TM 203 - Intrigue
Nov. 8th, 2007 10:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
arrow_of_apollo203 - Intrigue
It's a matter of public record that Galactica's personnel are constantly drawing and red-drawing star charts and system maps based on the data we discover as the human fleet travels through space. What we're not, though, is explorers. Explorers would be doing a hell of a lot more of what our fleet does only when absolutely necessary: stopping to look around.
We're traveling through space that in all likelihood, no human has traversed in thousands of years, ever since the Thirteenth Tribe departed Kobol; or never, depending on your opinion on that particular story. Either way, under other circumstances every university in the Twelve Colonies would be dying for the opportunity to send out astronomical and archaeological teams to follow in our wake, mining every planet and moon we pass for information.
But there are no more universities, and humanity is on the run, not on an exploratory mission.
That doesn't mean that every now and then, we don't put our feet down on solid ground.
It usually begins with a sheaf of papers: the overnight sensor logs that have already been combed over by science-trained personnel and by Galactica's de facto head of science, Lt. Felix Gaeta by the time Lt. Gaeta hands them to Admiral Adama to be signed off on. Should the fleet be in particular need of any one or a number of perishable and/or consumable supplies, then everyone involved will be on the lookout for a likely candidate.
Should the long-range sensors have lucked out and stumbled on a possible winner, the Admiral will decide to take a look. I say "lucked out" and "stumbled" because running continuous and comprehensive long-range sensor sweeps, though more effective, would also bring the Cylons down on our position as fast as a homing beacon. Sometimes, the sensors will indicate that there's a good chance of us finding what we need. Other times, it's just someone's hunch that draws them to one rock at one set of coordinates more than any other.
With a reconnaissance mission ordered, Galactica will launch a Raptor or two, making sure that both the machines and the pilots driving them are prepared for extensive and repetitive scans of the planet in question. Sometimes, they're looking for water, sometimes for large deposits of the kind of minerals that could be used to construct more Vipers and Raptors, for tylium deposits or even, as we all recall, the kind of simple algae that can be converted by our food processing ships. No matter what, that Raptor will orbit the planet dozens of times before data is even transmitted back to the battlestar.
They'll wireless back their findings, and the order will be given to either move on and find another candidate or additional ships will be sent to help out the first. We've been lucky so far when it comes to supply stops. Maybe one day, we'll all just decide to stop off at one again. Hopefully if we do, it'll work out better this time.
(503)
It's a matter of public record that Galactica's personnel are constantly drawing and red-drawing star charts and system maps based on the data we discover as the human fleet travels through space. What we're not, though, is explorers. Explorers would be doing a hell of a lot more of what our fleet does only when absolutely necessary: stopping to look around.
We're traveling through space that in all likelihood, no human has traversed in thousands of years, ever since the Thirteenth Tribe departed Kobol; or never, depending on your opinion on that particular story. Either way, under other circumstances every university in the Twelve Colonies would be dying for the opportunity to send out astronomical and archaeological teams to follow in our wake, mining every planet and moon we pass for information.
But there are no more universities, and humanity is on the run, not on an exploratory mission.
That doesn't mean that every now and then, we don't put our feet down on solid ground.
It usually begins with a sheaf of papers: the overnight sensor logs that have already been combed over by science-trained personnel and by Galactica's de facto head of science, Lt. Felix Gaeta by the time Lt. Gaeta hands them to Admiral Adama to be signed off on. Should the fleet be in particular need of any one or a number of perishable and/or consumable supplies, then everyone involved will be on the lookout for a likely candidate.
Should the long-range sensors have lucked out and stumbled on a possible winner, the Admiral will decide to take a look. I say "lucked out" and "stumbled" because running continuous and comprehensive long-range sensor sweeps, though more effective, would also bring the Cylons down on our position as fast as a homing beacon. Sometimes, the sensors will indicate that there's a good chance of us finding what we need. Other times, it's just someone's hunch that draws them to one rock at one set of coordinates more than any other.
With a reconnaissance mission ordered, Galactica will launch a Raptor or two, making sure that both the machines and the pilots driving them are prepared for extensive and repetitive scans of the planet in question. Sometimes, they're looking for water, sometimes for large deposits of the kind of minerals that could be used to construct more Vipers and Raptors, for tylium deposits or even, as we all recall, the kind of simple algae that can be converted by our food processing ships. No matter what, that Raptor will orbit the planet dozens of times before data is even transmitted back to the battlestar.
They'll wireless back their findings, and the order will be given to either move on and find another candidate or additional ships will be sent to help out the first. We've been lucky so far when it comes to supply stops. Maybe one day, we'll all just decide to stop off at one again. Hopefully if we do, it'll work out better this time.
(503)
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