NationStates Jolt Archive

Space City, Sri Lanka, Carthage
Space City, the head of the Carthaginian Space Program, was full of activity. Although the rest of the world had seemingly forgotten about Space Exploration, the Carthaginian Government(the Technocrats in particular) had kept the program running, albeit at a less-publicized pace than before. Carthage needed supplies, and although it had quite alot in it's current land, it needed more minerals from a new source. Because of this, the Imperial Carthaginian Space Agency(ICSA) had been working for years on a new space-craft that could take them to the moon. Finally, the ship was finished, and the first manned-flight to the moon was about to take place.

The ship that would begin the new era of space exploration was dubbed the Kart-Hadasht, after the old name for Carthage. It was a CEV (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crew_Exploration_Vehicle) class ship, and it would carry a crew of 6 and their equipment, and they would find a suitable location to build the new mining colony(named, of course, Kart-Hadasht), and then within a month 5 other flights would send an extra 30 people to the colony, and within a year around 100 people would be expected to be on Kart-Hadasht.

Of course, that all depended on if the mission to the moon was a success. At 10:30 in the morning, the launch-pad was empty save for a giant spacecraft in the center. Suddenly, the loud-speakers shouted "10..." and all staff quickly made sure they were in a safe space. The defence systems were on high alert, seeing how anyone could try to sabotage the mission.

"9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...liftoff!"

The engines of the Kart-Hadasht roared and the ship slowly began to rise in the air. It became faster and faster, until finally it was zooming out of the atmosphere. When it left the atmosphere, it deployed a camera to capture the image of the Kart-Hadasht zooming towards the moon.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/Boeing-CEV-Concept.jpg

Many thousands of years ago, Carthaginians were known for being the greatest explorers on the planet. Once again, they wished to regain that title.

OOC: Ok, before you start screaming "OMFG! j00 HAX!", let me explain myself. Our last thread on Space Exploration was...what, a year ago? Since that time, ALOT of in-game time has passed, und I mean ALOT. Everyone else seems to have forgotten space exploration. But not I. As you know, I have also set up a few Orbital Defence Platforms around Earth, so my project has still be live and kickin. Not to mention, the Technocrats have QUITE alot of money, and they have focused most of it into Space Exploration, so I believe this is quite possible.

And btw, this is STILL Post-Modern Tech, seeing how the ship is slated for completion in 2018, a full 2 years before 2020, which is considered the "cut-off point" for PMT. Although, it IS 2005, so shouldn't PMT be 2025?

Oh, and for the record, I have made no offical anouncements about this, so you're kinda gonna hafta find it out for yourself, using spies or something.)

OOC: Bjornoya is currently researching technology that would make space travel and exploration much more efficient than what is possible with modern fuel. If you want you may join.

IC:
Bjornoya is blissfully ignorant of what you are doing, although is curious as to what is going on.

OOC: Bjornoya is currently researching technology that would make space travel and exploration much more efficient than what is possible with modern fuel. If you want you may join.

IC:
Bjornoya congratulates Carthage on its glorious realization of the human spirit. Our will to discover, to explore, and to overcome great obstacles to do demonstrates the glorious spirit of mankind.

OOC: No offence, but I just said that I didn't announce that we did it. So that means we haven't made the announcement yet, so you can't really congratulate us yet.

Confusing, I know.

(ooc-I have probably been the biggest force in space exploration for EII. Along with Liebermonk and Hyperbia, the Eros station (that nuked venus, if you remember) and the newer Cupid station are beginning the long process of terraforming Venus. However, completion is at best 100s of years away)

BIG OOC edit:If you want to announce it even privately to us, consider our response to be the one immediately following (I missed that last sentence)

IC:
The Elephanti Space Program, arguably the best funded program in the world, has taken a keen interest into this program. While we do not wish to participate in this program directly, we would be willing to offer scientific and financial help. The information your project may gather would he helpful in long term planning for the Venus project, especially when the planet begins to become more habitable.

OOC: If you do not wish to announce it, then consider the following response ours:

Military facilities as well as several major facilities for the Elephanti Space Program picked up a space launch from Sri Lanka. While this is not uncommon, and usually is disregarded, this launch appears different. As you are our closest ally, we would like to obtain some information about this launch. If it is scientific in nature, we would like to offer funding assistance and research support. If it military in nature, we would like assurances that this will not be directed at us.

-Directing Council
--Elephanti Space Program
---Madras, Tamil Nadu, Southern India, Elephantum

(ooc-I have probably been the biggest force in space exploration for EII. Along with Liebermonk and Hyperbia, the Eros station (that nuked venus, if you remember) and the newer Cupid station are beginning the long process of terraforming Venus. However, completion is at best 100s of years away)
IC:
The Elephanti Space Program, arguably the best funded program in the world, has taken a keen interest into this program. While we do not wish to participate in this program directly, we would be willing to offer scientific and financial help. The information your project may gather would he helpful in long term planning for the Venus project, especially when the planet begins to become more habitable.

OOC: 1. Yeah, I saw you nuked Venus.

And Terraforming Venus will take more than 100 years. It'll take a HELLUVA long time. Prolly closer to a thousand.

2. What about "I made no offical press releases" do you people NOT UNDERSTAND! When I establish the base, THEN I will make a press release.

(see edit above)

(ooc-I have probably been the biggest force in space exploration for EII. Along with Liebermonk and Hyperbia, the Eros station (that nuked venus, if you remember) and the newer Cupid station are beginning the long process of terraforming Venus. However, completion is at best 100s of years away)

BIG OOC edit:If you want to announce it even privately to us, consider our response to be the one immediately following (I missed that last sentence)

IC:
The Elephanti Space Program, arguably the best funded program in the world, has taken a keen interest into this program. While we do not wish to participate in this program directly, we would be willing to offer scientific and financial help. The information your project may gather would he helpful in long term planning for the Venus project, especially when the planet begins to become more habitable.

OOC: If you do not wish to announce it, then consider the following response ours:

Military facilities as well as several major facilities for the Elephanti Space Program picked up a space launch from Sri Lanka. While this is not uncommon, and usually is disregarded, this launch appears different. As you are our closest ally, we would like to obtain some information about this launch. If it is scientific in nature, we would like to offer funding assistance and research support. If it military in nature, we would like assurances that this will not be directed at us.

-Directing Council
--Elephanti Space Program
---Madras, Tamil Nadu, Southern India, Elephantum


OOC: Ok, that's better.

IC:
Offical Reply
We assure our close, close ally Elephantum that this is not military in nature, and it is partially scientific in nature. However, we cannot inform you of more at this time. We can assure you that you will be the first to know.

OOC: This kinda sucks because I need to go to bed now.

Luna

As the Kart-Hadasht went into orbit around the moon, Captain Iqbal surveyed the area below him. This was Malapert Mountain, on the south-western rim of the Malapert Crater, the site that had been chosen for the Kart-Hadasht colony, the "capital" of Carthaginian Lunar Colonization. It was the be the launch-pad from which new expeditions were to be launched from. The rims of nearby Shackleton Crater receive almost constant-light, which would be vital in maintaining power in the colony. The position also had another benefit: Always being in sight of Earth. That way, colonists wouldn't feel too homesick as they went about their mission.

Captain Iqbal and 3 of his crew, as well as materials for a basic landing pad, descended to the surface in the lander. Within 8 hours, they had created a decent landing pad. After 8 hours of rest, they went out to build a shelter. It wasn't particularly large, with just one 10m x 10m x 10m room with a basic power supply that would last about 10 days without being re-charged, a few solar pannels(which would supply the powersupply, but only at 60% efficency due to the fact there weren't enough pannels), and supplies to feed 3 people for 14 days. It took around 72 hours to complete(during which preparation for the launch of 5 other ships began), but when it was done the Carthaginian Colonists congratulated each-other and the captain walked a few meters away from the base and planted a large Carthaginian Flag in the dirt. After which, he went into the single building that made up the new colony of Kart-Hadasht, and sent out a radio message to the ship overhead. This is the Colony of Kart-Hadasht to the C.I.S. Kart-Hadasht. Basic facilities have been constructed and we are ready to receive more colonists.

Back in Sri Lanka, the citizens of Space City were overwhelmed with joy. With a joyous atmosphere, the other 5 ships (the Karachi, the Rakshi, the Alphonse, the Hannibal, and the Mago) all launched at the same time. A new Era for Carthage, and the world, had begun.

News Announcement by the Carthaginian Imperial Space Agency
The CISA is proud to announce that the new moon colony of Kart-Hadasht is up and running. Already, we have astronauts living there, and more on the way. We believe this colony will lead to a brighter future for the world.

We are glad to see this is te identity of your mysterious launch.

The Elephanti Space Program, arguably the best funded program in the world, has taken a keen interest into this program. While we do not wish to participate in this program directly, we would be willing to offer scientific and financial help. The information your project may gather would he helpful in long term planning for the Venus project, especially when the planet begins to become more habitable. Currently we have not had manned flights into the Venusian atmosphere, although up to three dozen astronauts live in the space stations. While obviously any structure intended for Luna (the moon, just because it isnt the only one in the solar system), would need adaptation for Venus' completely different nature, we would offer to purchase blueprints of your structures. Perhaps the combined ideas of our nations would enable us to begin colonization before the climate has been stabilized.

OOC: This is going to seem like a big jump and all, but this post is basically a summary of what went on.

Oh, and in case what you're wondering what it looks like, it's kinda like Mars City from Doom3, if you've ever played it. Minus the hell-spawn and zombies, of course :D

One Month Later
Captain Iqbal looked over the status reports on the progress of the construction of the base. In the past month, the population of the base had grown to 50 people, which was larger than originally planned, but in a good way. Although the base had just begun to mine Hydrogen, and only enough to keep the base sustained, it was enough a breakthrough anyways. Within a few months, the mining could begin in earnest, and ores from the surface could be harvested as well. A detachment of 10 Cymeks provided security for the colony as well.

Over the next two months, they would receive over 70 more personnel. However, the majority of these would be going to Shackleton crater, to take care of the power supply. Although a war seemed to be brewing on Earth, the technocrats had funneled almost all of their efforts into colonizing the moon as fast as possible, as if trying to create a fall-back point of last resort. The Captain didn't pay attention to that, however. He had a base to run.

OOC: Elephantum, I'll get to you on the blueprints thing later. I gotta wrap up my session and go to sleep. Gots to wake up at 6 am tommorrow -_-

Kart-Hadasht Colony

Private Musharraf looked out the window of his landing craft as it came closer to the landing spot. He had been training for months in space, on one of the space stations, but he had never really landed on another planet. 30 of his fellow soldiers, and 10 civilians, were being dropped this month. Although the original plans for colonization were slower, the Technocrats had suddenly boosted funding and had poured all their efforts into creating a suitable colony on the moon. Down below, on Earth, things were heating up, and his small company of 30 had receive word that the Layartebians were going to try to impede on the advancement of space colonization. This had the technocrats worried, seeing how they had no clue of what military capabilities the Layartebians had in space, so they sent extra security to secure the base.

Oh Allah, please make sure I survive... he silently prayed to himself. He was from a rural village in West Punjab, and he spent his childhood days playing along the Indus River. He had never dreamt of anything more than having his own cattle farm. Now, he was descending to the surface of another planet. Not that he was upset, but he sure was confused. "We will be landing in 15 seconds. Please prepare for landing," said the pilot over the intercom. His troop-carrier drop-ship carried 10 people(8 soldiers in one large section and 2 pilots in a smaller one) instead of the usual 6, and they had never been put into use before, so everyone was aprehensive to say the least. As the three drop-ships approached the landing pad, a bright light was seen and Musharraf could feel shockwaves. After his drop-ship had landed, his squad rushed out of the carrier into the base to see that one of the landers had exploded and crashed about 20 meters away from the colony. All lives on board were either killed by the explosion, the crash, or the lack of pressure and oxygen.

After donning their protection suits, Musharraf's squad went out to investigate the scene. After closer inspection, it seemed as if someone had sabotaged the drop-ship. After they counted the bodies, however, they realised that one body was missing. Mere seconds after, the helmets of one of the squad-members was filled with blood and brain-matter, and he fell to the ground. The other-squad members looked up to see somone in an Army-issue Space-suit lift their weapon to fire at the squad, but he was neutralised within seconds. A bright light filled Musharrafs view as the lone-gunman was vaporized by a bomb. After searching the crash site a bit more and searching the crater created by the lone-gunman, the squad returned back to base, one man short and deeply disturbed.

OOC: If anyone would like to claim responsability for that attack, go ahead. I've got a back-up too, so don't worry.

"Sir, we're detecting something exiting the atmosphere."
The scientist had stared at the screen for three months with nothing happening at all. The last time something left the atmosphere was when Liebermonk launched a sattelite. This, however, was not a known vehicle.
"I'm plotting its course to find out its origin." Another scientist announced. "It came from Sri Lanka. Carthagian land, Sir. ... It's worse Sir! The current vector has it passing very close to us. Any minor detecting hardware would see us at that distance."

The only military personell on the station, Colonel Hook, sounded an alarm at stage 1. "All right people, we're on a space station that isn't supposed to exist and there is a risk we'll get found. Lets get this bird moving!"

His words echoed throughout the entire space station. Bit by bit all the major power supplies began issuing out power to the station's engines. It was a rickety start, as they had not been activated since the station was put in space.

Fortunately, they had moved fast enough. They reached a distance that allowed them to remain almost invisible (unless someone aimed right at them) as they had for the past two years.

"Good job people!" Colonel Hook yelled through the intercom. "We should be safe according to you scientists. But now it's time to finally do our job. Find out what that ship is doing! We were put up here to monitor space traffic, and we have some now. Let's get going!"

The scientists moved faster than they had in months. They were doing their job for the first time. They began tracking, analyzing, and monitoring everything they could about the ship. It was years ahead of their current technology, and they could only dream of what it was meant for.

"Sir, we're detecting something exiting the atmosphere."
The scientist had stared at the screen for three months with nothing happening at all. The last time something left the atmosphere was when Liebermonk launched a sattelite. This, however, was not a known vehicle.
"I'm plotting its course to find out its origin." Another scientist announced. "It came from Sri Lanka. Carthagian land, Sir. ... It's worse Sir! The current vector has it passing very close to us. Any minor detecting hardware would see us at that distance."

The only military personell on the station, Colonel Hook, sounded an alarm at stage 1. "All right people, we're on a space station that isn't supposed to exist and there is a risk we'll get found. Lets get this bird moving!"

His words echoed throughout the entire space station. Bit by bit all the major power supplies began issuing out power to the station's engines. It was a rickety start, as they had not been activated since the station was put in space.

Fortunately, they had moved fast enough. They reached a distance that allowed them to remain almost invisible (unless someone aimed right at them) as they had for the past two years.

"Good job people!" Colonel Hook yelled through the intercom. "We should be safe according to you scientists. But now it's time to finally do our job. Find out what that ship is doing! We were put up here to monitor space traffic, and we have some now. Let's get going!"

The scientists moved faster than they had in months. They were doing their job for the first time. They began tracking, analyzing, and monitoring everything they could about the ship. It was years ahead of their current technology, and they could only dream of what it was meant for.


OOC: Oh noes! You are going to copy my technologies O_o!

:D

6 months later

The Civil War had been rough on the Kart-Hadasht colony at first, but it later became a blessing. Although dissidents had been trying to destroy the colony, the Technate and the Republic had both sent massive amounts of funds to the colony, trying to buy it over. However, the colony pledged it's neutrality, and that's what it gave. Hundreds of scientists, seeking a quiet place in which they could research in peace, fled to the space colony. The population of the colony swelled; and it was a good thing the government gave so much money to support the colony, for supporting the budding colony of 400 people (not to mention the extra 100 who lived in smaller settlements around the southern part of the planet). They even hired their own private defence force to defend the base; 40 well-trained soldiers, who had adapted to a low-G environment.

Already, shipments of Ilmenite were being shipped to Earth; providing a quick profit. Energy cells, charged with solar energy, were also being shipped earthside. There were advantage to construction in space as well, so some companies were looking into building factories on the moon. In order to control this rapid development of moon trade (which was still extremely costly), the Emperor decided to create The Governor and Company of Merchants of Carthage Trading. Although the current profits were rather small, everyone predicted the moon could lead to big, big profits.