Inhabited Generation Ship (The Golconda)

[knowles2]

Question: If they've been drifting on slow drives, how did they suddenly appear near a planet?

And, if they've been isolated from outside contact, how do they know a current system name?

A simple explanation that star charts were created long before we could travel to the actual stars and stars were name when those maps were created.

alternatively this this a Thargoid trap and they have use this captured generation ship create a super virus that will wipe us all out!

 

[Stealthie]

Question: If they've been drifting on slow drives, how did they suddenly appear near a planet?

We don't know they've been drifting along for 1000 years.

Y'know what'd be really funny?

Maybe the Golconda was supposed to be some kind of precursor to the introduction of FCs?
Generation ship shows up somewhere it's not supposed to be, we do some stuff and it's revealed that they've figured out how to tune up their ship's drives using some funky new element, thus paving the way for FC's and the fuel we need for 'em.

Except that, if FDev have decided to delay FCs for another 8 months, they're probably going to have to kill any narrative that might have been intended to be attached to the Golconda too.

 

[Six6VI]

We don't know they've been drifting along for 1000 years.

Y'know what'd be really funny?

Maybe the Golconda was supposed to be some kind of precursor to the introduction of FCs?
Generation ship shows up somewhere it's not supposed to be, we do some stuff and it's revealed that they've figured out how to tune up their ship's drives using some funky new element, thus paving the way for FC's and the fuel we need for 'em.

Except that, if FDev have decided to delay FCs for another 8 months, they're probably going to have to kill any narrative that might have been intended to be attached to the Golconda too.

I'm thinking more along the lines of a CG to build a new civilian space dock to limit the FC availability at first and the delay may be for multiple reasons. There's been a fair bit of feedback so far, and we're up to version 2 of the squadron fleet carrier. Maybe they've gone back to the drawing board with all our ideas?

 

[Sapyx]

Question: If they've been drifting on slow drives, how did they suddenly appear near a planet?

They could have ben coasting inwards towards the Upaniklis system for years, looking just like an interstellar piece of debris (21st century Earthlings might get excited about such things, but they'd be mundane and boring in the Elite universe unless they happen to aiming directly at an inhabited planet). It would only have been noticed once the main engines lit up to bring it to a halt.

My own theory is that there are higher-up bureaucrats in the Powers That Be that are aware of any imminent Arrivals of live, intact generation ships, and who do their best to hush things up so that the ship's inhabitants can make up their own minds about what to do with minimal interference. The "Prime Directive" against non-interference is now null and void for the Golconda, as they themselves have chosen to break the embargo and directly ask for assitance.

And, if they've been isolated from outside contact, how do they know a current system name?

Just because they haven't been talking to anyone, doesn't mean they haven't been listening. They are presumably aware that the system they have entered is already inhabited by humans and have been listening to human broadcast traffic for the last few months while approaching the system. There's a Nav Beacon sitting right there in near-solar orbit of the system, transmitting the name of the star system in Morse code - I think they'd be able to pick that up pretty easily, since I'd assume Nav Beacons are deliberately designed to advertise their presence as loudly and clearly as possible, for just such an occasion.

 

[Lukozer]

After 1000 years of inbreeding i'd name the illness affecting them... Pitcairn's Disease...

 

[Six6VI]

They could have ben coasting inwards towards the Upaniklis system for years, loking just like an interstellar piece of debris (21st century Earthlings might get excited about such things, but they'd be mundane and boring in the Elite universe unless they happen to aiming directly at an inhabited planet). It would only have been noticed once the main engines lit up to bring it to a halt.

My own theory is that there are higher-up bureaucrats in the Powers That Be that are aware of any imminent Arrivals of live, intact generation ships, and who do their best to hush things up so that the ship's inhabitants can make up their own minds about what to do with minimal interference. The "Prime Directive" against non-interference is now null and void for the Golconda, as they themselves have chosen to break the embargo and directly ask for assitance.



Just because they haven't been talking to anyone, doesn't meen they haven't been listening. They are presumably aware that the system they have entered is already inhabited by humans and have been listening to human broadcast traffic for the last few months while approaching the system. There's a Nav Beacon sitting right there in near-solar orbit of the system, transmitting the name of the star system in Morse code - I think they'd be able to pick that up pretty easily, since I'd assume Nav Beacons are deliberately designed to advertise their presence as loudly and clearly as possible, for just such an occasion.

Ok, so why do we have to drop into normal space to scan nav beacons then?

 

[Sapyx]

You need to get close to download the planetary and navigational data etc. But the beacon itself is loud and clear; they're the orbital equivalent of planting a giant flag on the star with a big banner that says "HUMANS LIVE HERE".

No wonder the Thargoids have no trouble finding us. We aren't exactly trying to hide.

 

[Darth Montu]

my friends and I at the Golconda

 

[Six6VI]

You need to get close to download the planetary and navigational data etc. But the beacon itself is loud and clear; they're the orbital equivalent of planting a giant flag on the star with a big banner that says "HUMANS LIVE HERE".

No wonder the Thargoids have no trouble finding us. We aren't exactly trying to hide.

That was more of a dig at FDev, for a lack of internal consistency.

 

[CmdMarty]

Slow drips make me yawn!

 

[Tobias Indigo]

There are no date stamps on the messages nor on the Listening Post. These messages could be tens or hundreds of years old and they have all succumbed to the deeases.

 

[Speedcuffs]

No contact for all this time...
Bet they still got windows updates tho.

 

[M00ka]

After 1000 years of inbreeding i'd name the illness affecting them... Pitcairn's Disease...

I don't think that would be the case. There are probably thousands of people on that ship, way enough for genetic diversity. I remember reading that the minimal population size to ensure inbreeding doesn't exist is quite low, I think under 100 so the size on a generation ship should be large enough.

 

[Tobias Indigo]

No contact for all this time...
Bet they still got windows updates tho.

...and offers of payday loans.

 

[Sapyx]

There are no date stamps on the messages nor on the Listening Post. These messages could be tens or hundreds of years old and they have all succumbed to the deeases.

Don't think so. All the other ships have a final log entry, detailing the eventual outcome and letting us know that the ship is indeed now just an empty derelict. In this case, it would have been a final message either outlining that no help came and they all died off, or that "help" did come and they were pirates who invaded and killed hem all off. This ship... doesn't have that. Logical conclusion: that final outcome hasn't happened yet.

 

[Tobias Indigo]

Good point. So, we all hang around waiting for something to happen...? Or, we could all go off to the bar for refreshments.

 

[NeilF]

After 1000 years of inbreeding...

Christ, that Generation Ship is going to be something like Slough or something!

 

[VR SenseiMatty]

There are no date stamps on the messages nor on the Listening Post. These messages could be tens or hundreds of years old and they have all succumbed to the deeases.

If the Listening Post is something dropped by the Generation Ships, travelling at 0.5C they could've reached the current location after 5 hours.
If it's not dropped by them I wonder why we only have listening posts in some systems and not in others and most important, who is dropping these antennas.
Listening Posts
Never mind... so this actually depends when the Listening Post started receving the message, so yes... we don't know this.

 

[Dagwit]

It occurs to me that the CG associated with this event should be a combat CG in which some faction in Upaniklis tries to replace the controlling faction, on the grounds that they are so incompetent that a generation ship was able to arrive and park in the system they're supposed to be controlling without them noticing.

 

[zimms]

It occurs to me that the CG associated with this event should be a combat CG in which some faction in Upaniklis tries to replace the controlling faction, on the grounds that they are so incompetent that a generation ship was able to arrive and park in the system they're supposed to be controlling without them noticing.

"What do you mean 'arrive'. That's always been here, boss."