Vescopa Factbook
(OOC: This factbook is a work in progress. Check back often for possible updates! Just added a few things, for example...)
Vescopa System
The Vescopa System is a star system based around a K9V red-orange dwarf star, with a surface temperature of roughly 5,400 K, a luminosity rating of 0.9 and a mass of 0.8, with Sol being 1.0. The Vescopa star has six orbiting planets, which are described below.
Most unique is the massive and dangerous orange gaseous field that completely surrounds the Vescopa system. It is full of volatile and explosive gasses and clusters of asteroids, and most importantly it is densely packed with gravitational singularities, subspace anomalies, dimensional 'tears' and a whole host of other dangerous and exotic anomalies, and all of these factors combine to make it virtually impenetrable by all known methods aside from simple luck. This has seen the Vescopan system completely isolated from the universe at large since its formation, and it continues to be so.
The barrier has become known as the Edge of the Universe to the Vescopan people, or more commonly the Eotu as the acronym became a regular word in their vocabulary. According to the last polls, over 80% of the small population of Vescopa believed that nothing existed beyond it. Many probes and manned ships have been launched into the field, never to return, and Vescopan scientists are presently unable to understand its composition. It has become a great symbol of mythology to the Vescopan people, and numerous science fiction writers dreamed up what could lie inside and beyond. It is quite normal for the night sky of Vescopa II to be almost as bright as daylight, with no stars - only the eternal orange expanse of the field that surrounded them.
Vescopa I
A rocky planet with a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere, Vescopa I is too close to the sun, at 0.1 A.U., to support life. The planet has rotates synchronously, and remains locked in phase with its orbit so that one half of the planet endures perpetual sunlight whilst the other endures perpetual darkness. Primarily made up of iron and other heavy and important metallic elements, the dark side of the planet is home to two small exploratory mining expeditions.
Vescopa II
Vescopa II is the homeworld of the Vescopan species, a sentient, bipedal mammal that has achieved dominance of its ecosystem and a moderate level of technological advancement. At 0.98 A.U. from the Vescopa star it enjoys almost identical sunlight levels to those of Earth (with the Vescopan star being slightly cooler), though it has a higher carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere, thus causing it to be slightly warmer. It has a single moon, with similar properties to Earth’s moon, most commonly referred to as Eog (Eye of God).
Its mass and radius are slightly smaller than those of Earth, resulting in a 7% weaker gravity field, and is made up of similar materials. 79% of the surface is covered by ocean, with the remaining 21% consisting of a single continental landmass located mostly in the northern hemisphere, similar to Pangaea on ancient Earth.
The ecosystem of Vescopa II is rich and diverse, with thousands upon thousands of species of mammals and reptiles living in all climates, and untold numbers of insects, fish, crustaceans and other common forms of life. Plantlife is equally diverse, and aside from two deserts near equatorial regions the entire landmass is covered by thick foliage, with jungles dominating the southern coast and more temperate deciduous and evergreen forests being more common in the north.
The population of Vescopans used to number over ten billion, however a Great Global War two centuries earlier saw widespread destruction and drastic population reduction, leaving the population at a figure of just a few million. Over the last two centuries the population has recovered somewhat, now measured in multiple billions again, but it is still far off its previous figure. The vast majority of these are located in and around a single city near the west coast of the northern hemisphere, within a semi-enclosed sea, although some smaller towns have sprung up in the surrounding area in recent decades. Here a Mediterranean climate reigns throughout the year, with lush foliage growing outside the city. Several farms can be found inland, not far from the city. Most polluting industry is based dozens of miles outside of the city, linked by maglev train networks.
From orbit, it is possible to see numerous abandoned cities dotted across the landmass, although the natural environment has fully recovered from the effects of the war. The planet is surrounded by solar satellites, which beam down energy via microwaves to dedicated receivers on the surface. This system provides the small population with all of their power needs, with a generous surplus, and provides significant expansion opportunities to accommodate future population growth. Vescopans have been using clean renewable energy sources exclusively for almost a century, meaning that pollution is kept at miniscule levels.
Vescopa III
This rocky planet is located 4 A.U. from the star, but it still has intolerably high surface temperatures. This is due to its extremely thick carbon dioxide atmosphere, with is several times heavier than the atmosphere of Earth, trapping all solar rays beneath it to bring temperatures as high as 200 degrees Celsius during the day.
Despite this, there is a large Vescopan mining and uranium processing plant on the surface, manned by a skeleton team in reinforced environmental domes.
Vescopa IV
Vescopa IV is a small gas giant primarily consisting of large quantities of hydrogen, helium, methane and ammonia, with a thin ring of debis and three moons in orbit. The planet orbits at a distance of 9 A.U. and is roughly the same size as Neptune.
Vescopa V
Vescopa V is a mid-sized gas giant orbiting at 13 A.U. and is unusual as it lacks any moons. The planet’s atmosphere is almost entirely hydrogen, and is a bright white colour. It was one of the first planets discovered by the Vescopans several hundred years ago, as it is the fourth brightest object in the night sky (besides the star, the Eotu, the moon and Vescopa III.
Vescopa VI
This is a massive gas giant two times larger and three times denser than Jupiter. Astronomers believe that during its formation it came dangerously close to forming a small star, though fortunately it failed to gain sufficient mass. The atmosphere is turbulent and large methane explosions can often be seen in proximity to the numerous thunderstorms that swirl around the upper atmosphere. It has been the subject of numerous Vescopan science probes over the last few years.
People & Culture
Though left dwindling in the aftermath of the Great Global War, the population of Vescopa now numbers in the billions, a sizeable majority of whom live in Vescopa City, which resides on the west coast of the northern hemisphere. The remaining population lives in rural areas surrounding the city, mainly active in agricultural and mining industries. An amalgamation of peoples from numerous, destroyed countries makes up this population, all of whom have combined to create a unique and diverse culture with a rich history.
Physiology
Vescopan physiology is remarkably similar to that of humans and other similar species in the galaxy. Standing between roughly four and five and a half feet on average, for the most part they give the appearance of a Caucasian or Mediterranean human with black or brown hair. The only obvious differences are their universally violet eyes, and the golden, scale-like mottling on their cheeks - this mottling serves a purpose in attracting mates, and can change colour slightly depending upon their mood. Deeper tones of gold are considered to be more attractive than lighter shades. Most Vescopans have naturally flushed cheeks, and their metabolism and traditional diet is such that they are either slim or muscular in build.
Their internal organs are laid out somewhat differently, however. They possess three lungs, which are individually smaller than those of a human but when combined provide them with roughly the same capacity. The third lung is located between the two normal lungs, with their atypically small hearts located directly in the centre of their chest. They also possess two livers, both smaller than the norm but roughly equal in capacity when combined. Like humans they possess two kidneys, and their reproductive systems are typical of most mammals in the universe. There is also a remarkably high silicon content within their bodies, particularly in their bones, although they are still considered to be carbon-based lifeforms.
Most unusually, they have a very minor ability to sense ultra-violet light wavelengths, but they still rely on the visible light spectrum for the most part, and while they are capable of hearing much higher sound frequencies than humans, they do miss out on some of the lower sound frequency sounds. Their sense of smell is somewhat more pronounced too, but not significantly enough to give them any great advantage. Additionally, their sense of touch is much more pronounced, gifting them with elevated sensations of pleasure but, conversely, cursing them with elevated levels of pain too.
Due to the lighter-than-Earth gravity inherent to Vescopa, Vescopans tend to be slightly weaker and more fragile than humans, and can experience some degree of discomfort in Earth standard gravity, although their more redundant organs do put them at decreased risk of fatal organ failures. Unusually they have a very higher-than-average intolerance for alcohol, and certain common narcotic substances such as caffeine and tobacco would likely be severely damaging to them in remarkably small doses - however, these substances are not found on Vescopa and they have no access to them as yet.
Society
Vescopan society is considered to be a generally friendly, caring and informal one with strong beliefs in individual liberty and economic freedoms, with very few taboos or lingering stigmas. Perhaps this is the result of the small population being forced to live in the same, densely-packed city, but most written literature from before the Great War seems to indicate that most of the Vescopan cultures that existed beforehand shared similar values.
Their beliefs regarding civil and economic freedoms have led to a necessarily small government with limited abilities to interfere in their daily lives. Those few unfortunate people who have failed to find employment in a labour-starved market for whatever reason generally find themselves given a helping hand by one of several large and well-funded charity organisations, with an estimated 95% of all wage earning adult Vescopans giving a decent sum of money on a regular basis to one or more charitable organisations. This offsets the lack of state social support networks, and fosters a stronger community and a general sense of well-being. Crime is also very low, partially due to a booming economy and partially due to their cultural mannerisms.
Customs, mannerisms and beliefs
Vescopans believe that emotions are a positive thing, and that there are no truly 'negative' emotions. It is quite customary for men and women to express their emotions at ease, often in public places. Sex is also considered to be a healthy part of life, and there are no real taboos surrounding it, and children are educated in sex matters from an early age. Public nudity is perfectly legal and socially acceptable. All of the major religions share these customs (and probably originated them), all of which suggest that their respective deities would not have created such beautiful things as their bodies, their emotions, and sex if they wished them to be hidden away. Vescopans are very informal when it comes to public displays of affection. They tend to have a respect for all life, and regard their race as a whole as a family. If one Vescopan finds another physically attractive, there is no complicated and drawn-out mating ritual - the individual will simply try to initiate a physical relationship with the object of their affections, and will consider their advances to be successful if the recipient reciprocates.
Thus, informal behaviour is a hallmark of Vescopan life. There are no stodgy handshakes (the tradition of shaking hands never began in Vescopa) or salutes outside of the rather small and underfunded military; hugs and kisses being as common as a handshake is in other cultures, even amongst complete strangers. Neither is there any semblance of formal dress, and considering the year-round high temperatures that their area of the planet enjoys loose, revealing clothes are the norm even in government, where clothes are worn at all. Considering these customs, shyness is quite uncommon but for those who do suffer from the affliction, living in Vescopan society is a particularly difficult task.
The concept of a gender divide is not seriously recognised by any Vescopans, although to any outsider it would appear that females were slightly more dominant in general. It is typically a female who will initiate a romantic relationship, begin a greeting or take control in a relationship. Since the union of the Vescopan species under a single banner two centuries ago, only twelve Prime Leaders have been male, and the small armed forces have a roughly equal number of men and women in all positions, though higher-ranking officers are women more often than men - the capital ships Tunis, Caspetona and Dramesis are commanded by women, with only the Ventrius and the Maelrosica being commanded by men. Despite these cultural issues, there are no barriers to equality, with both genders possessing fully equal rights and sharing similar wages.
In terms of culinary and health matters, consumption of meat is considered morally questionable by the majority of people, and has not been practised in some generations. Although no law exists regarding the consumption of meat, no company on Vescopa presently produces any meat products due to the insignificant market. Unlike many cultures the consumption of food is considered a fairly private experience, and Vescopans will typically only eat when hungry rather than for enjoyment (possibly because they don't have the pleasures of meat or chocolate!), though a few sugary fruits are popular. Indeed, it is an informal ritual that upon reaching adulthood, a Vescopan will spend a considerable period of time planning their ideal diet, and from that point on will only adjust it to account for new dietary requirements.
The consumption of alcohol - or at least a type of mind-altering liquid with similar effects - is quite common, however. Nightlife is extremely active, with bars, clubs and so-called 'party gardens' crowded almost every evening with people looking to indulge their passions, with sex and other intimate activities being common sights. Exercise is an important part of life, with those who fail to live up to a certain standard of physical fitness being labelled as 'body haters'. Exercising is often a community activity, with groups of friends and family, and sometimes even entire neighbourhoods, all working out together.
As a result of their necessity-only eating culture and intense focus on exercise, obesity is a non-issue. This is not to suggest that Vescopans are free from ailments, though, as Vescopa's ecosystem includes numerous viruses and bacteria just like any other, which can impact on people in a variety of negative ways ranging from a slight sniffle to outright death. All possible efforts are made on an individual level to safeguard against illness, but in the end even the most healthy individual will succumb to ailment one day. All Vescopans aside from a few hundred living in the countryside, who sometimes refuse the option, are immunised against the most serious illnesses, which have all but disappeared from Vescopan society by now, and hospitals tend to deal mostly with injuries rather than illnesses in modern times. Dentists also see fair amounts of trade, as people are eager to keep their teeth healthy and attractive.
Although without many taboos, even in Vescopa there are some things which are considered rude. Deliberately avoiding physical contact with somebody without offering a valid explanation (refusing sexual advances does not really count) implies that one finds somebody repulsive in some manner. Waving, while popular in many cultures, is seen by Vescopans as a rather rude dismissive gesture equivalent to 'giving somebody the finger', the background of which is largely lost to time. Enslaving animals for any reason, whether for food, labour or resource, is considered immoral, and deliberately hurting any living creature for no good reason is particularly distasteful - more so than in many cultures. Perhaps most unusually, the use of the colour orange for decorative purposes is quite disgusting, perhaps because they are so sick of seeing orange in the sky - although, anybody sane and not from the 1960s will probably agree with them.
Time
Time is recorded by metric means wherever possible off-calendar, but of course the number of days per year, and thus weeks and months, is determined by the planet itself. Vescopans refer to years as cycles, and there are 320 days per cycle. There are 10 'periods' per year, each of which has 32 days. One day is divided into 100 'fractions', which are the Vescopan equivalent to hours. Each fraction is then divided into one hundred cents, their equivalent of minutes, which is once again divided into millis, which are most closely comparable to seconds. Although there are further divisions, given the swift pace at which millis pass any smaller measurement is reserved for computerised clocks.
The first day of each period is a national holiday, during which it is customary to share a bottle of wine with friends and family. The origins of this particular tradition are thought to be from Eotans, who regard each new period as another period of freedom from divine slavery, although this meaning has long since been lost. An additional national holiday is observed on the first and last day of each season, which can result in large groupings of holidays. Having no 'week' as such, there is no weekend, but most employers offer more generous annual leave time (up to 50 days in some cases) to compensate. Lastly, Vescopans celebrate the start of a new year just like many cultures do, with large hedonistic parties.
Language
Vescopan is the official language of Vescopa, and the only surviving spoken language. In many ways it sounds somewhat similar to the romantic languages on Earth, with a similar overall sound and pronunciation sound (though with a few harsher, more Germanic-sounding words in places). However, as a completely independent, alien language free from any outside interference, the language shares no commonalities beyond the general sound.
The language is much like the people; an amalgamation of numerous other languages that developed and died over the years. It is based off an ancient language called Fretellian, which belonged to what was the most powerful nationstate on Vescopa II (Fretelli), though as survivors from the Great War congregated in what is now known as Vescopa City other languages were merged with it to form what is now Vescopan, a separate and distinct language. Given their biological similarities to humans and similar species, the language is fully translatable - providing one takes the time to learn the difficult pronunciations and grammatical words, and comes to understand the cultural idioms that are integral.
In writing, the language uses a series of 45 'phonetic pictographs'. These pictographs are descended from ancient Fretellian and once represented words in an alphabet consisting of hundreds of icons, however as the centuries passed these pictographs gained phonetic instead of representative meanings, and have now become a modern alphabet. Although somewhat confusing for linguists to grasp initially, the result is a highly attractive and interesting written language, which is surprisingly easy to handwrite once one is familiar with it - although in modern times, most writing is computerised. Unless one is a native Vescopan speaker, it may be difficult to learn the language from scratch without first learning the alphabet.
Numerous phrases are similar to alien phrases - for example, 'damned to the divinities' is comparable to 'God damn it'. An even more surprisingly similar example would be the phrase 'worth his weight in gellberries', which bears striking similarities to 'worth his weight in salt'. The phrase dates back to a time when a sugary fruit known as gellberries were in short supply and very high demand (at one point being more valuable to international trade than precious metals and gems), to the point where numerous workers preferred to be paid in gellberries, and the wealthy were judged by how many gellberries they had stashed away in relation to their own body weight. Numerous other idioms litter Vescopan speech after thousands of years of civilisation, some similar to those used by aliens, some unique, and understanding the most common ones may aid in improved understanding.
Religion
There is no state religion in Vescopa, and 51% of the population are considered to be either atheists or agnostics. 36% of the population follow the Eotan religion, which stipulates that the Eotu is the edge of the universe and home to numerous gods and demons, all of whom decide the fate of all Vescopans as though they are dolls in a self-contained doll house. 11% of Vescopans follow the Solarism religion, which stipulates that the sun is the physical representation of a non-corporeal god, and puts no significance in the Eotu. The remaining 2% follow numerous smaller religions, many of which centre around the Eotu.
Eotan Religion
The Eotan religion describes how the Vescopa system was created by the Eotu gods, known as the 'divinities', as a plaything to carry out experiments and play games with. According to scripture, they grew bored of this quickly, and so the divinities then created the Vescopan people and the wildlife around them to populate their cosmic doll house, and the divinities became puppet masters. However, the divinities underestimated their creation and the Vescopan people gained sentience and developed a will strong enough to break free of their strings, and from that point on refused to be the playthings of their gods any longer. The divinities were impressed that the Vescopans were so strong as to resist the divinities themselves, and so granted them freedom as a reward. From then on, the divinities only guided the Vescopans through life, offering those who prayed wisdom and advice but otherwise remained aloof, only watching as they developed.
Eotu demons are fallen divinities, who were enraged rather than impressed when the Vescopan people rebelled against the divinities, and disagreed with the decision to let them live free. Although in the minority, the demons wield the full power of the divinities themselves and are said to be powerful enough to wage divine war against them should they ever feel the need. The Eotu demons feel that as the creators of the Vescopans, it is their divine right to take ownership of the mortal creatures for their own personal enjoyment, as was originally intended. However, a contract between the demons, the divinities and the Vescopan people was brokered in ancient times, which keeps the demons at bay and prevents them from forcibly taking back Vescopa. This contract is called simply the Divine Contract, and many historians believe that the document actually exists. Many archaeological expeditions on Vescopa II and beyond have taken place throughout the centuries as adventurers seek to locate what is considered by many to be the most important document in Vescopan history - a sort of holy grail.
The divinities cast down a series of Life Rules which deal with moral and righteous concepts. As part of their contractual obligations, the Vescopan people must obey these Life Rules for their entire mortal lives, in order to be classed as righteous. Those Vescopans who successfully obey the Life Rules for their entire mortal lives, or repent sufficiently upon breaking them, will be granted an eternal life of freedom and opulence at the end of their mortal lives. However, it is the contractual obligation of the divinities to give the souls of sinners to the demons, without exception. The demons become the legal owners of the souls they are given, and they may use them as playthings for all eternity. Their contractual obligation is to simply leave the mortal Vescopans alone in peace. It is believed that this contract temporarily appeases the demons, preventing them from waging war against their divine brothers and mortal creations.
However, the Vescopan apocalypse myth, known as the Divine War, predicts that the Eotu demons will one day become dissatisfied with the Divine Contract, and will attack the divinities. A divine battle will take place, during which the entire Eotu will glow brighter than the sun itself. It is not foretold who will win, but the effects of the battle either way are known to the Eotan followers. Should the divinities win the battle, they will bring so much power to bear against the demons that the Eotu will explode, plunging the entire Vescopan system into oblivion, sacrificing themselves and the Vescopan people at the same time. Should the demons win, they will leave the Eotu in powerful, divinely powered space ships and arrive at Vescopa II to claim it as their own, deploying the resurrected souls of the sinners they have acquired over the millennia as footsoldiers and raining fire down upon the planet from their ships. Unable to defend against billions of enslaved sinners and divine weaponry, the Vescopan people will become enslaved as they were in their primal years, and a period of darkness and torture shall reign for the rest of time.
The Eotan religion commands a powerful following amongst the Vescopan people, and although not a state religion they have representation in the Cabinet in the form of the Prime Seer, who actually represents cultural issues rather than religious ones in modern times. Many Eotans object heavily to the attempts to explore and even penetrate the Eotu. They believe that the Divine Contract only protects those who remain inside the Eotu, and those who attempt to enter it tempt the attentions of the demons, possibly even prompting the Divine War itself. It is likely that any alien ship emerging from the Eotu will prompt panic and superstitious paranoia amongst large portions of the Vescopan population, given that their apocalypse myth stipulates the arrival of space ships as a prelude to divine slavery.
Eotan worshippers used to encompass a majority of the population, however as the years go by and science reveals more and more of the mysteries of the universe, their numbers are gradually reducing. Indeed, until it was discovered to be nothing more than a ball of rock, many Eotans believed that the moon was a portal through which the divinities looked down upon the Vescopan people, hence the name Eye of Gods.
Demon cults
There are numerous demon-worshipping cults still alive and well in Vescopa, although they typically have only ten or so members each with only a few other non-members sharing their beliefs. Despite being fringe groups with somewhat distasteful views, under Vescopan freedom of speech and religion laws no attempts are made to close them down unless they engage in illegal activities. Many of these cults are suspected to be engaged in the ritual slaughter of animals, which is illegal under Vescopan law, although no evidence has been presented thus far.
Regardless of their legal status they are considered socially unacceptable, and members of these cults rarely admit to being such. In short, they are demon worshippers, however they refer to the demons as the 'true divinities', whilst attributing the title of 'demon' to the divinities themselves. They believe in the divine right of the demons to own the Vescopan people, and that they would be better off under the rule of the demons. Demon worship saw a significant resurgence in the aftermath of the Great War amongst the survivors, many of whom were convinced by the argument that if they were under the command of the demons, the war would not have happened. The Great War was hailed by many demon worshipper priests as a demonstration of Vescopan ineptitude.
In the unlikely event of an alien vessel penetrating the Eotu, it is likely that demon worshippers would welcome them with open arms - for the exact same reason that Eotan followers would fear them. The idea of the demons successfully defeating the divinities in the Divine War and returning to Vescopa to claim them as slaves is appealing to them, and an event they try to usher in with suspected animal sacrifices. For this reason they strongly support the attempts to send Vescopans through the Eotu, as they believe it may bring about the apocalypse earlier.
Sun worship
Solarism is the second-largest religion in Vescopa, and one of the few that does not involve the Eotu in some way. They believe that the Vescopa star itself is the physical representation of a single god, whom is actually a non-corporeal and benevolent entity whom has taken it upon itself to allow life to flourish - seemingly, out of the goodness of its heart, although any attempts to question this reasoning are generally met by the rhetoric, "god moves in mysterious ways". It is also one of the few religions known to exist which does not incorporate a counterbalance to this benevolent god, such as a devil or demons. Despite the physical machinations of the star being well known to scientists for some time now, the religion continues to find favour. Like the Eotans, the Solarists once believed that the moon was the 'eye of god', from where it looked down upon its 'chosen people' (with the death of the nation state on Vescopa II, that particular phrase is no longer used). Once the moon was discovered to be nothing more than a ball of rock, both religions ceased to follow this particular belief, although a large portion of Solarists apparently continue to believe it.
Unlike Eotans, Solarists tend to be open to the idea of aliens existing beyond the Eotu, although they are divided on whether they actually do exist. Most Solarists simply say that it is the will of god as to whether anything exists beyond the Eotu, and it will let them know either way when it deems it to be necessary. The discovery that more than one star exists in the universe may be more difficult for them to swallow however.
Government
The Vescopan government is a democratic republic, with a unicameral parliament known as the Assembly. Current political climates stipulate small government with limited powers, which is easily noticeable by the small cabinet and the generally high levels of civil, political and economical freedoms. Many important issues are increasingly handled by direct democracy.
Procedure is kept to a minimum to avoid bureaucracy and corruption, and accountability in all departments is maintained. Any member of the public, Assembly or the Cabinet may propose a government act for consideration, which is then voted on by the Assembly. Usually, only those acts proposed by the Cabinet or a Representative of Assembly stand a significant chance of being passed, with the former being most likely.
Cabinet
Prime Leader: Jessaá Cataldo
Prime Defender: Hulos Miscarand
Prime Healer: Telik Crossta
Prime Educator: Establo Perzay
Prime Transporter: Dri Polok
Prime Seer: Priest Vercon Dano
Prime Enforcer: Darka Meldron
Prime Judicator: Judicator Tratos Jarr
Prime Caretaker: Térdy Clenaru
Prime Economist: Gerdo Bristo
The Prime Leader is the de facto premier of Vescopa, elected into office by the Assembly after each national election. The Prime Leader then selects members of Parliament to fill the various Cabinet positions - usually from his or her own party, but not always.
Assembly
The Assembly is the Vescopan government's unicameral legislative branch, consisting of 130 seats, each representing an individual district. Each Assembly member is referred to simply as a Representative, and is democratically elected into his or her position by their respective district every five years by majority vote.
Parties
There are numerous parties vying for power in Vescopa. These are their shares of Assembly seats according to the last national election:
Vescopan Party of Enlightenment (VPL): 55.4% (72 seats)
Traditional Values Party (TVP): 35.4% (46 seats)
United Workers Party (UWP): 6.9% (9 seats)
Divine Providence (DP): 2.3% (3 seats)
Economy
The Vescopan economy is necessarily self-reliant, but it is robust and powerful nevertheless, with high disposable income and income equality, and low unemployment and poverty levels. In the years of recovery since the Great Global War it has grown significantly.
As an advanced economy it is based primarily on the tertiary sector, and most of the workforce is based in that industry. However, for a small population the secondary sector is inordinately large, with ever-expanding requirements generating significant business for those companies specialising in manufacturing and, by extension, mining. Products ranging from heavy agriculture, mining and manufacturing machinery to advanced aerospace technologies are in increasing demand, and companies must continually expand in order to meet this demand. The result of this is a profitable primary and secondary industry, with many opportunities for entrepreneurial enterprises and existing corporate expansion.
Agriculture, with significant mechanisation, supplies the food needs of the entire nation whilst using only a very small portion of the workforce, making it highly efficient and therefore profitable for those involved, and as with the mining and manufacturing industries there are plenty of opportunities for expansion.
The tertiary sector consists primarily of retail, services, banking and financial services, and entertainment, and the majority of the labour force works in these industries. As the population grows and quality of life increases, the demand on the tertiary sector has increased exponentially in recent years, as people look to spend their wealth on entertainment and gratification. Vescopan economical interests are vested in the success of the tertiary sector, although given the isolation of the nation the primary and secondary industries are more important to the overall survival of the Vescopan people in the grander picture.
Military
The People's Republic of Vescopa does not maintain a large standing armed forces. The planet is united and completely isolated from external threats, and the armed forces (simply called the Vescopan Military) are maintained for emergencies only. The VM encompasses an army and a navy, with a handful of orbital weapons satellites operated centrally.
Recent events within the Eotu and beyond have caused the government to divert additional funding towards the armed forces, including the design of a new class of warship along with increased recruitment targets. This shift in policy is yet to be explained by the government to the electorate, as the 'Eotu Incident', and the resultant discovery of alien life, has been kept partially classified.
Vescopan Navy
The Vescopan Navy employs five capital ships, five 'frigate' type vessels, several hundred fighter craft and torpedo bombers, and dozens of support craft including personnel transports and cargo ships. Its main duty is to defend Vescopa and its small mining colony on Vescopa II. Due to the lack of any actual threat to the security of Vescopa, the navy is awarded little funding and is mainly tasked with ferrying troops and important people around and serving the scientific needs of Vescopa University.
Basic training lasts for thirty days, and officer training for just under two years. During basic training recruits are taught basic ship operations and procedures. Specialised positions such as engineering or medical duties require separate courses, each being roughly one to two years long, depending on what position is applied for. This is followed by two weeks stationed aboard a small training vessel for practical experience.
Vescopan Navy Rank Structure
The Navy employs the following rank structure, from high to low.
Officer:
Prime Admiral
Admiral
Sub-Admiral
Commandant
Commander
Sub-Commander
Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Ensign
Enlisted:
Chief of Operations
Sub-Officer Class 1
Sub-Officer Class 2
Crewman
Deckhand
Cadet
Recruit
Brief
Vescopan ships are designed foremost with survivability and flexibility in mind. As the government has previously seen little point in funding a large armed navy, their few vessels are driven by necessity to be capable of fulfilling numerous roles. Indeed, the modern VDS-07 is the first purpose-built warship with a niche role in the navy since the days of the Great Global War.
Many design desisions are also driven by technological capabilities. Vescopa is, in many regards, technologically backwards when compared to the universe at large, and their shipbuilding companies have had to design around these disadvantages whilst still supplying solutions to design briefs. For example, Vescopan ships typically carry significantly destructive, if somewhat crude and brutish, armaments, including high-calibre railguns and nuclear warheads in their arsenal, and yet no form of energy shielding technology presently exists. In response to this shortcoming, Vescopan ships are covered with extremely heavy armour and advanced nano-armour overlays, which miraculously and inadvertently can achieve parity with much more sophisticated alien ships despite a lack of any exotic materials being used in their construction. Likewise, their propulsion systems are inherently slow and inefficient, and combined with the length of some journeys they require high capacity power plants with low downtime. As a result of these unique requirements, Vescopan power plants are somewhat archaic MOX-fuelled nuclear fission reactors, chosen due to the ease of safely storing large quantities of MOX fuel pallets. Though outdated by universal standards, these modest reactors are considered to be mature technology in Vescopa and have been heavily refined over the centuries to be surprisingly capable and reliable.
Due to the large, cumbersome and heavily armoured nature of their ships, Vescopan space battles are traditionally prolonged, pitched affairs, involving multiple capital ships slugging it out at extreme distances (essentially at the practical limits of their sensor equipment). To make matters worse, capital ships are precluded from using their engines at full speed during battle, due not only to the intense power requirements their ion engines demand, but also due to the lack of any form of effective inertial dampening systems. During combat, any manoeuvres undertaken must be slow and gradual in order for the crew to continue to operate effectively, rendering them essentially inert until the conclusion of hostilities. Whilst launching continual barrages of projectiles, missiles and torpedoes at their opponent, a capital ship will attempt to use electronic countermeasures and try to reduce its heat signature in order to confuse enemy sensors. Meanwhile legions of fighters are launched; some fighter wings hang back to defend their mothership, whilst others will escort bombers to the enemy capital ship in an effort to disable critical systems with pinpoint, close range torpedo assaults. Once this is accomplished, their mothership can safely move into a closer range, allowing her the use of her heavier weapons more accurately and to devastating effect.
The heavier ordinance of a capital ship like the VDS-06, such as her torpedoes and to a lesser extent her missiles, are somewhat useless when launched from a standstill at extreme ranges, as their propulsion systems are too slow and they can easily be outrun or shot down before reaching their target, hence the urgent need to first cripple their opponent with torpedo bombers before moving in for the kill. Should launching these weapons at extreme ranges become necessary, for example if their bombers are all destroyed or are unable to cripple the enemy in a sufficient timeframe, a common tactic is to accelerate directly towards the enemy at high speeds before launching in order to place additional momentum behind them, effectively increasing their maximum speed and making them harder to evade or destroy. Most commanders in such situations have historically preferred to continue the battle from afar with railguns only in the hope of scoring lucky hits, however. Few commanders in history have ever been keen to engage fully operational enemy capital ships directly in close combat though, as the damage inflicted upon both parties in such a battle can quickly become catastrophic.
With Vescopan ships lacking particularly speedy propulsion systems, support is often days, weeks or even months away, and damage limitation is one of the foremost concerns of ship commanders. Being stranded in interplanetary space after a battle is effectively a death sentence for a crew if there are no other friendly ships around. Such cautionary measures only serve to further prolong already lengthy battles, however.
In modern times though, only one nationstate remains on Vescopa, effectively rendering it a unified planterary government, and due to its isolated location within the Eotu, it is currently without adversaries. Over the past two centuries of peace the significance of the Vescopan Navy has reduced markedly, their naval combat strategies dissipating into nothing more than training regimes, and it is now tasked primarily with piracy control, merchant escort missions, humanitarian errands and even, on occasion, the transportation of sensitive cargo. Until recently the government only maintained the navy in case of future civil wars, an unlikelihood verging on the impossible, but recent events during the Eotu Incident have produced a resurgance in funding to the ailing department. This new revenue stream has resulted in the new VDS-07 warship being designed and produced as a means to tackle much larger, more advanced alien ships with simple brute-force weapons, as well as discussions on resuming production of the venerable VDS-06 warship.
Though unknown to the general population, the Vescopan Navy is being transformed into a first-line defence force against potential alien incursions.
NB: Capital ships are to scale, fighters are NOT.
VDS-06 'Ventrius' class Warship
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Primary Armaments: 36x railgun turrets, 100x 36-cell vertical launch missile banks
Secondary Armaments: 8x torpedo launcher tubes (4x port, 4x starboard), 5x anti-fighter missile launching platforms
Torpedo Inventory: 36x 500 kiloton nuclear fission warheads, 20x 150 megaton hydrogen fusion nuclear warheads, 75x 10 kiloton RCE armour-piercing explosive warheads
Defence: 1,855mm tungsten-carbide hull with 100mm synthetic titanium disulfide nano-armour overlay, ceramic tile plating, laser point defences, emission reduction systems, ECM (anti-radiation auto-Lock missiles, sensor jamming pods, signature confusion drones), magnetic field generator (navigational space particle protection only)
Awareness: Laser Detection and Ranging (LADAR), Space Based Radar (SBR), Infra-red and Ultra-Violet Sensor Array System (IRUVSAS), magnetometers, Particle and Radiation Detection and Analysis Array (PARDAA), Light and Matter Interferometer Array (LAMI)
Powerplant: Grade 17 MOX nuclear fission reactor (rated approx. 5,500 MWe), reserve hydrogen fuel cell batteries
Propulsion: 4x xenon gas ion engines, 6x H-fuel rocket boosters, 60x H-fuel manoeuvring thrusters
Length: 473.4 metres
Beam: 155.2 metres
Draft: 94.2 metres
Life support: Atmospheric revitalization subsystem, liquid coolant loop heating sub-system , atmosphere revitalization pressure control subsystem, active thermal control subsystem, food, water, and waste management subsystem
Crew: 2,500 (maximum passenger capacity 4,000)
Aircraft: 65x fixed-wing fighters, 10x heavy torpedo bombers, 10x heavy transport shuttles, 2x heavy cargo movers
The VDS-06 class Warship has gained the nickname 'Ventrius' in honour of the ship of the same name which was made famous for being the first ship to successfully penetrate the Eotu, although the Ventrius herself was destroyed shortly after. Having seen active service for almost four decades the VDS-06 is an old design, but even so represents the pinnacle of Vescopan naval technology. It replaced a class of ship that had been in service since the Great Global War, all of which have since been dismantled.
The original design brief called for a fast, well-armed and armoured ship capable of launching pinpoint and blanket assaults against a planetary surface and being capable of engaging capital ships, as well as serving the scientific and cargo-carrying requirements of Vescopa. Designs were devised in a cooperative project between the Vescopan Military and two private companies, Vescopa Heavy Engineering and Vescopa Military Supplies. Despite reasonable objections that there was no threat to Vescopan security to warrant such a ship, fears of another Great Global War led to funding being approved for an initial run of two of the vessels - be prepared, not caught unawares, was the slogan repeated time and time again by proponents. It took nearly fifteen years for the first ship to be completed, and a further ten for the second. Over the next forty years a further three were ordered in addition to the existing vessels. These long construction periods were primarily as a result of poor funding, a low dwindling labour force, and a simple inability to procure resources fast enough. Additionally, various new technologies had to be researched and produced in order to meet the design specifications. Production has now ended, although certain revelations which took place during the 'Eotu' incident has spurred discussion that production may soon be resumed.
Utilising the most powerful ion drives presently available on Vescopa the ship can clear the entire Vescopan solar system (a distance of 3,500,000,000 kilometres) in 265 days (three quarters of a year) at a maximum speed of roughly 550,000kph, and also utilises short-duration chemical booster rockets for added acceleration. There are ten small chemical thrusters on each side of the vessel, designed to provide maneuvering functions for the ship.
The ship is equipped with several dozen dual-barrelled rail-guided magnetic accelerator guns, developing a muzzle velocity of 325k/s with 276mm tungsten-carbide projectiles, using either hollow points for maximum surface assaults or sharp points for armour penetration. These railguns are automatic magazine-fed weapons with a twenty-five round per minute rate of fire and a magazine capacity of 300 rounds per gun. Although supported by superconductor heat transfer pipes and heatsinks as well as liquid coolant, they are at risk of overheating during prolonged periods of fire, and barrel maintenance requirements are very high. In addition to these are torpedo launching systems, allowing the VDS-06 to engage targets with a variety of conventional and nuclear warheads using a number of delivery vehicles. Various countermeasures allow the ship to evade enemy detection and weapon locks. The heavily armoured hull is manufactured with tungsten-carbide alloy and reinforced externally with advanced synthetic nano-armour, which makes the ship capable of resisting multiple kinetic and nuclear strikes. Her external ceramic plating provides ablative heat resistance which (as an unintended side-effect) also resists energy weapons, and is coated with light and radiation absorbing material to better hide from optical, electromagnetic and radiation sensors. Based on past Vescopan warship designs the VDS-06 is the most heavily armoured spacecraft ever developed.
A highly efficient MOX fuelled nuclear fission reactor core provides power to all of these systems. MOX pallets are easily stored and fairly safe to transport, and with advanced reactor technologies can be infused with greater quantities of plutonium to yield higher energy potentials. At maximum rated capacity the Grade 17 reactor core is capable of generating 5,500 MWe, although it tends to run at only half of this capacity at any one time. A third of this capacity is used by the ion engines when at maximum speeds. An array of hydrogen fuel cells is also kept aboard as a reserve system of power in case of reactor failure or fuel deficiency. This system can be activated to supplement the reactor during maintenance procedures, but is not capable of fulfilling the maximum energy requirements of the ship, and lacks longevity.
VDS-07 class Warship
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Primary Armaments: 4x heavy coil guns, 5x railgun turrets
Secondary Armaments: 4x torpedo launcher tubes (2x port, 2x starboard), 5x anti-fighter missile launching platforms
Torpedo Inventory: 10x 500 kiloton nuclear fission warheads, 20x 150 megaton hydrogen fusion nuclear warheads, 40x 10 kiloton RCE armour-piercing explosive warheads
Defence: 653mm tungsten-carbide hull with 100mm synthetic titanium disulfide nano-armour overlay, ceramic tile plating, laser point defences, emission reduction systems, ECM (anti-radiation auto-Lock missiles, sensor jamming pods, signature confusion drones), magnetic field generator (navigational space particle protection only)
Awareness: Laser Detection and Ranging (LADAR), Space Based Radar (SBR), Infra-red and Ultra-Violet Sensor Array System (IRUVSAS), magnetometers, Particle and Radiation Detection and Analysis Array (PARDAA), Light and Matter Interferometer Array (LAMI)
Powerplant: Grade 7 MOX nuclear fission reactor (rated approx. 1,460 MWe), reserve hydrogen fuel cell batteries
Propulsion: 2x xenon gas ion engines, 4x H-fuel rocket boosters, 60x H-fuel manoeuvring thrusters
Length: 213.0 metres
Beam: 76.3 metres
Draft: 24.5 metres
Life support: Atmospheric revitalization subsystem, liquid coolant loop heating sub-system , atmosphere revitalization pressure control subsystem, active thermal control subsystem, food, water, and waste management subsystem
Crew: 350 (maximum passenger capacity 700)
Aircraft: 5x light transport shuttles
The VDS-07 is a new and highly specialised class of capital ship with an explicit purpose of engaging and destroying larger and potentially superior capital ships wherever necessary. A design brief for the craft was issued by the Vescopan Navy shortly after the Great Eotu Incident of 245 A.U. after officials became concerned that the highly advanced technology displayed by the visiting aliens seriously outclassed any defences Vescopa currently possessed, including the larger VDS-06 warship. Vescopa Heavy Engineering and Vescopa Military Supplies collaborated on a design which ultimately won the contract, and the Navy ordered five ships initially. All five of these have since been completed and have performed well, and the Navy has ordered an additional ten units.
The design brief called for a small, cost-minimal, lightly-armoured warship with a high top speed and high yield weapons. It needed to readily accept future technologies and have a minimum of 50% parts commonality with the VDS-06. As a concept, the Navy intented the VDS-07 to be a 'cap ship killer', capable of being produced in large numbers and having a high top speed to aid in deployment. During its development the VDS-07 earned the internal nickname of 'Little Demolisher' - although small and lightly armoured, it is particularly destructive.
Mounting four heavy coil guns, each developing a muzzle velocity of 175k/s with 1,470mm tungsten carbide projectiles, the VDS-07 is capable of dealing severe amounts of kinetic damage against static or large moving targets, far in excess of anything previously mounted on a mobile platform. Due to the specialised application of these heavy coil guns, the VDS-07 is also armed with five conventional 276mm rail-guided magnetic accelerator guns as seen on the VDS-06, as well as a small inventory of torpedoes and cells of vertical launch missiles. It is not heavily armoured, however, and although equipped with a variety of electronic countermeasures it is vulnerable to enemy fire. Additionally, it lacks a dedicated hangar deck, and so does not have the luxury of any fighter contingents for support. These disadvantages were part of the design, and not a flaw, but they do see the VDS-07 relegated to fleet support and planetary defence roles.
Equipped with two of the same advanced xenon ion engines in use on the VDS-06, supplemented by four short-duration chemical booster rockets, the VDS-07 has a maximum rated top speed of 615,000kph, the highest of any ship produced in Vescopa thus far. Not only this, but it also accelerates faster than any other capital vessel. As on the VDS-06, ten small chemical thrusters are installed on each side of the vessel, designed to provide maneuvering functions for the ship. The lower mass and size of the VDS-07 affords it much higher levels of maneuvrability.
Powered by a Grade 7 MOX nuclear fission reactor, the VDS-07 is capable of generating 1,460 MWe and is supplemented by emergency hydrogen fuel cell batteries. Thanks to improvements in power distribution efficiency and system power drain, the vessel has low energy requirements overall. Due to previous experiences, mostly from lessons learned from the destruction of the Ventrius, the reactor casing is constructed from higher tensile, more resistant superalloys, and the coolant system has been further reinforced over older designs. Emergency coolant supplies are no longer as centralised as on previous ships, precluding the chance of the entire coolant supply being lost in a single incident, and the emergency hydrogen fuel cell batteries are located in a different section of the ship than the main reactor core to prevent the possibility of thermal overload. In general, the VDS-07 is considered to be much safer than previous ships.
Many critics see the VDS-07 as a poor decision on the part of the Navy, motivated by sentiment rather than tactics. With the age of the VDS-06 beginning to show, and its significant technological inferiority clearly visible when compared to newly-discovered alien craft, many believe it was more prudent to develop an entirely new class of vessel as its replacement, rather than as an offensive support vessel. It has been argued that the Admiralty hold sentimental value over the popular VDS-06 design, and due to its 'prestige' status they are reluctant to commission a ship with greater overall combat capabilities. The Admiralty have refuted all such claims, and state that the VDS-07 represents "good value for money". Government officials have sided with the Navy, stating that the funds are simply not available to develop a replacement for the much larger VDS-06 at this time.
VF-950 'Predator' class air/space superiority fighter
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Primary Armaments: 2x dual-fire railguns
Secondary Armaments: 2x internal missile launchers, 6x external missile/fuel tank hardpoints
Torpedo Inventory: 4x VMT-StSLRM (internal), 2x 'Wingclipper' StSSRM (external), 4x 'Demolisher' Anti-CapShip (external)
Defence: 15mm tungsten-carbide hull with 100mm synthetic titanium disulfide nano-armour overlay, laser point defence (1x fore, 1x aft), emission reduction systems, ECM (flares, chaff, 2x decoy drones), low-power magnetic field generator (navigational space particle protection only)
Awareness: Laser Detection and Ranging (LADAR), Space Based Radar (SBR), Light and Matter Interferometer Array (LAMI)
Powerplant: Type 1 solid oxide fuel cell (250 MWe)
Propulsion: 2x H-fuel rocket boosters, 6x pressurised air manoeuvring jets (2x port, 2x starboard, 2x bow)
Length: 15.3 metres
Wingspan: 9.7 metres
Draft: 8.2 metres
Life support: Atmospheric revitalization subsystem, atmosphere revitalization pressure control subsystem, active thermal control subsystem
Pilot: 2
The VF-950, better known to its pilots as the 'Predator', is the principle space and atmospheric fighter craft of the Vescopan Military, fielded exclusively by the Vescopan Navy. It first entered production over ten years ago, and there are currently estimated to be 325 VF-950s in service - the loss of the Ventrius cost the Navy sixty-five of these craft, although recent funding increases have seen their numbers swell. VF-950s are typically deployed in space, by VDS-06 Warships, however a small quantity of them are based on Vescopa and its mining colonies.
The design brief for the VF-950 called for a fast multi-role fighter whose missions would include disrupting enemy fighter coverage, intercepting enemy torpedo volleys, enacting pin-point strikes against capital ship subsystems, defending convoys of capital ships, support ships and bomber vessels, and to patrol localised regions of space. Vescopan Aerospace Industries won the contract with their design of the 'Predator', which was said to be "supremely capable" by leading military officials of the time.
Given the flexibility that the design brief called for, the VF-950 is a highly generalised fighter. It is fitted with two rapid-fire 20mm railguns, each having magazines of 300 rounds, and it also has access to two internal missile launchers which are configured to launch VMT-StSLRM long-range air-to-air missiles. At the risk of increasing its radar profile, the VF-950 has six external missile hardpoints, which are typically armed with two 'Wingclipper' heat-seeking short-range air-to-air missiles and four 'Demolisher' anti-capital ship semi-torpedoes, giving it the ability to launch devastating strikes against heavily-armoured capital ships. These external hardpoints can all accept either 'Wingclippers' or 'Demolishers', as well as H-fuel tanks, affording the flight deck some loadout flexibility for specific missions. Two low-yield solid-state point defence lasers have been equipped on the bow and stern of the craft, allowing the on-board computer to shoot down incoming missiles effectively.
Utilising two variable-thrust H-fuel chemical booster rockets, the VF-950 can travel in space at speeds of up to 45,000 kilometres per hour, and can use its six manoeuvring jets to develop a high level of agility. Within atmospheres the VF-950 is restricted to transonic speeds of Mach 4.5 and below due to structural integrity reasons. Standard onboard fuel allows for roughly one and a half hours of flight at its maximum rated speed, with each externally-mounted fuel tank affording the craft an extra half hour fly time. Sufficient oxygen exists aboard for six hours. The on-board power plant, a high-capacity solid oxide fuel cell, generating 250 MWe at maximum stress levels and rated for twelve hours of constant usage, is used to power the ships electrical systems such as the electronic countermeasures, life support and communication systems, the main computer, and other systems such as the solid-state point defence lasers.
All pilots are dressed in G-force resistant, airtight space suits, capable of sustaining them for two hours in deep space should an ejection be necessary. These suits, combined with G-force resisting systems in the fighter itself, allow the pilots to resist significantly higher G-forces than the Vescopan body ordinarily tolerates.
Vescopan Army
The Vescopan Army primarily utilises infantry, ground armour and artillery to provide ground defences against any threats which occur on the ground. At present the Army receives minimal funding, and maintains a standing force of 32,000 combat personnel. Given the peaceful nature of Vescopa, the Army mostly assists the Police Authority with more hazardous undertakings, and offers help during natural disasters. Army training lasts for thirty-six days, and although it covers weapons operation, tactics and survival techniques, it also encompasses disaster relief and SWAT-like civilian operation tactics, to reflect the army's most common duties.
VA soldiers have access to numerous small arms and similar body armour to the Vescopan Marines. Although small in numbers they also possess forms of ground armour, artillery and atmospheric gunships. Most recently, research and development has been completed on a series of Power Armour Units, which are bulky, heavily armoured suits that use pneumatics and motors to significant augment the strength of the wearer. These suits allow for sufficiently trained soldiers to essentially become tanks on the battlefield, capable of carrying weapons and equipment that would otherwise be too heavy and resisting virtually all forms of small arms fire.
Events during the Eotu Incident have seen an increase in funding to the Army as well as the Navy, which funded not only additional equipment but a rapidly increased recruitment rate, jumping from 6,000 to 32,000 in a matter of years.
Vescopan Army Rank Structure
The Army employs the following rank structure, from high to low.
Officer:
Prime General
General
Prime Commander
Lieutenant Guardian
Guardian
Protector
Lieutenant
Enlisted:
Sergeant Class 1
Sergeant Class 2
Sub-Officer Class 1
Sub-Officer Class 2
Corporal
Lance Corporal
Brigadier
Private
Cadet
Recruit
VMS VMR-10
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Type: Assault Rifle
Weight: 4.4kg loaded
Length: 851mm
Barrel length: 697mm
Cartridge: 6.1x52mm
Action: Gas operated rotating bolt
Rate of fire: 750 rpm
Muzzle velocity: 1,150m/s
Effective range: 750 metres
Magazine capacity: 35 rounds
The VMR-10 was designed over two decades ago by Vescopa Military Supplies, and 4,500 units were purchased by the Vescopan Army, with a futher 300 units being purchased by the Vescopan Navy and 400 by the Naval Marines. It is the standard infantry assault rifle. An additional 30,000 units have since been purchased by the Army, another 5,000 by the Navy and a further 1,500 by the Marines.
It is a gas-operated, rotating bolt, selective fire weapon in bullpup layout, with an integrated flashlight beneath the barrel and a 1x - 4x variable zoom tactical scope complete with heads-up display. Cases are ejected downwards, behind the magazine, to avoid injury to the operator. The stock and much of the external casing are made from advanced polymers, with the internal components primarily made from titanium, making it quite light for its size. The weapon is ambidextrous and ergonomic, quite easy to dismantle and clean, and is generally free of jamming. A long, five-grooved rifled barrel ensures accuracy over long range, and it can fire both full metal jacket and jacketed hollow point ammunition, and even rifled grenades.
VMS VMR-10C
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Type: Carbine
Weight: 3.5kg loaded
Length: 822mm with extended stock, 655mm with closed stock
Barrel length: 530mm
Cartridge: 6.1x52mm
Action: Gas operated rotating bolt
Rate of fire: 750 rpm
Muzzle velocity: 950m/s
Effective range: 575 metres
Magazine capacity: 35 rounds
The VMR-10C is a carbine variant of the VMR-10 assault rifle. It is technologically identical to the VMR-10, but it has a shorter barrel and retracting stock for better close quarters combat abilities, and although it sacrifices accuracy, power and range it has much the same specifications otherwise - including a flashlight, albeit shorter and lower-powered. Additionally, due to the case ejection mechanism of the VMR-10 being built into the stock, spent cases are now ejected from a compartment on the left side on the VMR-10C, a change which has seen much complaint by its users. Naval Marines make moderate use of the VMR-10C aboard ships, and the Vescopan Police also maintain an armoury stock of them. An estimated 500 of them are in active service across the two organisations, with 200 of those being owned by the Naval Marines. An additional 400 were purchased by the Vescopan Army for issue to ground vehicle teams. Several thousand additional units have since been purchased by all departments of the armed forces due to an increased funding level and restructuring program.
Vescopan Naval Marines
The Naval Marines are the infantry forces of naval vessels, specifically trained in planetary landing, ship boarding and ship defence operations and trained to a generally higher degree than the standard army. Using the VMR-10 and VMR-10C as their standard rifles, the Naval Marines are generally deployed aboard capital ships, acting as ship security and offensive forces, and although they answer directly to the commander of the ship they are not part of the Navy and share the same rank structure as the Vescopan Army.
Training for marines consists of basic training for seventy days, during which they are taught basic survival and weapons tactics, and their general level of fitness is increased. Their final basic training scenario requires the successful completion of two separate simulated missions. The first requires recruits to navigate briefly through a forest and either infiltrate or assault a base located in the midst of a field, though the former earns higher points. The second mission involves actually engaging the enemy within this base, to achieve one of several possible objectives - bomb diffusal, hostage rescue or simply securing the facility. As a whole the scenario teaches recruits how to operate in both wooded and open areas, and basic close quarters combat tactics.
Upon successful completion, this is followed by jungle training, which sees recruits deposited into the equatorial jungles for four weeks in standard six-man units, supported only by an advisor who may be reached via radio. Recruits are taught to survive off the land, withstand extreme physical and psychological stress, and are pitted against numerous scenarios such as infiltration missions and evading capture.
After a week of further basic training, recruits are then inserted into one of the two deserts for two weeks in similar situations and taught to survive in sparse and harsh environments with limited rations and no support (except for emergencies - i.e. severe illness or injury, in which case it is permitted to radio for support). It is considered to be the worst and most severe aspect of the entire training course, as Vescopan deserts are particularly hot. The final test for this portion of the training requires recruits to engage in desert warfare against an entrenched enemy and capture a small oasis.
The zero-G and space combat scenarios are 'love-hate courses', in that some recruits enjoy them immensely whilst others have difficulty with them. Recruits are placed aboard an inoperative training vessel in orbit of Vescopa for two weeks, which has no gravity systems and many areas of the ship are open to vacuum. They are taught how to move effectively in a gravity-free environment for long periods of time, how to use and maintain EVA suits, how to navigate through a damaged or compromised vessel safely, and are put through several scenarios such as ship defence, ship evacuation, and ship boarding missions. Recruits often have to spend numerous hours outside the ship to adjust to being in space. The final test for this mission requires recruits to either secure the ship against a hostile boarding operation, or to leave the ship in EVA suits and then engage in a boarding procedure of their own. In this particular instance, it is optional for recruits to attempt both missions, which most recruits tend to do.
Final training course involves spending a week on the surface of Vescopa's moon, which is free from atmosphere and has limited gravity. The general purpose of this training is to prepare marines for the potential of operating within an alien environment for the long term successfully, although this training was originally intended for the possibility of another Great Global War which may spread to the two small colonies on technically uninhabitable planets elsewhere in the system, not 'alien worlds'. Marines are given time to get comfortable with the food and water rationing system built into their EVA suits, and they are further taught how to maintain and refresh these EVA suit over long periods. The final test for this portion of the training requires recruits to infiltrate a small contained environment and secure it until they are extracted.
Officer training lasts for two years on top of this standard training, and numerous optional specialisation courses are available upon completion of the required courses, allowing marines to specialise in sniping, demolition and other disciplines.
Reserved for emergency use (just figured out that I didn't have enough space!)
OOC: Updates, plus fighter details added.