Generation Ship: Difference between revisions
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==Timeline== | ==Timeline== | ||
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01 NOV 3307 | |||
*The [[The Scriveners Clan Dredger|Scriveners Clan's]] legal ownership of their [[dredger]] has been supported by the civil rights organisation [[Advocacy]]. The ancient Dredger-class [[Bulk Cruiser|bulk cruiser]], currently located in the Oochost PC-C c29-0 system, is inhabited by a [[Dredger Clans|nomadic tribe]] descended from the vessel's original crew. [[Orion University]] claims that the cruiser is its commercial property, but has failed to make contact with its occupants. [[Rhiannon Grady]], director of Advocacy, explained: "For centuries, there has been widespread legislation to protect remote communities from cultural contamination. These laws apply to micro-societies, such as those found aboard generation ships, that evolved in isolation. Therefore, Orion University should not presume to deprive over ten thousand people of the only home they have ever known. Unlike cases such as [[the Golconda]], which requested emergency assistance, in this case we are legally and morally obliged to respect the status quo." Professor [[Elizabeth Perez]], head of anthropology at Orion University, responded: "I was involved with the Golconda aid efforts, and fully appreciate the delicacy of this situation. But the dredger's age and condition makes it a hazardous environment for its people. Evacuation should be considered for their own safety, with appropriate measures to minimise cultural disruption." The university's [[megaship]], Scientia Aeterna, has halted attempts to gain access to the Scriveners Clan dredger. However, it has not withdrawn its remote override of the vessel's [[hyperdrive]].<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/617fe5bf77a37f0b6b6f5b61 GalNet: Advocacy Defends Dredger Clan]</ref> | |||
02 APR 3307 | 02 APR 3307 | ||
*[[Erik Gunnarson]] and [[Francesca Wolfe]] investigate the abandoned relics of spacefaring communities from the early years of colonisation.<br/>Wolfe: "Generation ships are essentially mobile cities designed to carry expanding populations, and are always an impressive sight. But there's one I keep returning to – the Thetis, orbiting Nefertem 6 a. Listening to its logs always chills my blood. They describe how a whispered phrase from an uninhabited planet somehow caused over 17,000 people to slaughter each other. Nobody knows if it was mass hysteria, psychological stress from decades in space, or… something else. So many visits to the Thetis, and I still can't work up the nerve to play its final log entry. I've been warned that I won't be the same afterwards."<br/>Gunnarson: "Before [[hyperdrive]]s, generation ships were a viable way to colonise distant star systems. Millions of people lived out their whole lives within self-contained societies, so their descendants might walk upon new worlds. The tragedy is that many of these pioneering [[megaship]]s vanished entirely, never reaching their destinations. But some were rediscovered, usually because of [[listening post]]s intercepting their ancient broadcasts. There are various reasons why these expeditions failed. The Lazarus, now orbiting Virudnir 6, suffered mechanical breakdowns whereas the Pleione, in the Hez Ur system, had a population that only produced male babies. Most disturbing are those where the crew descended into barbarism, like the Artemis at Mu Cassiopeia C 1 and the Demeter in the Mizuchi system. Along with Wolfe's favourite – if that's the right word – these stand as horrific monuments to our darker natures. Lost generation ships rarely carry survivors, but that was the case with [[the Golconda]], whose people now occupy an outpost on [[Upaniklis]] B 3. So perhaps more living relics are still adrift in the void, waiting to complete centuries-long missions."<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/6065e49f844a26672406007c GalNet: Galactic Mysteries: Generation Ships]</ref> | *[[Erik Gunnarson]] and [[Francesca Wolfe]] investigate the abandoned relics of spacefaring communities from the early years of colonisation.<br/>Wolfe: "Generation ships are essentially mobile cities designed to carry expanding populations, and are always an impressive sight. But there's one I keep returning to – the Thetis, orbiting Nefertem 6 a. Listening to its logs always chills my blood. They describe how a whispered phrase from an uninhabited planet somehow caused over 17,000 people to slaughter each other. Nobody knows if it was mass hysteria, psychological stress from decades in space, or… something else. So many visits to the Thetis, and I still can't work up the nerve to play its final log entry. I've been warned that I won't be the same afterwards."<br/>Gunnarson: "Before [[hyperdrive]]s, generation ships were a viable way to colonise distant star systems. Millions of people lived out their whole lives within self-contained societies, so their descendants might walk upon new worlds. The tragedy is that many of these pioneering [[megaship]]s vanished entirely, never reaching their destinations. But some were rediscovered, usually because of [[listening post]]s intercepting their ancient broadcasts. There are various reasons why these expeditions failed. The Lazarus, now orbiting Virudnir 6, suffered mechanical breakdowns whereas the Pleione, in the Hez Ur system, had a population that only produced male babies. Most disturbing are those where the crew descended into barbarism, like the Artemis at Mu Cassiopeia C 1 and the Demeter in the Mizuchi system. Along with Wolfe's favourite – if that's the right word – these stand as horrific monuments to our darker natures. Lost generation ships rarely carry survivors, but that was the case with [[the Golconda]], whose people now occupy an outpost on [[Upaniklis]] B 3. So perhaps more living relics are still adrift in the void, waiting to complete centuries-long missions."<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/6065e49f844a26672406007c GalNet: Galactic Mysteries: Generation Ships]</ref> | ||
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*A generation ship with a living population has been [[The Golconda|discovered]] in the [[Upaniklis]] system. The ship's distress signal was initially picked up by a [[listening post]]. Investigating pilots were surprised to find that the ancient vessel - identified as the Golconda - had drifted into the uninhabited region around Upaniklis B. Generation ships are huge, self-sufficient craft from the pre-[[hyperdrive]] era, designed to deliver their original crews' descendants to uninhabited systems. Launched in the 22nd century, the Golconda has survived for more than a millennium as the home of a self-reliant society. But it is believed the vessel's outdated facilities are struggling to meet the needs of its crew. The inhabitants have reported a lack of maintenance materials and medical supplies, the latter made more pertinent by a virus sweeping through the ship. Itsuko Harada of Upaniklis Vision Incorporated gave the following statement: "These visitors have crossed incredible distances, entirely disconnected from the rest of humanity until now. Sheer desperation has forced these proud people to call for help – a disease referred to as 'the wasting kiss' is running rampant, and in a closed environment its effects may prove catastrophic. Understandably, the Golconda's people are reluctant to leave their home or interact with the rest of the galaxy, at least at present. They have gratefully accepted our offer of medical supplies and other materials, however." Traders are asked to deliver basic medicines, advanced medicines, aluminium, ceramic composites and semiconductors to Fozard Port in the Upaniklis system. Upaniklis Vision Incorporated is also offering bounty vouchers on wanted ships to deter pirate activity in the area. The initiative is scheduled to run from the 8th to the 14th of November 3305. If the final targets are met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5dc583285c6f2e59a851f5d0 GalNet: Inhabited Generation Ship Discovered]</ref> | *A generation ship with a living population has been [[The Golconda|discovered]] in the [[Upaniklis]] system. The ship's distress signal was initially picked up by a [[listening post]]. Investigating pilots were surprised to find that the ancient vessel - identified as the Golconda - had drifted into the uninhabited region around Upaniklis B. Generation ships are huge, self-sufficient craft from the pre-[[hyperdrive]] era, designed to deliver their original crews' descendants to uninhabited systems. Launched in the 22nd century, the Golconda has survived for more than a millennium as the home of a self-reliant society. But it is believed the vessel's outdated facilities are struggling to meet the needs of its crew. The inhabitants have reported a lack of maintenance materials and medical supplies, the latter made more pertinent by a virus sweeping through the ship. Itsuko Harada of Upaniklis Vision Incorporated gave the following statement: "These visitors have crossed incredible distances, entirely disconnected from the rest of humanity until now. Sheer desperation has forced these proud people to call for help – a disease referred to as 'the wasting kiss' is running rampant, and in a closed environment its effects may prove catastrophic. Understandably, the Golconda's people are reluctant to leave their home or interact with the rest of the galaxy, at least at present. They have gratefully accepted our offer of medical supplies and other materials, however." Traders are asked to deliver basic medicines, advanced medicines, aluminium, ceramic composites and semiconductors to Fozard Port in the Upaniklis system. Upaniklis Vision Incorporated is also offering bounty vouchers on wanted ships to deter pirate activity in the area. The initiative is scheduled to run from the 8th to the 14th of November 3305. If the final targets are met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5dc583285c6f2e59a851f5d0 GalNet: Inhabited Generation Ship Discovered]</ref> | ||
29 APR 3303 | 29 APR 3303 | ||
*Before the development of faster-than-light travel, colonising distant star systems depended on vast interstellar arks known as generation ships. There are believed to be more than 70,000 of these ships in the galaxy, the location of many of which is not known. But now one of these "lost" ships has been found. A transmission recovered from a listening post in the LHS 1047 system led a pair of independent pilots to the Alaunus system, where the generation ship "Lycaon" was discovered. Tragically, it appears that the ship's crew was killed by an unidentified pathogen, no doubt many centuries ago. This was confirmed by remotely accessing the ship's medical logs. System authorities have urged pilots not to interfere with the vessel, which is still protected by the legislature instated at the time of its launch.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5903489c34cf5157f83c8f0f Galactic News: Generation Ship Found]</ref> | *Before the development of faster-than-light travel, colonising distant star systems depended on vast interstellar arks known as generation ships. There are believed to be more than 70,000 of these ships in the galaxy, the location of many of which is not known. But now one of these "lost" ships has been found. A transmission recovered from a listening post in the LHS 1047 system led a pair of independent pilots to the Alaunus system, where the generation ship "Lycaon" was discovered. Tragically, it appears that the ship's crew was killed by an unidentified pathogen, no doubt many centuries ago. This was confirmed by remotely accessing the ship's medical logs. System authorities have urged pilots not to interfere with the vessel, which is still protected by the legislature instated at the time of its launch.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5903489c34cf5157f83c8f0f GalNet: Galactic News: Generation Ship Found]</ref> | ||
19 AUG 3302 | 19 AUG 3302 | ||
*Continuing our popular series on significant episodes from human history, noted historian [[Sima Kalhana]] discusses generation ships. "Before the development of [[Hyperdrive|faster-than-light travel]], colonizing distant star systems was a profoundly difficult proposition. For the people of the 21st Century, the answer was the generation ship. These vast interstellar arks, equipped with everything needed to sustain human life, were crewed by multiple successive generations – pioneers who were born, lived and died aboard a starship. The first generation ship was launched in 2097, and in the centuries that followed, many more set off into the vastness of space. Most of these ambitious expeditions were funded by large corporations, and the penalties for interfering with them were severe, given the enormous cost of mobilizing them. At the time of writing, there are believed to be somewhere in the region of 70,000 generation ships coursing through the galaxy. The approximate location of most of these ships has been calculated, but not all are accounted for. Many of the corporations that funded the original generation ships have now been dissolved or assimilated by other organizations, so it is difficult to determine exactly who is responsible for some of these vessels. It has been theorized that some of the original generation ships may soon reach their destinations, but since not all of those destinations are known, it is entirely possible that they could have been colonized while the generation ships were in transit. We can only hope the powers-that-be have a contingency strategy for such a scenario."<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/57b6f0089657ba686d4f8629 Galactic News: Generation Ships]</ref> | *Continuing our popular series on significant episodes from human history, noted historian [[Sima Kalhana]] discusses generation ships. "Before the development of [[Hyperdrive|faster-than-light travel]], colonizing distant star systems was a profoundly difficult proposition. For the people of the 21st Century, the answer was the generation ship. These vast interstellar arks, equipped with everything needed to sustain human life, were crewed by multiple successive generations – pioneers who were born, lived and died aboard a starship. The first generation ship was launched in 2097, and in the centuries that followed, many more set off into the vastness of space. Most of these ambitious expeditions were funded by large corporations, and the penalties for interfering with them were severe, given the enormous cost of mobilizing them. At the time of writing, there are believed to be somewhere in the region of 70,000 generation ships coursing through the galaxy. The approximate location of most of these ships has been calculated, but not all are accounted for. Many of the corporations that funded the original generation ships have now been dissolved or assimilated by other organizations, so it is difficult to determine exactly who is responsible for some of these vessels. It has been theorized that some of the original generation ships may soon reach their destinations, but since not all of those destinations are known, it is entirely possible that they could have been colonized while the generation ships were in transit. We can only hope the powers-that-be have a contingency strategy for such a scenario."<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/57b6f0089657ba686d4f8629 GalNet: Galactic News: Generation Ships]</ref> | ||
05 JUL 3301 | 05 JUL 3301 | ||
*In this new series exclusive to [[GalNet]], famed historian [[Sima Kalhana]] visits the defining moments of human history since our first brave steps into space and to the star-spanning species we have since become. In this first article, she talks about the founding of the [[Federation]]. With a history spanning millennia, it is the oldest of the major factions.<br/>"In this modern age it's hard for us to imagine that before the Federation, humanity existed on just a [[Earth|single world]], bar a few small colonies on [[Mars]] and the [[Moon]]. Even stranger to our current experience was the fact that so many disparate tribal groupings, or 'countries' existed on one world. The Federation arose from the ashes of the [[United States of the Americas|Third World War]] in the mid 21st century. The war caused tremendous devastation across the planet, decimating the population. Many different factors changed humanity's outlook after that. The rise of the [[corporations]], the discovery of the first fossils on Mars, and the explosive exploration triggered by the invention of the [[hyperdrive]] by [[Li Qin Jao]] and others in the 22nd century, first by unmanned probes, then with manned craft, overtaking the generation ships sent in the previous decades. Despite the huge dangers involved, a massive land-grab followed, fuelled by the voracious corporations. It wasn't until some of the ecological excesses of these early colonists became apparent over a century later that Earth took its first steps, founding the Federation and becoming the colossal entity it is now, creating some order in what had become an unruly free-for-all. In 2242 the Federation Accord was created outlining certain rights and responsibilities for members, uniting many of the new colonies, by force in some cases. After a short conflict the Taylor Colony in [[Tau Ceti]] became the first signatory outside the [[Sol]] system. The name of the Federation was also changed at this time to the 'Federation of Star Systems', but the name didn't stick and quickly returned to just the Federation. From that point the Federation provided a stable framework to facilitate the further expansion of humanity to ever more distant star systems but not all colonies wanted a part of this. A [[Empire|distant early colony]], formed by a band of political idealists as far from Earth as they could manage, in the system of [[Achenar]] would eventually spark another defining moment for the Federation and indeed humanity as a whole."<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5597abc79657bab1445913c2 GalNet: The Founding of the Federation]</ref> | *In this new series exclusive to [[GalNet]], famed historian [[Sima Kalhana]] visits the defining moments of human history since our first brave steps into space and to the star-spanning species we have since become. In this first article, she talks about the founding of the [[Federation]]. With a history spanning millennia, it is the oldest of the major factions.<br/>"In this modern age it's hard for us to imagine that before the Federation, humanity existed on just a [[Earth|single world]], bar a few small colonies on [[Mars]] and the [[Moon]]. Even stranger to our current experience was the fact that so many disparate tribal groupings, or 'countries' existed on one world. The Federation arose from the ashes of the [[United States of the Americas|Third World War]] in the mid 21st century. The war caused tremendous devastation across the planet, decimating the population. Many different factors changed humanity's outlook after that. The rise of the [[corporations]], the discovery of the first fossils on Mars, and the explosive exploration triggered by the invention of the [[hyperdrive]] by [[Li Qin Jao]] and others in the 22nd century, first by unmanned probes, then with manned craft, overtaking the generation ships sent in the previous decades. Despite the huge dangers involved, a massive land-grab followed, fuelled by the voracious corporations. It wasn't until some of the ecological excesses of these early colonists became apparent over a century later that Earth took its first steps, founding the Federation and becoming the colossal entity it is now, creating some order in what had become an unruly free-for-all. In 2242 the Federation Accord was created outlining certain rights and responsibilities for members, uniting many of the new colonies, by force in some cases. After a short conflict the Taylor Colony in [[Tau Ceti]] became the first signatory outside the [[Sol]] system. The name of the Federation was also changed at this time to the 'Federation of Star Systems', but the name didn't stick and quickly returned to just the Federation. From that point the Federation provided a stable framework to facilitate the further expansion of humanity to ever more distant star systems but not all colonies wanted a part of this. A [[Empire|distant early colony]], formed by a band of political idealists as far from Earth as they could manage, in the system of [[Achenar]] would eventually spark another defining moment for the Federation and indeed humanity as a whole."<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5597abc79657bab1445913c2 GalNet: The Founding of the Federation]</ref> | ||