**** Incoming Transmission ****
From: Johnathan Sanders
To: "Silver Reaver"
Subject: Base construction
Encryption: Severe
Miss,
I am uncertain how to respond to this. A permanent establishment anywhere in deep space is not easily done. Building a facility is one thing, but keep in mind that in deep space, a continuous supply of food, water, oxygen and miscellaneous materials is needed. Depending on the location and occupancy (which, if memory serves, means regular shipments of alcoholic beverages for the Reaver pilots) these shipments need to be ran frequently. Establishing an outpost somewhere shouldn't be too hard. Maintaining it however is usually the work of a civilian, mercantile fleet. This is not something the Reavers are renowned for.
Thus the question before we risk ending up wasting a lot of your credits needlessly...
- Where would you envision such a base to be established? Considering your relations there are not many places you could base overtly out of. Covertly would mean hiding inside a nebula, which will mean a slower construction process, and the need to prospect for a suitable location, possibly even an asteroid that could be excavated.
- How do you intend to keep such an outpost staffed and supplied?
Regards,
- Johnathan Sanders, on behalf of the Independent Miners Guild
Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.
Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.
Mister Sanders. Now that's one nice set up of questions.
Which for every single one of them i got the answers.
*Grins*
Now, the numbers of bodies workin' and livin' off my Company is big.
*Raises her hand and stretches out the fingers and starts counting down*
Techs that are trusted with our everyday ships. And their families.
Since well, we don't let them work for anyone else.
Our transport pilots that run all Sirius to carry our
supplies to our foward huntin' grounds, like the Omegas, Taus..
Since Odin or Mamo parts don't come around in the Sigmas for instance.
Our security force. Those go above the hundred and so. Our sec chief takes our privacy very seriously.
We got at least twenty persons runnin' a weapon manufacturin' line for our ships.
Bar personnel goes to the twenty or thirty, depending on the dancers.
And i could go on forever.
Bottom line, we are currently renting a whole base. And it does not fit our requirements.
*Smirks at the camera*
As for supplies, we got our own suppliers that we pay handsomely.
Hell, i can contact IND and OSI and throw a new one contract for the project just now.
I bet they will love it. But for that i need builders.
*Sits up straight*
Mister Sanders. I ain't here to loose both our time.
We got the bodies, we got the contracts, we got the money and we got the need.
*Pulls another cigar and lights it up*
What i want is not a Reaver base that only my people can dock and shiz.
What i want.. is a place open to any and all.
Anyone can come and do business. An open hub of pleasure, deals and credits.
*The cigar tip flares*
Since that is out of the way now..
The location is Kuryo Cloud. In Kepler.
Yep. That death zone.
Either we can find a 'roid as you suggested.. Or build from scratch.
There's another possible location is in Sigma-19, Donryu Cloud.
If you want i can tell one of my boys to swing by and take some pictures of the coordinates.
And as i said. Credit's ain't an issue.
Silver.
[8:32:45 PM] Dusty Lens: Oh no, let me get that. Hello? Oh it's my grandma. She says to be roleplay.
[12:12:00] Traxit: this is smut stop
**** Incoming Transmission ****
From: Johnathan Sanders
To: "Silver Reaver"
Subject: Base construction
Encryption: Severe
Miss,
Well, if the logistics can be handled, I'll see about sending out prospectors to your designated locations, to get an idea for what conditions we'd be dealing with. If memory serves, the Kepler system is heavily irradiated, with darkmatter storms prevalent throughout the region. Establishing a base using prefab modules in such an environment is impractical as the darkmatter would erode away an outer hull within a few weeks. Not to mention the radiation shielding and potential hazards on even a partial shield failure. However, clustered pockets of matter compressed by the darkmatter itself might provide a natural shield. If a stable, large asteroid or matter cluster is found it could be excavated, but the risks for the excavation crew are serious in terms of radiation.
I am not familiar with the Donryu cloud in Sigma 19. Isn't that in GMG territory? Would they oppose construction in that area? As memory serves, the chief problems in the Sigmas are explosive gas pockets rather then radiation. Reinforced shielding should do the trick there, although it'd make the initial construction difficult - but still far safer then working inside a darkmatter storm.
Regards,
- Johnathan Sanders, on behalf of the Independent Miners Guild
Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.
Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.
There are more than 'nough clusters of compressed material in the Kuryo cloud.
Big enough to get your building capabilities going on.
As for the shieldin', we got a little somethin' that will.. erase all those issues.
And there's the perk of having Ames as forward material and logistical distribution point.
Plus, they have the nicest anti-rad facilities in all of the upper Sirius.
And to be honest... What's reward without risk?
Your people mine in Omega 7, your people mine in Dublin.. And not to mention the outcast filled niobium fields in the Taus.
You know very well that to get a good reward, there's always a modicum of risk attached to it.
*Grins*
For the Donryu location, there are no gas pockets in there. Just a cloud of material and static energy storms.
Plus Cerberus and Hades to greet the visitors.
On the off chance, we'll deploy security for you fine people to get the job done.
And you... know how we do security.
*Winks*
Both locations are viable in my point of view, one harder than the other.
But.. Kuryo cloud is my favorite. Just sayin'.
*Looks down*
Got a bit of the past there. Rotting away in the rads.
*Looks at the camera*
So what say you, Mister Sanders?
Silver.
[8:32:45 PM] Dusty Lens: Oh no, let me get that. Hello? Oh it's my grandma. She says to be roleplay.
[12:12:00] Traxit: this is smut stop
**** Incoming Transmission ****
From: Johnathan Sanders
To: "Silver Reaver"
Subject: Base construction
Encryption: Severe
Miss,
I have just received an initial survey report, one that does not give me very high hopes in terms of the Kuryo darkmatter nebula being feasable for a construction attempt. There are several reasons:
1: The darkmatter storm is still in motion. The process by which it arrived was predicted by Ageira, yet still took some of the traffic passing through the system by surprise when it hit. Yet the phenomenon is not fully understood, which is why Ames is still actively studying the surrounding clouds. A shift could cause the base to be smashed up in the storms, or become exposed to normal space. Both scenarios would be potentially catastrophic.
2: The Independent Miners Guild has a modicum of experience with establishing a permanent base in a heavily irradiated area. Mining base Einheit (now known as Freeport 5) was established in Omega 41, some 150 years ago, but the installation proved far too hazardous for the workers and traffic leading towards it, even with heavy shielding. It was abandoned only a few years later, never having produced the amounts of raw diamonds we had sought to reap from Omega 41.
I understand you are confident this problem can be overcome, yet people would still need to pass through the nebula to reach the base itself. And a catastrophic failure of the shielding could render the base uninhabitable in hours. Considering you have made quite a number of enemies, vengeance by sabotage is something to consider.
3: A continuous supply of radiation treatment medicine would be required - something we learned the hard way at Einheit. It will become as critical as food, water and oxygen. Bases in a highly irradiated area require an extreme amount of maintenance. Ames does not have this issue as it is not within an irradiated part of the system, and it's central location on the trade lanes make supplying that base a lot easier.
What I'm basically saying is that an establishment in the Kuryo nebula is unlikely to be a permanent one - and while in operation, a costly one to maintain. That said, we've identified the most suitable location for establishing such a base, in the southeastern quadrant of the nebula. An exerpt from the survey crew's report:
Quote:In general, we have found that there is no sufficiently large asteroid which could be made hollow and support human life as the dark matter storm eroded and shattered all large objects, however there are a few mass clusters in which asteroids, when combined, could serve as a natural protection against the storm. We have also found out that the remaining asteroids are very dense and the minerals inside them have properties which prevent further shattering and erosion.
The Kuryo cloud has a few suitable zones in which an outpost can be built due to having a number of mass clusters. The dark matter storm provides sort of a curtain which scrambles the scanners and greatly reduces visibility hiding everything with in cloud from unwanted attention.
However, the storm also creates a lethal hazard. The radiation levels in inner parts of the cloud are alarming, not to mention the explosions it can create.
I have not yet received word on the Donryu survey, although those planets do ring a bell. I vaguely recall a survey report having been forced to abandon a survey of Cerberus due to a severe Outcast presence. Not the most welcoming neighbours, those.
Regards,
- Johnathan Sanders on behalf of the Independent Miners Guild
**** Transmission Closed ****
Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.
Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.
As you can see, Lady Silver is currently off in business, and unable to attend this with all of her attention.
Thus she has sent the channel code to me and attributed decision powers to me.
*The cigar flares again*
I'm Titanium, by the way.
And i do have a good measure of joy to see the Guild is running in profitable businesses still.
*The cigar flares again*
I've read your earlier assessments, and the prospect of setting up in the southeastern quarter of the Kuryo Cloud is without a doubt something my employer would love to see happening.
*The cigar flares again*
Although i do have a question. Your survey team focused on the outskirt of the cloud, yes? Do you think having a variable like.. a planetary grade shield thrown into your equation would change the outcome?
Particularly on the terms of radiation and base maintenance?
**** Incoming Transmission ****
From: Johnathan Sanders
To: "Titanium Reaver"
Subject: Base construction
Encryption: Severe
Miss,
Shielding will only be partially effective versus darkmatter storms. You have to understand the nature of dark matter, and the reason why it is so disruptive against all systems. Dark matter is a generic (and misleading) name for particle or particulate matter that only has a gravitational and weakforce interaction with standard matter. It does not carry the much stronger electromagnetic attraction/repulsion that most shield types are based on. Gravitic based shielding is most effective, but given that darkmatter particles can travel at near relativistic speeds, they are unlikely to be fully deflected. No matter how strong the shielding on the station, all matter on the station will experience decay: As darkmatter impacts normal matter atoms, they can destabilise or ionize them, effectively causing nuclear fission or the disruption of a molecule, creating free radicals. The rate of decay is dependent on the concentration of dark matter, hence we only surveyed the outskirts of the storm. Building deeper within is suicidal at best.
A grid of gravitic shielding would certainly mitigate some of the radiation, but not resolve it. Anything and anyone aboard the station would suffer radiation damage equivalent to 25-50mSv (on an hourly basis) depending on the severity of the darkmatter cluster at that time. Needless to say, continuous anti-radiation medication will be needed to counter the effects of this in humans, and equipment will need to be fault-tolerant on the microscopic level as well. Luckily, modern optronics are highly fault tolerant, and usually interchangeable.
I can understand your interest in the location, it being strategically located between Liberty and Kusari, but from a construction, safety and maintenance standpoint it would be a lot easier to establish such a base inside a more common nebula. Say, the southern edge of the Shikoku system, somewhere southwest of Deshima, a good distance away from the lanes? It should still offer adequate concealment if this is your main concern.
The secondary location survey (of the Donryu nebula) has also reported in. An exerpt from their report:
Quote:The Donryu cloud has only two places upon which a base could be built and those are the inner and the outer part. They each have their upsides and downside which I will outline.
Base construction in the clear inner part of the cloud would make the construction easier, cheaper and less dangerous, however there is a risk the base might be destroyed. Because it would be close to both planet Hades and Cerebus there is a possibility that they might pull the base towards themselves making it crash into their atmosphere. If on the other hand, we were to construct the base in orbit of one planet there is a possibility the other planet might pull it out of the orbit and make it fly away from the cloud. The only place for a base to be constructed, in my professional opinion, is between the two planets as their gravitational forces would negate each other making the base stay in place or equip the base with auto balancing propulsion system that would force the base to stay in orbit around one planet.
However, if we were to construct the base in the dense outer part of the cloud, the construction would be unsafe due to electric discharges. That would force us to build the base in pieces and ship the parts to the cloud for them to be merged together. Despite the dangers and initial cost, a base built here would be naturally hidden from scanners and safe from the gravitational pull of nearby planets. Once constructed, the base would thanks to "Faraday shield" effect be safe from the electrical discharges. Unfortunately, the base would also have to be built away from the jump holes as they do themselves have a gravitational pull which might destroy the base if it were to approach it.
At the end, I'd also like to add that transporting oxygen to the base should be done with outmost caution as if the oxygen leeks into the methane rich cloud it could cause an explosion if the right mixture of oxygen and methane was to lit up.
Establishing the base inside the perimiter of this nebula (it's western edge) would meet your requirements I believe. Prefabricating a framework would mitigate the risks posed by the electric discharges, and would also significantly reduce the on-site construction time, which given Corsair and Outcast presence in that area would be a welcome benefit. Miss Silver's offer of providing security would need to be taken if this site is chosen. Methane itself is fairly inert, so long as oxygen is not added to the mix, so in terms of radiation shielding, the station would require only basic equipment, allowing for a more elaborate defensive grid.
Regards,
- Johnathan Sanders on behalf of the Independent Miners Guild
**** Transmission Closed ****
Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.
Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.
I see that you and your department did spent a good deal of time studying the Kuryo Anomaly.
That speaks volumes of the IMG building capacity and intelligence.
I am glad Lady Silver decided to choose you.
*Opens a small water bottle and pours some in a glass*
I can see that you're pretty adamant against the idea of setting up a base inside the Kuryo cloud.
And one can understand why.
Until a viable solution shows up.
I hope your survey team did a sweep of Matsuo Cloud as well? Or any project is in danger as in Kuryo?
*Sips the water*
As for Shikoku, that would be a gigantic problem.
Kusari does not look upon an intrusion in their system with good eyes.
Plus having Deshima nearby would negate any neutrality that the Silver Lady was in envisioning for this project.
*Eyes the camera*
Donryu. I know that location well. Do not worry yourself with any Outcast or Chrysanthemum activity.
They will leave any of your men involved in the project safe during the construction of the base.
And the corsair movement within the cloud is less than nonexistent.
Cerberus and Hades provides a safe zone where the methane cloud is thinner and with little to no electrical storms due to their gravity wells, leaving us with the chance of transporting the oxygen from Okinawa or even Sigma-59.
As the Silver Lady said. Supply runs aren't an issue.
*The PDA beeps*
As for the Kepler site, i am bringing in.. an expert.
*A small grin is shown*
Let's say we are not the first ones to think of this, Mr. Sanders.
Hi. I was asked to stick my neck out of retirement for reasons I cannot, for the life of me, fathom. The intended purpose was for me to weigh into these proceedings. See my previous sentiments in regards to my considerations for the sensibility of that act.
So lesse, logistics, prefab stuff... Dark matter cloud mumbojumbo...
Right. So I'm gonna do my driveby.
That bit of cloud betwixt Liberty and Kusari is currently playing host to a trio of guests. The Rogues, Xenos and Hackers all have established a front in the region. I've clapped personal eyes on the Rogue rock though don't ask me to find it for you on a map, reckon it's just to the left of the bit of radioactive helldeath noise, but if you passed the pit of radioactive hell death you've gone too far.
Every base sitting in that morass has been carved out of stone in a fashion similar to the Freeport mentioned previously by our miner chums. Issue in Kepler and Galileo is that native rock is in short supply, given that the system is sitting in the deep black that'd normally be avoided if not for the navigational hazard. The rock employed was derived, I imagine, from the Alabama and Cassini systems, either having burped their way through or been dragged.
I think the Nome boys just chanced on it, as if memory serves they'd settled up there afor the Alabama path was discovered. But that's neither here nor there. The rock sucks for rad shielding and it's basically a uncomfortable place to reside for anyone who isn't looking to turn their piss into a night light, but I imagine if a body actually bothered to install some shielding within the core presented by the rock one could enjoy the benefits of natural cover and keeping your babby batter from getting stirred one too many times.
For the sake of saving my time I'd dare to say that one'd do the same for the Ryu cloud. The conditions are basically in step with what you find out in Beta, tidal stress nonwithstanding, and the casts managed to put a giant hole into the side of a rock which they plugged up with oxygen and guns without too much fuss.
It's not a new game. If you want to build in electron hungry radiation a body goes for something as can sit in it without turning into O2 leaking swiss cheese, that'd be a rock or a structure you don't mind spraying with the odd bott. Battleship hulls are pretty thick, I'd wager an average floater could sit in either cloud mentioned for an age of days before the hull went too see through. Botts aint that expensive.
Other than evasive IMG blokes I imagine your trouble comes into play from the noteworthy political mussfuss that you're going to be staring down if you go for either construction site. The Xenos aren't neighborly as a rule, might even call being unneighborly their guiding star, and I dunno how quick the Outcasts or Cloud Miners are going to be lining up to give you a high five for plopping down a bit of construct in what both would consider their back yards.