Rachele Society: Vilani supremacist society founded on Pretoria/Pretoria (Deneb) by Zid Rachele in 992. Genocidal policies favored by the group culminated in the attempted takeover of the Pretorian government in 1010. An attempt at nuclear blackmail backfired when 26,000 people (including 1,900 Rachelean commandos) were killed by a nuclear explosion after the society seized the Imperial scout facilities on Saki/Pretoria (Deneb 0306.) Radar: A system using radio waves to detect the position of objects by measuring the time a pulse takes to reach the object and be reflected back. Radioactivity: Spontaneous breakdown of one type of atomic nucleus into another type. See Fission. (Fusion does not produce radioactivity.) Ramscoop jumpship: A ramscoop jumpship is designed to gather inter- stellar hydrogen before and after a jump. In theory, if such a ship could operate efficiently, it would never need to refuel at a gas giant or starport and would have essentially limitless range. The ship's disadvantage is that it takes many weeks of constant acceleration on maneuver drives to gather enough hydrogen for a jump. An experimental craft, the Exatar, was moderately successful in tests. A civil war, however, led to a loss of interest in the project. The Exatar was used as a spyship, and was decommissioned after the war ended. Reftbreaker: Modified Seeker class scout vessel used by Kirshamil Riliam to cross the Great Reft in Corridor sector. (e.g. Kirshamii Riliam.) Repatriation Bond: A document guaranteeing passage of an individual to a specified location upon completion of contract work, or upon suspension of contract work for any reason. Repatriation bonds are inducements to workers wary of leaving their own worlds without the assurance that they can return. They are most commonly used by mercenary units. Repatriation bonds are usually administered by a large financial institution which holds the necessary funds in escrow. Repulsors: are large, focussed anti-grav projectors. When directed at incoming missiles, they deflect them away from their target. Research Stations: Research is performed in two ways: under contract by corporations, or in established research stations. The difference is that corporate (and private) research aims at practical uses, while research stations break new ground on the forefront of knowledge. Often they attempt to duplicate technology reported in neighboring cultures, but not yet within their own ability. An individual station will generally be constructed for a single purpose, and continue in that area of knowledge for its entire span of usefulness. Station size, personnel roster, power plant capacity, and even visibility profile depend on the area of investigation. Research areas include: advanced gravity manipulation, anti-matter containment, artificial intelligence, bionics, black globe development, black hole research (both large scale and mini-black holes), cryptography, deep planetary core sounding, deep radar analysis, disintegrator beams, genetic manipulation, instantaneous transmitter development (so far impossible), long range detection systems, magic (so-called), mass population behavior prediction, nova prediction and prevention, personal shields, psionics, psychohistory, robotics, stable super-heavy elements, stasis and time travel, superconductors, weaponry research, and x-ray laser technology. Reservation, Imperial: A location, usually very large, restricted to use by members of the Imperial family or those authorized by a member of the Imperial family. Resistentialism: seemingly spiteful behavior manifested by inanimate objects. Rider: See Battle Rider. Riliam, Kirshamii: in 1090, partially in reaction to the communication lag during the Fourth Frontier War, Senior Scout Kirshamii Riliam mounted a daring one-ship expedition to test the feasibility of a supply station route across the Great Reft. Although nominally an IISS venture, General Products provided substantial backing and a Seeker Class ship, Reftbreaker. By removing all non- essentials, the cargo space was expanded to provide a second full fuel tank. This increased Reftbreaker's range to 8 parsecs (two jump-4s). After refuelling in a gas giant in the Yoma/Vast Heavens system (Deneb 0331), the expedition returned to Corridor by the same route. Upon their return they were knighted by Emperor Strephon, and Riliam received a baronial fief on Jafla/Sinta (Corridor 1840.) This expedition's success increased Strephon's popularity. Serious consideration is being given to the idea of planting several ice asteroids mid-rift as a permanent refuelling station. Ringworld: An incredibly strong band could be set rotating about a central star, making a ringworld that uses centrifugal force to provide a simulation of gravity. A ringworld with a radius of 148 million kilometers and a width of 1.6 million kilometers would have a usable surface area equal to three million Earths. A ringworld of 93 million miles radius and a width of one million miles would have a usable surface area equal to about three million Terras. Robotics: A science concerning with applying improvements in mechanical, electrical, and programming fields to the development of robots. Rosette: three or more equal masses (worlds) set at the points of an equilateral polygon, and with the correct equal angular velocities about their center of masses, will have a stable orbital configuration. The group does not require a central star. Rosettes almost never occur naturally. Rydel Expeditions (153 and 160): Expeditions led by Inesh Rydel in an attempt to find a usable jump route across the Great Reft from Corridor (rimward) to Deneb. The first expedition originated from Sinta (Corridor 2037) and eventually arrived by various routes at Ashishinipar (Corridor 0931). It spent nearly a year trying to find a way to go further, but to no avail. A second attempt, by a different route, ended on Ishirdu (Corridor 0338). While closer, it was not close enough to Yoma/ Vast Heavens (Deneb 3031), the closest possible world in this area of the rift.