The Gate Builders
02-03-2006, 17:59
Atlantis 2.5
The class of city-ship generally known as the Atlantis class is an exceedingly potent ship, being capable of carrying an obscene armament and a crew of tens of thousands, it does have weaknesses. Because the Alterans are now split (generally between the forces of SeaQuest and The Gate Builders) it became obvious that the weapons of the Alterans could be countered by either side, and their weaknesses exploited at any time. A new city-ship had to be built to supercede the old version, one capable of moving faster, packing a bigger punch and better shields than the other guy. With this brief in mind, 2.5 was designed.
Faster-Than-Light Systems
It has been said that FTL systems are akin to moving through water rather than swimming through water, and that FTLi is akin to a block of ice. The FTL systems of Atlantis 2.5 were designed with this in mind, and provide a generally unique solution. Rather than trying to cleverly bypass FTLi systems, they designed a system to simply sledgehammer through FTLi systems that prevent breaches in reality. Upon detection of an FTLi system, the semi-autonomous FTLiB (FTLiBuster) computer alerts the crew, who can then activate it. This takes advantage of the Arcturus Ascendant research, which draws regulated amounts of power from the Quantum Foam. The FTLiB doesn't bother regulating the power output. It outputs this energy in the form of a weapon with a purpose much the same as an ion cannon, but many thousands of times more powerful. It simply puts so much energy into enemy systems that once shields are down it causes massive power surges, starting with the FTLi then enemy FTL systems.
Weapons
The Atlantis 2.5 has similar waepons to the original Atlantis, namely the famed Alteran drone weapon. This particular one, doesn't have the issue of ammunition. Two built-in Arcturus Ascendant generators provide power to ammunition factories situated next to the launch apertures. As long as the ship has power, these factories will replace the drones. A specialised stargate which can only accept incoming wormholes from three particular gates connect the factories to resourcing outposts which provide the factories with materials. The weapon itself is three times larger than the supeweapon situated at the Terre Alantus base in Antarctica, because of this factory system.
The two generators also power 30 beam weapons, each one with a destructive force only limited by the power input they are proided with. Current limits in safe power restrictions put on the A.A. generators curently put the destructive power of the beam weapons at four times the power of Terran Yamato Cannons, at twice the rate of fire.
Defensively, there are two hundred much smaller beam CIWS which identify and shoot down missiles, drop pods and fighters that come in too close without permission. Should an enemy be able to board the ship, they wouldn't last long. The ship is segmented, with every room and corridor built to become airtight. If an enemy is detected, the corridor or room they are in locks down. Shielding devices protect deck plating and computer consoles. The room is pumped with super-hot plasma. The atmosphere is then vented (if any of it wasn't burned away), the room is then repressurised and unlocked. Security teams enter the room and clear anything up that's left.
Escort and Shipyard Capacity
The Atlantis 2.5 was designed to act as a fleet tender than just happens to have enough firepower to turn a planet into molten slag. It lives up to that design. It is three times larger than the original city ship, and has shipyard facilities to match. It has ten cradles capable of repairing or building any larger Alteran ship short of a city-ship. It has 4 main puddlejumper bays, each capable of holding up to 50 of the small shuttle/bomber craft.
The Atlantis 2.5 has another quirk unique to it's class. Small fighter craft designed to work only with the computers of the 2.5 class, as an integrated system. They are half the size of a Puddle-Jumper, unmanned and armed with beam weapons. They can be built on board by the ammunition factories. Another ship was designed to work alongside it, essentially the same hull but built with a massave naquadriah charge on board. If it is destroyed, it detonates. if it reaches the enemy, it detonates.
Shielding and Cloaking Systems
The Atlantis 2.5 is the largest investment of resources and manpower in the Alteran fleet, and it has the shielding to prove it. It 3 shield generators, each half as powerful again as the original Atlantean shielding systems. When one is disabled, another one activates and the damaged one regenerates, or goes into maintenance.
The cloaking systems of the Atlantis 2.5 render it completely invisible to passive sensors, but can be detected by active sensors if they scan directly over it.
Unsurprisingly, there are no plans to build more than one ship of this class.
The class of city-ship generally known as the Atlantis class is an exceedingly potent ship, being capable of carrying an obscene armament and a crew of tens of thousands, it does have weaknesses. Because the Alterans are now split (generally between the forces of SeaQuest and The Gate Builders) it became obvious that the weapons of the Alterans could be countered by either side, and their weaknesses exploited at any time. A new city-ship had to be built to supercede the old version, one capable of moving faster, packing a bigger punch and better shields than the other guy. With this brief in mind, 2.5 was designed.
Faster-Than-Light Systems
It has been said that FTL systems are akin to moving through water rather than swimming through water, and that FTLi is akin to a block of ice. The FTL systems of Atlantis 2.5 were designed with this in mind, and provide a generally unique solution. Rather than trying to cleverly bypass FTLi systems, they designed a system to simply sledgehammer through FTLi systems that prevent breaches in reality. Upon detection of an FTLi system, the semi-autonomous FTLiB (FTLiBuster) computer alerts the crew, who can then activate it. This takes advantage of the Arcturus Ascendant research, which draws regulated amounts of power from the Quantum Foam. The FTLiB doesn't bother regulating the power output. It outputs this energy in the form of a weapon with a purpose much the same as an ion cannon, but many thousands of times more powerful. It simply puts so much energy into enemy systems that once shields are down it causes massive power surges, starting with the FTLi then enemy FTL systems.
Weapons
The Atlantis 2.5 has similar waepons to the original Atlantis, namely the famed Alteran drone weapon. This particular one, doesn't have the issue of ammunition. Two built-in Arcturus Ascendant generators provide power to ammunition factories situated next to the launch apertures. As long as the ship has power, these factories will replace the drones. A specialised stargate which can only accept incoming wormholes from three particular gates connect the factories to resourcing outposts which provide the factories with materials. The weapon itself is three times larger than the supeweapon situated at the Terre Alantus base in Antarctica, because of this factory system.
The two generators also power 30 beam weapons, each one with a destructive force only limited by the power input they are proided with. Current limits in safe power restrictions put on the A.A. generators curently put the destructive power of the beam weapons at four times the power of Terran Yamato Cannons, at twice the rate of fire.
Defensively, there are two hundred much smaller beam CIWS which identify and shoot down missiles, drop pods and fighters that come in too close without permission. Should an enemy be able to board the ship, they wouldn't last long. The ship is segmented, with every room and corridor built to become airtight. If an enemy is detected, the corridor or room they are in locks down. Shielding devices protect deck plating and computer consoles. The room is pumped with super-hot plasma. The atmosphere is then vented (if any of it wasn't burned away), the room is then repressurised and unlocked. Security teams enter the room and clear anything up that's left.
Escort and Shipyard Capacity
The Atlantis 2.5 was designed to act as a fleet tender than just happens to have enough firepower to turn a planet into molten slag. It lives up to that design. It is three times larger than the original city ship, and has shipyard facilities to match. It has ten cradles capable of repairing or building any larger Alteran ship short of a city-ship. It has 4 main puddlejumper bays, each capable of holding up to 50 of the small shuttle/bomber craft.
The Atlantis 2.5 has another quirk unique to it's class. Small fighter craft designed to work only with the computers of the 2.5 class, as an integrated system. They are half the size of a Puddle-Jumper, unmanned and armed with beam weapons. They can be built on board by the ammunition factories. Another ship was designed to work alongside it, essentially the same hull but built with a massave naquadriah charge on board. If it is destroyed, it detonates. if it reaches the enemy, it detonates.
Shielding and Cloaking Systems
The Atlantis 2.5 is the largest investment of resources and manpower in the Alteran fleet, and it has the shielding to prove it. It 3 shield generators, each half as powerful again as the original Atlantean shielding systems. When one is disabled, another one activates and the damaged one regenerates, or goes into maintenance.
The cloaking systems of the Atlantis 2.5 render it completely invisible to passive sensors, but can be detected by active sensors if they scan directly over it.
Unsurprisingly, there are no plans to build more than one ship of this class.