Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 20:25:34 -0500 (EST) From: fcain@st6000.sct.edu (Franklin Cain) Subject: Effects of Relic X-Boats & Tenders in The New Era The Scout Service of the Last Imperium had two primary functions: Exploratin and communications. The purpose of exploration is clearly substantiated by the huge number of relic scout/couriers. So whatever happened to all of the X-Boats and their Tenders? First of all, the X-Boats and Tenders had massive amounts of electronics (as befits a moile communications post). Thus, they were greatly susceptible to Virus infestation. In fact, a major avenue of Virus propagation was the X-Boat Network. Therefore, the majority of X-Boats and Tenders were casualties to Virus. But that still leaves us with a large number of X-Boats and a lesser number of Tenders to account for. In the Post-Collapse universe, most X-Boats will be greatly valued as reserves of spare parts (just as the Covenant of Sufren is doing with the jump drives from its larger naval vessels). However, a pocket empire might maintain one or two X-Boats as a special high-jump courier. Tenders, on the other hand, will probably be used as fuel shuttles (with their hangar bay reconfigured as extra fuel tankage). While you consider the implications of this, let me bring up something else. A major problem faced by the Reformation Coalition is the restriction on travel within the RC imposed by the astrography. For example, for a typical jump-2 ship (such as a far trader or a scout/courier) takes eight jumps to travel from Oriflamme to Spencer (see figure 1 below), crossing the RC border to do so, even though Spencer was only three parsecs away! If the same ship goes from Baldur to Helios, the trip involves four jumps, again crossnig the RC border, and again the destination was only three parsecs away. Going from Nike Nimbus to the RC Navy HQ at Aurora takes four jumps, once again crossing the RC border (but this time, our destination was four parsecs away). What does this have to do with relic X-Boat Tenders? Suppose the RC NAvy were to commission two squadrons (with one Tender [Tanker version; see below] each) to service deep-space refueling depots. One squadron ("Sahara Squadron") would be based out of Baldur and would service 0833 and 1034. The other ("Gobi Squadron") would be based out of Shenandoah and would service 0938 and 1137. From 0833, Sahara Squadron would connect Kruyter, Eos, Nike Nimbus, Enkidu, and Baldur (see figure 2 below); from 1034, Sahara Squadron would connect Baldur, Helios, Oriflamme, Spires, and Zloga. From 0938, Gobi Squadron would connect Aubaine, Phoebus, Spires, Lucifer, and Shenandoah; from 1137, Gobi Squadron would connect Oriflamme, Spires, Zloga, and Shenandoah. Also, within each squadron, both deep-space refueling locations would be within jump-2 distance of one another. Thus, someone wanting to go from Oriflamme to Eos could do so in just three jumps! Initially, each deep-space refueling site would be uilt from the following Clipper Modules (from the RC equipment Guide, plus the update(s) in _Challenge_ magazine): 1x 25-ton Lifeboat Module (for the emergenct low berths and the radio) 1x 25-ton Missile Module (for self-defense as well as for the Active and Passive EMS arrays) 2x 25-ton VIP Quarters Modules (for accomodations) 1x 50-ton Service Module for 10-ton Small Craft (for the skiff and the machine shop) 4x 100-ton Fuel Modules (for fuel tankage) Eventually, each site would replace the Small Craft Service Module and both of the VIP Quarters Modules with a 200-ton Quarters Module Mk IIa (for the rec deck, the radio, the sickbay, and the skiff); furthermore, each site would get an additional 6x 100-ton Fuel Modules (bringing the total number of such Fuel Modules per site to ten each). Initially, both Squadrons would have onlu one Tanker each to service both of their deep-space sites; eventually, another two Tankers (one per Squadron) should be assigned. The eight-week schedule for both Squadrons would look like this: Weeks 1-2: Sahara Squadron returns to Baldur and refuels; Gobi Squadron returns to Shenandoah and refuels Weeks 3-4: Sahara-1 jumps to 0833 and unloads fuel; Gobi-1 jumps to 0938 and unloads fuel; (Sahara-2 and Gobi-2, if available, would service 1034 and 1137, respectively) Weeks 5-6: (as Weeks 1-2 above) Weeks 7-8: Sahara-1 jumps to 1034 and unloads fuel; Gobi-1 jumps to 1137 and unloads fuel; (Sahara-2 and Gobi-2, if available, would service 0833 and 0938, respectively) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Figure 1): (show Aubaine and Oriflamme subsectors together; also show the left-most column of So Skire subsector [hexes 1731-1740]) path "A" -- Oriflamme to Spencer: draw arrows going from Oriflamme (1235) to Helios (1234) to L'steich (1333) to Junak (1432) to Nimz (1633) to Lamneth (1735/So Skire) to Tuer (1638) to Teldora (1437) to Spencer (1338) path "B" -- Baldur to Helios: draw arrows going from Baldur (1032) to Bestor (1131) to Corrig (1331) to L'steich (1333) to Helios (1234) path "C" -- Nike Nimbus to Aurora: draw arrows going from Nike Nimbus (0732) to Eos (0632) to Adrian (0432) to Fija (0434) to Aurora (0535) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Figure 2): (show Aubaine and Oriflamme subsectors together) draw arrows connecting 0833 to each of the following: Kruyter, Eos, Nike Nimbus, Enkidu, Baldur, and 1034 draw arrows connecting 1034 to each of the following: 0833, Baldur, Helios, Oriflamme, Zloga, and Spires draw arrows connecting 0938 to each of the following: Aubaine, Phoebus, Spires, 1137, Shenandoah, and Lucifer draw arrows connecting 1137 to each of the following: 0938, Spires, Zloga, Oriflamme, Spencer, and Shenandoah ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reformation Coalition _Oasis_-Class Tanker (modified X-Boat Tender) General Data Displacement: 1,000 tons Hull Armor: 28 Length: 37.5 meters Volume: 14,000 kiloliters Price: MCr 296.3163 Target Size: M Configuration: Box SL Tech Level: 12/15 (see below) Mass (Loaded/Empty): 5,602.351/4,793.951 Engineering Data Power Plant: 700 MW TL-12 Fusion Power Plant (50 MW/hit), one year duration (54.81 MW shortfall) Jump Performance: 2 parsecs (2,100 kiloliters for jump-2; 1,050 kiloliters for jump-1) G-Rating: 1G (500 MW); Contra-Grav Lifters (100 MW) G-Turns: 140 (173.6 with jump fuel), 62.5 kiloliters each Fuel Tankage: 10,850 kiloliters (775 tons), plus 105 kiloliters (7.5 tons) reserved for power plant Maint: 254 Electronics Computer: 3x TL-12 Mod Fb Computers (0.8 MW each) Commo: 1x TL-12 Radio, 1,000 AU (inf.; 20 MW); 1x TL-12 Laser, 1,000 AU (inf.; 0.3 MW); 1x TL-12 Maser, 1,000 AU (inf.; 0.6 MW) Avionics: TL-10+ Avionics Sensors: 1x TL-12 Passive EMS Array, fixed, 120,000-km (4 hexes; 0.15 MW); 1x TL-12 Active EMS Array, 480,000-km (16 hexes; 50 MW) Controls: Bridge with 5x bridge workstations, plus 8x other workstations Armaments 3x Turret Hardpoint Socket Accomodations Life Support: Extended (2.8 MW); Grav Compensators (3G; 70 MW) Crew: 15 (2x Maneuver; 1x Electronics; 0x [3x] Gunnery; 8x Engineering; 1x [2x] Maintenance; 2x Command; 1x Medical) Crew Accomodations: 15x Small Stateroom (0.0005 MW each) Passenger Accomodations: 5x Small Stateroom (0.0005 MW each) Cargo: 48.9 kiloliters with small cargo hatch Small Craft and Launch Facilities: None Air Locks: 10 Notes: Fuel scoops capable of ingesting 800 tons per hour (400 tons per turn). FPP capable of refing 140 kiloliters (10 tons) per hour (15 hours for 2,100 kiloliters; 5.04 MW). Electronics shop (0.6 MW), machine shop (1.0 MW), and sickbay (0.8 MW). The power shortfall is made up by powering down either the CG Lifters (+100 MW) or both the radio (+20 MW) and the AEMS (+50 MW). The hull is TL-15 bonded superdense hull armor. All other ship components are TL-12. (All salvagable relic TL-15 components were removed for use in more critical RC vessels.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is an article I sent to Dave Nilsen several months ago. He liked my idea of a deep-space refueling program for the RC (the Centrists should *really* go for it). He said he was giving this to Michelle Sturgeon, the editor for _Challenge_ magazine, to see if she wanted to print it. However, since I haven't heard anything from Ms Sturgeon, I thought I would send this copy to the readers of this mailing list. If you like this idea, please let me know. Constructive criticisms greatly appreciated! Thank you. Franklin W. Cain