[Brian Swartz]

Research Director's Briefing: Dr. David Corperial

With the completion of New Worlds Protocol, you have some issues to attend, to put it mildly. The next primary research path will come from one of these:

** Doctrine: Space Combat(Military Theory, 240) -- Our naval capacity will increase by 10%, allowing a larger navy that we can currently support.
** Genome Mapping(Biology, 240) -- The lifespan of all of our leaders will increase by 10 years. Additionally, our increased understanding of our own biological needs will allow a 10% increase in food production.
** Orbital Hydroponics(Biology, 240) -- Unlocks Orbital Hydroponics Farms, a module for our spaceports that will produce enough food to feed three additional pops on any spaceport that builds one.

In addition to this, we now have four alien species awaiting study from your department. Alpha are the species that caused a stir but ultimately bypassed us and left our territory. The Betas has been in Impal Tov for years, the green crystalline things. Delta has the ships and orbital station of some kind in Wollaeus, and Epsilon are those we saw in Benzar on long-range scans, the white energetic blobs of whatever.

If you wish, Dr. Corperial, you may choose to study all, none, or any amount in between of these races before taking on whatever new research path you choose. What path shall we take, and will we take time now to study any of these aliens? You are now on the clock.


Governor's Briefing: JIMGA

Things are going smoothly on Humboldt. In a year or so you will probably be given funds to expand operations in a couple of provinces, but right now expanding our off-world mining operations takes precedence by order of Inquisitor Laren. The latest research advance does give you one more tool in your toolbox though. A new Planetary Edict. Which you can't use, because all planetary edicts require 150 influence, lasting over ten years. We presently have 127.

So basically I'm just here to tell you that there's another option that you can't use or do anything about :P.


Inquisitor's Briefing: Roe Laren

It's been quite the year for you, hasn't it? At this point there is an opportunity to revisit our economic priorities. The Collective now has the possibility of considering investing in a colony ship, now that Dr. Corperial has provided the plans for what would be a huge step -- going forth into space and settling a new world!

It would not be cheap. At present our monthly mineral surplus stands at 17.7, and building a ship with all the required materials for settling another planet would cost 315 -- the production of nearly 18 months, a year and a half. It would also take just under a full year to build. The expense would not end there -- setting up a new colony takes a full year once the ship arrives, at a considerable cost of 8 energy a month. We would likely dip into our reserve a bit during this time, we have a monthly surplus right now but it's not that high. After things are up and running, the new colony would need periodic investment to build and upgrade provincial structures as well. For many years, the economic contribution of a new colony is very minimal, until it has time to build up.

On the other hand, it's the only way to both grow our numbers and expand our territory at the same time. It's not a question of whether we do this, it's a question of when and how urgent it is. We have plenty of options for getting more energy -- there are a couple of good places for stations in Solaris Troutentis, we're building one more in Maghama, we've found some in Swur ... but minerals are more limited. We could build a couple stations and add 4 more from Norgon, build another mine on Humboldt for a couple more, but that's about it.

There's a couple questions here. First and most pressing, how quickly should we try to get a new colony up and running? A few proposed courses of action:

** Stations first. Get the mining stations going in Norgon and get enough energy to support the colony without going into our reserve. This means 2-3 years, maybe a hair more, investing in stations before we start saving up, but we could save up somewhat faster at that point which would eat into that delay a little bit.

** Save for the colony ship immediately. Only vital needs will interrupt this priority.

** Middle ground. Split the difference by adding a couple stations, a new bit of infrastructure or two on Humboldt, then going for the colony ship.

The second question is where do we go? There are three options in three different systems. May I suggest that the Inquisitor would be well served to peruse the map and refamiliarize herself with the locatons of these systems. I would also suggest that the feedback of other officials might be particularly useful in this. It certainly doesn't need an immediate answer; it just needs one by the time the colony ship is finished. Every planet is different; none of these is quite going to feel the same as Humboldt(80% habitability) but they are all ocean worlds and as close as we are going to get.

** Maghama II. A size 18 world, though we can access only 13 with current technology. Surface resources bonuses of 6(4) food, 2(1)energy, 8 minerals, and 5(4) research. Number in parentheses there is what we can access with current abilities, if less than the full total. This would expand our territory down, in the direction of the Kroll, but would not give us any more star systems in that direction until it grew quite a bit due to the distances involved.

** Norgon III, a size 20(14) world. With the right technology, it could be as productive as Humboldt itself. Bonuses of 3 food, 2 energy, 7(5) minerals, and 9(6) research. As can be seen clearly, our population would not grow as fast here as on Maghama, but it could be a real haven of scientific advancement. This would extend our range 'up' and to the right, allowing us to develop mining stations in Leesak before too long and Hodranus probably later. It might be close enough to Leesak to extend sensor range there in case anyone crosses the galactic arm in this direction, but it might not. We aren't sure on this matter.

** Leesak IIb is the largest of three significant moons surrounding it's planet, yet it is still of considerable size at 19(13). Lots of toxic kelp, so our ability to get the most out of it would hinge on finding a way to deal with that. 5(3) food, 3(2) energy, 9 minerals, 7(4) research. Lots of building materials here, and Corperial would love it -- six of the seven research are things that would benefit the Society Dept. Strategically, the main value of this system is that it would provide constant surveilance as an early-warning area on the edge of the nebula by the galactic arm. Additionally, it would also allow us to develop more off-world resources. Aside from the colony itself, there are recommended locations for six stations totalling 6 energy and 7 minerals. Until our territory encompasses Leesak however, we can't develop it and we don't yet have the resources to place an outpost here. Norgon would eventually allow us to claim them, but colonizing Leesak directly would get that done sooner.

Inquisitor Laren, you are on the clock. Again. I'll pause here to give the Collective's leadership some time to ponder these matters.