The Federal Solar Alliance, the official governing body of all mankind, is in danger of stagnation and fracture. Great corporations own nearly a third of the Alliance's territory, some driving entire worlds to ruin through their greed. The government does not have the starships available to act as a galactic police force, and has no practical way of stopping these actions without causing further damage to itself. Further complicating matters, many of these corporations have their own private armies and fleets, giving any aggressive act on the part of the FSA a chance to cost greatly in terms of both resources and lives. Thus, as long as taxes are paid, the military and law enforcement are forced to turn a blind eye. The simple fact is that the government does not have the money to fund a vast police force, so individual planetary governments and the entities owning them are often given free reign.
Both leading to and because of this, free trade and unchecked capitalism flourishes, often turning into full-fledged war between various factions. Sometimes these conflicts are five-or six way free-for-alls over a particular world or solar system, and others are quietly taken care of behind closed doors. In turn, a huge variety of consumer goods are available, most of which are completely unregulated by necessity. Further complicating this bureaucratic nightmare is the fact that there are not one, but two methods of faster-than-light travel, and the reality behind one of them may be a threat to the known universe.
The FSA's response to this chaotic situation is to stimulate the growth of new, federally-owned colonies by making easily available the materiél and transport capacity necessary for the founding of such colonies. In doing so they risk giving the general population access to dangerous technology, but this risk is considered an acceptable one.
And so the Federal Solar Alliance Colonization Initiative was born, reaching out across the stars to expand the reach and prosperity of humanity.
You, until now, were a middle-class technician with a few years of military experience from the local defense force. Seeing the vast amount of goods for sale and the vision of an untouched, virgin world were all you needed to sign up and try to make a name for yourself. Situated in a vast complex orbiting Gilese 581c, preparations are being made to send out a great fleet to previously mapped, but untouched systems.
The year is 2381, and the stars are yours.
TechnologyThe technology of the 2380's is, of course, vastly superior to current technology in many areas. Nanotechnology, faster-than-light travel, sentient AI, genetic modification, and cloning are all aspects of everyday life, one way or another.
-Military Tech
While plasma and laser weapons on all scales are available, traditional chemical-propellant firearms are still in wide use, owing mostly to the fact that a weapon made of metal and plastic and firing simple, solid projectiles is far easier to maintain than the heat sinks, power systems, particle accelerators, and focusing lenses of energy weapons. Advances in the weapons we know so well today have, of course been made. LPFs (Liquid Propellant Firearms) and mass drivers (essentially coilguns) are also commonly found on the black market as well as battlefields. Armor has advanced to counter new weapons as well, with commercially viable nanotechnology ushering in a new era of nanocomposites. Meticulously designed on a molecular scale, nanocomposites are many times lighter, stronger, and more expensive than conventional materials and have found uses in every walk of life.
-Civilian Tech
In the civilian world, massive advances in manufacturing take the front page. While expensive, systems capable of consuming nearly any resource and reorganizing its structure into useful goods have become commonplace. Great starships dwarfing aircraft carriers number in the hundreds and a man may buy a smaller ship as he might buy a sports car in today's society. Advances in medicine have raised the average lifespan to one hundred and fifty, and robots and clones handle many menial tasks across the Alliance.
-FTL
There are, as mentioned above, two methods of faster-than-light travel. The first is a "traditional"
Alcubierre Drive, and the second is rather more complicated. Instead of merely bending space-time, the Rift Drive punches a hole through it to something... else. This
other is most often called the Rift and is deserving of its name. Upon entering it, nothing can be seen but the appearance of an infinitely large, ethereal chasm glowing dimly in crimson light. It is said that looking at it for too long can cause horrific madness, and stories abound of ships coming out of the Rift without a living soul on board, with all manner of grotesque ends befalling the crew. That said, the Rift is popular among smugglers and risk-taking traders due to the fact that traveling through it takes far less time than using an Alcubierre drive.
More disturbing are the reports that similar things have begun happening entirely separate from faster-than-light travel, sometimes in the great arcologies of developed worlds.
Keeping that all in mind, there are a titanic variety of goods for sale. Habitation modules rated for anything from a midsummer day's breeze to Venusian blast furnaces are available, along with manufacturing units ranging from the size of an air conditioner to a warehouse. Weapons, weapons are being pushed very hard by the marketers. Everything from 20th-century tech assault rifles and handguns to the very latest in pulsed-laser and plasma beam technology are available, as are vehicles from dune buggies to battle tanks. Clone servitors and androids can be bought by the dozen, suited for menial labor up to systems administration, coordination, and ground warfare.
You have $250,000. Spend it wisely.
It should be noted by anyone who's read this that there is relatively little detail in goods here, and less in prices. Simply request information on anything you think we'll need, and the specifications and cost will be provided. Some guidelines: The cheapest rifles cost less than $300 due to their inferior technology and even more inferior reliability, while a modern infantry plasma gun might cost upwards of $20,000. The cheapest four-man transport vehicle with no bells, whistles, or pressurized cabin will only be a few thousand dollars, while a tank would be pushing ten million. Androids or servitors suited for menial labor will only cost a thousand or two each, but a four-meter tall warbot won't be cheap.
Advice: Keep in mind food, water, ammunition, and fuel consumption. Water is pushing $6 a gallon these days, and military rations aren't far behind. Vehicles and generators are available using every fuel under the sun, with suitably varied practicality.
Most important of all, where the hell are we going? A simple vote on the type and population of habitable planet we should set out for is in order, and a suitably balanced choice will be found.Don't pack diesel generators for an iceball, or tents for Mars. (Yes, Mars is a fully industrialized world at this point, that was merely an example)
Edit: All
catalog stuff goes here.
Standardized Size, Capability, and Power Requirements for Manufacturing Units. Machines dedicated to material conversion or complex manufacturing are capable of twice the work.
Type A: .5 kg/h, 100kg $4756 6 Electricity
Type B: 1kg/h, 180kg $7,923 12 E
Type C: 2kg/hr, 324kg, $13,200 20 E
Type 1: 5kg/hr, 583kg $22,000 36 E
Type 2: 10kg/hr, 1,049kg $41800 65 E
Food
1 unit of food is required by every man-sized life form every day, along with 2 units of water
Emergency Rations - Freeze-dried rations, these are poorly suited for a long-term diet, though they are very light and easy to transport - $2.6, .15kg
Military Rations - Future MREs, better for your people, but more expensive - $3.64, 1.5kg
Civilian Rations - Traditional food, packaged in sealed containers. - $5.09. 1.8kg
Water - $4, .75kg
Hab Modules
4 Man Tent - $40 2kg
8 Man Tent - $64 3kg
8 Man Prefab Module - $600 1,200kg
8 Man Hermetically Sealed Module
With Airlock - $1,200, 1,500kg
Generators
All-Purpose Combustion Generators
1 kg Fuel per 4 E/h per hour
Fuel - $6/kg
Type A - 4 Electricity/h, 8kg
Type B - 8 E/h, 14kg
Type C - 16 E/h, 26kg
Type 1 - 32 E/h, 47kg
etc.
Vehicles
Vehicle Armor Rating:
None - Can withstand pistol-caliber ammunition only, does not hold up well against energy weapons
Minimal - Marginally better
Light - Can withstand rifles and some energy weapons
Medium - Can withstand anti-materiel weapons in addition to nearly all other infantry weapons
Heavy - Requires dedicated AT weapons to neutralize
Heavy Nanocomposite - Requires heavy AT weapons to neutralize
Fuel - $6/kg
Can be refined at your destination given sufficient plant material or natural deposits for minimal cost
Scout Bike - $4,800, 135kg
1 driver
Very high speed
1 Fuel/20km
Unarmored
Scout Buggy - $7,100, 1000kg
1 driver
1 Passenger/Gunner
1 Light Weapon mount
High speed
1.3 Fuel/20km
Unarmored
Light Truck - $12.600, 1400kg
1 Driver
1 Passenger
4 Add. Passenger OR 1,000kg cargo
Moderate speed
2.4 Fuel/20km
Unarmored
Light Cargo Vehicle $17,200, 2000kg
1 Driver
10 Passengers OR 12,000kg cargo
Moderate speed
3.8 Fuel/20km
Unarmored
Light APC - $24,000, 1400kg
1 Driver
4 Passengers OR 2,000kg cargo
1 Gunner
Moderate speed
3.6 Fuel/20km
Minimal armor
M1 APC - $36,000, 8,200kg
1 Driver
10 Passengers OR 6,000kg cargo
1 Gunner
Moderate speed
6.5 Fuel/20km
Minimal armor
Essentially a modified LCV
M2 APC - $45,000, 18,000kg
1 Driver
12 Passengers OR 6,500kg cargo
1 Gunner
Slow speed
9.4 Fuel/20km
Medium Armor
M-17 Main Battle Tank $8,200,000, 56,000kg
1 Driver
1 Gunner
1 Commander
Slow speed
Autoloader
2 Anti-Personnel Autolasers - Automatic, Opt. Range 700m
80mm Mass Driver, Opt. Range 3,200m
70 Fuel/20km
Heavy Nanocomposite Tank Armor
Personal Equipment
Infantry Armor Rating
Class I - Capable of stopping low-velocity shrapnel, ammunition, indirect, low energy plasma splashback and protection from most edged weapons and some blunt impact. Marginally effective vs lasers
Class II - Can stop rifle shots in protected areas in addition to all class I threats, also somewhat effective against infantry plasma weapons
Class III - Effective against most handheld infantry weapons as well as small explosions in the protected areas, in addition to all previous threats
Class IV - Can stop .50 caliber rifle rounds and absorb enough of the energy to prevent serious injury or death. Can also protect against indirect laser and plasma emplacements
Class V - Nearly invulnerable to personal firearms, Class V armor requires very concentrated firepower to neutralize. Power armor by definition. Think Halo.
Uniform - $20, 0.5kg
Available in the color and/or insignia of your choice
Tula Arms BM-1 Light Armored Vest - $165, 1kg
Class I
Light
Cheap
Covers torso only
Andromeda SV4 "Sandstorm" Armor - $275, 3kg
Class I
Covers head and torso
Aratech Light Tactical Protection System- $356, 4kg
Class I
Covers head, torso, and legs
Tactical Dynamics "Scout" Armor - $1249, 4.5kg
Class II
Covers head and torso
Aratech MTPS - $1820, 7kg
Class II
Covers head, torso, legs, and arms
Full Helm
Aratech MTPS Mk II - $3,249, 11kg
Class III
Covers head, torso, legs, and arms
Aratech AMTPS - $2,390, 11kg
Class II
Covers head, torso, legs, and arms
Vacuum Rated
Basic Life Support
Full Closed Helm
Raytheon M-32 Battle Armor - $4120 - 9kg
Class III
Covers head, torso
Raytheon M-38 Battle Armor - $5,500 - 12kg
Class III
Covers head, torso, legs, and arms
Full Helm
Tula Arms BM-57 - $6,250, 14kg
Class IV
Covers head, torso, legs, and arms
Questionable reputation
Wraith Combat Systems "Interceptor" - $8,485, 15kg
Class IV
Covers head, torso, legs, and arms
Full Helm
Wraith Combat Systems "Scorpion" - $18,750, 40kg
Class IV
Covers head, torso, legs, and arms
Full Helm
Power Armor
Raytheon M-57 - $80,000 - 200kg
Class V
Covers head, torso, legs, and armor
Full Helm
Power Armor
Orion "Titan" - $95,000 - 220kg
Class V
Covers head, torso, legs, and armor
Full Helm
Power Armor
Vacuum Rated
Life Support
Other Equipment, Androids, Servitors, and Crew available upon specific request, please list items of inquiry.
