by Neal Jones
So, now, after five years of college writing, where I learned the full meaning of the term "literary fiction", and after a good decade of being out in the world and learning its ways, I have created a response to Gene's artistic vision. You could say that I've kidnapped his utopia and robbed it of its virginity. Yes, there's a galactic federation in my series. Yes, my central characters are military officers, and yes, there is exploration of the unknown. But there are no happy endings here, and my characters are as flawed as the day is long. Marc Gabriel's an alcoholic who can't commit to anything resembling a long term romantic relationship; Mariah struggles with being a single parent to her rebellious teenage son; Corwin is engaged in an extramarital affair; and just about everyone on the Federation side hates everyone on the Chrisarii side, and vice versa. Nobody's happy, nobody's content, and there's several among them who would like to see the whole damn station blown to hell. Just like today's headlines, empires are at war, politicians serve only their own interests, powerful men collude and conspire in back rooms, and when it's all said and done, there's no real ending. Yes, there's a victory, but it's not necessarily the "good guys" who win. Nor is it the "bad guys" who come out on top.
Unlike Rodenberry, I do not believe that human nature will ever change, no matter the century we live in. Mankind is a fucked up creation, and we spread trouble no matter we go. That doesn't mean that there's not a few good apples among us who are the primary instruments for evolutionary change and progress, but it does mean that we will always find a way to frak up said progress. "Two steps forward and one step back" has always been my motto, and it's also excellent writing advice.
This is one of the many reasons why I am in love with Ronald D. Moore's re-envisioning of Battlestar Galactica. Moore, who is a veteran of the Star Trek universe, has taken a mediocre, 1970's Wisconsin-worthy cheese-fest and turned it into a revolutionary, edgy, dramatic saga of religion, politics, war and commentary on all aspects of flawed human nature. For me, watching the new BSG has been positively enlightening, and I've learned a lot about good writing from Moore and his team. If you're as much a fan of that show as I am, you will love The Exxar Chronicles. If you're not, then you'd best steer clear of my creation. J
The final draft of this book was begun in
July 2007 and completed
in September 2008
APPENDICES
Appendix 1
1. Exxar-One:
Exxar-One is a seven mile long space station located in the Tiralan Neutral Zone. Its primary mission is twofold:
1. Act as an intergalactic UN between the Chrisarii Alliance and the Interstellar Federation. A place of peace and neutrality where both sides can discuss their disagreements in a peaceful manner.
2. Explore the universe via the Erayan hypergate - a device that allows instantaneous transport of starships from one point in space to another over vast distances; an artificially constructed wormhole.
General Information: Construction on Exxar-One was begun in 2673, three years after the end of the Beta Erendii War, and completed in 2678. It’s seven miles long, four miles wide and three miles deep. It's located in the heart of the Tiralan Neutral Zone.
Defense: Exxar-One is equipped with twenty-four pulse disruptor arrays, fifteen torpedo launchers, five deflector grids and a complement of two thousand hornets. The hornets are small, one man fighter craft designed for close combat in space. The current model is the mark nine.
Exploration: The station is equipped with three types of shuttlecraft as well as a full complement of long range sensor probes, communication beacons and orbital satellites. The type one and two shuttlecraft are primarily used for short term deep space missions while the type three is typically used for transportation of personnel. The station itself is equipped with five primary sensor arrays and can scan an area up to seven hundred kilometers in any direction.
Station Layout: Exxar-One consists of two large spheres connected by a large, cylindrical shaped central hull. Extending out sideways from the connecting hull are six smaller pylons of the same shape, three on each side with a medium sized sphere at the end of each. Extending in both vertical directions from each of the smaller spheres is a cylindrical pylon that houses two docking ports on either end, making twenty-four in all.
Each main sphere (a.k.a. the primary and secondary hulls) consists of 180 decks and the center hull that connects them is 150 decks. Each of the six medium sized spheres (a.k.a. the docking spheres or DS, for short) is 140 decks.
Deck one of the primary hull is the command deck, a.k.a. C&C, which is short for "command and control". Other major sections include the medical sector (decks 25 – 50), the arboretum (decks 12 - 20), primary hydroponics bay (decks 54 - 60), shuttledocks one and two, stellar cartography (decks 122 - 125), and the security sector (decks 62 – 70).
The secondary hull houses shuttledocks three and four, the promenade (decks 10 – 14), the life sciences sector (decks 20 - 24), secondary hydroponics bay (decks 30 - 36), cargo bays (decks 39 - 50), and the primary recreation sector (decks 55 - 69). The rec sector includes five gymnasiums, two major and two minor athletic arenas, and a host of other fitness essentials such as spas, tennis courts, swimming pools, etc.
The primary and secondary hulls each contain a central computer core which spans ninety decks, and each core operates independently of the other. Each hull also houses a dozen transport rooms.
DS 1 - 6 contain crew and guest quarters.
The center connecting hull houses main engineering.
The total population of Exxar-One is 300,000. The total military complement makes up about 160,00. Of that figure, roughly 40,000 are Chrisarii, 50,000 are EarthCorps, and the remainder is a mixture of various other species. The rest of the station's population is civilian.
The Security Sector: This sector is divided into minimum and maximum security sections, with enough cell blocks to hold 800 prisoners total at any one time. The central office, CSI labs, interrogation rooms, and autopsy bays are on deck sixty-two. The cell blocks are on decks sixty-three through seventy. Another brig section is in the secondary hull, also with a prisoner capacity of 800.
The Medical Sector: Exxar-One is as much a military outpost as it is a civilian one. The infirmary, ER, ICU ward, OB/GYN and pediatrics units, as well as the central hospital and the primary science and diagnostic labs are all in the medical sector. There's also a state-of-the-art research center, capable of handling unique diseases and unusual medical cases. Exxar-One is going to be a crossroads for hundreds of alien species, and the medical staff of a starbase of this size must be prepared to deal with any situation.
Main Engineering: The reactor core spans fifty decks, and the engineering section is built around it. Main engineering is deck seventy-five.
The Life Sciences Sector: This section is primarily made up of various diagnostic labs which are capable of analyzing almost every type of biological matter. As with the medical sector, this sector can be quarantined from the rest of the station should an emergency situation arise. This is done through a combination of forcefields and bulkheads which can be activated at a moment's notice.
The Promenade: This is the civilian center of Exxar-One. Spanning four decks, with over two hundred shops, stores and restaurants of every kind - as well as various businesses of all kinds – the promenade is a place of social and cultural activity. With the station's population made up of dozens of alien species, almost all the major religions have a church on the promenade. The Chrisarii cathedral, while small when compared to the overall size of the promenade, spans two decks.
The Alien Sector: Decks 165 – 180 of the primary hull. This section of the station is reserved for alien species who don't breathe a oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere, and/or need a heavier/lighter gravity field. Special containment fields and bulkheads keep this section separate from the rest of the station.
2. Technology:
Weapons: There are two types of primary weaponry which are used by all EarthCorps
military personnel: type one and type two PPDs. PPD stands for Phase Pulse Disruptor. The type one – known informally as a "pulser" - resembles a 9mm handgun, and is capable of firing both bullets and phased energy bolts. Type one disruptors have three settings: level one - light stun; level two - heavy stun (induces unconsciousness); level three - will kill on impact. It also has a separate setting for cutting and slicing through most hard metals and other such materials (walls, bulkheads, etc.).
The type two PPD is a hand held rifle, approx. 1 1/2 ft. in length. It possesses the same three settings as the type 1 disruptor but is designed for heavy combat situations and has a greater range.
Sensor & Diagnostic Equipment: The most common type of sensor unit is the D-700 scanner, a hand held device that is often used for tasks such as scanning for energy readings, bio-signs, etc. It stores information on a data chip and can interface with just about any computer, Federation or otherwise. The number 700 stands for the amount of gigabytes in the data chip's memory storage.
The medical staff uses a D-500 med-scanner when diagnosing and treating patients. The only difference between this and the D-700 model is that the functions of the med-scanner are strictly medical whereas the D-700 is an all-purpose unit.
Communications: The crew of Exxar-One use a commlink. It is a small C-shaped communications device that clamps on to a person’s wrist via a magnetic transponder that is injected underneath the skin using a hypo-spray. Each transponder is coded with a genetic tag unique to each individual. A microchip in the transponder allows the station’s main computer to track the whereabouts of all military personnel on Exxar-One. However, it can be easily removed with a hypo-spray when needed.
Transportation: The Exxar-One crew often use the cardon field to transport to and from the station and between starships and planets. This device is a transparent energy field that allows a person to move from one place to another - such as from a starship to a planet’s surface - by taking a step through the field. The cardon field is named for Doctor Joseph Cardon, a brilliant physicist and theoretical engineer, who invented the technology with the help of the DrayH’M in 2129.
3. Terms & Acronyms:
AGC: Air Group Command
CAG: Commander of the Air Group
CAP: Combat Air Patrol
CI: Central Intelligence
CMO: Chief Medical Officer
CSO: Chief Science Officer, or Chief Security Officer
EDAC: Earth Defense Air Command
EW: Electronics Warfare
FCI: Federation Central Intelligence
FCE: Federation Corps of Engineers
GSC: Galactic Standard Calendar
GSD: Galactic Standard Day
GST: Galactic Standard Time
GSY: Galactic Standard Year
INC: Interstellar News Corporation; INC is the galactic equivalent of our present day CNN.
LTB: Linguistic Translation Bioprobes
PPD: Phase Pulse Disruptor
PTL: Personnel Transport Lift
SitRep: Situation Report
SO: Strategic Operations
UEMC: United Earth Marine Corps
Appendix 2
PERSONNEL
Exxar-One Senior Command Staff:
NAME: Marcus Dylan Gabriel
AGE: 46
RANK: Commodore
SERVICE DIVISION: Command, ENC
SERIAL #: CS254-A9714
BIRTH DATE: March 12, 2632
_____________________________
NAME: Kralin Saveck
RANK: Major
SPECIES: Chrisarii
_____________________________
NAME: Mariah Suzanne Decev
AGE: 38
RANK: Commander
SERVICE DIVISION: Life Sciences, ENC
SERIAL #: RF763-B5126
BIRTH DATE: October 31, 2640
_____________________________
NAME: Jerren Zar
AGE:
RANK: Krael
SERVICE DIVISION: Security, CSN
OFFICER CODE: QA-5690
BIRTH DATE:
SPECIES: DrayH'M
____________________________
NAME: Kiran Garrett
AGE: 28
RANK: Lieutenant Commander
SERVICE DIVISION:
Engineering, ENC
SERIAL #: HC643-Z1429
BIRTH DATE: April 28, 2650
SPECIES: Mykahrian/Human
_____________________________
NAME: Benjamin Davis Rosenberg
AGE: 39
RANK: Commander
SERVICE DIVISION: Medical, ENC
SERIAL #: LK687-M2091
BIRTH DATE: June 4, 2639
_____________________________
NAME: J’Soran Varis
RANK: Brantar
SERVICE DIVISION: Strategic Operations, RSN
SPECIES: Ralorian
Support Personnel:
NAME: Christine Evelyn Navarr
AGE: 30
RANK: Lieutenant Commander
SERVICE DIVISION: Security, ENC
SERIAL #: JX461-R7025
BIRTH DATE: September 7, 2648
_____________________________
NAME: Jeffrey Allen Ritano
AGE: 32
RANK: Lieutenant
SERVICE DIVISION: Security, ENC
SERIAL #: MJ380-O2004
BIRTH DATE: February 18, 2646
____________________________
NAME: Michael Lee Frakes
AGE: 35
RANK: Staff Sergeant (E6)
SERVICE DIVISION: Infantry, UEMC
SERIAL #: WA004-U4521
BIRTH DATE: July 19, 2643
_____________________________
NAME: Samuel Morris Eppler
AGE: 31
RANK: Lieutenant
SERVICE DIVISION: Medical, ENC
SERIAL #: QY561-D8100
BIRTH DATE: June 22, 2647
_____________________________
NAME: Thomas Eugene Rayburne
AGE: 37
RANK: Lieutenant
SERVICE DIVISION: Medical, ENC
SERIAL #: VH401-E3352
BIRTH DATE: May 02, 2641
CIVILIANS:
NAME: Taelon Zar
RANK: Ambassador
ALIEN RACE: DrayH’M
_____________________
NAME: Ilkara
RANK: Civilian
SPECIES: Erayan
_____________________
NAME: Thalor Grax
RANK: Civilian
SPECIES: Orethian
Appendix 3
The Interstellar Federation of Peace
1. Timeline:
2011 – Contrary to the claims – and efforts – of the U.S. government, the War in Afghanistan expands, and the United Nations responds with greater force. U.S President Obama withdraws all American troops from the war, and pulls his country from the U.N. as well. Although praised by the American people, this move will later cost him reelection.
2015 – In the wake of three devastating terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, President Ayala returns America to the U.N. The conflict in the middle east is now officially a new world war.
2021 – World War III finally comes to a close, but there is no clear victor. The resulting devastation to not only the U.S. but the rest of the major nations of the world is nothing short of catastrophic. The total loss of life numbers four billion, and most of the major cities and nations have been utterly destroyed.
2031 - The Federation of Nations is formed and work begins on building a new Earth. All nations, countries and states are united under one government, one law. Unfortunately, there's plenty of survivors who are against this new order. More terrorist attacks ensue, but the effort to rise above the old ways continues and, eventually, it prevails.
2059 - A DrayH’M scout ship crashes on Earth, on the continent which was once home to Great Britain. Thus, first contact is
made with another species from outer space. After rescuing the survivors and nurturing them back to health, the DrayH’M thank the humans by contacting their homeworld and requesting assistance from their people in helping the battered human race to rebuild their world. Thanks to the new alliance, mankind returns to the stars once again. But, as before, progress is slow, due to the actions of those who mistrust the DrayH'M.
2107 – The Interstellar Aeronautics & Space Administration is formed. With the aid of the DrayH'M Commonwealth, the foundation is laid for the colonization of Mars, and the terraforming of the red planet is a success. This same year is also when Earth is formally admitted into the Commonwealth, making it the sixth member of the alliance of planets created by the DrayH'M two centuries earlier.
2118 – Construction is completed on Apollo City, the first Martian colony. Over the next century, several more cities will be built.
2130 – The Pegasus Shipyards, constructed in Mars' orbit, are completed. By 2190, IASA has successfully built a fleet of twelve starships.
2195 - First contact is made with the Sheriak - a dark and sinister alien race whose goal is the annihilation of all other species except their own. The ensuing war lasts for three years but, eventually, the Sheriak are destroyed by the Commonwealth and the Murdohn Republic. The Republic has eight member worlds in its alliance.
