Santa Barbara
12-04-2004, 18:05
Bolden Corporation
A new and rising star within the cutthroat competition of the Santa Barbaran markets, Bolden Corp produces and leases small, affordable spaceships for a variety of primarily noncombatant, nonmilitary purposes. Lead by brilliant CEO Ved Kenniger, Bolden Corp is holding it's own against the larger and more established space industrialists such as Utopia Mining and Orbital Manufacturing Industrial.
The organization prides itself on membership and loyalty to the company, as well as a relaxed working atmosphere and ethic. Bolden Corp has received no subsidiaries or political benefits from the Corporate Federal Conglomerate, and doesn't have it's own ITDO protection as with most megacorps. Bolden Corp's advanced AI, similar to ITDO level military AIs, takes care of the more sterile business aspects.
Products
Bolden Corporation's primary product is the Light Trader MSS (Modular Space Ship) and MASS (Modular Armed Space Ship), two variants of one simple but effective design.
[code:1:525c9643cd]
Statistics
Overall
Total Length: 44m
Total Width: 11m
Total Height: 11m
Internal Volume: 5405.84 cubic meters
Maximum Crew: 12
Dry (empty) Mass: 1337.92 metric tons
Maximum Payload Mass at 1.7 g acceleration: 560 tons
Payload Volume: 1233.01 cubic meters
Maximum Fuel Mass: 4597.62 tons
Maximum Total Mass: 5939.5 tons
Propulsion and Performance
System: Fusion Dense Plasma Focus (DPF-400)
Delta V: 2,532.42 km/s
Propellant Flow Rate: 102.041 kg/s
Maximum Main Engine Burn Duration: 12.51 hours
Maximum Acceleration (at filled total fuel capacity): 6.87 g
Maximum Acceleration (end of fuel): 12.2 g
Main Engine ISP: 400,000
Thrusters ISP: 30,000
# of Main Engine Exhausts: 4 (2 forward and 2 reverse)
Total Thrust: 400,000,000 N
# of Thrusters: 8 (4 trio thrusters forward, 4 trio thrusters aft)
Cargo and Fuel
# of Heavy Container Modules, Internal: 8-12
# of Heavy Container Modules, External: 4
# of Fuel Modules Total: 80
Fuel (Propellant): Hydrogen
Hull
Total Armor Mass: 821.08 tons
Hull Mass: 106.4 tons
Outer Armor: 15 cm metallic ferro-aluminum-titanium
Outer Hull: Boron foamed alloy
Inner Hull: CCIFA#42 and boron
Hull Configuration: Blocky cylinder
Power
# of Power Plants: 1
Power Plant Manufacturer: DESCCB
Power Plant Type: D+D=T+H fusion cycle electric generation
Maximum Power Output: 2.192 GW
(MASS-only) Combat Stats
SARV: 0.67 km/s
LARV: 16.12 km/s
EOSARV: 8.4 km/s
EOLARV: 23.85 km/s
Maximum SARVs on Full Fuel: 937
Maximum LARVs on Full Fuel: 39
[/code:1:525c9643cd]
http://www.angelfire.com/ex/a51/images/mass2.jpg
An unflattering image of a typical Light Trader
Bolden Corporation maintains sole construction rights to these vessels, but builds and then leases them to space freight operators, traders, hobbyists and researchers.
The typical cost for a MSS is roughly $2.1 million per year of operation. Bolden Corporation will lease these to the operators, who will be responsible with making at least enough to pay for the expense, and hopefully enough to turn a profit versus the initial construction cost.
In return they get a percentage of that profit, full use of the ship, a dull job shuttling between Earth and Luna/Mars/Asteroids/Stations, and are outfitted with goods in high demand that will receive a good price based on scarcity/luxury of products.
These products are produced by other corporations that don't have space trade capability (or desire), and bought by Bolden Corp. Bolden Corp takes a big risk in producing these things, and if it goes out of business, the first thing that will happen is that Bolden Corp's debt holders will recall all MSS's and liquidate them - literally (melted and reformed and reprocessed).
Versions
The basic MSS, described above, is an amored light merchant. The MASS* upgrade involves a slight sacrifice in delta v (17 km/s) in exchange for a single VHEL (very high energy laser) to ward off pirates.
[code:1:525c9643cd]
For those just learning the Light Trader's onboard AI interface, don't panic. Just remember the mainframe, and these helpful guidelines (by no means exhaustive - ask the AI for more specific help):
WMS - Crew waste handling
AMS - Cargo loading
PHS - Cargo loading
SES - Auxiliary power plants for weapons, etc
SPS - Thrusters and docking maneuvering
PPS - Main engine system
MCS - Power/engine fields
MEIC - Engine ignition
TCS - Coolant, pressure, heating ducts, etc
GNC - General navigation
CREWSYS - Life support
DPS - Combat information computing (for MASS only)
WEPSYS - Each weapon (for MASS only)
CCS - Trajectory
[/code:1:525c9643cd]
In addition to these, the MUSS version is unarmored and unarmed, providing the most cargo capacity and efficiency, but also quite helpless in ship to ship combat.
There are about 800 MASS, 1400 MSS, and 2086 MUSS currently registered with the Corporate Federal Conglomerate (CoFedCo) Registry of Shipping (RoS). The MSS has also been sold overseas to various corporations and allies.
[semi-ooc: It should be noted that until the construction cost is paid off, Bolden Corp will not be satisfied with the deal, since it expects its operators to make profits quickly. In time, they realize, the margins will decrease, but at that point the profits made today will have gone into increasing production efficiency and lowering cost. If the operator of the ship doesn't generate enough money at the end of a certain period, Bolden Corp repossesses the vessel and bills the operator.]
[ooc: OK first of all, this is NOT A STOREFRONT. If you, your government, corporations or characters want to buy a Bolden Corp vessel, we should RP it out.]
*[ooc background: The MASS was, in fact, the original goal the PCC had in awarding Bolden Corp the production contract-- a small, practical vessel, which could in times of war be used to supplement the main warships like milita supporting the regulars. The PCC did not intend for these to take out much of anything, but instead provide armored targets that would draw fire away from the main OOTG fleets and give them more firing time. This strategy has been abandoned by the ITDO (at least for now, although it's certainly in the contingency plans), and the MASS has too low a delta V to participate in much of anything but orbital combat (satellite raiding and reconnaissance, in addition to the metal shield factor). The use of armed traders in Santa Barbara is hardly a new concept, but Bolden Corp was the first private corporation (other than the PCC itself) to do this in orbital space. For a while, ITDO contingencies were worried about the possibility of MASS vessels being used against the ITDO itself in some corporate rebellion or piracy. Much as competition breeds capitalization, this prompted the PCC to expand the OOTG to maintain an edge for that possibility.]
A new and rising star within the cutthroat competition of the Santa Barbaran markets, Bolden Corp produces and leases small, affordable spaceships for a variety of primarily noncombatant, nonmilitary purposes. Lead by brilliant CEO Ved Kenniger, Bolden Corp is holding it's own against the larger and more established space industrialists such as Utopia Mining and Orbital Manufacturing Industrial.
The organization prides itself on membership and loyalty to the company, as well as a relaxed working atmosphere and ethic. Bolden Corp has received no subsidiaries or political benefits from the Corporate Federal Conglomerate, and doesn't have it's own ITDO protection as with most megacorps. Bolden Corp's advanced AI, similar to ITDO level military AIs, takes care of the more sterile business aspects.
Products
Bolden Corporation's primary product is the Light Trader MSS (Modular Space Ship) and MASS (Modular Armed Space Ship), two variants of one simple but effective design.
[code:1:525c9643cd]
Statistics
Overall
Total Length: 44m
Total Width: 11m
Total Height: 11m
Internal Volume: 5405.84 cubic meters
Maximum Crew: 12
Dry (empty) Mass: 1337.92 metric tons
Maximum Payload Mass at 1.7 g acceleration: 560 tons
Payload Volume: 1233.01 cubic meters
Maximum Fuel Mass: 4597.62 tons
Maximum Total Mass: 5939.5 tons
Propulsion and Performance
System: Fusion Dense Plasma Focus (DPF-400)
Delta V: 2,532.42 km/s
Propellant Flow Rate: 102.041 kg/s
Maximum Main Engine Burn Duration: 12.51 hours
Maximum Acceleration (at filled total fuel capacity): 6.87 g
Maximum Acceleration (end of fuel): 12.2 g
Main Engine ISP: 400,000
Thrusters ISP: 30,000
# of Main Engine Exhausts: 4 (2 forward and 2 reverse)
Total Thrust: 400,000,000 N
# of Thrusters: 8 (4 trio thrusters forward, 4 trio thrusters aft)
Cargo and Fuel
# of Heavy Container Modules, Internal: 8-12
# of Heavy Container Modules, External: 4
# of Fuel Modules Total: 80
Fuel (Propellant): Hydrogen
Hull
Total Armor Mass: 821.08 tons
Hull Mass: 106.4 tons
Outer Armor: 15 cm metallic ferro-aluminum-titanium
Outer Hull: Boron foamed alloy
Inner Hull: CCIFA#42 and boron
Hull Configuration: Blocky cylinder
Power
# of Power Plants: 1
Power Plant Manufacturer: DESCCB
Power Plant Type: D+D=T+H fusion cycle electric generation
Maximum Power Output: 2.192 GW
(MASS-only) Combat Stats
SARV: 0.67 km/s
LARV: 16.12 km/s
EOSARV: 8.4 km/s
EOLARV: 23.85 km/s
Maximum SARVs on Full Fuel: 937
Maximum LARVs on Full Fuel: 39
[/code:1:525c9643cd]
http://www.angelfire.com/ex/a51/images/mass2.jpg
An unflattering image of a typical Light Trader
Bolden Corporation maintains sole construction rights to these vessels, but builds and then leases them to space freight operators, traders, hobbyists and researchers.
The typical cost for a MSS is roughly $2.1 million per year of operation. Bolden Corporation will lease these to the operators, who will be responsible with making at least enough to pay for the expense, and hopefully enough to turn a profit versus the initial construction cost.
In return they get a percentage of that profit, full use of the ship, a dull job shuttling between Earth and Luna/Mars/Asteroids/Stations, and are outfitted with goods in high demand that will receive a good price based on scarcity/luxury of products.
These products are produced by other corporations that don't have space trade capability (or desire), and bought by Bolden Corp. Bolden Corp takes a big risk in producing these things, and if it goes out of business, the first thing that will happen is that Bolden Corp's debt holders will recall all MSS's and liquidate them - literally (melted and reformed and reprocessed).
Versions
The basic MSS, described above, is an amored light merchant. The MASS* upgrade involves a slight sacrifice in delta v (17 km/s) in exchange for a single VHEL (very high energy laser) to ward off pirates.
[code:1:525c9643cd]
For those just learning the Light Trader's onboard AI interface, don't panic. Just remember the mainframe, and these helpful guidelines (by no means exhaustive - ask the AI for more specific help):
WMS - Crew waste handling
AMS - Cargo loading
PHS - Cargo loading
SES - Auxiliary power plants for weapons, etc
SPS - Thrusters and docking maneuvering
PPS - Main engine system
MCS - Power/engine fields
MEIC - Engine ignition
TCS - Coolant, pressure, heating ducts, etc
GNC - General navigation
CREWSYS - Life support
DPS - Combat information computing (for MASS only)
WEPSYS - Each weapon (for MASS only)
CCS - Trajectory
[/code:1:525c9643cd]
In addition to these, the MUSS version is unarmored and unarmed, providing the most cargo capacity and efficiency, but also quite helpless in ship to ship combat.
There are about 800 MASS, 1400 MSS, and 2086 MUSS currently registered with the Corporate Federal Conglomerate (CoFedCo) Registry of Shipping (RoS). The MSS has also been sold overseas to various corporations and allies.
[semi-ooc: It should be noted that until the construction cost is paid off, Bolden Corp will not be satisfied with the deal, since it expects its operators to make profits quickly. In time, they realize, the margins will decrease, but at that point the profits made today will have gone into increasing production efficiency and lowering cost. If the operator of the ship doesn't generate enough money at the end of a certain period, Bolden Corp repossesses the vessel and bills the operator.]
[ooc: OK first of all, this is NOT A STOREFRONT. If you, your government, corporations or characters want to buy a Bolden Corp vessel, we should RP it out.]
*[ooc background: The MASS was, in fact, the original goal the PCC had in awarding Bolden Corp the production contract-- a small, practical vessel, which could in times of war be used to supplement the main warships like milita supporting the regulars. The PCC did not intend for these to take out much of anything, but instead provide armored targets that would draw fire away from the main OOTG fleets and give them more firing time. This strategy has been abandoned by the ITDO (at least for now, although it's certainly in the contingency plans), and the MASS has too low a delta V to participate in much of anything but orbital combat (satellite raiding and reconnaissance, in addition to the metal shield factor). The use of armed traders in Santa Barbara is hardly a new concept, but Bolden Corp was the first private corporation (other than the PCC itself) to do this in orbital space. For a while, ITDO contingencies were worried about the possibility of MASS vessels being used against the ITDO itself in some corporate rebellion or piracy. Much as competition breeds capitalization, this prompted the PCC to expand the OOTG to maintain an edge for that possibility.]