First Contact in 98 years

[kafka47]

Whoops, posted this as a new topic... But anyhow, let's start a new thread...

Are we ready for First Contact in 98 years with the Vilani. According to cannon the first steps in creating a World government comes with the Treaty of New York (Ironic, eh) when all national armies are devolved to the United Nations. As to the rise in China, they would have to become a spacefaring power first, something that seems in the cards but not before 2020. In the meantime, there will be a stranglehold by NASA and the USA.

What steps will be needed to make the milieu of the Interstellar Wars work?
Extensive extra-Solar colonies. Not likely in the forseeable future.

International cooperation rather than nation competition. rise of TNCs actually hinder the world order based on anything else than nation-states to police their populations

Advances in biotech, especially full human coloning. No expert here but it does not seem likely in 98 years

Ideas of a Terran identity. nyet

 

[RabidVargr]

Ok. We landed on the moon 25+ years ago.

We haven't been back in 20 years, because it's not importaint that we evolve beyond this world.

If we continued our space program at half the pace it was going, we'd be on mars and working toward Jupiter and the belt.

I don't see our space program reestablishing itsself until the terrorists or some third world nation wants to do it, then we'll do it not for science, but so we can be first. Then we'll probably give up again.

Unlesssss... some corperation decides to start their own program, they'll get out there and start claiming land. I can see it now. Lockheed canyon on Mars, the Microsoft belt...

Sorry to be so down on humanity, but I'm seriously concerned in their ability to evolve beyond their planet without using a planetbuster on themselves first.

Now vargr, on the other hand....

RV

 

[Shadowdancer]

I'm sure Starbucks, McDonalds and Wal-Mart already have plans in place for expanding to the moon if/when the first colony is built there.

 

[RabidVargr]

Hey,

Starbucks has links to an evil world wide organization geared toward world domination. How bout you suckle on my zipple?

RV

 

[gardclan]

Nah... Starbucks was destroyed over on the supernova thread

I don't know about Wallymart or the others, but legend has it that TWA airlines used to hold a contract with the US government for service to the Moon if/and when a colony was established there. Too bad such things are not a political priority.

However, in the vein of corporations trying to get into space, I offer the following link to a (IMHO) really cool page.

http://www.xprize.org/

These guys are offering a $10 million prize to the first team that can put a 3 passenger craft into space (defined as 100km altitude) and return them safely to Earth TWICE in two weeks with the same ship.

(Yes, these guys are for real.)

The idea is for this to do for space flight what Lindburgh did for aircraft. If it works, the next prize will supposedly be for low orbit... and on from there.

 

[kafka47]

Somewhere out there on the Web, is my combination with the 2300AD. If anyone would have it, I would appreciate a copy as mine got fried on my old hard drive.

Essentially, I postualted that we did indeed have first contact with the Vilani well before 2100 but the Vilani scout team recognizing the danger posed by such a unruly minor race began to subvert Terran institutions. In the process accelerating our move toward world governance. This period of chaos beginning around the defeats of American hegemony and raise of a European based network society were called the Years of Twilight. The Vilani, I postulated were much further Coreward than Barnard (however, in the sector called Bernard by Terrans). History proceeds to invent the Shutterwarp Drive in the 2200s giving ample time for humans to reach the Stars in a slow boat fashion (allowing them to build up enough resources and time to take on the Vilani). The Vilani used the Kafers as proxy mercs to try to defeat the Terrans but ulimately fail due to the numerous rebellions afflicting Pax Vilanicia.

The above scenario would never be implemented but I would hope that the Interstellar Wars Milieu at least tries to break some new ground rather than simply rehashing cannon, as we have largely seen in GT. But, GT has been great for putting more in depth pictures to the classic Traveller milieu. So let has us at least aknowledge the Jacksonian heresy has had some advantage despite putting all CT in one cannon.

 

[vegascat]

I guess this would be a good time to start laying in supplies for the Phoenix Project to take the world back from the evil Vilani empire we havn't even met yet.

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In the end, Murphy will rule