)

** Research Lab(34% of factory capacity) – Ongoing, one every year and a half, roughly
** Mine Conversions, Standard to Automated(33%) – Ongoing, one every 4-5 weeks
** Maintenance Facility Expansion(18%) – An additional 7.6kt planned, March 2059
** Naval Shipyard(5%) – December 2058
** Commercial Shipyard(5%) – January 2057
** Mass Driver(5%) – 2 more by July 2054

IV.  Research Projects

** The game is more specific than this, but I felt it was a useful RP element to have more general dates the further out a project is from completion.  

** Garrison Battalion(Everette Snuggs) – May/June 2053
** Sorium Harvester(Deacon Palmer) – Q3/Q4 2053
** Active Gravitational Sensors(Elwood Tousant) – Q4 2053
** Boat Bay(Brandon Grimmett) – Q4 2053
** Laser Focal Size, 10cm(Ignacio Bavaro) – Q4 2053/Q1 2054
** Ground Unit Combat Strength(Cedrick Wormack) – Early 2054
** Turret Tracking Speed, 2k km/s(Eva Vadnais) – 2055      
** Magazine Feed Systems, Efficiency(Harlan Welle) – 2055
** Terraforming Rate(Clint Wyche) – 2055
** Magazine Ejection Systems(Karabishi Juishaou) – 2056
** General Fuel Efficiency Techniques(Santo Makar) – 2056/2057
** Jump Gate Construction Module(Shannon Patteson) – 2057/2058
** Fighter Factor Production Rate(Curtis Gloster) – 2060-2062

We’ve got several projects on the horizon, and others much further from completion.  

V.  Active Naval Assets

(Number of active ships, size per ship, crew per ship, top speed, fuel per ship, designed role)

GSV Coontz(1, 2.25kt, 32 crew, 1377 km/s, 130k, gravitational survey)
GSV Essex(2, 2.2kt, 35 crew, 1136 km/s, 60k, geological survey)
FT Fletcher II-xe(4, 36.2kt, 100 crew, 518 km/s, 700k, freighter)
ST Lexington II(8, 1.8 kt, 20 crew, 1388 km/s, 30k, transport shuttle)
JS North Carolina(1, 19.2 kt, 133 crew, 520 km/s, 250k, large jump ship)
CS Spruance-B(1, 20.0 kt, 110 crew, 501 km/s, 250k, colony ship)

Totals: 17 vessels, 205kt, 905 crew, 3.79m liters of fuel

Available Crew: 65.1k

VI.  Active Army Assets

** Low-Tech Armour Division(5)
** Low-Tech Infantry Division(10)

Total Soldiers: 15,000

VII.  Civilian Shipping Corporations

** Voliva Carrier Co.(22 vessels, 3.82m credits annual income)
** Jensrud Transport & Trading(15, 1.68m)
** Everton Shipping & Logistics(4, 440k)
** Presnar Freight(4, 80k)
** Ouellet Shipping(4, 150k)
** Tolles Transport & Logistics(3, none)
** Forbius Carrier Limited(0, none) **Current wealth is 2m credits, second only to Voliva.  I’d expect them to get in the game soon**

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

Addendum:  I forgot a section.

VIII.  SPACE Leadership Prospectus

** Naval Officers:  25 of 78 assigned(32.1%)
** Ground Forces Officers:  15 of 33(45.5%)
** Civilian Administrators:  16 of 24(66.7%)
** Scientists:  13 of 24(54.2%)

Overall:  69 of 159(43.4%)

Times are good for politicians and researchers:  it's the high-water mark observed so far for both.  Once military research catches up times will get tougher for the scientists, while growth in political opportunities will be scarcer in the future as well with most of the best resources in Sol now tapped.  Gradual growth in the number of ship commands is expected, and with the colonies in need to boots on the ground, the best path to immediate service might be in the Army right now.

[Brainsucker]

what is state of space?

[Mel Vixen]

Herman Fox was furious! Not even that damn Teleoperated Golf-bot on his flaoting Rock could calm him. "Nowhere to put it! My ASS!" the Flick of his arm launched a big rock from the small massdriver as the accelerometers in his suit picket the signal. The virtual clang the projectile made against the decommissioned miner not nearly satisfying.

Another ball was loaded into the makeshift coilgun. One of his great ideas to increase the efficiency. A couple of those were set up in the mining-tunnels and launched cartloads of ore to the smelters. In the microgravity of the Comet it was far better then having the bots do the hauling.

"400 thousand years!" Another angry swing, this time the solid slack projectile left a deep crater. "Bullsmeg!". Still unsatisfied he threw is golf-club against the panoramic screen which responded with a silent "thud" undisturbed by this show of aggression.

That imbeciles in space must have been up to him. India always had her eyes on everyone, not that he wouldnt do the same in her position.
Sometimes he wondered if his people-skills were just lacking, out here he was one of the best admins but the upshots on the outer Colonies gained more influence quickly. The moonies even had the guts to protest and demand "Military protection".  Protection from what? Stray Space Hamsters? Ridiculous.  
On the other hand there were also secessionist movements on the Moon and the other colonies. Maybe he could spin that to his advantage.  

Pouring himself a glass of whiskey he sat down brooding. He still could get a place on the new Jumpship of Space he reasoned, not the political bang he had hoped for but still better then nothing. Also sol was kind of boring, strolling into a new neighbourhood would be fun. Who knows maybe he could make a claim on a world outside of Sol starting his own little colony.  

[Brainsucker]

Ah, good writing Heph. If only I have the capability to write a story in English 

Plus my Christopher Blair stuck in the officer pool. Waiting for a job. He just an unemployed skilled pilot who want to go to outer space. Poor him, as he want to imagine himself to be the famous "Christopher Blair" from an old game called Wing Commander. But now, he can only experience the space through his computer game. Yes, he play the old game Wing Commander again and again while waiting for a job.

[GenJeFT]

Plus my Christopher Blair stuck in the officer pool. Waiting for a job. He just an unemployed skilled pilot who want to go to outer space. Poor him, as he want to imagine himself to be the famous "Christopher Blair" from an old game called Wing Commander. But now, he can only experience the space through his computer game. Yes, he play the old game Wing Commander again and again while waiting for a job.

My guy Jedidiah Thone is also stuck doing nothing. He is playing things like Sim City 4 and a few Strategy games to keep going.

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

But at least he can't get fired, so he's guaranteed to be able to sit around until he's old and grey . 

Still unsatisfied he threw is golf-club against the panoramic screen which responded with a silent "thud" undisturbed by this show of aggression.

This was great stuff, as were the 'stray space hamsters'. 

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

2053 ELECTION

**Note: I changed the way I generate the results to be slightly less predictable for this round. One still has to be a top candidate to win, however.  

There were 16 technically qualified to challenge incumbent India Rakes.  The issues on Luna had seriously strained her credibility and political capital.  The 2% Initiative, initially a political masterstroke, was now blamed as an overreach.  She is still a significant political force, but her allies have thinned and some sense blood in the water(in practical terms, this meant a 20% reduction in her voting bloc).  None are more poised to take advantadge of this than Herbert Duling of course, eligible to return from Titan and the unquestionable favorite.

Duling had used his time well, and his list of achievements, accomplishments, and connections was incredible.  The field was the same five that made up the ‘49 ballot, but this time he had what would likely be a decisive edge.  Rakes, and Herman Fox(Governor of Comas Sola) were overmatched challengers, with Sonny Dean(Wolf-Harrington) barely on the radar screen.  However, Duling was not the only one who had been busy.  His top foe was expected to be the Governor of Crommelin, Alberto Eighmy, though he was not considered to have all that much of a chance either.  

There were points in the campaign when Director Rakes did better than expected, but her liabilities proved too much to overcome.  Herbert Duling returns to Earth for a third term as director, taking 26.4% of the five-way race.  Alberto Eighmy(22.1%) edged out Rakes(21.0%) for second place, with Fox taking fourth(17.2%) and Dean(13.3%) showing a disappointing and distant fifth, even for such a long-shot candidate.  All of them will be governing true colonies with five settled bodies now available.  

Earth – Herbert Duling
Luna – Alberto Eighmy
Mars – India Rakes
Titan – Herman Fox
Venus – Sonny Dean

The lower-level administrators were assigned new posts in most cases, based on their skills(esp. mining of course)

Policy Review

** After reviewing the SoS report, and the supplements describing options for further resource development, it was clearly time for a shift in mine deployment priorities.  Stephan-Oterma was at 35 automated mines, the largest locale off of Earth, and at that rate it would deplete neutronium in 25 years, duranium and sorium in less than 60.  There are very limited options left for mining both neutronium and duranium, in fact only  two(Borrelly and Neujmin) in the entire system with potential for significant expansion without draining their reserves excessively quickly.  The heyday of comet strip-mining will be coming to a close soon, which means more effort will need to be put into locations with only one essential mineral.  This, in turn, implies more mines will be needed for the same output.   Even at current levels of production, mines will not be sufficient to even maintain current levels for long.  Perhaps Operation Uncertain Hope will provide a solution to this eventually.  Perhaps it will provide nothing, and we cannot assume the former is more likely than the latter as there is no way of knowing.  

The most glaring priority was clearly just increasing the raw number of mines deployed, as critical now as ever.  By executive order, Duling reclassifies corundium back to a Tier D priority and classifies increasing the supply to a level that will support a 50% industrial commitment possible.  There’s no practical reason to go beyond that as other priorities need to be able to go forward even at a reduced rate, and with the state of duranium there’s no point in entertaining the possibility of more factories being built in the forseeable future.  

The new direction came to be known as the Maximum CD Plan – maximize corundium, then maximize duranium.  A little over 1.2kt of corundium would be needed annually, an increase of about 225t from what is currently available.  An in-depth review of known deposits and deployed mines was not encouraging.  The single most effective thing to do would be massive investment in the comet Ikeya-Zang, which contains well over half the known reserves(not including Venus at 0.1 accessibility of course) at over 81kt.  At 13.9b km distant though, this is not possible: It’s a journey of nearly two years round-trip for our freighters.  Decades would literally be required.    

A number of existing mining outposts have supplies that will last at present in the 12-20 year range, so investing more in those would be shortsighted as it would just accelerate the issue.  However, for the time being, the desired level could be reached be reallocation of mines to the comet Schaumasse, which has 19kt at maximum accesibility and less than 2 operational mines, and doubling the amount on Wolf-Harrington(from just under 10 to 20).  Schaumasse has duranium and Wolf-Harrington neutronium, so some of what is lost in transferring mines there will be recouped.  

That’s Phase One, which will be implemented immediately.  Phase Two calls for the development of a series of stopgap sources.  While overall mining production will be lost in the shift to ‘single-source’ locations, that is deemed necessary and therefore acceptable.  The target production has been upped to a quarter higher than what is strictly needed(1.5kt) for the purpose of providing a buffer against shortages when deposits are depleted in specific locations.  

Comet Faye(Faye(7.66 kt at 1.0, neutronium at 10.4kt, sorium 9.67kt, 650m km)
Asteroid Prokne(7.3kt at 1.0, 485m km)

To date ignored because of the lack of duranium(in the case of Faye) and the lack of anything else at all(Prokne), these would extend production another decade.  Another three-plus years can be gained with the comet Tempel-Tuttle, which also has 5kt of sorium and is incoming 2.2b km away.  That’s it for Phase Two though.  

Phase Three requires the development of Swift-Tuttle(6.5b km and rising, another 3-years supply plus almost 20kt duranium) and then Ikeya-Zang itself.  It is hoped(but not really expected) that more advanced engines will be available for that, otherwhise it will be highly painful in terms of travel times.  

Duranium will be easier to deal with once corundium is increased.  Mines that can’t be transported in a timely fashion can simply be dumped on Venus for half accessibility, and there are good reserves in the outer system on the order of millions of tons.  It’s just a question of how long it takes to develop them.  

In order to support these activities, an exception is made to the general moratorium on new ship construction.  Two more freighters will be built, with the potential for another pair if it is deemed warranted.  As can readily be seen, the mineral situation is highly fluid and complex, and becoming more so.  
 
** As much of a political football as the 2% Initiative has become, it is something akin to Pandora’s Box – one cannot simply abandon Luna or the other colonies.  Hanging onto them meant pursuing a military path to some degree, as chaos threatens on the moon and the others wouldn’t be long to follow.  

** Luna would continue to be a primary short-term focus, with battalions to be shipped there as soon as the technology becomes available.  Current estimates expect that to be before a full-scale revolt, but not by all that much, in early 2054.  As a showy but actually inconsequential move, as least as far as Luna is concerned, he announced an expansion to training facilities on Earth to begin immediately.  Practically speaking of course, this will take several years to complete with other competing industrial priorities, but just the fact that it was being invested in created support in some quarters, while accusations of phony, disingenuous leadership in others ...

** Lauding the merits of the 2% Initiative while deploring the poor execution of it, Duling announced that it would continue – stressing the jobs created in the shipping business and downplaying colonial conditions.  It is probably not coincidental that this argument only works with the 95% plus of the population that still lives on Earth.  Colonials are still second-class citizens, but if their numbers continue to grow ...

** A narrower focus for research efforts was announced as well.  Taking primary importance would be matters of policing the colonies via improvements in ground combat technology.  Along with this, investment in space-based weapons would not be set in stone yet, as there wasn’t anything that could really be built until another round or two of research.  The scientists were directed to consider more energy-based weaponry than ballistic however, for the simple reason that the mineral shortfalls didn’t need any help.  SPACE policy for the moment is that space-based weapons systems decisions will be based on the most cost-effective(in terms of building and maintaining), as all that’s necessary right now is to have a basic policing capability.  Should anything resembling a major fleet action be required, we’ll need answers to questions we
haven’t thought of yet.  

** Earth’s industrial priorities remain mostly in place.  There hadn’t been any intention of moving them at all, but upon further reflection Duling decided it would be better to continue maxing out the corundium supply, up to maximum of 50% of capacity and reduce the research and general-purpose pools if necessary.  Right now there was no reason to set it higher than 40%, which was just about at the level of supply.  

** Operation Uncertain Hope has been put on the back burner in terms of the public consciousness, but only because right now it’s simply a waiting game.  Wartsila has begun production of the JSC Intrepid, which will not see the light of day until late summer 2054 at the earliest.  It is still a highly anticipated event, but the malcontents on Luna have made it seem less important.  

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

Cmdr. Ken McKay – 13th out of 17.  He will remain as CO of the ST Endymion for another tour.
Lt. Cmdr. Warren Clark – 15th out of 53.  Expected to be dismissed this year.
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Blair – 10th.  Nearing the end of the road, but not there yet.
Cmdr. Jay Cin III – 3rd.  Another tour aboard the FT Hercules, and still in strong position to make Captain.  

Herman Fox(6) – After two tours on Comas Sola, he gets his first true colony governorship at Titan, a posting which will also allow him to make use of the mining advances he pioneered.  But will it be enough to allow him to achieve his ambitions?
Jedidiah Thone(1) – Still unassigned at 25 years old, but next in line to receive a new outpost.  

Karabishi Juishao – Leading a team investigating improvement in Magazine Ejection Systems, her first project lead after nearly two decades in waiting.  It remains to be seen what she will do with the opportunity.  

[Mel Vixen]

Madness! This was Madness! Having a cruise on the freighter from earth to Titan was uncomfortable but this?

The Transport he had to use to one of the outlying Titan-cities was little more then a Motorglider! Nylon drawn over Carboncomposite and ABS spars formed the wings. The cabin hanging under them similarly was made of Carboncomposites but plated with thin petrochemical materials. Driven was the Airplane with a fuellcell which powered a big propeller in the back. Yet the Bird didnt carry any fuel but only bulging tanks of liquid Oxygen and drew in methane from the thick lower atmosphere of the Moon.

Quickly they zoomed past the enormous "Penguins", hydrogen liftet Airships, that swam in the cloudy weather on stubby fins. They carried the minerals from the Mines back to the makeshift Spaceports which were leveled and bulldozed over Icefields from the early days of the Colonisation.

The looming ridge of the Xanadu mountains was gone for the third day now and the Kraken-sea (noone sane said "mare") was in sight. Back in the old days such a lake of hydrocarbons would have been a wet dream on earth but was obsolete now. Thorium reactors, solar, wind, geothermals and a few Fusion-generators delivered plenty of power for transportation and everything else on earth.
The stuff had use for the Titans though mostly as feedstock for the plastics-industry which delivered most everything on this barren world. Classical metals and stones were in short supply that for sure so the titans opted for petrochemical solutions.

Soon enough the computers picket up the signal of "Titan settlement 443" on the SPACE derived charts, "Theias Gardens" according to the thin Pilot. Like all of the titans cities it was a collection of Tents and cylindrical Tanks on the surface. Atleast half of them were spun, resin-inforced carbon-fibre tents and domes with unfathomable purpose. Others were made from Plexi-glas and similar transparent plastics held up again by beams made of Carbonfibre. In those one could make out little parks and Forests planted after the initial farming went subsurface.

The little plane with Herman and his pilot nudged gently downwards and soon slid over the rockhard ice reversing its trust to come to a standstill. From there they were towed by a small robotic car into the hangar which was cut into the Ice of the moon. Gently a door made of fabric closed behind them as they slid into an Airlock. Hot water washed over them to remove any lingering Hydrocarbons after which the room was pressurized with additional oxygen.  

After days in the cramped flyingmachine the doors finally opened with an pneumatic "whoosh". Herman stepped out with his best smile on his face. He was greeted by the city-council, man and woman clad in synthetic clothing which made his own Suit, made from of cotton, look out of place. Nevertheless the greeting was warm and a short speech was made.

Afterwards the troop went to visit the true city. Laying under the Ice hundreds of tunnels and caverns were cut, padded with polymerefoams made in giant factories on the shore of the Kraken sea.
A couple of Fusion and nuclear generators ringed the subsurface-city, each suspended in a bubble of water. Herman quickly realized that this was indeed the cooling water of the reactors themselves used to create heated fish and kelp-farms to feed the hungry population.
Between those and the maincity were the "Fields" kilometer long tunnels for greenhouses, neat grids on over 20 layers reminiscent to the old saltmines on earth where the first "colony" simulations were held.
The morgue was also there, 3 depreasured tunnels with frozen Bodies in polystyrene boxes, a few thousands by now waiting either for trial or return to earth in the empty colony ships.

The living areas were far happier. Once a tritium-stripmine the big sinkhole of the early days was again covered by a thick layer of ice held by titanic supportbeams made of metal and carbonaloys, making the area invisible from above. Under this frozen roof billions of tiny LEDs shone, projecting a clever fake sky.
Below the titans had erected a small city of Prefab-buildings not higher then 3 or 4 stories on the Westside of an artifical lake. The rest was ringed by pines and Ash. Upon Asking Herman learned, yes they were indeed rootet in artificial topsoil. Even some deer stalked the area and the calls of birds filled the air. All grown and slightly altered in vats to maintain the fragile balance of the biome.
Naturally this beauty came to a big price, 2 of the bigger reactors were used only to cycle coolant through canals in the thick polymeric insulation and to power the weathercontrol system.  

Hermans first tour was ended in the "new" mines a few kilometers out by tunnel-tram. A broad shaft leading down to the very ocean of titan from were reverse osmosis plants drew water, filtering the brine for various metals, chief among the TN material SPACE needed.
The Absurdly big 2500 tons of a civilian Nuclear thermal Motor hang aboth him as he stepped to the edge. Drawn up for repairs and repositioning in the next days the once Mighty Motor would cut another shaft down the frozen Skin of titan to the very sea.

"Madness! This is Madness!" Herman thought.

[Rolepgeek]

Hurrah! Finally a research project. Even if it is unimportant.

I'll probably make a thing about her finishing the research when the time rolls around. Why ejection systems and not, say, warhead strength? Or agility? Or, for that matter, railguns?

[Bryan Swartz (OP)]

@ Rolepgeek:  The why is mostly relative cost of the research.

I think it's basically impossible for Herman Fox to ever be happy.  This is actually quite a welcome thing to discover, since it means I don't ever need to bother myself with trying . 

[Mel Vixen]

Thats not true He can be happy even enjoy his work. Complaining is just his hobby. Once he gets attached to his job or a place he will defend it no matter what.

[GenJeFT]

Did this die?