Regency colonization of the Wilds

Date: Tue, 05 Sep 1995 17:47:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
Subject: Regency colonization of the Wilds

What follows is a very basic experiment in long-distance settlement, 
basically trying to estimate the cost of doing such a thing.   Comments 
welcome.  

Assumed: the Regency will colonize the Wilds (well, at least Corridor and 
Vland, possibly a lot more) in order to
  - solidify it's claim as the true successor to the Third Imperium, by 
holding it's territory
  - to provide a economic outlet for the Regency economy to utilize
  - (possibly) to relieve population pressure in Deneb sector (in the 
Guatney sector maps, the area is PACKED!)

Goals: we want to carry 1 million settlers and 3.5 million disp tons of 
       equipment to a site 120 parsecs from our staging area (a place like 
       Deneb or Antra, on the edge of the training Regency borders) to a 
       site 120 parsecs into exImperial territory.  (enough to go 
       roughly 10 parsecs into Antares, Core or Gusgemege sectors)

Additional information: 
    *  This operation will be spread out over a 7290 day period. 
       (Roughly 20 years)
    *  We will use jump2 Frontier Freighters as detailed in World Tamers 
       Handbook, stuffing their holds with either 712 disp tons of cargo or 
       with enough low berths to hold 712 people.
    *  We want to send out a settler convoy every 30 days

Financial notes: 
    *  To fill the cargo bays with low berths costs 35.6 MCr
    *  To fill the cargo bays with freight costs 2.848 MCr, at 4000 Cr/ton 
    *  A ship costs 520.24 MCr

Travel notes: 
    *  We spend 1 week in jump space, and 1 day refuelling.
       (I'm assuming that the route has already been charted by Regency 
       Scouts, or RQS ships.) 
    *  It will take 480 days to get from the staging area to the 
       settlement area, and another 480 days heading home.
    *  Assume that after the ships return home, we need to wait 30 days
       until we can send them out again.
    *  We must wait 990 days before we can start to reuse returning  
       ships, instead of sending out new ships.
 
Convoy breakdown:
    *  Each convoy carrys 4115 poeple and 14403 tons of cargo.
    *  Each convoy has 6 (actually 5.78) "Low Berth" ships and 20 
       (actually 20.23) "cargo" ships
    *  We need 858 Frontier Freighters (198 "Low Berth", 660 "Cargo") 
       ships before we can start reusing returning ships.  Cost: 
       446,365.92 MCr.
    *  Add 7048.8 MCr to outfit the "Low Berth" ships, and 140 000 MCr to 
       pay for cargo.
    *  Total 'bone basic' cost: 593, 414.72 MCr.

Not included: bases, starmercs, crew, lost ships, and a lot of non-core 
costs ('non-core', but can get real hefty real fast)

Therefore: for the price of a Trillion credit squadron, you can launch 
about 2 of these expeditions.

Aside: at a guess, 100 Regency citizens can afford to launch a private 
settlement expedition of this nature, using strictly income for one year 
to pay for it.

* * * * * * * *

Oh yes, and the Regency may choose to transport embryos, rather than 
people.  This involves lots of groundwork done previously, but may be 
much more efficent in the long run. 

* * * * * * * * 

And who would the Regency get to settle in the Wilds? (Excluding the unborn)
Well,first, who wouldn't want to settle in the Wilds?

A: Comfortable people (ruling out the population on high-tech worlds, 
possibly anything over TL C)

B: Those who have an irrational, absolute fear of Virus and renegade 
machinery

C: People who feel that the future's *here*, in the Regency, not *there*, 
in the corpse of the Imperium.

D: People who have a deep attachment to family: if the family's staying, 
so are they.  IF they leave, therre unlikely to see their family or old 
friends ever again.

E: People who would rather settle on half-a-loaf now than risk their necks 
for a full loaf later.

OK, now who are those crazys who *would* resettle in the Wilds?

A: Those who loved the old Imperium - both remmaints and patriots - would 
head to the Wilds to rebuild her again.

B: Poor people, trapped on overcrowded worlds with no economic future 
(Borlund, anyone?) would head out in droves

C: Vilani patriots would vounteer to head for Vland Sector - and Vland 
itself - to rebuild Vland civilization

D: The oddballs of Regency society would head out.

E: A LOT of reactionaries - both Noble and anti-psionic versions - would 
leave.

F: The usual semi-criminals, fortune-hunters and con men

G: The Regency may encourage military men to retire in the Wilds, using 
grants, etc.

H: The Regency may ecourage valuable scientists and technicians to head 
for the Wilds by cutting them deals for a percentage of a colony's 
profits, interest free loans, etc.

I: The Regency may encourage "people of substance" to settle in the 
Blasted Zone by sweetheart deals, granting noble titles (with old-style 
noble powers), etc.
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvin Plummer
"Preserve what we created, Norris, and remember what we stood for."
                               - Strephon, 179-1126

Reply to: alvin.plummer@SHERIDANC.ON.CA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------