Tanis: Year One

This entry is part of the PBM List.

Costs: Free
Frequency: 3-5 per week to Daily
Email: sharlene@mindspring.com
URL: https://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/TanisY1/info
Type: Space Opera, Colonization, First Contact
Last-Update: 2011Jun15


By the middle of the 22nd century, literally thousands of extra Solar planets with conditions that might support life had been discovered. Most had gravities higher than Earth. But as Earth's population had skyrocketed to over 22 billion, and global warming was increasing with no end in sight, the governments of Earth made plans for a number of interstellar expeditions.

Earlier in the 21st century (2072 to 2095) dozens of interstellar probes, nicknamed Comet Class XS probes, had been launched. They were designed to reach speeds around 25% of the speed of light, powered by a light sail-type system (though lasers were not employed here). At a pre-determined point the main probe scattered multiple probes bound for various systems along its trajectory. Tanis was some 127 LY distant. Its probe had not even reached this system when the Tanis mission began. Rather the Tanis mothership was launched in 2147, some 60 years after the probe was launched (2087), and altered course when one of the probes scattered by the main probe sent back telemetry of a viable system.

The mothership was designed to reach a speed of 10% of the speed of light. It took some 1357 years for your ship to reach the new world. It was of a mixed design; park Ark, part Sleeper ship. Only 5000 colonists were sent on the mission - about 25 times what was really needed to start a new civilization utilizing the embryonic storage systems of the Ark. Thousands of `near perfect' human embryos were stored there. The future. It was the colonists' job to build the colony and prepare the way for the children.

In 2337 the Tanis mission began the trajectory changes to guide it toward its destination. 17 years later all communication with Earth was lost. There was no turning back. News of living conditions back on Earth was something out of science fiction horror. It was getting crowded even in space. The flight crew kept the news to themselves and continued their mission. A little over halfway there, she ship's systems began to suffer their first failures. High energy cosmic radiation began to take its toll on the ship and the colonists. The flight crew was forced to awaken engineers in attempts to modify the shielding to survive the trip.

At the end of the journey most of the flight crew was dead of old age or hibernation unit failures. Most engineers with skills for keeping the ship or hibernation units suffered the same fate. Of the original colonists only 1500 survived. In its degraded condition the mothership made a poor orbital insertion and ended up crashing into the planet a modest distance offshore from a major continent. Sections of the ship still protrude above the water - high enough that gravity ripped part of it down.

The flight crew had many years to plan for contingencies and they planned well. Two major plans were made. One was ejecting hibernation units to the three most likely looking sites detectable upon final approach. The other was having the units eject after crashing, the rationale being the ship's carcass would provide much material for building the colony.

Welcome to Tanis. On Earth it would now be the year 3504. But for all intents it is Year One.

Please no aliens, androids or cyborgs. These are humans. Yes, there will be First Contact situations. The available technology is comparable to that suggested by the TV series Earth II. Please remember that the colonists are intended to start a colony ... i.e. breed. Colonists tend to be a cut above the average as the weak rarely survive. Sickly humans will not be accepted. With the loss of the Flight Crew, some careers will not be accepted. No astronauts (atmospheric and recreational pilots are fine). This game is best suited for players who are motivated, creative builders.

Yes the game is a dice less, GM guided adventure. Creative writing is a must with decent spelling and grammar preferred. No children. This game will be rated R. (If you are an adult, no one should have to spell out what is going on behind that door.) When you first apply, you will get a spamblock message; just follow up. Players must have an approved character prior to joining the group site. Email submissions to sharlene79@mindspring.com first please. Sorry, I do not allow Lurkers.




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Greg Lindahl