NationStates Jolt Archive

Vubz System Coordination Base; Research and Development Branch

Admiral Shaar's figure was holographically projected into the room containing the 8 beings comprising the heads of the Sslaa Military Science division. All through the cycle, she had addressed the concerns she had been feeling about the status of the Imperial Stellar Navy ships, and the MilSci heads had been listening.

"Too specialized. The battle-ships and war-ships are basically large weapon platforms, with minimal close-range defenses. Cruisers and destroyers are good point-defense ships, but have little real heavy assault potential. And none of them carry short or long-range fighters or bombers. The carriers hold many squadrons and battalions of troops, but only have some close-range defense ability. This is hindering us greatly." The flickering blue-lit figure seemed to pace about, yet remained in place.

"Whenever we send out a fleet, we have to have a myriad of ships in order to achieve maximum efficiency. What I propose is a multi-role craft. Something that can fulfill all these requirements. I already have Kastaa Bio-Med Engineers workiing on a hybrid sentience for the ship in question. The job I place before you, is that you design the craft itself, and grow it here in Vubz." The MilSci heads looked at each other, mumbling and murmuring.

One of them stands and addresses the Admiral. "Sirrah, we can do this. We'll need the use of staff from Kastaa Bio-Med for designing and growing the shell. The sentience at Kastaa will be grafted to the shell when the appropo age comes about, before it is aware, and the shell reaches maturity."

Shaar nods her head. "Very good. Get on it, and I expect weekly reports on your progress." She places her left hand over her chest with the fingers splayed out. "The Pantheon guide you."

The MilSci heads all stand and copy the motion. "The Pantheon guard you." The holographic image of Shaar shuts off, and the MilSci people go to their tasks.

OOC: This is for the purpose of designing a new ship for addition to the I.S.N. as well as a bit of exposition as to the workings of Vubz System Coordination Base. New characters will be introduced, and hopefully participation from other NSers will occur. TG me if you want to join in this effort, as well as why. Can't have everyone and their grandma running all over my lands, can we?

Tag if allowed i would like to join..

OOC: Right now it's going to be a research and development thread. I'm not accepting joiners yet, but soon enough. Besides, our nations were never formally introduced to each other. A top secret project of a military nature like this isn't going to be too keen on folks coming in from left field. But i'll TG you when a good time to come in is. In the meantime, keep your 'ears' open. heh heh.

For the past week and a half, multiple teams of bio-technicians and bio-engineers have been working at a frenetic pace. The entire lab seems a blur of white as lab-coat clad Sakkrans go about their task. The task being the growth and monitoring, as well as slight prodding, of a core sentience to be grafted into the newest ship-archetype.

"Chromosome count checks out. DNA and RNA Mutation scans show negative. Electrolyte ratio and electro-chemical neural activity is on par. That's it, gentlebeings. The core is now past the first stage of life, and is stabilized. Prep a mobile suspension tank for it, and get the transports ready. We're on the clock, so move quickly." During the time of their growing of the sentient core, they had shipped most of the needed supplies to Vubz for the transplantation to be successful. Crana-Web and neuro-inhibitor clamps, synth-skin patches and bacterial fusing agents, the works. All that was now needed was for the core to survive the move.

At the Kastaa Shuttleport, a retro-fitted Caiman corvette had most of its weapons stripped and its military comm equipment removed to act as a transport for the core in its tank. Life-sustaining liquids and instructional information in the form of a rudimentary education were pumped right into the core through a series of neuro-shunts that made the thing look like a tank full of vermicelli surrounding a mass of blubbery blue flesh.

"Comm Vubz the our ETD is one hour. ETA is three days, as we'll be going at half-speed in subspace." The comm officer on the transport gives the 'Aye aye' and gets to his duties. Routing the transmission from the ship to the Eeorouh Communication Nexus to Vubz, he sends his message.

Vubz System Coordination Base

The transport arrives out side the Sslaa system along with its escort, and pings out to the automated defense network its SigIdent codes. Confirmation is given in a mindless fashion, and the defense network goes about its vigilant duties. The transport enters one of the 5 kilometer wide approach tunnels into the hollow moon that has since been converted into the System Coordination base while its escort breaks off and approaches the outer landing bays.

After a time, the center of the moon comes into view, with the larger capitol ships all in dock. Comm traffic is heavy with the sentient crafts all talking to each other, swapping stories, giving 'heads-ups' to the other ships, and even telling a crude joke or two to the others. Maintanence crews, ship physicians and assorted staff dart about in a coordinated fashion. It all almost seems like a dance.

The transport docks at its bay, and immediately after the ship opens its hatches, multiple crew-members make right for the core tank, place it gingerly on a maglev platform, and cart it out.

Meanwhile, in one of the bays used to plant the seed for new ships to grow, bio-engineers pore over their displays. A basic genome for the sentient ships is implanted into an in-vitro tank of some fashion that stretches 300 meters long and wide by 150 meters high. Inside this tank, the embryonic form of the ship is observed, with multiple umbilici attaching to the shape from the tank walls. From these the ship's shell gains the appropo nutrients vital to its development.

Bio-technicians adjust the genome and chromosomes for the form they desire. Inside the luquid-filled tank, ship physicians and Bio-Med staff surround the shape, monitoring its development, giving care where it's needed, and making sure that the frame is healthy. They also prepare the shell for reception of its core, slowly implanting the Crana-Web where the core would be located a bit at a time.

"So how's our hatchling of the hour holding up?" Director Seerak enters the EmbryoLab located deep within the tunnel-network of the base. Reptilians in white lab coats go about their tasks i the lab, while Seerak peers at a large central display showing a 3-D image of the embryonic sentient core, as well as DNA helixes, chromosome markers and counts and all manner of information.

One of the BioMed Engineers from Kastaa looks up from the gel-filled tank encasing the subject of all the attention. "Director Seerak, yes? I am GeneGineer Joshaa, of Kastaa." The pair warble their tympanum at each other in silent greeting. "The core is doing as well as can be expected. Nothing spectacularly different from the other cores we have here. We're going to begin the EduImplant sessions in seven cycle's time. The curriculum will be different than standard sessions, and we'll be monitoring the process, and progress, the subconscious of the core assimilates the information."

Clawed fingers tap at keys on a holo-prompt interface, bringing up the education programs to be used. "A bit more towards tactical warfare and strategies on the battlefront, instead of standard academics." Joshaa looks away from the screen, and settles one eye on the tank. "We're using footage garnered from the Trium databanks for this."

Seerak nods his head. "Very good. I'll include this in the report for the Admiral. Approximately when will the core be implanted into the shell?"

"I'd say .....in about thirty-two cycles. Right before self-awareness comes in, and the shell is mature enough to accept a brain."