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New Sephoria With the jump drive safely stored away, the ship is being dismantled piece by piece to repurpose the modular parts in building facilities and homes around the old robot factory. It will take a bit, but should be little of a problem. The engineers begin to clean up the old robot factory halls as well, whilst not finding anything of particular value, it's rather vast halls can be used for storage regardless. Copying the mechanical parts of the functional robot, soon enough a prototype with basic command recognition based upon Earth technology and mechanical prowess based upon foreign technology is built. Whilst they appear to require daily recharging when used in heavy operations, due to the limitations of the current energy storage technology, they appear to perform quite well. Whilst far inferior to their high-tech brethren, these robots are a foundation for artificial workers. Aurora With a new model of field modulator, the first small and powerful magnetic accelerator is developed. Given that, the remainder of the research should be quite easily done. The scientists and engineers claim they should be done with the first prototype in two years. After preparing for such an extended time, the first field test of the warp engine is conducted. A manned vessel is being used to try to reach the closest neighbouring solar system. The people are excited, live television transmits the view from orbit, live feed from the pilot's cockpit can be seen. A step into an unsure future some would say. The pilot wishes his family and friends well, hails the Imperium for a last time and bravely activates the engine. The ship proceeds to accelerate rapidly, blurring ever so slightly, as it zips out of the system and leaves sensor range entirely. What follows is anxious waiting for an hour. Then it returns. Not alone though, a bigger freighter follows up as it warps back in the system. The ship is of Tassaran origin, the captain sending his congratulations on achieving the first functional warp engine in rudimentary and broken English. The pilot muses, he just jumped into the system and encountered the Tassaran ship, which apparently had detected him coming and proceeded to wait for him. The freighter apparently brings goods from the Tassaran Republic, looking to trade. Given the resources the engineers continue to construct the structure of the future space station in orbit. It will be a step by step construction, and hauling up the materials up from the surface is an effort, but they will manage, so they claim. United States Of Arcturus The ship leaves... and returns. The pilot is enthusiastic, transmitting data he recorded. No mistakes in calculations, all systems were green the whole time, the ship held together... it was a success for science and mankind. Little did they know that somewhere else mankind achieved the same at the same time, independent from this colony. One might find it strange, but it appears the call has worked. The obligation of the people, remembering that Earth is gone, to maintain and secure the survival of mankind brings... people together. The engineers muse, whilst it's easily possible to do something for smaller vehicles and under the effects of gravity, it was never tried or done for zero G, for vessels that have the size of freighters or destroyers. That aside, on Earth, whilst most was automated, they still had living people there assuring everything was welded together properly. The engineers note, that would be a task too big for the colony as it is right now. They lack the know-how, resources and manpower. Peoples Council of Utopie The vast majority of the populace, 78% to be precise, vote for a free choice of having children. Given the stable and heavy-duty jumppacks that were available now, training continues better than before. It will become an integral part of the ground forces' strategies. An explosion disturbs the quiet valley, as the laboratory examining the crystals gets torn apart. Adjacent buildings, sections and corridors also sustain heavy damage from the shockwave. Fifteen people are killed, another forty sustain heavy wounds. These crystals are dangerous. Specifically dangerous when energy is funneled into them, so better not repeat that. The "idyll" gets disturbed, as sensor detect a huge vessel entering the system. It's the size of a literal battleship, visibly armed top to bottom. The vessels proceeds to travel around the outer planet, sending out smaller recon crafts. A couple of these crafts are approaching the planet with the colony. Silver Knight Company The project continues, and the first skeletal walker is finished. With raw structure, machinery, joints and cockpit exposed, it comes about functional. Requiring a lot of energy for its strength and mobility, it has the advantage of being able to carry quite huge batteries. The engineers estimate that by next year the should have finished a first model with armor plating and simple missile launchers on the shoulder sections. The encounter happens and the unknown force establishes a military outpost on the other side of the planet, ships remaining in orbit. They have not made any attempt at direct communication and appear to ignore all hails and requests. The Terran Federation Not being alone out there certainly brings relief to the people. Whilst the mention of aliens is scary at first, as pictures of the Grgl are made public the reaction is rather positive, mixed, but in a positive way. Some think they look funny, others find them adorable. Along with their chirping and gurgling voices they certainly find followers amongst the populace. The Tassareans on the other hand make the people rather wondrous, how a race can look so much alike mankind. Aside from being remarkably tall, tanned and having bright yellow, orange or red eyes. With eagerness the mining operation is tackled, and yes, it does bring relief for the strained material supply on Terra. This should suffice more than enough. The embassies are constructed in accordance with the representatives of the two nations, and soon enough, there are two new buildings added to the colony. Along with the ambassadors come a whole village of Grgl and Tassareans it seems. Imperial Republic of Mankind Noisy and fast. The railway is finished, the first train already running, hauling materials and tools back and forth. This certainly will give production a boost and help the industrial output. Automating the smelting processes and such alike would do the trick the engineers suggest. Currently a lot of workers are smelters, something that doesn't need so many people, if it is automated properly. Within a year, the groundworks and foundation stand, the structure of the hall standing out on the barren world. Next year, so they estimate, will they be done with it. The Saga Initiative Construction proceeds as planned, but slowly, as intended. Next year they should be done. The shipyard is done. Within a short amount of time, they managed to construct this bigger assembly hall onto the previously laid foundations. Everything is in place and ready to be used. They do find crude oil substances in the desert regions of the planet. They are not overly abundant, but there is comparatively as much oil as there was in the United States back on Earth, according to the sensors and what has been recorded in history back then. The Holy Kingdom of Eadn The remaining facilities are finished, and the factory assumes production, bolstered by the working power of the more... simpleminded individuals. Even though no danger has been recorded or seen as immediate, the workers are eagerly grinding ahead as if hell would attack them tomorrow. Soon, above, floats a station like platform, sporting turrets for missiles. Definitely powerful enough to shoot down any approaching meteors, it should protect the colony now. Haephestus Holdings Incorporated And the industry grows and prospers. When there is no nature, why bother about destroying it? Whilst hoping that they would be let down, they were let down in that regard, as a functional prototype for a laser rifle makes its appearance on the table of the CEO. The female scientist who has brought the prototype turns out to be the wife of the Tassarean who applied for the position just previously. The rifle comes with a very charming application folder, containing a transcript of records and whatnot. ---- Population growth Republic of Xie - 118,000 Imperial Republic of Mankind - 114,500 Terran Federation - 115,500 Humans, 250 Grgl, 250 Tassareans New Sephoria - 122,500 Silver Knight Company - 115,000 United States of Arcturus - 117,500 Aurora - 116,500 Hephaestus Holdings - 111,500 Humans, 1,750 Grgl, 750 Tassareans, 20 Human-Tassareans Saga Initiative - 116,500 The Holy Kingdom of Eadn - 66,000 People's Council of Utopie - 111,000 ---- Events There is not end to the baby boom on New Sephoria it appears. The first interspecies children are born on the Hephaestus Holdings Colony. An unknown force establishes a military outpost on the planet where the colony of the Silver Knight Company is loacted. It is situated on the other side of the planet. The weapon silos of the Republic of Xie were damaged, the communication systems only slightly. The latter are already up and in use again. An unknown massive vessel has entered the system of the People's Council of Utopie. It has sent out recon craft, of which two are approaching the colony. ---- Map Update ---- Year 2113 by Earth's calendar.

United States Of Arcturus Wasted effort. At least some would say if they were looking for a jump drive. Instead, the year is over and the result is an prototype for a warp engine capable of going faster than light. The first tests have been conducted on smaller vessels, and thus the scientists count that as an achievement already. They highly recommend to explore the surrounding systems, for good measure of testing the engine's reliability and potential expansion possibilities. Aurora Turning towards miniaturization, the magnetic accelerators are the first thing to tackle. The first drafts have been made, but it will take longer to get that issue solved. Little success with little effort one would say. The language remains a riddle, the symbols unreadable due to a lack of reference. The engineers note that they turned around every bolt in the ship, but can't figure out a way to charge the reactor core of the ship. With the time this year spent into finishing the interiors and the walling, the shipyard is finally done. And well built for a groundbased shipyard. The contacted ship responds and soon communications are established... in English. The ship turns out to belong to the Confederation of Xaplonius, it's round orbling people with black button eyes and eager race, ready to help out. Chirping (with English subtitles) and gurgling they report that two other human colonies have been found as well. Hephaestus Holdings and the Terran Federation. The People’s Republic of Xie The next factory is well underway, but it will take a while to finish its construction. With the increasing output of the growing industry, the effort is well supplied. Up in orbit, aside from a minor incident where a worker got his arm smashed, a good quarter of the station is ready and due to the engineer's foresight, operating independently and ready to house people and workers. The docking section is a bit overburdened currently, but with more sections established soon, that should be little of an issue. Imperial Republic of Mankind Giving the right nudges in the right places. The colony ship is now completely dismantled, some parts already used for different buildings and machines. The remainder gets prepared to assist in the construction of the much requested shipyard. That should take one or two years to finish. The mystery of the jump drive remains unsolved, its workings and mechanics defying the laws of physics and the minds of the scientists and engineers. It appears impossible at the current level of knowledge to get such a drive functional and running. More industry, more pollution, more work, more resources, almost so much that there comes up a lack of workers, if the industry increases at this pace. Care is advised. Wether a road or a railway system is better suited is something the engineers wish to leave up to the Emperor. In the meantime though, the architects began laying out where the infrastructure should be erected and remove the biggest blockades already. Being ready next year for further progression of the project, given enough effort it could be done within the year. New Sephoria Having solved the puzzle of the language, the scientists manage to discover an entirely new language. This language appears to have ties to many ancient languages on Earth and might even have a relationship with some of the older religions. Given there is a lack of source material to confirm more of this, the study stops there pretty much and speculations and theories take place. The parts show highly advanced motor systems and electronic systems giving the robots immense physical power and durability. With the language barrier gone, the active robots are questioned about their technical components, to which they state a series of parts and their properties. What powers them apparently is a "Xylorite Crystal Battery". As it was requested, one of the robots opens its body, revealing a battery case in which two blue crystals are placed opposite of eachother, a visible, extremely strong energy current visible between. The Saga Initiative Aside from the usual minerals deposits and a surprising abundance of ice in the nothern craters, it appears to be quite uneventful. Stockpiling this hard metal appears to be tough at first, until the first mining drills and saws using the new alloy with steel come into use. Then it appears to be as easy as normal mining. The drills barely take as much as a scratch and should last for a very long time, giving more value to the mined materials as a whole. The engineers proceed to extend the launch pad and lay foundations for a bigger shipyard right next to the existing one. Given enough time and effort, this should be done within the next year or two. Hephaestus Holdings Incorporated With foreign currencies now being accepted, a lot of tourists and new inhabitants (Grgl and Tassaran alike) begin to trade in their own currencies. This leads to slowly growing but substantial stockpiles of Arbl (Grgl currency) and Rishan (Tassaran currency). International business with the two nations should be far easier now. Upon the notion of replacing the scientists with Grgl, the head of the employment offices notes that they had a number of job applications from various Grgl and Tassareans. A few of them are actual engineers and scientists, one Tassarean in particular shows to have a degree in particle and energy physics of the Grand University of Tassarea. Might be worth a shot. The Tassareans are bemused, the Grgl are eager as usual, as there are plenty of questionaires filled out and the survey accumulates plenty of data. The Grgl purchase the microwaves due to their practical size, fitting into most Grgl homes, and to warm Blabr, which is a very nutritious and tasty gooey soup. It's lightly spiced and salty taste has found plenty of followers amongst the human populace as well, Blabr stalls located in one or the other corridor or plaza in the biodomes. The Tassareans on the other hand are a race of deviants. The survey reveals that a Tassaran business man has even opened an "escort" service and a bar. Whilst language wise the Grgl are at a disadvantage as opposed to their tall humanoid Tassaran counterparts, they seem to work hard and honest. The Tassareans are a bit more... relaxed. In the meantime the government in Xaplo requests the establishment of an embassy at the colony, as well as the Tassaran government. Furthermore, they note that they have encountered two other human colonies, Terran Federation and Aurorian Imperium by name. The Terran Federation Repairs proceed as planned, with tests for the crystal being put on hold for the time being. The second freighter lifts off successfully, bolstering the Federation's fleet by yet another ship. Whilst all of the station goes into "cloak", the encounter turns out to be peaceful. The ship belonging to the Confederation of Xaplonius trades greetings and some information about other human colonies they have encountered already and then proceeds on its way, leaving the system. Later on, an envoy brings note from the Confederation and the neighbouring Tassaran Republic that they would like to establish an embassy, as well as informing that they have encountered the Aurorian Imperium as well. People's Council of Utopie (Comic Sans, really?) The prominent and previously scouted mining locations are being taken care of, with perimeters setup, mining soon starts. It's not much at this point, but it will increase in time. Whilst expaning the populace by utilizing a breeding program may work, the people do not see that it will suit the newborn children well if they have no ties with their parents, or if the biological parents have no access to their technically own child. A difficult issue, but some volunteers are found for it. It will take a while to set up. Growing the populace and holding back on the food supply is something that does not bode well. Whilst the latter is done, sentiment in the populace grows, many understanding the need, but more considering the luxury they had back on Earth, and still demanding something that is coming close to it. The first and foremost proposal of the scientists is to use it as a capacitator or focusing crystal. That might yield usage, otherwise they are not certain what else can be done with the crystal at this point. The Holy Kingdom of Eadn As a technological masterpiece, it certainly requires time to be built. By the end of the year, the first halls and structure of the factory stands, but none of the energy facilities or other utilities are finished. Such an undertaking might be a lot of work, given the limited resources of the colony. Whilst still in orbit, reworking the ark into a weapon's plattform is a task that will take a long time. Building missile launchers and basic railcannon turrets, producing the ammunition for them and shipping them from the surface up to the orbiting ark, is a task asked to much to be done in a single year. So, piece by piece they proceed. The designs are priority. The ship vanishes without further notice, apparently done with whatever it was surveying. Silver Knight Company Before these mechanical monstrosities can be constructed, it requires a lot of prototypes and research into that. The engineers claim, whilst making everything bigger than the normal exoskeleton suits would work, but they need time and resources to do so. Two years, the chief claims. Whilst recon vessels can be built quite readily, bigger ships require way more focus and resources. A corvette designed for military purposes currently outdoes the production capacities the colony has at this given point. Sirens, alarms and whatever is at hand go off. The ship has returned. And it's not alone. Accompanied by several other ships, it is clearly en route to the colony. Who the visitors may be, is unknown. Let's hope for the best. ---- Population growth Republic of Xie - 113,000 Imperial Republic of Mankind - 110,000 Terran Federation - 110,500 New Sephoria - 115,000 Silver Knight Company - 110,500 United States of Arcturus - 112,000 Aurora - 111,500 Hephaestus Holdings - 108,500 Humans, 1,000 Grgl, 500 Tassareans Saga Initiative - 111,500 The Holy Kingdom of Eadn - 64,000 People's Council of Utopie - 106,000 ---- Events Migration picks up more for Hephaestus Holdings. More Grgl and Tassareans move onto the new world (for them, new). Hephaestus Holdings, Terran Federation and Aurora Imperium are gifted a set of Quantum Communication Systems, allowing for interstellar and instantaneous communication (given you know the coordinates of the other, which have been shared). An unknown fleet of seven vessels are approaching the Silver Knight Company's colony. The surveillance and sensor systems of the Republic of Xie strike alarm as they observe a space battle taking place on the other side of the solar system. The footage is in rather horrible quality, but it appears that a dozen ships of unknown origin are engaged in this battle. ---- Year 2112 by Earth's calendar.

Map update. Three new colonies make their appearance on the map. ---- Imperial Republic of Mankind Funneling materials and manpower into industry to produce equipment for the mining facility proves to be a boon. The people are occupied, happy, things are moving forward, the stockpiles are growing. Assuming this, it should be beneficial in the long run of course. After a set of futile attempts to boost sensitivy of the radio beacons and communication systems, the technicians propose the conclusion that the signal was a brief short lived one and too far away to be caught properly. What has been recorded from this strange transmission is mostly incomplete, broken pieces of words beneath constant galactic static. The jump drive is being removed in a huge effort and safely stored away, whilst the engineers proceed to dismantle the remains of the colony ship. This goes quite well, as the modular structure of the colony ship allows it to be assembled into something else. They estimate they should finish by the end of next year. New Sephoria What has been found certainly has proven to be interesting. Further analysis and study of the found machines and technological remnants, along with the two (!) functional robots, allowed the scientists of Sephoria to start analyzing an entirely unknown language. Perhaps unknown first, until a strange relationship with very old languages of Earth can be established. The language of the found machines appears to be a mutated mixture of Demotic, Old Greek and Latin. Whilst further investigation might prove worthwhile, the scientist suggest to teach the foundations of this language to essential key people, to allow teams who encounter technology of this unknown origin, to read and understand the meaning of its visual and sound output. With the onsetting population boom, the construction of farms certainly is a wise move. New areas are being cleared to make room for crops from Earth, although some of the populace appear to have taken liking to a strange pearshaped orange colored fruit growing on bushes in sheer abundance. A light fruity taste and good nutritional value might make this fruit a potential addition to the ration system in place. United States Of Arcturus The first refinery being finished proves essential for the continuation of the project of the space station. With the newly produced fuel from Iris and the two new small freighters, the supply of raw materials and tools does not cease. Given the circumstances and the effort that is being put into it, a masterpiece of work with no incidents takes place. The year is over and... the shipyard is built. Motivation of the workers? Magical helpers? Warping time? Who knows, what is done is done. Aurora The roads are finished just fine. No encounters with hostile fauna, which mostly appears to either ignore mankind or retreats away further into the forest. Calm and quiet, docile, hm? With being connected to this first road network, hauling off debris and soil and other overgrowth from the ship certainly proceeds much faster. By the end of the year, the ship is entirely uncovered and moved into a more stable position. It apparently had landing six landing legs, of which two in front and one at the back are missing. Whilst replacing what was destroyed on the ship might prove impossible, the engineers report from the "engine" room of the ship. There is a dusty reactor there they managed to activate by randomly slamming some buttons on the consoles there. Inside behind an extremely secured and fortified case through a window panel they can see a set of batteries with odd markings on them. The console in front of that window has a set of bars corresponding with the batteries. They show various, but rather low levels of energy, so the engineers say. With the foundations done, the structure for the hall is being prepared to begin assembly of roof, walls and utility in the coming year. Using old schematics from Earth, the scientists proceed to build a set of experimental engines to place onto small recon vessels, to try them out in orbit later on. This will take a while. The Republic of Xie It's not a well oiled machine yet, but it's getting there. More raw materials and ores go in, more finished parts and processed materials come out. What else is there to say? The engineers report that supplies should be sufficient at current output to build the station within those four years. But they must keep at this effort and focus a lot to do that properly. During this first year, the structural grid is being built, preparing the whole station for its segments and habitats. The Holy Kingdom of Eadn Having spent the past two years to settle in and set up, things should be running smoothly as it stands currently. The past years have also been used to map the entire world with great effort and great success. The time invested has the result of knowing every major potential resource location and the valuable materials. Else, not much has been done? Hephaestus Holdings Inc. With the font of the ads growing each week, so does the amount of visitors. At first they were few, a couple dozen Grgl, then an expedition of fifty Tassareans. Whilst many are tourists bringing gold as suggested perhaps to pay for their fares and fees, a few bring knowledge. With the linguists of Hephaestus, the communications are soon settled well and language proves to be no barrier anymore. Whilst rainbow pearls are the luxury pure, Grgl have shown a sheer fascination with microwaves, in the latter half of the year, a report indicates that 10,000 microwaves were shipped off to the Confederation. What they do with it, well, who cares? They leave behind a lot of gold. So much it might almost become harmful for the economy. No substantial effect comes from this ad-campaign. Capitalistic minds think alike, spending less money is still spending money. It appears though that a few Grgl and Tassareans have brought business and family to the colony, settling down, paying in gold. Compact energy cells are nothing new to mankind and storage problems have been solved quite a while ago on Earth. This is wasted time, the scientist board loudly proclaims, heading back to business, enjoying their time with their tall Tasssaran escorts. Oh lord. People's Council of Utopie As military groups establish orderly outposts at key locations, valley entrances, hilltops and so forth, they certainly give a good grasp on the region aroun the primary colony. Given time, settlements might indeed flourish there, at spots with water sources and resources. This after all is supported from orbit. In reference to the above, the scouting of the surface proves remarkably convenient to find the right spots and paths to get about. Whilst searching for deposits, one place strikes everyone's interest. A valley filled with vast crystalline formations, towering tall and upon trying, nigh impossible to break down. Some soldiers of a nearby outpost manage to break one of them by firing an explosive round from a grenade launcher into it. The following shower of chunks of crystal shards proves to be quite dangerous regardless. The experimental jump pack technology might need a little bit more work, they sometimes still fail to lift the more muscular and heavier soldiers. Otherwise the training goes quite well. The Saga Initiative This new metal certainly has an incredibly high melting point. But it proves to be of incredible value for technical applications. Upon creating an alloyed plate of steel and this metal, it proves to increase its hardness and resistance without becoming brittle at least three times. The first tests with these plates show that conventional ammunition of an assault rifle on a one inch plate proves to be completely without effect. Armor piercing rounds make dents. Explosive show a reduced effect, but even an inch is not enough against that. The only drawback is the increased weight of this plate, as the metal is heavier than lead. Much alike the colleagues of the Imperial Republic, the signal proves to be a brief one time flicker of something very distant. Trying to signal it appears to be pointless anyhow, given how much time would pass. Also, where to in the first place? The origin was unknown, it was just randomly caught. The ship is constructed and prepared for launch. The Terran Federation A dense and enduring crystal, but brittle. Trying to test it as an augmentation to focus laser beams proves to be... the wrong approach. Once the prototype was activated, an explosion ripped apart the entire laboratory, damaged the adjacent corridor and rooms and wounded ten scientists and engineers heavily. This was certainly the wrong approach. Luckily, nobody died. The constructions go quite well, aside from the brief interruption by the nearby explosion of the laboratory, they manage to finish one of them, the other one should be done this year. The first scans show little but bland moon surface. In one of the impact craters a huge amount of ores is being detected. A beacon is shot down, marking it for future mining. Silver Knight Company It was halfway at the colony, when the vessel halted, turned and proceeded to leave the system. Maintaining it in visual range, it was tracked until it was quite far away from the colony. Then all of a sudden it became distorted and literally warped away. That must be the drive this race uses to fly between the stars at high speeds. It is clearly a metal. Melting the ore down at incredibly high temperatures, they manage to develope a resilient and heavy alloy by mixing it with steel. Many times harder than what has been known so far, it certainly may find military and civilian uses. A year passes. And the first model for industrial use without corresponding armor plating of course is in production. It should assist workers in factories and mines efficiently enough to increase the production output by about ten percent. People say it gives... an edge over one's work. ---- Population growth Republic of Xie - 108,500 Imperial Republic of Mankind - 107,000 Terran Federation - 107,500 New Sephoria - 111,000 Silver Knight Company - 107,000 United States of Arcturus - 108,000 Aurora - 108,000 Hephaestus Holdings - 105,500 Humans, 500 Grgl, 250 Tassareans Saga Initiative - 108,500 The Holy Kingdom of Eadn - 62,000 People's Council of Utopie - 104,000 ---- Events No unusual events on the colonies are reported. Unknown vessels are being detected in the solar systems of Aurora, the Terran Federation and the Kingdom of Eadn. ---- Year 2111 by Earth's calendar..

All three accepted. You may proceed to post, be added to the groupchat. I will require a co-moderator sometime soon, I suppose. Map locations will be added next turn.

The Terran Federation The modular structure of the colony ship allows for easy dismantling and rebuilding of its parts. Going about eagerly on the things, the facility manages to get finished by the end of 2109, ready to produce the first smaller transport vessels. The drive remains a puzzle mostly, but a new discovery comes up regardless. Energy and matter tunneling on the quantum level are the workings of it. Scientists and engineers agree there is potential for it to work, but by no means do they have the resources and knowledge in the entire colony to build another or more efficient version of such a drive. One engineer remarks, it's as if you had an ancient Egyptian architect planning to build the International Space Station of 2020 back then. The caverns prove to be extraordinarily deep and long. Tall in height too. The shimmering purple crystal formations loom everywhere around the expedition. Regular hardened steel tools fail, only when one of the expedition members proceeds to cut into one of the crystals with a diamond-edged saw, they manage to cut a good piece out of it. The blade is ruined, but the heavy square crystal is in their hands. They suggest further examination of the material. New Sephoria The church is finished within half a year due to communal effort and a feast is held by the people for its opening. The first house of god on another world. Clearing the overgrowth, digging off quite a bit of dirt, they manage to find an entrance. A huge sealed gate, its access panel clearly broken and corroded from years exposure to moist soil. Cutting it open remains a viable option one of the engineers says. Or maybe using a lever to push open the gate. For some seen as stress relief, the young men and women are able to take a breather practicing the military education they have been given back on Earth. Considering not much time has passed, they are all in great shape and should perform in a calm and proper manner. Imperial Republic of Mankind More factories, more mining, more pollution. Steaming, smoking, clouds of ash, CO2 and other rather unhealthy gases begin to rise over an entirely new industrial sector, it growing by the day as plenty of resources are funneled into the project. Given time, the industrial output should increase twice within the coming year. The search for any signs of life appears to be entirely wasted, given this is an empty barren planet. Minerals and materials are found in plenty though. More valuable mining spots are being staked for future exploitation by the expeditions. Various groups amongst the populace request mining permits for those spots to begin independent drilling and mining operations. United States Of North America The construction of the two vessels comes along nicely and soon the small transport fleet sports another two members. This should assist substantially in the transport of materials and resources between the locations. On the other hand the additional construction of fuel refineries on Iris were slow to begin with. It will certainly take another year to get the first refinery up and running. Nontheless, the people agree it being a priority, given the amount of fuel required continously throughout the year and the dwindling stores of it. Aurora Pathing a way through the lush nature will be a task to take a while, but in the meantime utilizing the recon craft to haul tools, workers and materials over is sufficient. It will take a bit, but certainly doable. Sweeping thoroughly through the remains of the grounded vessel following assessments can be made in the first survey. This clearly is a warship, they found two locker rooms with partial storage of personnel arms, and in the lower partially torn and broken up bow of the ship a room that appears to hold a small number of warheads for torpedos or missiles. The launching mechanism is broken though, as a huge boulder has dented into the ship in the room, with various steel bars toppled over and one piercing through the control interface for it. From the inside they were able to assess multiple turrets at different sides, covering angles. Several of them utterly destroyed by what appears to be enemy fire. The body count of these long-dead beings reaches 62, a sizable crew for the ship. A medbay can not be found at all. Managing to crank open most doors with levers and crowbars one of the survey teams managed to reach the bridge. Through the partially broken windows only hints of greenery can be seen, most being covered entirely in moss and earth. A tree has partially grown into the bridge. As one of the scientists rub off some moss from one of the console it appears he accidentally powers it up. The interface flickers weakly, showing series of unknown symbols. Red-flashing notifications clearly state of errors or damages, what they are can't be deciphered. A projector on the central console projects a holograph of the ships with various sections of it being clearly marked in red, some even blacked out, potentially because they are missing. Some impact holes are being shown on it too. Finding another suitable spot, the crews begin to clear away foliage, digging up the ground for the required basements and foundations of the assembly hall. Whilst nobody is an expert in inventing something entirely new from scratch, the team suggests to look into research field of warp mechanics, which was the latest pursuit of mankind in terms of inventing a drive. Hephaestus Holdings Inc. Rattling and noisy it is, expanding production facilities everywhere. Combined with the continous relentless exploitation it most certainly makes progress. The events of contact with the ship take place. Hephaestus Holdings now has contact with the Confederation of Xaplonius and the Tassaran Republic. The meeting went peaceful. ((Inquiries may be directed towards Mithradites ;) )) The Republic of Xie A well oiled and functional machinery it is, that runs and spits out ready to use materials. Ready to tackle any demand for the time being, stockpiles are being accumulated quite readily. The construction of this new factory starts of well, but might take another year. At least there is no shortage of manpower or resources. The Saga Initiative An already existing hall is being repurposed for recon vessel construction. By 2110 it should be ready to begin production. What the engineers and miners in their effort can find out, is that this strange dark ore can not be mined by any conventional steel drills, picks or saws. A diamond edged saw manages to break away a good pile of chunks before the sawblade is ruined and needs to be replaced. This certainly needs more effort than expected. Easy enough, with enough room around, a suitable spot is found and paved with concrete in short turn. Conveniently, that is being done near the newly assigned assembly hall, so the new ships can take off immediately. Silver Knight Company The first unconventional measure already proved successful. Slapping a hunk of C22 Thermo Explosive clay onto the ore and blowing it up surely did its job. Whilst the blast was incredibly mighty and caused debris and stone and ore chunks fly everywhere, it broke apart the majority of the vein, boulders and rocks of various size rich in material ready to be hauled off. The engineer with this brilliant idea was granted a couple of extra rations by his superior. Scientists begin to work on the biggest issue at hand. Energy consumption and motor strength at the joints. It will take a year or two, but an improved model surely is in sight, they claim. It should downsize the suit, make it lighter, make it faster, stronger in so far and consume a lot less power. ---- Population growth Republic of Xie - 105,500 Imperial Republic of Mankind - 104,500 Terran Federation - 105,000 New Sephoria - 108,500 Silver Knight Company - 104,000 United States of North America - 105,000 Aurora - 105,500 Hephaestus Holdings - 103,500 Saga Initiative - 104,500 ---- Events Hephaestus Holdings makes contact with the Confederation of Xaplonius and the Tassaran Republic. A peaceful encounter. A bit of a population boom has hit New Sephoria, granting the children of last year plenty of siblings. A ship has been seen entering the home system of the Silver Knight company. It lingers on the fringes, before it appears to head directly for the colony! Garbled and strange transmission can faintly be received by the Saga Initiative and the Imperium of Mankind. Origin unknown. ---- Year 2110 by Earth's calendar.

To any potential applicants, I will perhaps open up applications again. Consider this though, you will be a couple of years behind. Furthermore, moderating may become more lengthy on my behalf.

The Republic of Xie Remarkably, the survey yields vast amounts of materials, as if they were just thrown on the ground for someone to pick up. Perhaps due to the prolonged thousands of years of exploiting Earth's resources, mankind has forgotten what natural abundance was like. The moon, untouched, it's rocky deposits rich with most known metals, should give an excellent basis for mining operations. The drill teams agree, that the need for materials will be covered for the coming years with ease. Without so much of an idea where to go, the potential improvement of the existing farming technology which is running almost flawlessly falls rather short. In an auto-harvester model an energy hiccup was discovered that lead to increased consumption of such, but that was easily fixed by reprogramming some of its software. The Imperial Republic of Mankind Not unlike the distant Republic of Xie, minerals and ores are found in sheer abundance on the planet. Deposits are plentiful about and a nearby location promises great things for future mining operations. For a barren planet with little atmosphere, artificially increasing the amount of CO2 might do the trick, but at the current rate it will take much longer before a natural greenhouse effect can occur. Nontheless, it's a good idea and things certainly move the right direction. The Terran Federation Unlucky enough, the survey reveals that the Arctic world they have set foot upon is a poor orb of salt and rock. A huge and very deep going underground chasm has been discovered, the first few hundred meters filled with fantastic crystalline formations, and it going much much deeper, yet there was no time spared to explore further. Just as it so happens, the crystals appear to be quite solid in consistence, a man with a steel pick unable as so much as scratch it. The remains of the strange jump drive give the scientists one riddle after the next. The way they were constructed made them horrifyingly inefficient, consuming swathes of energy in a single jump, rendering a second jump impossible due to the resulting lack of energy. What also is meant as a guidance system for the drive has completely failed and the reason for that is unclear to them. This requires a lot of time and effort to find out. New Sephoria Briefly, after a few promising locations have been found, one of the survey team leaders reports something completely different. It appears they have stumbled across some kind of... facility, which is definitely not human by design nor a natural occurence. Sunken mostly under year-old overgrowth, a "clean" flat surface has been found revealing melded steel plates and showing to be a wall or of the sort. Scans were unable to penetrate it at the current technological level, and a normal entrance was unable to be found, due to the overgrowth that has occured. With efforts from the people who were glad that god gave them the chance to live on, the construction of the church is well underway. Silver Knight Company Discovering several potential mining locations with sufficient resources, one tosses up questions. A very dark metallic ore which is completely unknown to every scientist amonst the company refuses to budge to any conventional means of mining. Only when one scientists sets down an electro-spectrometer to analyze its density, it shows to be off the charts. Picking up the old exo-skeleton technology from Earth, it will take a while to make adjustments and modifications which would fulfill the potentially required parameters, but existing exo-skeleton suits should suffice for the time being. After all, they are being used by the construction teams and so forth. United States Of North America The two rather massive ships dock together just fine, as was within the parameters of constructing them in the first place. Slowly hovering in orbit about, the small transport vessels and dropships begin to assume traffic between surface and this now floating station, requiring refuels every time though. The time and effort invested into the mining facilities should be helpful, boosting the output from there substantially, as the planet proves to be rich in much needed materials. The energy and fuel issue remains. With the drives no longer needed for the huge now floating station, the scientists proceeded to examine, thoroughly what can be found out about them. Whereas they come up with no result why so much energy gets consumed by the drives, the guidance systems fault were discovered by happen chance. The guidance system anchors itself in the quantum plane, calculating a point of exit elsewhere, bridging the two locations and funneling the energy of the drive through this tunnel. The only issue was that the technology behind it was so weak and insufficient that the quantum tunnel broke under the flux which is consistently present in this plane of energy. Breaking the tunnel midway, the ships were randomly steered out to another location when the quantum bridge lost its energy supply. Generally speaking it was happen chance and quite frankly sheer luck that these two ships landed at the same location. Who knew? Aurora As the expeditions come around, one reports just within one hour. They have found ship wreckage. Wreckage not of human origin. It appears to be a heavily damaged and grounded ship, in the size of a destroyer on sea. The airlocks are broken up, and the remnants of what appears to be one of it's dead crew members is lying besides it. Skeletal the remains inside his suit, it reveals it has broken several ribs and bled to death, judging from the holes and stains on the suit it was wearing. A box with withered and overgrown strange medical supplies lie next to it. A futile attempt to stay alive. The ship appears to be unpowered and empty, besides the remains of one or the other fallen comrade of the being outside. The scientists can not fathom what has made this drive work. The results are inconclusive in their entirety. The leader of the team tasked with studying suggests that the drive breaks several laws of physics and should not have been able to function. As it did, was either a phenomena or luck. HEPHAESTUS HOLDINGS INC. Disassembling went smoothly. But that was all there was to it. There were no records of construction plans to the drive anywhere in any available database. Not that they got deleted, they were never there to begin with it seems. Building more of them, even under reverse-engineering appears to be futile as no part appears to fit together with another, resulting in garbled and non-functional heaps of machinery, eating energy but not producing anything but EMP waves, noise and radiation. The chief engineer suggests to turn to another project instead. Several independent groups which rapidly formed amongst the population began to grab what they could for themselves in terms of mining and survey equipment, ravaging a nearby region, beginning to ruthlessly dig a quarry into the landscape. Whilst the yield may not be very... rich and the miners greedy for their own profit, it makes progress with little effort. The Saga Initiative In the closest ore-rich location where a mining site has already been erected, the survey teams stumble across a deposit of strange dark and incredibly resistant ore. Studies show that it appears to be a super dense metal, unknown to mankind, not showing on the periodic table. Further research would be an idea. In the meantime the mining teams expand the site and dig the ores which offer... less resistance. Weeks of no results end in a quarrel and fistfight between two science team members. Personal grudges, a shortage of staff and lazy and inconclusive studies result in nothing of value, the drive remaining a mysterium to all. --- Population growth Republic of Xie - 102,500 Imperial Republic of Mankind - 102,000 Terran Federation - 103,000 New Sephoria - 104,500 Silver Knight Company - 102,000 United States of North America - 102,500 Aurora - 103,000 Hephaestus Holdings - 101,800 Saga Initiative - 102,500 --- Events Faith and family bring the people of New Sephoria more together than ever. In hope of god's guidance, with enough room and resources, more children are born. Radar beacons strike multiple times on Hades for the Haephastus Holdings. Visual reports indicate that a strange object not unlike a ship has entered the outer regions of the solar system, remaining in orbit around one of the outlying rocky planets. What could that mean? --- Year 2109 by Earth's calendar.

Onwards RP thread Intro "It's time to leave." It's the year 2107. Earth is nearing its end. No, moreso, the inner solar system is at its end. It was just a couple of years ago, when scientists managed to recalculate (and correctly at that) the age of our beloved humble sun. They came to the conclusion that the Sun would grow into a red giant within the next couple of years, rendering life on Earth an impossibility. There was not much to do, but ascertain the survival of the species, or moreso of the respective nation's people. A recent discovery of an potential interstellar drive gave a last hope to mankind and thus they proceeded to build the colony ships which would carry their wealth, knowledge, technology and the healthiest and smartest of the younger generations. There were panics, there were demonstrations, there were revolts, but the facts stood and the governments did what they had to do in order to give their people another chance. The drive's technology origin was dubious at best, nobody knew who really invented it and what it did, but there was little time to practice. It had to be used to assure the survival of the human race. It was the fateful day, as the colony ships lifted off into orbit, assembling for the jump. The drives were powering up and preparing to jump. A last gaze onto the blue marble and the flaring searing reddish orb that is the sun, soon to grow substantially in size in a matter of weeks, finally putting an end to the birthplace of mankind. The captains of the ships send their best wishes to all others and to mankind down below on the planet, activating their charged drives. Cracks in the space around the ships form, visible, but not audible for the lack of mass in space, swallowing the ships in bright flashes. The people onboard the colony ships and the crew would only see the flashing light around them, a darkness of a few seconds, to hear a loud bang throughout the ship, as it suddenly re-enters normal space it seems. In the vicinity of a solar system. But. Alone. Assured everyone aimed for Alpha Centauri, nobody appeared to end up there. But... somewhere else in the galaxy. The colony ship systems begin to calculate, validating positions. At least in the Milky Way Galaxy, but... off position. Quite far. There are planets at least and the resources are given. Given the lack of energy to attempt another jump, it was the best solution to settle a world in the local solar system. To hope that one day, they may meet their kin again. OOC reference and issues to be directed here: https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/159542-onwards-sci-fi-nation-frp-ooc-and-apps/ Some Rules: Be nice. Be fair. Try to feedback with other players and the moderator. If questions, ask first, then do. Enjoy. And common sense, we all hate it, but it's necessary. ---- Brief guideline: Every player has a baseline of four action points. The more you use to do a certain thing, the more success is to be expected. 100,000 colonists to start with. Such was the capacity of a colony ship. For more guideline info in regards to game mechanics and technology, I refer to the OOC thread, second post from the top (first page). ---- Map: ---- Reserved. ---- 2108 It has been scant a year since you left behind your homes. Everything has been quiet. No contacts. Nothing eventful happened. As if someone wanted the colonies to be peaceful and isolated. But mankind is restless, especially in such dire hours, where every colony fends for itself, assuming it's the only one left. A time full of hope, anxiety, expectations and surprises was ahead. Time to grasp the opportunity and act! ---- Nothing eventful is happening right now. ---- Particular stats: None to report. Everyone begins alike. You are welcome to keep track of the stats yourself too in your posts. Eases my work ;)

That makes ten. Applications closed for the time being.

Thumbs up

Yes!

Thumbs up.

Thumbs up.

In discussion with the people I have in the groupchat a few things were brought up: 1. Player limit. I am not going to set a limit for participants right now, depending on the amount of applicants. It may come though. 2. Range of ships and so forth. Everyone is capable of traversing his own solar system at the start at decent speeds. Yes, I dare say, within his starting square (which does encompass multiple solar systems, as it's a piece of galaxy (which has billions of stars)) you may traverse without issue. Reaching neighbouring sectors is possible, but not quite suitable due to the time it takes at starting level. To clear up the point about the Human Colony Ship "Jump" Drive. That is a one time heavy energy consuming "randomized" jump drive. It has specific lore and event background, so I will not elaborate further into it. You may not use it again to jump into another system just because, or specifically jump into a neighbouring system. It does not work that way. You can disassemble it and try to study it though. 3. Construction and research and population. To copy some systems which have been done before, and are being used in other systems, I will most likely introduce an AP system that goes as follows: Everyone has a base of ie. 4 AP (action points). The more you invest the better it will go. Getting additional territories under your control will grant you more AP. So, having four gives you another AP. With an increment of +1 of required territory for the next AP it goes on. 9 (4+5) territories grant you 2 AP to your base (6 total). 15 (4+5+6) territories grant you 3 AP to your base (7 total). And so forth. This increment is to prevent snowballing a little, where the one who controls many territories straight away outdoes everyone in AP, giving more compact players a shot, so to say. Subject to change. Construction and research is conducted within these AP. Whilst I can suggest to apply common sense and refrain from doing any particular megaprojects you have no technology for, construction of ships, planetary systems and so forth is free to the participant. Research can also be freely conducted, although a success in discovering a technology is dependent on the detail or the way you go about it (and the AP). Reverse engineering a technology, given there are remnants or prequisites for it, is also possible with less effort. Population wise, everyone has 100,000 people at the start. They are all relatively young (sixteen to thirty-five), all healthy and quite brilliant. The nations have chosen the best of their people to assure their survival. Please note, I will withdraw Alien apps for the time being again. Everyone has to be human for sake of balance and simplicity. 4. Starting tech for mankind. Ballistic weaponry, crude laser technology (for mining and industry appliances), missiles, nuclear power, fusion power, fusion drives (for STELLAR or LIMITED INTERSTELLAR travel (takes a long ass time though)), Biodome construction, basic space station construction, terraforming basics (artificial greenhouse effects to warm up a world, seeding plants, etc.), basic interstellar medicine (vaccines against most new bacteria and viruses are rather easily researched, hard cases can occur still and pose problems), modern and advanced construction techniques (ie. concrete, steel, and what comes with it). Did I miss anything relevant, please ask if something is unclear. I hope I covered most points with this. It will be added in the second post. EDIT: Robwar, toss me a clean app again and combine your two posts you have made there. The terraforming stuff is fine with me, I just need it clean and proper and you are in. :) Angel, you might need to reapply. As a human colony.

Looks good. Oceanic would be the type I suppose? You are in. Singular ship, yes? But looking fine. That's an in. Addendum: Sending me the map privately is not a must, but I like the surprise factor for the participants. :)

You sent me the map. That should be fine. As much as Warhammer is an amazing genre, this is a bit too copied and does not suit the parameters and background of mankind. I should be a bit more specific on the technology side (ie terraforming). Please redo. 1. Within the local star system of course, reaching other solar systems is not right off the bat, but not far out ;) 2. At the start you will colonize one planet in your starting system, or within your starting system, but later on colonizing others will come. 3. No military ships and no space stations. A couple of communication satellites and your colony ship in orbit, supposed you have not grounded it to use it as a capital building. To the applicants, feel free to be creative in terms of background. Expand a little, I like details about how you settle your first world. EDIT: To terraforming, no terraforming technologies are given right now, but mankind has a general idea of it. So it's not out of the window.

Reserved. AP System Every Human Colony gets a base of 4 Action points (AP). These can be used to do research, construction and similar projects. Additional territories you control grant additional AP (based on more available resources per say). Beginning with four territories to grant you one additional AP, in increments of one you will receive an additional AP every time. ie: 9 (4+5) territories grant you 2 AP to your base (6 total). 15 (4+5+6) territories grant you 3 AP to your base (7 total). And so forth. Construction and Research Construction and research is conducted within these AP. Whilst I can suggest to apply common sense and refrain from doing any particular megaprojects you have no technology for, construction of ships, planetary systems and so forth is free to the participant. Research can also be freely conducted, although a success in discovering a technology is dependent on the detail or the way you go about it (and the AP). Reverse engineering a technology, given there are remnants or prequisites for it, is also possible with less effort. Population Every colony begins with 100,000 people. Growth occurs, events happen, this will hopefully go up, and less down during the course of the game. Starting technology (a brief list) Nuclear Power Fusion Power Ballistic Weaponry Missiles Crude Laser Technology (Industrial and Mining) Fusion Drives (Allow for Stellar and limited interstellar travel) Biodome construction (for stellar objects without atmosphere) Basic space station construction Basic space ship construction (built in ground facilities) Basic interstellar medicine (vaccines against most new bacteria and viruses are rather easily researched, hard cases can occur still and pose problems. Negative effects on the human body from space travel and prolonged stay in space are all solved.) Modern and advanced construction techniques (ie. concrete, steel, etc.) Terraforming basics (artificial greenhouse effects to warm up a world, seeding plants, etc.) This list will be extended, as needed.

Onwards "It's time to leave." It's the year 2107. Earth is nearing its end. No, moreso, the inner solar system is at its end. It was just a couple of years ago, when scientists managed to recalculate (and correctly at that) the age of our beloved humble sun. They came to the conclusion that the Sun would grow into a red giant within the next couple of years, rendering life on Earth an impossibility. There was not much to do, but ascertain the survival of the species, or moreso of the respective nation's people. A recent discovery of an potential interstellar drive gave a last hope to mankind and thus they proceeded to build the colony ships which would carry their wealth, knowledge, technology and the healthiest and smartest of the younger generations. There were panics, there were demonstrations, there were revolts, but the facts stood and the governments did what they had to do in order to give their people another chance. The drive's technology origin was dubious at best, nobody knew who really invented it and what it did, but there was little time to practice. It had to be used to assure the survival of the human race. It was the fateful day, as the colony ships lifted off into orbit, assembling for the jump. The drives were powering up and preparing to jump. A last gaze onto the blue marble and the flaring searing reddish orb that is the sun, soon to grow substantially in size in a matter of weeks, finally putting an end to the birthplace of mankind. The captains of the ships send their best wishes to all others and to mankind down below on the planet, activating their charged drives. Cracks in the space around the ships form, visible, but not audible for the lack of mass in space, swallowing the ships in bright flashes. The people onboard the colony ships and the crew would only see the flashing light around them, a darkness of a few seconds, to hear a loud bang throughout the ship, as it suddenly re-enters normal space it seems. In the vicinity of a solar system. But. Alone. Assured everyone aimed for Alpha Centauri, nobody appeared to end up there. But... somewhere else in the galaxy. The colony ship systems begin to calculate, validating positions. At least in the Milky Way Galaxy, but... off position. Quite far. There are planets at least and the resources are given. Given the lack of energy to attempt another jump, it was the best solution to settle a world in the local solar system. To hope that one day, they may meet their kin again. --- Welcome to Onwards, a little Sci-Fi nation RP without particular number crunching of the sort. At this point, assuming you are familiar with it, I do not have to go into too much detail about the whole FRP. If you do not know nation FRPs, it's about you basically guiding your nation's path through time. In Onwards you choose one potential nation of the year 2107 and the respective colony ship which stranded into a solar system far away from home. With the technology and resources to colonize a planet in that system, you will work your way up to establish a proper space-faring nation, establish contact with other colonies, and potentially third parties. The choice of planet type you call home is yours. It can be a lush continental world such as Earth, or a barren desert planet alike Mars. Maybe you even prefer hiding under thick atmospheres like Venus, or the blank coldness of a moon like Europa. Your choice. What you have to do is fill in this fancy app beneath, and then proceed to the map, mark the square you aim for at the start (preferably somewhere in the central area) and then send me your location PRIVATELY (for pleasant surprises ;), maybe some start right next to eachother). For questions proceed to ask here or in a potential skype chat if I open one up. --- Application Form OOC: Username: Skype: (Pm if you want.) Ideas and Suggestions?: RP (Humans only, I apologize.): Colony Name: First Planet Type: History: (Assuming it's a bit of a custom nation.) Map location: (Remember, fill a square and send it to me privately.) --- Any additional feedback, comments and suggestions, feel free to post here, pm me here on the forums or contact me in Skype under gepanzerterigel (shown name Stereo Czar).

This is actually a superb suggestion. Considering, I would love to RP along with this as Sunder, already thinking of a potential machine running on that.