ANS STYX
Mothership Concept alongside a Battleship Class Warship for scale
"The ANS STYX, named after the river the dead must cross to get to the underworld, from one world to the next. Fitting then that this ship, the First of the Carrier-Colonial Generation ships, should carry that name. For we make this voyage knowing that we will never see our home again, nor see the world we will claim for The Alliance at Journey's end, but we know that one day in the future, under a strange sky and strange stars, our children will greet yours and welcome you to a new planet, a new system and a new future. " -Commodore James Stonewall, First Captain of The ANS just prior to its launch.
the Year is 2711, Mankind has spread across the stars unopposed and undaunted, FTL tech expanding their reach from one edge of the galaxy to another, but even with this powerful technology, vast sections of the galaxy remain unexplored and un-mapped, and it is the work of unnamed probes to connect the islands of humanity's worlds and fill the darkness that lies between them.
It was not always like this, in 2250, still trapped within the Sol System with no way to cross the gulf between systems, Humanity was growing desperate. Overpopulation and pollution were predicted to shatter the Fragile Human Alliance with decades. Something had to be done, or mankind would tear itself apart.
The Carrier-Generation ships or "Motherships" were the answer. Gargantuan ships designed from the bottom up to be entirely self reliant and contained, a miniature world that would set out blind into the void in search of new worlds to call their own, pushed at sub-light speeds by the largest and most powrful Ion Propulsion engines ever built. The ship would have everything its colonists would need, and means to produce it. From Bootlaces to Entire fleets of escort ships, its production plant could make it all, the materials by Worker class harvesters from any suitable source they might find.
The ships would not be sent off and forgotten, every year the commander would use the powerful subspace comms array to sent regular reports and as the years trickled by every other Mother-ship kept regular schedules and even report successful founding of colonies, while back in Sol The First FTL was perfected and ties to these new worlds were made. From there mankind has entered a golden age of exploration, plenty and peace
All but the ANS Styx, first and largest of the Motherships. It vanished without trace roughly fifty years after launch, and only now, centuries later, you have found it dark and lifeless, orbiting a dying sun in an unremarkable system.
The PlayersLimit of 6, One Class per player.
Classesall classes can access files marked General
MedicRole: Field Medicine and Surgery, Biohazard and Quarantine identification and containment
File Access: Medical Only
Equipment: Light Void Suit (20 mins air, Light Armour, Autoseal Helemt, magboots, Internal Radio) 2 Large Medical Kits, Medi-tool. M-29 Pulse Pistol and one reload. Datapad
MarineRole: Security and Combat, trained in weapons both man portable and ship mounted
File Access: Security Only
Equipment: Combat Void Suit (30 mins air, Heavy Armour, AutoSeal Helmet, Magboots, Internal Radio, Shoulder mounted Light) M-99 Pulse Rifle and three reloads, M-29 Pulse Pistol and three reloads. Datapad.
Data MinerRole: Data recovery and security systems bypass, trained to access and overrule computer systems Trained in Human-AI Relations.
File Access: Limited all, but can hack into others.
Equipment: Light Void Suit, Portable Terminal, 5 Data Recovery Cores. M-29 Pulse pistol and one reload.
OfficerRole: Commands the recovery Effort, trained to basic levels in all other roles
File Access: Limited all, Command, Personal.
Equipment: Medium Void Suit (20 mins air, Medium Armour, AutoSeal helmet, crew life sign HUD, Magboots.), M-25 Pulse Carbine and two reloads, M-29 Pulse Pistol and two reloads. Datapad with Motion Tracker
EngineerRole: Repairs ship systems, trained to reroute power and data lines physically.
File Access: Engineering
Equipment: Engineer Void Suit ( 1 Hour Air, Medium Armour with Powered exoskeleton, shoulder mounted light. Combitool, internal radio) Plasma Cutter, M-29 Pulse Pistol and one reload. Datapad
PilotRole: Uses Neural up-link to pilot the repair corvette, Trained in EVA maneuvers and limited repair work
File Access: Navigation
Equipment: Light Void Suit with EVA Pack and extended Air Tank (30 mins) M-29 Pulse Pistol and one reload. Neural up-link jack
Void suitsVoid Suits became Standard Issue for anyone with a lifestyle or job that required entering space, after several incidents where hull breaches, even minor ones, caused widespread loss of life. Voidsuits are protective suits worn over regular clothes and contain sensitive pressure and air purity monitors along with an auto-sealing helmet and internal oxygen tank. when the suit detects a sudden loss in pressure, entrance into a low gravity zone, or reduced O2 or a gas, it activates the sealant systems, turning the Armour into a void capable survival suit capable of protecting the wearer for as long as the internal air tank and battery lasts. Autoseal systems can also be triggered manually when Vacuum travel is expected. The basic model is only really designed for immediate evacuation of a damaged section, but more advanced suits can function as full EVA suits or Power Armour.
Pulse WeaponsWith the Rapid advance of Technology, conventional firearms were rapidly replaced with man portable energy weapons, even while Railguns and Missile launchers became commonplace on Alliance warships. Called "Puse" weapons due to an inbuilt limiter that protects the focusing lens and prevents the firer from inadvertently draining the battery with sustained trigger activation.
Compared to conventional firearms, Pulse weapons can operate in vacuum and zero gravity with no loss in performance and while each shot lacks a solid projectile's kinetic force , the beam causes Armour or flesh stuck to be super-heated, causing severe burn trauma and can punch through thin cover.
The Internal batteries can be easily and quickly recharged at special power points aboard Alliance vessels, with a full charge taking less then ten minutes if needed, but such rapid energy transfer damages the weapon and will require repair. In combat, the Battery can be ejected using the release switch above the trigger and a new battery sloted in its place.
Of all Pulse weapons, the M-99 Rife is the most powerful, has the largest internal battery at 75 shots, longest range and can have a faster rate of fire.
The M-25 Carbine has only a slight reduction in battery-size at 65 and while the limiter is locked at single shot, the damage is similar to its larger cousin while being substantially more compact.
the M-22 Pistol has the least capacity, 30, and effective range, but is reliable, compact and retains the superior killing power over projectile weapons