To: Captain Marcus Frude
SSDC Caprica, Type 271-BXR (RCLS) “Battlestar”
Location: CLASSIFIED
Hello! If you are reading this you have been assigned to our newest addition to the Solar Space Defense Command’s fleet, the Caprica! Congratulations on becoming a part of history!
History
The Caprica, commissioned on June 23rd, 2295, received its namesake from the very old television series “Battlestar: Galactica.” The SSDC adopted the form, function, and design of the “Galactica” from the show and applied it to the Type 271-BXC, BXE, and BXR series. The design caused so many people to do their own research about what had inspired the architects that the top brass gave them all the unofficial designation “Battlestar.”
What makes the Caprica so unique is due to its original purpose. The Type 271-BXR series was built specifically for the exploration and research of other planets. This usually meant that the ship would be gone for long periods of time before returning to the shipyard or SSDC-controlled planetoid. How does such a ship keep its crew of four hundred and seventy afloat, you might ask? The BXR series carries an onboard farm, capable of raising livestock and crops via hydroponics. The growth-accelerated livestock, along with the nutrient-fortified produce, water recyclers, and oxygen scrubbers could keep the ship going for years before even needing to think about returning to homeport!
You may also notice several other differences from the BXC and BXE classes. The BXR has two lateral sensor arrays, as well as several other long-range scanning equipment. Using a fine tuning, these scanners could tell the composition of a planet to the core from over 5 AUs away! Set on its regular settings, it could detect any planet, ship, or astral body that comes within five light years. Due to the current Driden invasion, the BXR series is currently being used as listening posts and early-warning detection. Placing the ship in close orbit around any type of planetoid will obscure any Driden sensor, so we get the upper hand in knowing when and from where our enemy is coming!
Function
Just because you are on a ship that is going to be doing a bunch of sitting around undetected with a bunch of eggheads does not mean you are going to be totally defenseless. The BXR series still has the standard forward-firing magnetically accelerated cannons, firing four one-half ton payloads at whatever is unlucky enough to cross over in front of the bow. The BXR also contains a flak suppression system, capable of fending off Driden fighter swarms. And do not forget: You are on a carrier. There will always be at least eight squadrons of Cobra-class fighters in the flight pods, as well as the ship’s compliment of sixteen Hoppers.
You will have hopefully noticed the two flight pods on the Hopper flight up, if you did not land on them already. If you docked on one of the several docking stations or used the rear landing bay, take a trip down to one of the two pods! You can step out onto the deck! Do not worry about needing to hold your breath. A protective force field keeps the air in, the vacuum of space out, and Hoppers and Cobra-class fighters passing through freely
An additional feature is the bottom-side mechanical lift. This allows us to transfer goods, supplies, weapons, even personnel from the surface to the ship. However, in order to use this function, the ship must be in atmosphere, and no further than five hundred meters from the ground. This is one of the only times you may feel vulnerable, as maneuverability will be severely limited. But this measure is only used in an emergency or is safe to do so.
If you can find the time, you should make friends with the lovely Desarae, the ship’s artificial intelligence unit! She loves meeting new people and learning everything about them. And if you are interesting in learning, see the ship’s on board library, with a wide range of both digital and physical copies available. There is also a gym for keeping in top shape, as well as the crew lounge to relax and blow off steam!
Your Mission and You
On Deck A, section five, subsection two, there is a weapons locker. As a member of the SSDC, you are required to have your sidearm on your hip at all times during active duty. When arriving, please see the master-at-arms.
Enclosed is a tablet detailing mission-specific orders from your most immediate commanding officer. These orders are SECURITY TYPE: EYES ONLY. Please comply with mission security operating procedures to ensure the success of your deployment.
Do not forget that there are the hearts and minds of tens of billions behind you, giving you their full support during your deployment. If you are the praying type, we will be praying for you. If you are not, we wish you the best of luck all the same.
We will see you up there.
Mission Tablet
SECURITY TYPE: EYES ONLY
FINGERPRINT SCAN RECOGNIZED
RETINA SCAN RECOGNIZED
Captain Marcus Frude, CONFIRMED
DATE PINNED: May 20, 2338, 22:27.
DATE RECEIVED: May 20, 2338, 22:46
DATE OPENED: May 21, 2338, 04:38
MESSAGE BEGIN
Mark,
I want to apologize in advance for the abrupt transfer. Hopefully all of your effects got to you in time before you shoved off. I also hope the Caprica’s lack of an auto-landing sequence was not an incredible inconvenience for you. This will be the last transmission before the Caprica is ordered to go radio silent. So...I hope you feel privileged.
I know this was your third transfer since the beginning of the year, but there are three reasons why I put you where you are. First, you’re the best Cobra stick that we’ve seen in the last twenty years. This mission is too vital to leave to anyone we have left. Second, and more importantly, this will give you some time to reflect on the loss of Earth. I know you didn’t have much of a family left, but it still feels like we all lost our one true home. And that is why your mission is of extreme importance.
Third, is because we had detected a large Driden fleet approaching, and they’ll be here in forty...no, thirty minutes now. I told my officers to keep it quiet in order not to stir unrest and fear into an already fearful people. We’re trying to get all the refugees on board what remains of the SSDC fleet, and the last thing I need is wave after wave of people scrambling to get on board.
But there are too many,we have too few jump-capable ships now, and you know how hard it is to try to herd civilians. We’d have an easier time if they were all cattle, or horses, or even cats! And you know how much I despise those filthy overgrown rats. But we are going to attempt to get every last soul transferred. We’ve lost so much, and I refuse to give any more.
However...if we fail, the crew of the Caprica will be the only humanity left in the universe. Your orders still stand the same whether we fail or not.
Your mission: Find a new Earth. Settle. Disappear.
Probably the most succinct and difficult assignment that I’m ever going to give you, and it’s going to be the last order that you’re going to get from me. You will now be under Commander Mandkea’s flag, and will most likely make you the C.A.G. Listen to him, heed his orders, tell him what you think. He’s blunt, and will appreciate your bluntness. Never hold back a detail. I know you never do.
When you find another home, destroy this ship and the A.I. unit. Fly it into the nearest star if you have to.
Stay safe. Stay hidden. Gods be with you.
And good hunting.
Lord Admiral Cristiana Frude
Commander of the 9th SSDC Fleet
P.S. I know the last time we saw each other, it didn’t end well. And I’m all too aware that I’ve seemed standoff-ish, cold, calculated, uncaring (as you clearly explained to me last Christmas). I see that now. But, I could not be prouder of where you’ve come from, what you’ve done, and I’m already proud of what you’re going to do. Your father, brother, and sister would have said the same, gods rest their souls.
If there’s anything I regret in my life, it’s that I didn’t say “I love you” enough.
I love you, son.