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Subj:   TML biweekly: Msgs 7615-7627 V44#18

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From: traveller-request@engrg.uwo.ca (TML Admin)
Subject: TML biweekly: Msgs 7615-7627 V44#18
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TML biweekly    Wed May 18 21:00:03 EDT 1994    Volume 44 : Issue 18

Today's topics:

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 606  7618 17-May-1994 b.borich@genie.  Pre-Tne TML <<     Or one could seperat
 606  7619 17-May-1994 James T Perkins  Re: Misc. Questions  << langsl@cbr.hhcs
 606  7620 17-May-1994 "Bruce Johnson"  Firearms questions from Alistair << Ali
 606  7621 17-May-1994 Matthew Mactyre  TNE Errata << Greetings All,
 606  7622 17-May-1994 David Johnson    Misc: Breath of Life << Alistair Langsf
 606  7623 17-May-1994 Roger Myhre      Sunbane                   << I've tried
 606  7624 17-May-1994 CHiggin@aol.com  Pre-Virus/TNE list <<     David Johnson
 607  7627 17-May-1994 Steve Charlton   Imperial Navy/Army Organization << Ther
 607  7625 17-May-1994 David Johnson    Alt: Earth Colonies News Service << Gen
 607  7626 17-May-1994 David Johnson    Alt: Earth Colonies Sophonts: Aeroi << 

This is a passively moderated mailing list. All messages sent to the
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Submissions: traveller@engrg.uwo.ca -or- uunet!engrg.uwo.ca!traveller
Administrator: traveller-request@engrg.uwo.ca (James Perkins)

The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Bundle: 606
Archive-Message-Number: 7615

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Bundle: 606
Archive-Message-Number: 7616

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Bundle: 606
Archive-Message-Number: 7617

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Bundle: 606
Archive-Message-Number: 7618
From: b.borich@genie.geis.com
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 14:31:00 UTC
Subject: Pre-Tne TML

    Or one could seperate the TML into the Imperium based discussions
(background) and another for rules based discussions (CT/MT/TNE/Var).
    Personally I'm just as sorry to see some of the 'old-timers' go
here and elsewhere and wouldn't mind to see them back. But I don't really
expect some of them to make it back because there are too many differences
caused by the new TNE/FF&S rules (Virus/ship movement). I don't know.
    Whether the Virus is a good thing or a bad thing is a mote point now.
It's a fact of the TNE era. (the suggestion made here that the Virus
has some psionic ability to alter its ciruitry is however a very good
suggestion to make it more realistic).
    As for the ship movement problem, I happen to remember a vocal outcry
about the unrealistic DGP thrusters and about getting more science into
Traveller again. To a certain extent that's what we got.
    Admittedly not everything's perfect (to say it mildly for some).
    Hey, it's only a game, a Sci-Fi game at that. Game Designers are not
scientists (and even if they were, there would still be disagreement
over what's real and what's not).
 
    I think some things got forgotten in all the flaming back and forth
over TNE. (And more people would join the TML if the flaming disappeared,
but they have no desire to waste their time or bandwidth listening to
the flaming).
    1.  It's a game.
    2.  It's not real life.
    3.  You don't like it, change it. Give the fixes to others (Maybe it'll
become an 'official' variant).
 
 
    <100-diameters> For work on the Antares Down adventure it was decided
(at least initially) to make the jump point 100 diameters out from the
radius of the star. This was a plot device to make life more interesting.
Since this never made print it can be considered unofficial. And
considering new TNE ship movement rules, maybe not desired.
 
    <Andy - Green Virus> See The Stand <grin. Better yet read the book>. Or
even the Andromeda Strain (the book is better here too). Another thought that
had been made was just to worsen the effects of the Black war period of the
Imperium (so to speak).

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Bundle: 606
Archive-Message-Number: 7619
Subject: Re: Misc. Questions 
Reply-To: traveller-request@engrg.uwo.ca (TML Administrator)
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 09:04:43 PDT
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@sp-eug.com>


langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au writes:
> If the room is filled not with air, but with Oxygen only: - what
> atmospheric pressure should it be at to be safe? I believe that if 
> the pressure is too high the atmosphere promotes any sort of minor 
> spark into a serious fire/explosive hazard.

Humans are used to breathing area that is 80% N2, 20% O2. The air
pressure they breathe it at is 14.7 lbs/in^2. The partial pressure of O2
is about 0.20 * 14.7 lbs/in^2, or about 2.9 lbs/in^2. This is the
theoretical minimum air pressure that humans can sustain while still
being able to get adequate oxygen supply to their cells. The practical
minimum air pressure, however, tends to be higher than this -- for one
thing, altitude sickness may set in at this low a pressure (bodily
fluids filling up the lungs). Also, pure O2 is only wise for short
periods as it tends to oxidize the linings of one's lungs. I believe
that astronaut's space suits have them running about at 4-5 lbs/in^2,
and the cabins of early space craft at around 6-7 lbs/in^2.

I think the shuttle uses a O2/N2 mix that approximates earth atmosphere
at sea level. All that inert N2 adds a lot of weight but makes the
astronauts much more comfortable.

James

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Bundle: 606
Archive-Message-Number: 7620
From: "Bruce Johnson" <JOHNSON@tonic.pharm.arizona.edu>
Date:         Tue, 17 May 1994 10:27:40 MST
Subject:      Firearms questions from Alistair

Alistair asks...

>Some questions on firearms...
>- -------------------------------

> ..   At what tech level can you build guns out of non metallic 
>materials?
> ..   What sort of non metallic materials are possible - plastics, 
>carbon fibre, or what? 
> ..   At what tech level can you build caseless ammo and weapons to 
>use it? And when does the result become as practical as weapons 
>using cased ammo?

        There has been some debate over alternate materials over in 
Rec.guns, particularly about stuff like the 'plastic' gun depicted in the 
movie "In the Line of Fire'.  For those who haven't seen it (and don't 
mind a spoiler;-) the bad guy, an expert in making plastic and 
composite materials (among other things) makes a simple two shot 
pistol that would pass through a metal detector.  Opinions varied, but 
given current tech levels on Earth (8-10 or whatever) such a gun is 
quite possible.  Also, remember the infamous Glock 'plastic' pistol of 
several years back.  It was mostly made from non-metallic 
components.  The company has since increased the percentage of 
ferrous metal components, but at the time it was quite revolutionary in 
design.  Similarly, ceramic materials of sufficient toughness and 
durability exist to make the hard part of firearms today; what lacks is 
the economic incentive to make them.  Steel is cheap, and will 
probably continue to be cheap for some time to come.  There are 
other considerations to making guns lighter, too.  As long as we're 
using guns that recoil, a lighter gun is not neccessarily better.  Since 
perceived recoil is very dependent on the mass of the gun, a light gun 
has more perceived recoil, and a much greater effect on the accuracy 
of that second shot.  A Marlin .44 mag carbine has much less 
perceived recoil than a .44 mag snub revolver, and is much more 
accurate. Weight also affects the first shot accuracy as well.  A 
heavier gun requires more effort to move it, so small motions are 
less likely to upset the aim once it's established.. 

        Therefore the only time that non-metallic components will be 
used, in firearms, or anything else, for that matter, is when they 
impart a greater advantage over more conventional materials.  This is 
pretty much a standard dictum of manufacturing design.  Carbon fiber 
composite materials are pretty much state of the art stuff, as 
materials go, but they're commonly used in fishing rods, because 
they're so much better that other alternatives (performance-wise) that 
they make economic sense, oce you're tooled up to make them in 
quantity.  OTOH, the same carbon fiber technology is usable to make 
bicycle frames, but since the margin of performance gain is so much 
smaller over the best of more common materials, they're only used in 
very high performance (read ungodly expensive) applications.

        The same applies to caseless ammunition.  Caseless 
ammunition is in common use today...it's used for the 20 and 30 mm 
cannons used in fighter aircraft like the US F-16, and others (I don't 
know any others off hand)  These give a huge advantage over 
conventional cased ammo.  You lose the weight of the shells, and so 
can carry more ammo, and you don't have to store the shells after 
firing them.  (a great problem with cased is that when ejected from a 
highspeed aircraft during dogfight maneuvers, they can easily cause 
great damage to the aircraft firing them)  So, in one sense, we're (at 
tech 8 or 10, whatever we are) already capable of caseless ammo. 
Similarly, there have been experimental hand weapons made that 
use caseless ammunition for a few years now.  This has other 
problems, namely durability, and safety.  Coventional cased 
ammunition can be dropped, ground into the dirt, carried through mud, 
dunked in streams, rattle around in a pocket for years, and still work.  
Such durability hasn't been verified for the caseless ammunition 
avaliable today.  It will become practical, when A) it does prove as 
durable and useful as conventional ammunition, and B) it is 
sufficiently cheap that is is cost effective to switch, which involves a 
weapon redesign.  The latter probably won't happen until a 
government or two, large ones, decide that this is the new standard, 
and order it for their armies. Then, thanks to the economies of scale, 
caseless becomes cheaper and more avaliable than cased, and will 
probably start to supplant it.

        This long winded explanation of something tha would be easily 
answered by going to my books (or my campaign, where to simplify 
things, all commonly avaliable guns are caseless, and come in two 
calibers) is to point out what I percieve as a great problem of the 
'granularity' of the Tech level scale.  As someone has pointed out, 
Earth today is a low tech level, but only because we don't have 
interstellar flight.  Since the tech level is based on broad classes of 
technology, I don't think it's applicable to very minute detail, so the 
question of 'when is caseless ammunition avaliable' is really moot.  
It's avaliable when it's needed and economically viable.  We had 
'caseless' ammunition over a hundred and fifty years ago, when 
paper cased cartriges for muzzleloading rifles were in common use; 
what tech level were we in 1800?

Bruce Johnson
The University of Arizona
johnson@tonic.pharm.arizona.edu (work :-(
bej@gas.uug.arizona.edu (play :-)

My opinions, All Mine! 

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Bundle: 606
Archive-Message-Number: 7621
Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 13:53:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: Matthew Mactyre <mactyre@scs.unr.edu>
Subject: TNE Errata

Greetings All,

This is probably a question already answered in the dim (or immediate 
past).  However, I need to get a copy of the TNE Errata for "Traveller: 
The New Era," and "Fire, Fusion and Steel."  Where can I get it?  Could 
someone E-mail it to me?

Thanks in advance,

Matthew

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Bundle: 606
Archive-Message-Number: 7622
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 16:10:26 CDT
From: djohnson@geds01.jsc.nasa.gov (David Johnson)
Subject: Misc: Breath of Life

Alistair Langsford <langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au> asks:

> Imagine you are in a sealed room. How long does it take a person to die 
>     because the air gets bad

It depends on the volume of the room and how many folks are trying to
breathe.  Of course, I don't know *how* it depends (i.e. minutes per
liter of air per person).  It also depends on the pressure and percentage
of oxygen.  The greater the pressure and/or oxygen concentration (and
the fewer the people) the longer you can survive.

> - and why? Is it lack of Oxygen, or the 
>     presence of impurities?

It's lack of oxygen, unless impurities are also being introduced.  The
human waste product, carbon dioxide, isn't harmful.

> If the room is filled not with air, but with Oxygen only:
> - -   what atmospheric pressure should it be at to be safe? I believe that if 
>     the pressure is too high the atmosphere promotes any sort of minor 
>     spark into a serious fire/explosive hazard.

The explosive hazard is a product of oxygen concentration not pressure.
The higher the concentration, at any pressure, the greater the risk.
The confusion comes from the fact that higher concentrations permit the
air to be `breatheable' at lower pressures.  Thus, early US spacecraft
used all-oxygen atmospheres at lower pressure (some chemistry folks or
divers can probably explain the partial-pressure thing) because the
craft pressure vessel didn't need to be as strong if the internal pressure
was lower.  The capsule fire in Apollo I on the launch pad changed all
that.  Since then, US spacecraft have taken the weight hit and used 
stronger crew pressure vessels in order to keep the oxygen concentration
closer to what it is in `normal' atmosphere.

> - -   how long before a typical human unfortunate dies from bad air in this 
>     scenario.

A 100% concentration of oxygen at the same pressure as `air' (~20% oxygen)
would permit you to breathe about five times longer but you would probably
only use a 100% oxygen environment at lower pressure (in order to gain the
stength/weight savings of the early US spacecraft).  At 20% of atmospheric
pressure (or thereabouts) you wouldn't live any longer in a 100% oxygen
environment than you would in a 20% oxygen atmosphere at standard pressure.
Below 20% of atmospheric pressure you'd having trouble breathing even in
a 100% oxygen environment.

There isn't really a simple answer to your question.  Me, I'd just wing
it.  Either they get out in time, or they don't.  :-)

Happy Travelling,

David Johnson
Houston, Texas, USA

P.S.  Note the `Misc' subject indicator in my subject line.

------------------------------

Bundle: 606
Archive-Message-Number: 7623
Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 23:10:00 +0200
From: Roger Myhre <myhre@oslonett.no>
Subject: Sunbane                  

I've tried to reach Sunbane for almost a week now without any luck.
I have compiled all the Gvurrdon docs I have written for HIWG. They are
waiting at my local server, Oslonett, to be transfered to Sunbane.

I would appreciate if anyone could inform me if the FTP site is
temporary down, and eventually when it will be back online.

BTW: I'm also sitting on a large collection of other HIWG docs from
other HIWG members. These docs are mainly MT related, but I think much
of the stuff can be used in either CT, MT and/or TNE. I haven't read or
cataloged all the docs yet. But I'll certainly do if you are interested
in getting them. It all depends on I get to Sunbane or not <sigh>.

And if I'm going to upload HIWG docs, it may be wise to make a directory
for those docs so that they are not mixed among all the other things
lying there.

BTW2: My first attempt of transfering the Gvurrdon docs failed, when it
seems that either the ZIP packer corrupts the file in one way or the
other so that it can't be transfered properly. Or that Oslonett is not
handling the communication port properly. My question is, can you handle
LHA packing? It would greatly reduce the file sizes, and I can include
several related documents into one file.




Roger "StarWolf" Myhre
                

------------------------------

Bundle: 606
Archive-Message-Number: 7624
From: CHiggin@aol.com
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 17:44:45 EDT
Subject: Pre-Virus/TNE list


    David Johnson:

   >Now, please, Mark (and others), let's not have more argument
   >about our arguments about a new list.  Just take me up on my
   >challenge and start posting all that pre-TNE stuff to the TML.
   >You don't even have to wait until June 1st - get that
   >`signal-to-noise' ratio up *now* because every bit of bandwidth
   >that's wasted arguing against me instead of being pre-TNE posts
   >just makes my case and argues against a separate list.

    I was initially for the idea of a pre-Virus list...  because I was
    hoping that all those discussions about the Imperial background,
    equipment, places, amber zones, etc.  would come back.  I don't
    give 0.02 credits for the RCES, and the only use I have for the
    Regency stuff is for filling in holes in the c. 1112 Domain of
    Deneb area.  The Earth Colonies stuff is fascinating, but I'm not
    sure yet what I'll do with it.

    ...but a pre-Virus TML is pointless if nobody posts on it.  I
    think David has a point; is anyone still interested in DISCUSSING
    the era besides me?  I have stuff I could have posted, but I
    sensed an underwhelming amount of interest in pre-Virus material
    -- all the posts were about TNE gun designs, Regency politics,
    RCES politics, etc, etc, etc.  I once issued an appeal for TNE
    ship designs from the TML's famous ship designers (that's you,
    Scott and Robert!), and saw nothing posted in return.

    I say pre-Virus list, because like someone else here, I like the
    TNE rules, but despise the background.  I'd like to be able to
    discuss Pre-Virus and alternate history backgrounds, but using TNE
    rules,too.  Am I just whistling Dixie?  Or is there a chance of
    this happening?

                        -- Cynthia Higginbotham


    "Q:  What is the difference between the BATF and the Gestapo?"
    "A:  BATF agents speak English."



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Bundle: 607
Archive-Message-Number: 7627
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 16:59:32 MST
From: scharlto@olympus.avalon.COM (Steve Charlton)
Subject: Imperial Navy/Army Organization

There have been a number of postings of late about Imperial military
structure; especially in the Regency.  I have been running CT/MT/TNE
campaigns for more than 10 years, and I have always had a problem with 
GDW's ideas on Imperial military structure.  While GDW's structure is
fairly straightforward, they forgot just how big and feudal the Imperium is
(was/will be).

In my campaigns, the main military arm of the Imperium is the Imperial Navy.
The Marines are part of the Navy, just as in the United States.  The 
Imperial Army does not normally exist, except as Army-level HQ and support
units stationed at convenient locations.  

The Navy has three levels to it; Imperial Navy, Imperial Navy Reserve and
Colonial Navy.  The IN is the regular active force.  The INR consists of
recent retirees and Depot-stored excess ships, and includes training
units and ships at various IN bases.  It would also include support ships and
large transports for Imperial Army movement. The Colonial Navy is an ad hoc
force made up of starships from the navies of Imperial member states.
Such units would tend to be mainly patrol or escort vessels; few worlds
need or can afford dreadnaughts.  Each sector has a single fleet, with one
group per subsector (each with 1 or more squadrons).  Each sector also has
one reserve fleet, which can be bolstered with Colonial forces during a
declared emergency.  These units would be organized into planetary squadrons,
or composite squadrons for worlds with only a few ships.

The Marines are the regular ground forces.  There are Fleet Marines assigned to
ships as security or drop troops, Garrison Marines assigned to guard
Imperial facilities, and Line Marines assigned as additional units.  These
forces are used for fast response, and are the ground force normally used.
If drop troops attached directly to Groups are not sufficient, the fleet has
access to Line Marine units carried in bulk transports.  In general, a 1000
ship Sector Fleet would have a full corps of Line Marines available, as well
as several Marine Landing Brigades (Drop Marine brigades) in the fleet,
and at least 1 Marine Landing Force (Drop Marine battalion) per subsector
Group.

If more ground force is needed (an extended occupation) the Imperial Army
would come into play.  Units would be activated from the armies of
Imperial member states.  They would be combined with units of compatable
Tech Level to form divisions, corps and armies under Imperial Army control.
The IA would supply high-tech command and support units, and INR transports
would carry the forces into battle.

The justification for this is largely economic.  It is expensive to maintain
a full-time army.  The Imperium has a proven need for a Navy and for quick
reaction ground forces carried by the Navy, but a full-time Army is a 
needless drain on resources.  Why not use the armies of the member worlds,
much like a feudal levy (except better trained and equipped). 

Just some thoughts... any sort of input is welcome.  I have done a lot
with deep-space stations too, so maybe I'll throw my weight into that
discussion next time.  As regards the TNE/CT controversy, I find the 
new background OK, but I would like a Regency/Imperium sourcebook 
someday.  I am fairly pleased with the rules, except for starship combat.
I'm lazy, so I like the cheesy simplicity of CT starship combat or the 
abstract comfort of High Guard.

None of this reflects the views of my employers (who would probably
like MT starship combat better anyway).

------------------------------

Bundle: 607
Archive-Message-Number: 7625
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 17:54:39 CDT
From: djohnson@geds01.jsc.nasa.gov (David Johnson)
Subject: Alt: Earth Colonies News Service

Gentlesophonts:

The following news briefs appeared in *Melbourne Times* #2:

Melbourne Times News Service

Anokye/Pollux (1419.16 B848689-B) 21 Apr 3001
 In its official report released today, the Navy confirmed that the
unidentified ship destroyed at Epimetheus/Pollux three weeks ago by the frigate
Foch was an Aztlan Maza-class escort.
 According to the report, the Foch was conducting frontier refuelling shortly
after emerging from jump when it encountered the unidentified ship in the upper
reaches of the gas giant's atmosphere.  When it refused to respond to the
Foch's hail, the ship was fired upon and eventually destroyed.
 Initial efforts to identify the ship were hindered by the loss of the
wreckage in the giant's lower atmosphere.  The report states that the ship was
identified after an analysis of telemetry gathered by the Foch during the
engagement.
 A spokesperson for Commodore Geraldine Kolchak declined to comment on the
report, but sources close to the Commodore stated that the discovery of an
Aztlan warship in Commonwealth space was certain to lead to further escalation
of tensions in the Pollux subsector.

Dedn/Europa (2934.30 AA6A865-D) 24 Apr 3001
 In a terse communique released today, the mysterious Committee for State
Security announced that it had assumed all executive authority in the Meren
Worlds.
 Actual composition of the Committee remains unclear.  The Committee has been
rumored to be an extension of the reactionary wing of the Expansionist Clique,
which has suffered from increasing turmoil since the end of the Markets War.
 The status and location of Morrochai Gvo remains unknown.  The communique
stated that the Meren Autarch had been "relieved of its responsibilities" by
the Committee.
 In a separate statement, Ivondond Verch, leader of the Reformist Clique and a
frequent critic of the Autarch in the past, called for Morrochai's restoration
to its "appropriate and lawful position" and characterized the action of the
Committee for State Security as a "supra-legal usurpation of executive
authority".

New Canaan/Gaea (2215.10 A865999-D) 27 Apr 3001
 The New Lhasa Skystupa fell to the ground today.
 The gravitic spiritual and entertainment complex slowly descended from its
aerial position 800 meters above the city after its main gravitic generator
shut down.  A Skystupa spokesperson stressed that it had been a controlled
descent and that the Skystupa's 860,000 inhabitants were never in danger.
 The cause of the generator failure has yet to be determined.  The
spokesperson stated that Skystupa engineers hoped to have the complex airborne
again within a few days.
 The New Lhasa Skystupa is the first gravitic urban complex developed on New
Canaan.  The effect of the generator failure upon additional Skystupas
currently under construction at New Medina and New Istanbul remains unclear.

Aztlan/Procyon (0911.20 A9879A7-D) 28 Apr 3001
 The Imperial Household announced the engagement today of Crown Princess Sola.
The heir to the Adamant Throne will wed Don Arturo Kumate, an officer in the
Diplomatic Corps.
 The Crown Princess, currently serving as an auxiliary craft pilot in the
Imperial Navy, had long shown little interest in marriage.  Sources in the
Household have denied reports that the Crown Princess was pressured into the
engagement by Empress Ana and Grand Duke Guillermo.
 Don Arturo first met the Crown Princess nearly 18 months ago during a
reception held for her by the Ehime monarch at the Ehime embassy.  Don Arturo
has served as Her Majesty's ambassador to the Ehime court for the past three
years.
 The wedding, in accordance with Imperial tradition, has been scheduled to
coincide with the annual Festival of the Founders to be held later this year. 

Earth/Sirius (1720.19 A867988-D) 01 May 3001
 Earthsteward Emile Cevera opened year-long ceremonies today celebrating the
Tricentennial of the founding of the Commonwealth of Earth.
 "As we cross this threshold of our fourth century, we reach forward to the
myriad of opportunities that beckon to us," said Cevera in remarks carried live
across the globe.
 The Commonwealth Tricentennial will be celebrated in a variety of events over
the next year throughout the worlds of the Commonwealth.  The celebration will
climax with the Commonwealth Games to be held here at Earth.

Nyanza/Nyanza (1531.12 A86898A-D) 03 May 3001
 The Nyanzan Subsector factor for Ysinal udi-Quinan announced today that the
Aeroi mercantile giant had reached an agreement with the Nyanzan Navy to
provide armed escorts for YuQ shipping operations in Nyanza, Wanganui, Aquila
and Ourora subsectors.
 The three-year contract includes provisions for piracy suppression as well as
escort duties.  Representatives of the Federation Navy declined to discuss the
actual price of the contract.  Analysts at the Nyanza Securities Exchange
estimated the amount to be in the gigacredit range.  Ysinal udi-Quinan stock
had risen 5.625 points by the close of trading today.
 A spokesperson for the Ouroran embassy criticized the joint Aeroi-Nyanzan
effort as an "unnecessary and provocative escalation" of the recent trade
tensions in the region.

Amazonas/Ourora (1934.24 A766955-D) 12 May 3001
 House Moreira officially closed the Mendes Highport today.  The closing
coincided with opening ceremonies for the new Amazonas Highport which has been
operational for several months now.
 The Mendes Highport was constructed around the hull of the Conestoga-class
sub-light transport Chico Mendes which brought the original settlers from Earth
over five hundred years ago.  The ship served as an orbital base of operations
for the initial colonization of Amazonas.  Over the centuries the orbital
facility has grown into a sprawling shipyard complex that served as Amazonas'
primary Highport.
 The new Highport was constructed by Moreira after it determined that further
upgrades to the Mendes facility were impractical.  Moreira officials have
described the new Highport as the "centerpiece of commercial infrastructure" in
the Community.
 The Mendes facility will be stripped down and the Chico Mendes hull
refurbished in time for the sexacentennial of the settling of Amazonas.

*****

Happy Travelling,

David Johnson
Houston, Texas, USA

------------------------------

Bundle: 607
Archive-Message-Number: 7626
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 17:59:35 CDT
From: djohnson@geds01.jsc.nasa.gov (David Johnson)
Subject: Alt: Earth Colonies Sophonts: Aeroi

Gentlesophonts:

The following Sophont Brief on the Aeroi first appeared in *Melbourne
Times* #2.

The Aeroi were the first extraterrestrial race encountered by Terrans.  Aeroi
civilization is apparently not much older than Terran although the Aeroi did
achieve jump drive, with its subsequent interstellar expansion, several hundred
years prior to any Terran state.  In a sense, because it was an Aeroi ship that
first discovered a Terran settlement, the Aeroi actually 'encountered' Terrans.

Physiology: The Aeroi are descended from arboreal, air-breathing grazer stock. 
A typical Aeroi measures 1.2 meters in height and masses about 35 kilograms. 
Aeroi are able to 'stand' to a height of approximately 1.6 meters and their
'wingspan' measures nearly 2.6 meters.  Their coloring tends to be a variety of
shades from pale yellow through a deep orange.  They are hairless but their
tough skin provides good protection.  Aeroi are exceptionally agile both on the
ground, their primary environment, and in the air.  Aeroi flight capability is
limited primarily to gliding although actual 'powered' flight is possible under
certain conditions (dense atmospheres, lower gravity).  Aeroi are limited to
speeds of 20 kph on the ground but have been known to approach 100 kph in
flight.

There are two Aeroi sexes with physical differences limited to the sexual
organs.  Aeroi young are born after a gestation period of six months encased in
a hard-shelled envelope somewhat similar to the eggs of Terran avians. 
Multiple births are extremely rare.  The young are 'hatched' from this envelope
after a period of two months.  Females were originally responsible for the
envelope-stage young while males generally cared for the hatchlings.  These
traditional roles have become obsolete with the rise of technological
civilization.

Aeroi reach sexual maturity in their early twenties at which point they
generally leave their parents' care.  Aeroi bond in exclusive female-male pairs
although these pairs seldom last beyond the period required for child rearing. 
Both Aeroi females and males remain fertile into their early fifties.  Life
expectancy commonly exceeds 120 years.

Aeroi posses exceptional visual (extending into the infrared range), auditory
(extending beyond Human high-frequency ranges) and taste senses but have no
olfactory organs.  A pair of eyes are located at the front of the head, as
is the mouth.  An ear is located on both sides of the head.  Breathing
orifices are located in this region as well.  Tactile senses are somewhat
limited due to the protective nature of the epidermal layer.

Aeroi manipulative appendages, which hang from the lower portion of the
abdomen, are highly agile and posses generally higher strength than those of
Humans.  The 'wing' appendages also terminate in manipulative members although
these possess less strength.Their 'wings' are also quite agile - giving them
great maneuverability in the air despite being limited to gliding flight most
of the time.  Aeroi utilize the 'wing' appendages for ambulation and are also
quite mobile on the ground.

Aeroi speech organs are able to produce most Human sounds and both Dolphin and
Human speech is well within range of Aeroi hearing.  Much of Aeroi speech
though, occurs beyond the range of Human hearing but not of Dolphin hearing. 
This allows Aeroi to communicate to Humans if necessary but also allows
protected communication in the presence of Humans.

History: Aeroi sentience is attributed to changing environmental factors that
lead to decreasing food supplies for early Aeroi groups.  The gradual decline
in available vegetation lead to the need for increased cooperation among
far-ranging Aeroi groups in locating sources of food.  Family bonds dominated
most groups with numbers ranging from 12 to 30 individuals.  As the
environmental conditions continued to worsen, the need for manipulation of the
environment lead provided a further impetus for intellectual development.

The deteriorating environmental conditions led to increased conflict among
early Aeroi groups.  The scarce grazing areas though also served to maintain
great physical distances between groups.  Conflict became more 'strategic' in
nature and was focused on migration and grazing patterns rather than actual
confrontation between groups.  Records of violence between Aeroi groups does
not survive in the historical record.

Eventually, groups learned that conflict could be managed.  Cooperation, in the
form of mutually beneficial arrangements, became increasingly common.  Conflict
still exists but takes the form of competition in the formulation of
arrangements.

Aeroi groups grew into clan or tribal organizations but mobility remained
important.  Even though technological advancement and improved environmental
manipulation have decreased the need for mobility it remains quite important in
the Aeroi psyche.  These 'tribal' affiliations also remain quite strong.
The advent of technological civilization led to increasing mobility in the
search for resources and to competition among tribal groups.  This served as a
primary driver in the Aeroi move off-world and, with the discovery of jump
drive, into interstellar space.

The first record of Aeroi contact with Terrans is with worlds settled from the
Ehime Prefecture late in the 29th Century.  Since that time Aeroi economic
interests have expanded through most of the Colonies Sphere.  Until recently,
much of this period was characterized by intense economic conflict with the
Meren.

Psychology: The Aeroi are highly individualistic but are also strongly
influenced by tribal bonds.  Competition among tribal groups is almost
instinctual and the importance of individual contributions to this conflict is
widely recognized.  Aeroi can be ruthless to those outside their own tribal
group but are exceptionally compassionate to tribal members.

While the Aeroi seem to thrive on conflict they find violence as abhorrent. 
This is not so much a revulsion toward violence as it is a recognition of
violence as being blunt and inefficient tool.  In a sense, Aeroi see violence
as 'beneath' them.

Aeroi see conflict and competition as natural methods of providing improvement
and innovation.  The idea of cooperation in an environment free from
competition is completely alien to the Aeroi.

To a certain extent, the Aeroi see outsiders as natural.  Aeroi tribal groups
have always seen each other as outsiders.  While this has prevented a cohesive
racial attitude from developing it has provided the Aeroi with an advantage in
dealing with non-Aeroi sophonts.  They see non-Aeroi as no more 'alien' than
other Aeroi tribes.

Society: In modern society, Aeroi tribal groups are generally organized around
some sort of commercial enterprise.  These groups are often insular and because
of this highly diversified in their activities.  The Aeroi respect for the
individual leads to a great deal of tolerance for diversity within the group.

Each tribal group provides its own governmental structures.  In this sense
there is no Aeroi government per se.  Instead a variety of organizations, all
of them Aeroi, compete in a broad range of activities.  One might even say that
there is no Aeroi society, but rather a collection of Aeroi societies.

Aeroi tribal entities are almost exclusively commercial ventures.  These
entities are fierce economic competitors both among themselves and with
non-Aeroi groups.  The Aeroi seem to have some difficulty interpreting the role
of Terran governmental entities.  For this reason the boundaries between
economic and political competition are often blurred from the perspective of
Terrans.

The Aeroi distaste for violence is apparent in that Aeroi military and security
organizations are almost exclusively staffed by non-Aeroi.  In general, Aeroi
military forces tend to be small and conflicts limited.  The Aeroi prefer, and
are usually able, to resolve conflicts by non-military means.

*****

Happy Travelling,

David Johnson
Houston, Texas, USA

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