Space Colony [Semi-Open]
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Unofficial Communiqué
The Ministry has today announced the initiation of the nation's first civilian space colony. While the Dominion's space program began nearly three quarters of a century ago, it has since been limited in various ways. Satellites adorn the night sky, but the only space stations that exist [four] belong to the government and military. All scientific research and military research has been conducted by Ministry approved members who work under the watchful eye of the government. Perhaps for these reasons the ideas for other uses of space by the civilian populace have remained only ideas and exist only in imagination.
Of course the government has always said that they research everything, including alternate uses of space, but little funding towards this aim has left it behind. However, this will no longer be true.
In a trade between the Executive Motors company and the government of Tanaara, the automobile manufacturer shipped two hundred fifty of its new XE-I vehicles internationally. However, for various reasons, the trade was facilitated by the Ministry, meaning that the Ministry agreed to pay for the vehicles and, in theory, deliver them to the nation of Tanaara free of charge. Speculation reasons that it was for tax purposes as well as limited international sales. Whatever the reason, the nation of Tanaara agreed in return to give ownership and use of one of its space habitats that was not in use to the Dominion.
Though the Dominion had not actively sought or discussed the issue before, with such a small fee for an already functioning and developed space habitat, the Ministry agreed quickly. Some refurbishing and refinishing will be needed, plus perhaps some upgrades and maintenance, but for the most part it is a fully operating space habitat. Details about exactly its design and abilities are still to come out of Tanaara, but estimates put the number in the millions and descriptions say that the habitat is big enough to have land, bodies of water, and whatever else.
Reports indicate that it will remain under government control, but it will be fully stocked with a civilian populace, including many scientists and researchers interested in the vastness of space. The only expressed purpose of the habitat is to be the Dominion's first space colony. No name for it has yet been revealed, and some indicate that it will be selected by popular vote of all citizens from a variety of choices.
Authorities have sent an application to the nation of Axis Nova, who has recently finished their space ladder, for the initial deployment of supplies and civilian population to the station, though no word has been received in response.
[OOC: Stemming from a deal as mentioned ICly, Tanaara has given me a O'Neill cylinder space habitat. I am not really sure what direction this is heading besides me creating a civilian space colony, so I have left it Semi-Open; if you have anything to add, feel free to TG me what you have in mind and I will respond in kind. But do not post here unless invited (as of now just Axis Nova and Tanaara) or if I respond to your TG and accept you.]
"Whee!" Mercy cried happily as she did a cartwheel in the zero g hub of the cylinder. She then did it again for the sheer joyous novelty of it. It wasn't often that Her Majesty, Mercedez Merideath Hexx got to play like a kid. "That does it, time in space is mandatory for every one.!"
Crown Prince Elect Robert Ryan Fortier Hexx just grinned and shook his head. "Mom, you puked your guts up for five hours before you got used to it. No multiply that times.."
"Oh just spoil my fun!" She cut him off, not really wanting to be reminded of how long it took her to adapt.
"It's not like you haven't been up before." Her broad shouldered, incredibly handsome son protested, still smiling.
"But that was always at the 'Tater, with artificial gravity and every safety precaution Sinjin and the others could dream up."
"Well if we don't hurry we won't have any time to fly." He warned her. Like the vast majority of national rulers her time, and his was tightly scheduled.
Mercy and Rob maanged to get in nearly an hours worth of human powered flight, but it left Mercy complaining of sore arms - but the huge smile on her face let every one know she considered it well worth the exertion. "What man has dreamed ever since he could look up and envy the birds. So what now?"
"Media in an hour forty five, and sure to get a massage, mom, or they'll think you're getting old" He ducked her mock swing at him
Mercy and Rob sat comfortably with eager journalists forming a semi circle about them with holo cams behind.
"You all did get us flying?" Mercy asked and got a rush of pleased assents. "Good!" Her brilliant smile went even wider as she began to tell them about the decission to gift the Dominion with not one pair but two, and how Tanaaran habitats differed from the original. "The O'Neill Cylinder, designed by Princeton physicist Gerard K. O'Neill, is considerably larger than most space haibtats, and our design is larger still. The Tanaaran configuration consists of a pair of cylinders, each forty miles long and eight miles in diameter. Each cylinder has three land areas alternating with three windows, and three mirrors that open and close to form a day-night cycle inside. With effecient housing plans several million people will be able to live in comfort within the four cylinders."
"Our cylinders differ not only in size but in an important difference in construction as well. The window areas concave inwards so that pressure puts them under compressive load. It is a significant safety factor." Rob Ryan added as he opened the floor for questions. They spent neawrly an hour ansering questions which ranged from the practical aspects "How does the military feel about just giving away two habitats?" "They suggested it." -to the just plain silly "Won't the spacemen get offended if they look in the windows and see named people? Shouldn't there be curtains?" *blink* I don't think we have to worry about that. Mister Jennings, I believe you were next?"
Finally the journalists were escorted out and Mercy sat back with a sigh. "Done, and now for dinner...You know we really ought to invite the Dominions Supreme Ruler and his family up to get a look at it before it gets all polulated. The snow roses are blooming wonderfully!'
"I'll email down a mesage to their Secretary of State, that's who've we've had contact with through all of this." Rob stood, stretched and headed over to a near by communications console.
Dear Count Vincent Alexander X,
I would like to offer an impromptu invitation to your Supreme Ruiler and his family. The first pair of cylinders are ready for habitation. The warter flows swiftly, the flowers are blooming sweetly and there is no one here to enjoy it besides the small maintence stadd and my mother and I. We went ahead and activated the first pair of cylinders so your technicians would have some place to live while they learned the ins and outs of the habitats and actived the second set.
Sincerely,
HRH Robert Ryan Fortier- Hexx
He didn't mention the staff and security that travelled every where with them. Sadly for any ruler, royal or elected, such was a fact of life now a days. But he also knew that if the Dominion investigated in the least, they would learn that the Queens was very, very, good.
http://www.atddm.com/mmx1a.gifHM, Queen Mercedez Merideath Hexx http://www.atddm.com/prr2a.jpgHRHE Crown Prince Robert Ryan Fortier-Hexx http://www.atddm.com/dmz1.gif (http://www.atddm.com/gift1.html) Click picture for more views of the colony
Secretary of State Count Vincent Alexander (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/DMG2005/CountVincentAlexanderX.jpg), the tenth in his lineage to share the name, sat in the privacy of his Ministry office that overlooked the great stone courtyard in the back. However, the relaxing setting and appearance hid the secrets of the volatile and hectic world outside.
Just outside his office waited a bevy of reporters and journalists wanting to get his update and decisions on the current matter at hand. The space program. A floor below the employ of the State Department was caught in a frenzy as people rushed about attempting to complete their tasks and connect with various other departments and agencies. Massive plans for the country were under development and the government was leading the charge. Who knew a simple car could change so much so quickly...
However, inside, the Count was typing calmly a personal response to the recent communication...
Dear HRH Robert Ryan Fortier- Hexx,
Your invitation is greatly appreciated by the Supreme Ruler and the state. However, he is quite the elusive character, choosing to remain in his grand palace rather than venturing out. Thus he leaves the running of his country to his loyal Cabinet Members. However, if your invitation is extended to the three of us, I am sure at least one of us would take you up on the offer. The High Councilor probably not, but I am quite the adventuresome bloke, and the Supreme Allied Commander Malcolm Granger III (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/DMG2005/MalcolmGrangerIII.jpg) is a former Navy fighter pilot with space experience, so I am sure he would be up to it.
Anyhow, I am delighted to here of the progress of our habitats, not to mention the recent news that you have been gracious enough to hand off twice as many to us. We have put together a team of some twenty-five members for this initial mission to the habitats. It consists of four scientists, four civil engineers, four ministry officials (one of which is a corporate representative), eight technicians, and five members of the military who will create the new security force up there. I know you probably have the facilities to easily transfer them up there, but we would like to send them via our own shuttle. You see, with our new space project underway, we are decommissioning the shuttle launch station that began our program so many years ago, so it is a bit of a sentimental last journey.
As for mass transportation once the habitats are fully ready for population, we will have to take you up your offer. It seems the nation of Axis Nova has reasonably declined our request to use their new ladder. When the time comes, we will need the initial transportation of many millions of people and tons of equipment and material to the stations. We hope your can accommodate this as we construct our new land-space base.
Sincerely,
Count Vincent Alexander X
On the floors below where thousands of employees worked, plans for the space habitats were being developed. It wouldn't be long before the population reached five billion, a number that many believed to be critical mass for the tiny island-nation. Now proposals were crossing the desk of the Secretary of State that involved creating numerous space colonies to facilitate the growth of population and keep the mainland's at no more than five billion. Obviously, such an idea would be part of a much larger plan that would take both much time and money to develop. But that is what the new reality was since that trade with the government of Tanaara took place.
"Mom, it seems that the Dominion's Supreme Ruler, won't be coming but their Secretary of State, Count Vincent Alexander, and the Supreme Allied Commander, Malcolm Granger the third, would be willing to come up.."
"Ah, I ws so looking forward to meeting their national 'man of mystery' but Count Alexander and Commander Granger are perfectly welcome. Let them know that they are most welcome to come up and their families too."
She was still as lighthearted as she had been earlier and that lightened Rob's heart. His mother had too many sorrows in her life and he had been extremely worried for her after the loss of the third man she'd ever really let herself love. Some times Rob understood exactly how his stepgbrother Ryan felt about their father.
"I'll let them know and find out when they will arrive. A dinner to meet all of the team they are bringing up?"
"You arrange it all Rob, I'm going to go relax and read a book."
Good and actually I'll practise your greatest skill, that of suscessful delegation. I'll contact the Secretary of State back and leave the dinner organization to Mister Soto."
"Thats why I pay him the big bucks, he is marvelous at arranging things" Mercy chuckled and headed off to the habitat directors suite, hers for the time being since there was currently no habitat director aboard.
Rob retured the Secretary of States e-mail, ammending the invitation and querrying as to when when they would be arriving.
After receiving word back from the Crown Prince, all of the arrangements were taken care of by the attentive care of Viscountian bureaucracy. The security, the team's preparation, the shuttle launch, the schedule, everything. However, one final decision had just been made via the direct-line from the Secretary's office to the General's...
With the new space program in a booming time period - spurred on in large part by the acts of Tanaara - the nation's chief civil servant had to be in constant earshot of his office door. Things were moving so quickly, so rapidly that the most precious care was required or else it could all fall apart. So many different programs, expenses, budgetary decisions, and national policies were being created and modified everyday that Count Vincent Alexander X had nearly worn his rubber stamp raw.
The Count's visit having been ruled out, the Supreme Allied Commander, Malcolm Granger III, was only too happy to take over the reigns of what would become the first mission of a new era in space expansion for the Dominion. With his previous experience as a navy fighter pilot and space commander and having kept in good shape despite his outward appearance, the delay between the scheduling and the launch was only two weeks. A few minor cursory exercises were required, but with exception of the General's disapproving manner they went flawlessly.
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For two weeks, as the nation built up to the final launch from where it all began on the northeast edge of the island, the television stations played constant documentary footage about the space program's humble beginnings in 1965. In only seven years they reached the moon, but the program slowed as interest waned over the years. Finally, fifty years later, it would all come to a head. One age of space exploration would end, and a new age of space expansion would begin.
The twenty-six man crew of Flight Daedelus XVI, including the General, walked the proverbial gang plank and loaded up into the Generation I shuttle for its final trip to space...
Space command and the flight crew exchanged final pre-launch words as thousands stood by and watched the event.
"All systems are clear..."
"Snow on the forecast, Jim?" The massive ceiling had just parted like the Red Sea, revealing an odd combination off a starry black night and falling snow.
"Just a light dusting says the channel six forecaster," ground control attendant Jim joked. A light snow was drifting harmlessly to earth as it always seemed to do on the island. It wasn't long ago that such a take-off would be impossible, but event the nigh-dormant space program had made incredible advances in recent years.
PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE LAUNCHING ZONE, a voice from the loudspeakers echoed.
"General," Jim commented to the unlikely pilot, "You are go for launch."
TEN... NINE... EIGHT... SEVEN... SIX... FIVE... FOUR... THR- The loudspeaker was drowned out by the 200-decibel roar of the shuttle's engines. Three seconds later the flames erupting from the tail pushed the shuttle from its home in the rock-island into the endless skies above...
[ooc: Sorry for taking so long (eek). If you're still up to it, I thought I'd make a post. If you want to continue, you can post from any point like the shuttle docking with station. Up to you whether or not you want to. Cheers.]