A Generation Ship is a large starship with a self-sustaining environment that travels interstellar distances at sub-light speeds. These vessels were conceived before the advent of faster-than-light travel and cryogenic stasis, and were designed to support hundreds or thousands of people for centuries. Successive generations of colonists would be born and raised in the confines of a Generation Ship until it finally arrived at its destination world, which the latest generation would then colonise. By 34th century standards, Generation Ships are classified as a type of Megaship.

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History

The first Generation Ship was launched from Sol in 2097, and was followed by approximately 70,000 others over the next several decades. 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. The deployment of Generation Ships was not well regulated, however, resulting in a number of issues. Some vessels launched ill-prepared for the arduous journey that awaited them, and many of the corporations that funded the vessels were dissolved or assimilated by other organisations over the years, making it difficult to keep track of their positions and ownership.

Generation Ships were rendered obsolete with the invention of hyperdrive technology by Li Qin Jao in the mid-22nd century, which ushered in a golden age of interstellar exploration and colonisation between 2200 and 2700, and have not been constructed since. While the vast majority of Generation Ships reached their destinations without incident and established successful colonies, a fraction counted among "the Missing" were lost in transit and are now sought by explorers and treasure hunters.

The Missing

"The Missing" is an encompassing term for everyone who has disappeared without trace in deep space. This includes colonists on the ancient Generation Ships, lost colonies, disappeared scientific expeditions and a host of others. Some of these managed to return with tales of their adventures. Some were lost in deep space, the dead hulk of their ship carrying on an almost endless trajectory ever deeper into space. Others managed to land and survived for many decades before being overtaken by some local disaster. Some may still be alive, just restricted to low power light speed communications, or no comms at all, as their equipment has failed over the centuries in between.[1]

Searching for Generation Ships

Generation Ships can be found by first locating a Listening Post in a system. These Listening Posts collect deep space transmissions, and a number of them have received transmissions that originated from Generation Ships. If a system has any Listening Posts, they will be visible in the navigation panel immediately upon arrival in that system. Scanning the Listening Post will usually provide a fragmentary transmission with clues to the location of the Generation Ship. Listening Posts can be found in systems up to 90 light years away from Sol, but the range may possibly be larger: "... the conclusion that many of the ships should be reaching their destinations around about now if you assume they were targeted at stars within 100 lightyears (which seems plausible for 21st-24th century technology). The maximum distance they could realistically travel would be around a 1,000 lightyears (probably much less)."[2]

Generation Ships can also found without Listening Posts by using the Full Spectrum System Scanner to identify signal sources in a system. The FSS will immediately identify a Generation Ship no matter how far away it is from the system's main star, circumventing the need to follow specific directional clues, but there are tens of thousands of systems to search. It is suggested that Listening Posts should be used to identify systems that contain Generation Ships, and then the FSS can quickly reveal their locations.

Discovered Vessels

Since April 23, 3303, there have been 16 confirmed discoveries of lost Generation Ships.

Locations

Be aware that some of the Generation Ships that have not taken up orbit around a body have changed their positions over time as they continued drifting through space; the position data documented below mostly reflects each vessel's general position at the time they were discovered by following the decoded Listening Post transmissions, and thus should not be relied upon today. Instead, the Full Spectrum System Scanner is currently the fastest and most accurate means of locating a Generation Ship within its system.

Vessel System Original Location Distance from Sol Generation Ship Achlys HIP 114458 Orbiting planet A 2 145.51 ly Generation Ship Artemis Mu Cassiopeia Orbiting planet C 1 39.87 ly Generation Ship Atlas Charick Drift Orbiting planet A 28.60 ly Generation Ship Demeter Mizuchi Orbiting planet 2 95.68 ly Generation Ship Epimetheus HR 2351 Orbiting planet 4 194.04 ly Generation Ship Hyperion Lalande 2966 4th planet, then 7k ls towards Yemaki 121.53 ly Generation Ship Lycaon Alaunus 10th planet, then 22k ls towards Horae 52.62 ly Generation Ship Odysseus Ross 859 Orbiting planet B 1 165.98 ly Generation Ship Phanes Cephei Sector NX-U b2-0 Orbiting planet B 5 112.93 ly Generation Ship Phobos Coelachi 3rd planet, then 1.8k ls towards HIP 10229 272.03 ly Generation Ship Pleione Hez Ur 5th planet, then 8k ls towards Teuten 174.01 ly Generation Ship Spear of Hope HIP 21654 Orbiting planet 1 A 151.57 ly Generation Ship Thetis Nefertem Orbiting planet 6 A 53.46 ly Generation Ship Venusian Kitae 2.5k ls towards Zephyrus 63.12 ly Lazarus Expedition Virudnir Orbiting planet 6 158.32 ly The Golconda Upaniklis Orbiting planet B 3 171.85 ly

Log Summaries

Generation Ship Lycaon

Elite Dangerous- Generation Ship Lycaon - The Missing - Episode 1 - A Roleplay Story

The Generation Ship Lycaon was discovered in the Alaunus system by CMDR Lexic Meise on April 23, 3303, and the first missing generation ship to have been located. The Lycaon's position can be reached by traveling to the 10th planet in the Alaunus system, then flying 22,000 ls in supercruise in the direction of the Horae system.

According to the Lycaon's logs, the generation ship's passengers were all wiped out by a contagious alien microorganism that had symptoms similar to influenza and was immune to all available vaccines. The microorganism had been picked up during a survey of an asteroid, and quickly spread through the ship. After the passengers died, the ship apparently lost power and came to rest in its present location.[3]

Generation Ship Venusian

Elite Dangerous- Generation Ship Venusian - The Missing - Episode 2 -A Roleplay Story

Generation Ship Venusian was discovered by CMDR Klumpozyte on April 26, 3303. It is located in the Kitae system, and can be found by traveling in supercruise 2,500 ls in the direction of Zephyrus.

The Venusian's logs explain that the ship was attacked and boarded by a pirate fleet seeking to capture the passengers to sell into slavery. A dozen crew members and about a hundred passengers were able to barricade themselves in a section of the ship for a while, but the ship's Executive Officer turned traitor and showed the pirates how to access hidden maintenance tunnels to get behind the barricades, ending the standoff. With the crew and passengers dead or enslaved, the Venusian was abandoned.[4]

Generation Ship Hyperion

Generation Ship Hyperion was discovered by CMDR Vall on April 27, 3303. It is located in Lalande 2966, and can be found by traveling to the fourth planet in the system and then changing course toward Yemaki for 9,500 ls.

Hyperion's troubles began when the passengers began to worship a child named Zachariah as a messiah who would lead them to the "promised land". When the ship's commander tried to stop a ritual and detain Zachariah, he was thrown out an airlock. Eventually, Zachariah revealed his plan to open all of the ship's airlocks; the passengers went along with it, believing they would ascend to a higher plane of existence. The Hyperion's midshipman planned to kill Zachariah before he could carry out his plan, but failed, either because he was killed or he acted too late. The life support systems were overridden and the Hyperion vented its air, presumably killing all of the passengers and crew.[5]

Generation Ship Odysseus

Elite Dangerous - The Odysseus Generation Ship The Missing Reupload

Generation Ship Odysseus was discovered by CMDR DarkShadowLYNX on April 28, 3303. It is located in Ross 859, orbiting the planet Ross 859 B 1.

During the Odysseus' journey, its passengers elected a governing council with absolute authority that decided to alter the generation ship's mission. Since the ship had sustainable food, water, medical supplies, and power, it was believed that living aboard it indefinitely was safer than risking a colonization effort on an unknown planet. Years later, during the fifth generation of passengers, the Odysseus faced a deadly disease outbreak. The council enacted martial law and quarantined parts of the ship, which were then vented out into space. Some passengers wanted to remove the council and force the Odysseus to let them off at the next habitable world, but none had any knowledge of how to survive outside the ship and without the council's laws. However, the disease returned. After twenty years of fighting a losing battle against the contagion, the council and most of the passengers had perished. One of the few remaining passengers recorded a warning to stay away from the ship.[6]

Generation Ship Thetis

Elite Dangerous - The Thetis Generation Ship The Missing Reupload

Generation Ship Thetis was discovered by CMDR Rhaider on April 28, 3303. It is located in Nefertem, orbiting the planet Nefertem 6 A.

Shortly into the Thetis's ninth generation, passengers began reporting whispering sounds coming from comms units. The sounds, a digital signal being picked up by the ship's comms array, drove passengers homicidally insane, resulting in the loss of whole decks. The signal was found to have originated from an uninhabited planet that the Thetis had passed 15 lightyears earlier. A crew member who accidentally heard the signal described it as a whisper that said "kill them all". The crew were unable to stop the signal's spread through the comms network, and the killings continued, with those affected also writing words in an unknown script on the walls in blood. The final log is a garbled transmission of the signal.[7]

Generation Ship Pleione

Generation Ship Pleione was discovered by CMDR Carbucketty on May 5, 3303. It is located in Hez Ur, and can be found by traveling to the fifth planet in the system and then changing course toward Teuten for 8,000 ls.

Generation Ship Pleione failed because its passengers began to give birth to only male children. The ship's medical officer discovered that the ship's male passengers were only producing gametes with the Y chromosome, an inexplicable anomaly. While this could have been rectified with technology, the officer's predecessor had not seen fit to bring any medical equipment that could manipulate gender at the embryonic stage or any XX and XY genetic samples. Being that the males had no X chromosomes to give, even artificial insemination was not an option. Eventually, all of the ship's females reached an age where they could no longer conceive, dooming the population. The remaining (all male) passengers decided to abandon ship. The medical officer decided to stay behind and die with the mission.[8]

Generation Ship Atlas

Elite Dangerous - The Atlas Generation Ship The Missing

Generation Ship Atlas was discovered by CMDR Dilliam53 on May 23, 3303. It is located in Charick Drift, orbiting the star Charick Drift A.

As Generation Ship Atlas approached its destination, the ship's latest chief engineer, Tom Edwards, discovered that the ship was unable to brake, the result of a manufacturing fault that had gone completely undetected since the ship's construction. It was decided to adjust the Atlas's course and launch all the passengers and vital equipment in escape pods at the target world as the ship flew by it. Since the pod controls required a person to operate them, Edwards volunteered to stay behind, even though his wife Jean was pregnant. With the exception of one pod trying to launch early and exploding, the plan apparently succeeded and the passengers were evacuated thanks to Edwards' sacrifice. The ship's captain pledged to name their colony after him. The Atlas continued traveling for an unknown amount of time before finally running out fuel and coming to rest at its present location.[9]

Lazarus Expedition

A Generation Ship named Lazarus Expedition was discovered by CMDR NazToR4 on September 16, 3303, months after the previous discoveries. It is located in Virudnir, orbiting the planet Virudnir 6.

The Lazarus Expedition became stranded in space after a cooling system suffered a catastrophic failure, which in turn damaged the propulsion system beyond repair. With the ship's supplies estimated to run out in a decade, the crew and colonists decided to dismantle the ship and convert it into life boats. After years of work, the life boats were completed, but the colonists' population had expanded beyond what the life boats could carry, so it was decided to give priority to women and children, and then ask for volunteers to stay behind. The life boats were successfully launched to multiple habitable worlds within range, while those who remained on the Lazarus Expedition accepted their fate, content that they had given hope to others.[10]

Generation Ship Artemis

Generation Ship Artemis was discovered by CMDR Friend 360 on October 4, 3303. It is located in Mu Cassiopeia, orbiting planet Mu Cassiopeia C 1.

Recovered logs indicate the ship's crew and passengers were all murdered by a single serial killer over time. The first murders, in which the victims were savaged by bite and claw marks and more marks were left on walls, doors, and airlocks, were blamed on an illegal pet dog smuggled aboard by a colonist. Security assumed the dog had somehow escaped and killed the victims, despite the dog being found in its cage with no blood anywhere on its body, and euthanized it. Subsequent unregistered logs recorded by the true murderer, who likened himself to a wolf culling sheep, imply the attacks continued. Eventually, the other inhabitants of the ship began offering each other as sacrifices for the murderer in the hope of appeasing him, but the murderer insisted "The lesson must be repeated... until the baying falls silent." During his final words, the murderer is heard damaging the ship's reactor, an action which likely killed everyone on board.[11]

Generation Ship Achlys

Generation Ship Achlys was discovered by CMDR Kal Adar on June 30, 3304. It is located in the HIP 114458 system, orbiting planet A 2, an Earth-like world.[12]

At some point during its journey, the vessel's life support system suffered a catastrophic malfunction, killing all crew and passengers. With no crew input, the autopilot assumed control of the Achlys and ensured it kept to its default course. Upon arriving at the destination system, the autopilot attempted to return control to the crew for the final approach, but its alerts went unheeded. It finally scanned the ship for crew and passengers, and when none could be detected, it resorted to emergency protocols and activated a program that allowed itself to develop into an AI with 92% human intellectual capacity. The AI-autopilot quickly discovered the state of the humans aboard the Achlys and the cause of their deaths, but had no other option than to take up orbit around the planet that would have been colonized if the passengers had survived and await new directives.[13]

Generation Ship Phobos

Generation Ship Phobos was discovered by CMDR SWiFT ViiZIONS and CMDR NEXTMHGDANGER on August 8, 3304. It is located in Coelachi, and can be found by traveling to Coelachi 3 d and then changing course toward HIP 10229 for 1,893 ls.

Generation Ship Phobos succeeded in safely reaching its target world, which was not identified in the logs, and established 15 settlements on it. Unfortunately for the colonists, the planet's indigenous flora and fauna were toxic and highly aggressive, and casualties quickly began to mount among survey teams. Not long after the colonists had declared an end to their mission and dismantled their landers, a number of creatures breached one settlement and slaughtered most of the inhabitants. The survivors trekked to Settlement Delta, but found it abandoned with signs that it had also been attacked. While Delta's lander had been kept as a monument instead of dismantled and could be used to return to the Phobos, its fuel cells were dry and it took several days to replenish them. When the survivors finally reached the Phobos and began reactivating its systems, they discovered too late that one of the creatures had stowed away aboard the lander. All but three colonists were killed before the creature was trapped in the farm pods, but it soon escaped and killed the rest. It is presumed that none of the other settlements survived either, and the Phobos reached its present position after its fuel ran out or its systems shut down.[14]

Generation Ship Phanes

Generation Ship Phanes was discovered by CMDR Nexusprime on August 24, 3304. It is located in Cephei Sector NX-U b2-0, orbiting planet Cephei Sector NX-U b2-0 B 5.

Generation Ship Phanes reached its target world without incident, but its crew discovered upon arrival that the planet was uninhabitable. While the colonists wanted to turn back to Sol, the ship's command decided to continue its mission and search for another planet to colonize. This provoked an uprising that was violently suppressed. In order to keep the colonists under control, the ship's command fabricated reports that an unknown cataclysm had wiped out human civilization and the people aboard the Phanes were the only surviving humans in existence. The lie persisted unquestioned for generations, until one crew member, Warrant Officer Noonan, became suspicious of an elderly, senile senior officer named Admiral Kerr repeatedly insisting that a progress report be sent to Sol. Noonan used Kerr's command codes to access the ship's archives and learned the truth, and then told some trusted friends. Within hours, the news was everywhere and the Phanes once again became a battleground between those who wanted to return to Sol and those who wanted to continue the mission. The conflict likely resulted in the deaths of all of the ship's crew and passengers.[15]

Generation Ship Demeter

Generation Ship Demeter was discovered by CMDR Chris Varley on August 29, 3304. It is located in Mizuchi, orbiting planet Mizuchi 2.

Generation Ship Demeter launched with a population of 3,000. Late into year 5 of its journey, several of the ship's vital systems abruptly failed. Life support continued to function, but would run out of power in a few decades, and bio-systems could only produce food for a few more years. The Demeter's captain ordered the crew to cover up the problems to prevent a panic. By year 187, the ship's population yet lived, but had regressed into tribalism. Four factions were locked in a conflict they called the "War of the Four Tribes": the Mechanics, the Peacekeepers, the Colony, and the Cultivators. The Peacekeepers had allied with the Colony against the Mechanics, who in turn were forced to seek an alliance with the Cultivators to gain control of the food stocks for leverage. By year 369, the fighting continued between two tribes: the Mechlords, presumably descended from the Mechanics and Cultivators, and the descendants of the Peacekeeper-Colony alliance. The struggle finally ended in year 537, with the Mechlords' descendants, the Last Eaters, at last victorious, albeit greatly reduced in number and long since forced to cannibalize their enemies to survive.[16]

Generation Ship Epimetheus

Generation Ship Epimetheus was discovered by CMDR Bro x Legend on November 2, 3304. It is located in HR 2351, orbiting planet HR 2351 4.

Recovered logs tell the story of Joe Collins, Detainee #974, who claimed he was mistakenly detained for stealing a data chip that he was only planning on borrowing. Into his third day of incarceration, Joe recorded that a siren was sounding on the ship and he had not seen anyone else in two days. Joe feared that the ship had been evacuated due to some unspecified emergency, and he had been forgotten and left behind. By the ninth day, the siren had stopped, but no one had come for Joe; he survived thanks to automated systems that provided him with food and water, and disposed of his waste, but could not accept that he would be trapped alone in his cell on the Epimetheus indefinitely. By the time of Joe's final log on day 1,047, he had lapsed into insanity and believed that his isolation was a deliberate test which "the void" was trying to help him solve. Joe Collins presumably continued to live aboard the Epimetheus for as long as the automated life support systems held out. The cause of the Epimetheus's evacuation remains a mystery.[17]

Generation Ship Spear of Hope

Generation Ship Spear of Hope was discovered by CMDR Nemaroth on November 23, 3304. It is located in HIP 21654, orbiting planet HIP 21654 1 a.

The Spear of Hope launched without a set destination, and instead depended on long-range "Pathfinder probes" to confirm the suitability of prospective colonization targets as it traveled. At some point, Technician Farrow departed the Spear of Hope alone in a shuttle on a year-long journey to repair a malfunctioning probe. Upon Farrow's return, he found the entire ship deserted. Data logs explained that the Spear of Hope's complement of 5,000 crew and passengers had staged an emergency evacuation eight months previously, when a viable planet had been identified which the ship was going to bypass. In the haste of the evacuation, Farrow had apparently been forgotten. With all other shuttles gone and no fuel left for Farrow's own shuttle, Farrow decided to try altering the Spear of Hope's course to slingshot around a nearby star in order to return to the planet. The only problem is that the trip would take 93 years, by which time Farrow would be 132 years old. As no planet in HIP 21654 is habitable or bears any signs of human habitation, it is unknown if Farrow's plan succeeded; the Spear of Hope either passed the planet again as intended and continued on until its power gave out in another system, or the slingshot maneuver failed and sent it on a different course.[18]

The Golconda

The Golconda was discovered following the interception of a distress call by an Interstellar Association for Agriculture survey vessel on November 5, 3305.[19] It is located in Upaniklis, orbiting planet Upaniklis B 3 and only 30 kilometers away from the outpost Forester's Choice.

Unlike previous documented Generation Ships, The Golconda was found both functional and with a living crew and colonists. Centuries ago, The Golconda safely arrived at its intended destination, but the passengers elected to remain aboard and continue journeying through space indefinitely due to concerns about living outside the vessel. As time went on, the colonists developed a unique culture and religion centered on a reverence for The Golconda as a kind of benevolent caretaker. They also maintained a policy of strict isolationism for their own protection. Although the colonists managed to live sustainably and preserve social order, by the 34th century, as the vessel passed through the Upaniklis system, they found their supplies running low and were struck by an outbreak of nasopharyngitis. Captain Jonathon Forester reluctantly decided to break The Golconda's radio silence and issue a distress call in the hopes that the human civilisation they had been separated from for over a thousand years would lend them aid.[20] The discovery of The Golconda prompted the organisation of an Interstellar Initiative of the same name that resulted in the vessel's population choosing to migrate to a new orbital outpost built for them in Upaniklis named Forester's Choice, and accepting status as a Federal partner state with full autonomy. The Golconda itself was moved from its discovery site in interplanetary space to a close orbit of Upaniklis B 3 next to its colonists' new home.

Timeline

05 DEC 3305

The crew of the generation ship Golconda have migrated to their new home - the outpost Forester's Choice in the Upaniklis system. Following a successful bid to assist the Golconda crew with their relocation, the Federation arranged for transportation from the ancient vessel to the outpost now in orbit around Upaniklis B 3. Communication with the generation ship in the days prior to departure revealed a certain amount of trepidation among their people. But with centuries of space travel having exhausted the Golconda's ability to adequately sustain the colonists, the majority supported the decision to relocate. The Golconda's command staff also confirmed that they would continue distillation of the beverage Apa Vietii. This unique spirit will be on sale to traders from Forester's Choice. Professor Elizabeth Perez, head of anthropology at Orion Independent University, was on hand to observe the mass resettlement: "Many of the colonists openly wept as they stepped aboard the transport vessels, speaking words of thanks and sorrow to the Golconda itself. On several occasions, the emigrants broke spontaneously into song, with hundreds locked arm-in-arm. During the flight I overheard a group of youths chatting excitedly about the technology that would be available to them, perhaps ignorant of the significance of their journey. But most striking was the people's collective determination to maintain their unique culture, and to remain together as they enter this new chapter. It remains to be seen whether this society will retain its isolationist outlook or willingly integrate with the galaxy. We can only hope that these remarkable travellers from the past will be left alone long enough to explore 34th-century humanity at their own pace." To celebrate this historic event, the Federation has announced that a purchase discount will be applied to Federal ships between the 5th and 16th of December 3305.[21]

24 NOV 3305

The Federation has won the bid to provide the Golconda's population with a permanent home, beating a rival effort by the Empire. Both campaigns received support from the galactic community, but the initiative to create a new orbital outpost for the generation ship's inhabitants ultimately proved more popular than the construction of a planetary port. An official message from the Golconda confirmed that the colonists were impressed by the superpower's success, and have agreed to migrate to the outpost once it has been completed. The outpost will be named Forester's Choice to honour the captain of the Golconda, Jonathon Forester. The Golconda crew have also accepted the status of a Federal partner while retaining their autonomy. Congressman Harlan Turk made this statement: "We are proud to offer a fresh start to a society descended from the Federation's forebears. Their unique culture will continue to thrive among the stars at an outpost that enjoys Federal protection." Imperial Senator Ava Cornelius sent a message of goodwill to Captain Forester and his crew. She admitted disappointment at the Golconda's decision but wished the colonists peace and prosperity for the future. Supporters of the Imperial and Federal campaigns can now collect outstanding rewards from their respective megaships in the Upaniklis system.[22]

22 NOV 3305

The inhabitants of the generation ship Golconda have offered a token of gratitude to authorities in the Upaniklis system for their recent help. The gift was a case of an alcoholic spirit labelled Apa Vietii, distilled only aboard the Golconda for many centuries. An accompanying note explained that the production technique has remained largely unchanged since the 22nd century. Analysis of the beverage confirmed it was safe for consumption, although nothing is known of the raw ingredients or distillation process. As yet very few people have sampled Apa Vietii, but the celebrated gourmet and critic Giles Cappelleo was invited to appraise the spirit: "Well, what a delight this is – to experience a previously unheard-of libation! Apa Vietii is refreshing on the palate with a smooth, crisp flavour, but delivers a vigorous thump to the senses once swallowed. If it ever becomes widely available, connoisseurs everywhere would surely adore it. The Golconda crew is sitting atop a potential goldmine!" Professor Elizabeth Perez of the Orion Independent University provided an anthropologist's take: "This is a significant gesture from a society that has been highly reluctant to interact with outsiders. Although their isolationist stance remains prevalent, offering Apa Vietii could be interpreted as the start of a cultural exchange programme prior to rejoining civilisation."[23]

18 NOV 3305

The Empire and the Federation have announced rival initiatives to provide a new home for the crew of the generation ship Golconda. During the aid appeal by Upaniklis Vision Incorporated, engineering experts confirmed that the ancient vessel can no longer meet the colony's needs. While the Golconda was designed for long-term habitation, it lacks adequate facilities for the current population levels. After lengthy discussion, the Golconda's leaders have reluctantly decided to abandon the vessel. But the ship's captain, Jonathon Forester, has insisted that its population remain together in one location. The Empire has vowed to help the colonists complete the ship's original mission by establishing a planetside home. Senator Ava Cornelius summarised the campaign: "After generations in an artificial environment, we want to reward these travellers with a world to call their own, fulfilling their destiny after a millennium of adventure. Contemporary agricultural techniques will enable them to become a self-sustaining colony with full Imperial support." The Federation has taken a different approach, offering to create an outpost where the Golconda's spacefaring traditions can continue. This was outlined by Congressman Harlan Turk: "These people have the inalienable right to continue their current way of life. A modern outpost will offer vastly superior amenities while allowing their culture to remain intact, with facilities for new trade relationships within Federal market guidelines." Both superpowers have asked the galactic community to support their campaigns. Pilots can deliver polymers, CMM composites, titanium, beryllium and thallium to either of the megaships in the Upaniklis system: The Lucent Embrace for the Empire or Keller's Resolve for the Federation. The initiative is scheduled to run from the 18th to the 26th of November 3305. If the final targets are met earlier than planned, the campaign will end immediately.[24]

15 NOV 3305

The discovery of an inhabited generation ship has attracted attention from both the Empire and the Federation. A recent trade appeal in the Upaniklis system provided the Golconda with emergency aid. Each of the superpowers has since deployed a megaship to the area, along with proposals for integrating the Golconda's crew into the galactic community. Imperial senator Ava Cornelius released this statement: "This remarkable thousand-year mission exemplifies humanity's indomitable spirit. We stand ready to help these colonists complete that mission by constructing a new planetary settlement exclusively for their use. There, they will finally be able to enjoy solid ground and open skies, in a colony that thrives under Imperial protection." Federal Congressman Harlan Turk outlined an alternative approach: "As the descendants of a generation ship launched from Sol, we view these courageous travellers as honorary Federal citizens. We therefore hold that they are entitled to remain a spacefaring commune as their ancestors wished, and intend to honour their traditional way of life with an orbital outpost to call their own." There has been minimal communication with the Golconda, and only a select few representatives of Upaniklis Vision Incorporated have interacted with the colonists. Assuming that the freshly donated supplies can fortify this micro-civilisation, vital decisions will need to be made regarding the Golconda's future.[25]

14 NOV 3305

The initiative in the Upaniklis system to provide the generation ship Golconda with essential supplies has concluded successfully. A statement was provided by Itsuko Harada of Upaniklis Vision Incorporated: "Sincere thanks to all traders who delivered medicines and emergency supplies, and also to the brave pilots who protected these shipments against pirate raids. Transfer of the goods to the Golconda has concluded, and I understand they were accepted gratefully." The medical supplies were accompanied by representatives of the Interstellar Health Organisation, who advised the colonists on their use. Team leader Dr Ivan Johansen commented: "Our antiviral agents are far more advanced than those on the Golconda, and early indications suggest patients are responding well to treatment. Hopefully we have halted the outbreak of what the colony calls 'the wasting kiss'." Reports from Upaniklis government insiders indicate that communication with the Golconda has become more frequent, particularly in regards to technological advancements. Local media coverage has fuelled public speculation that the colonists should abandon their ancient vessel and establish a new home in the system. Pilots who took part in the campaign can now obtain their rewards from Fozard Port in the Upaniklis system.[26]

11 NOV 3305

The culture of the generation ship Golconda has been examined by Professor Elizabeth Perez, head of anthropology at Orion Independent University. "Little is known about the Golconda's origins. There are no intact records of its launch, and the lack of archived blueprints suggests a privately funded colonisation attempt. But there's no doubt this microcosm of 22nd Century society will have diverged over the past thousand years. The inhabitants' language is entirely comprehensible, however, and their social structure is recognisable. Rigid security measures are in evidence, as one would expect from an isolationist culture. We also know there is a custodian tasked with ensuring the community's wellbeing, and a chaplain who provides spiritual guidance. All signs point to contentment with – maybe even an addiction to – their spacefaring existence." While audio messages recorded by the Golconda crew are available to the galactic community, only a select handful of individuals representing Upaniklis Vision Incorporated have been permitted to dock with the Golconda. Professor Perez travelled to Upaniklis to speak with them as part of her study. "Interviews with those who delivered supplies were fascinating. As one pilot put it: 'The loading procedures were done at top speed, hardly any comms chatter at all. Nobody on the Golconda entered the cargo bays before we left. I got the impression they were scared stiff of us.' History shows that isolated cultures can be irrevocably damaged by contact with outsiders. We must ensure that efforts to support the Golconda community do not destroy this unique bubble-colony."[27]

08 NOV 3305

A generation ship with a living population has been 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.[28]

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.[29]

19 AUG 3302

Continuing our popular series on significant episodes from human history, noted historian Sima Kalhana discusses generation ships. "Before the development of 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."[30]

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.

"In this modern age it's hard for us to imagine that before the Federation, humanity existed on just a 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 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 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."[31]

Videos

Elite Dangerous- Generation Ship Venusian - The Missing - Episode 2 -A Roleplay Story Elite Dangerous- Generation Ship Lycaon - The Missing - Episode 1 - A Roleplay Story Elite Dangerous - The Odysseus Generation Ship The Missing Reupload Odysseus generation ship Elite Dangerous - The Thetis Generation Ship The Missing Reupload Thetis generation ship Elite Dangerous - The Atlas Generation Ship The Missing Atlas generation ship Lost Generations - Elite Dangerous Ctrl + Alt + Space 2017

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