The Ice Age cometh
Ice (steampunk, slo-mo apocalypse)
- Thread starter SAGrognard
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User Total SAGrognard 37 Threadmarks Reader mode
Main
- Location
- Germiston, South Africa
You are Captain Sir Cullum Henry Montan KC, commanding protected cruiser HMS Warspite, fifth of her name, commissioned two years ago in 1886.
She mounts 4 9-inch guns, 6 6-inchers, 4 torpedo tubes, is rated for 17 knots, and carries 10 inches of armor on her belt.
The latest and best ship in the world, and you gave the order a week ago to gut her, and strip her down for parts.
Strangest orders you have ever received, but you will follow them.
"Our advisors inform Us that the unending winter of the last year, is likely the return of the great Ice Ages of yore.
Furthermore and disturbingly, that a strong chance exists that this return will birth great storms which will scour the Tropics and Temperates, saving only a rough oval in the North and Centre of the Near East.
Accordingly, Our response to this Ice Age is to send you and your assigns into the frozen north.
We remain here to preserve Our people as best We may, and another expedition goes south to the Tropics.
In this manner We hope to have the best chance of preserving the future.
We do grant to you the title of Viceroyal over the Northern Branch of the British Empire,
charging you with the preservation of Civilization and Culture in the dark times ahead.
We do grant also to you the position of Ambassador Extraordinary, Plenipotentiary, and Roaming,
charging you to make War and Peace upon such persons at it may please you, by our behest, and in Our Name.
Assigned to you are two specialists to aid imprimis Our strongest spark, Professor James Wilne of Cambridge, who may be of help with iceships.
And secundus Our cousin Henrietta who We believe can be of help with people, and stands in line of succession should We fall.
God Speed
Victoria R."
Professor Wilne has already given you his ideas, rather than iceships, he plans a great land cruiser that is built like a train.
Motive engines front and rear, with each carriage having enough engine to make perhaps 1 or two knots by itself if needed, great rollers providing traction.
The carriages will be three-storied, engine in lowest, living quarters or similar in second to take advantage of the heat rising from the engine,
and storage in the highest and coolest.
He already plans several types of carriage, but can build their skeletons and the motive engines before any further decisions need be made.
Inbetween-time, some decisions do need to be made.
First, the people you are taking. Your crew and other effective are men, young and strong, some 800 at last count.
Due to the entirely natural and laudable urge to preserve the lives of women and children, the refugees who have swelled the populace of Plymouth run,
well most of them are women and children.
Sadly, they lack the upper body strength to labor in a coal mine or fishery, although quite capable in other jobs that do not demand raw strength.
On the other side of that coin, you will need at least some women if you wish a second generation of civilization.
[] People - Stick to the traditional
All of your men will be getting married (to one woman) and adopting any children they bring to the union.
Pro: Men are happier and more stable when married, children will grow up and work.
Con: Work teams do less. Food needed for pregnant women and babes who cannot work at all.
[] People - Adapt and accept
All of your men will be getting married (to an average of five women) and adopting children (an average of eleven).
Pro: Better morale, steady flow of new workers, not leaving women and children behind without a provider.
Con: Work teams do even less. Food needed for many pregnant women and babes who cannot work at all.
[] People - Ignore
Any of your men who are married or have other arrangements can bring the women. You will take no stance.
Pro: Work teams do more. No need to spend food on those who cannot contribute to survival.
Con: Likely to be conflict between men who have women and those who do not after arrival.
Second, the town of Roborough has appealed for aid - against the cannibal mob moving south toward them.
Apparently, cannibal mobs are now a feature of the English landscape.
This will not be a problem for you, your Marines can escort a package of a thousand muskets from the armory here and teach the basics in a couple of hours.
They have a couple of four-pounder guns on land carriages to break charges that they can take also.
The question is how you will engage.
[] Mob - A parent will commit any crime to feed a starving child.
They are desperate citizens, and should be turned back with as little bloodshed as possible.
Fire will be given at maximum range in order to kill only the bolder, and ceased as soon as the mob rout.
[] Mob - Cannibals must die.
By choosing that crime they have declared themselves hostis humani generis, enemies of all humanity, and must be dealt with.
Fire will be held until cannon can fire grape, then delivered with all weapons even after a rout, with the purpose and intent of slaughter.
She mounts 4 9-inch guns, 6 6-inchers, 4 torpedo tubes, is rated for 17 knots, and carries 10 inches of armor on her belt.
The latest and best ship in the world, and you gave the order a week ago to gut her, and strip her down for parts.
Strangest orders you have ever received, but you will follow them.
"Our advisors inform Us that the unending winter of the last year, is likely the return of the great Ice Ages of yore.
Furthermore and disturbingly, that a strong chance exists that this return will birth great storms which will scour the Tropics and Temperates, saving only a rough oval in the North and Centre of the Near East.
Accordingly, Our response to this Ice Age is to send you and your assigns into the frozen north.
We remain here to preserve Our people as best We may, and another expedition goes south to the Tropics.
In this manner We hope to have the best chance of preserving the future.
We do grant to you the title of Viceroyal over the Northern Branch of the British Empire,
charging you with the preservation of Civilization and Culture in the dark times ahead.
We do grant also to you the position of Ambassador Extraordinary, Plenipotentiary, and Roaming,
charging you to make War and Peace upon such persons at it may please you, by our behest, and in Our Name.
Assigned to you are two specialists to aid imprimis Our strongest spark, Professor James Wilne of Cambridge, who may be of help with iceships.
And secundus Our cousin Henrietta who We believe can be of help with people, and stands in line of succession should We fall.
God Speed
Victoria R."
Professor Wilne has already given you his ideas, rather than iceships, he plans a great land cruiser that is built like a train.
Motive engines front and rear, with each carriage having enough engine to make perhaps 1 or two knots by itself if needed, great rollers providing traction.
The carriages will be three-storied, engine in lowest, living quarters or similar in second to take advantage of the heat rising from the engine,
and storage in the highest and coolest.
He already plans several types of carriage, but can build their skeletons and the motive engines before any further decisions need be made.
Inbetween-time, some decisions do need to be made.
First, the people you are taking. Your crew and other effective are men, young and strong, some 800 at last count.
Due to the entirely natural and laudable urge to preserve the lives of women and children, the refugees who have swelled the populace of Plymouth run,
well most of them are women and children.
Sadly, they lack the upper body strength to labor in a coal mine or fishery, although quite capable in other jobs that do not demand raw strength.
On the other side of that coin, you will need at least some women if you wish a second generation of civilization.
[] People - Stick to the traditional
All of your men will be getting married (to one woman) and adopting any children they bring to the union.
Pro: Men are happier and more stable when married, children will grow up and work.
Con: Work teams do less. Food needed for pregnant women and babes who cannot work at all.
[] People - Adapt and accept
All of your men will be getting married (to an average of five women) and adopting children (an average of eleven).
Pro: Better morale, steady flow of new workers, not leaving women and children behind without a provider.
Con: Work teams do even less. Food needed for many pregnant women and babes who cannot work at all.
[] People - Ignore
Any of your men who are married or have other arrangements can bring the women. You will take no stance.
Pro: Work teams do more. No need to spend food on those who cannot contribute to survival.
Con: Likely to be conflict between men who have women and those who do not after arrival.
Second, the town of Roborough has appealed for aid - against the cannibal mob moving south toward them.
Apparently, cannibal mobs are now a feature of the English landscape.
This will not be a problem for you, your Marines can escort a package of a thousand muskets from the armory here and teach the basics in a couple of hours.
They have a couple of four-pounder guns on land carriages to break charges that they can take also.
The question is how you will engage.
[] Mob - A parent will commit any crime to feed a starving child.
They are desperate citizens, and should be turned back with as little bloodshed as possible.
Fire will be given at maximum range in order to kill only the bolder, and ceased as soon as the mob rout.
[] Mob - Cannibals must die.
By choosing that crime they have declared themselves hostis humani generis, enemies of all humanity, and must be dealt with.
Fire will be held until cannon can fire grape, then delivered with all weapons even after a rout, with the purpose and intent of slaughter.
Sparks are what make this steampunk. They are engineers who make devices that send Physics off to cry in the corner.
Some samples : strong AI, steam powered battlesuits, fractal spiders (40 ft tall, infinitely divisible legs allow them to do any job included on their punch-cards),
gengineered superhuman immortal soldiers, mind control wasps.
Spark-created mechanical works require maintenance just as any other machine, and absolutely require a spark to do so.
Living creations are generally self-repairing, but lack the raw power of mechanical.
You have one spark at present, you may get more if you get more people. About one in 10 million has the gift. OFC apocalypse tends to select for them.
Some samples : strong AI, steam powered battlesuits, fractal spiders (40 ft tall, infinitely divisible legs allow them to do any job included on their punch-cards),
gengineered superhuman immortal soldiers, mind control wasps.
Spark-created mechanical works require maintenance just as any other machine, and absolutely require a spark to do so.
Living creations are generally self-repairing, but lack the raw power of mechanical.
You have one spark at present, you may get more if you get more people. About one in 10 million has the gift. OFC apocalypse tends to select for them.
[not serious] Mob - Turnabout is fair play
Slaughter the cannibals and use their bodies to feed the population. In these desperate times you're not going to let good meat go to waste. Besides, they tried it first.
Slaughter the cannibals and use their bodies to feed the population. In these desperate times you're not going to let good meat go to waste. Besides, they tried it first.
- Location
- Gällivare Sverige
- Pronouns
- He/Him/Sir
[X] Plan: 1
-[X] People - Stick to the traditional
All of your men will be getting married (to one woman) and adopting any children they bring to the union.
Pro: Men are happier and more stable when married, children will grow up and work.
Con: Work teams do less. Food needed for pregnant women and babes who cannot work at all.
Not all can be saved and while workers need to be as productive as can be we must still have the capacity to survive for multiple generations.
-[X] Mob - A parent will commit any crime to feed a starving child.
They are desperate citizens, and should be turned back with as little bloodshed as possible.
Fire will be given at maximum range in order to kill only the bolder, and ceased as soon as the mob rout.
Save the lead the frost will most likely finish them for us any way.
-[X] People - Stick to the traditional
All of your men will be getting married (to one woman) and adopting any children they bring to the union.
Pro: Men are happier and more stable when married, children will grow up and work.
Con: Work teams do less. Food needed for pregnant women and babes who cannot work at all.
Not all can be saved and while workers need to be as productive as can be we must still have the capacity to survive for multiple generations.
-[X] Mob - A parent will commit any crime to feed a starving child.
They are desperate citizens, and should be turned back with as little bloodshed as possible.
Fire will be given at maximum range in order to kill only the bolder, and ceased as soon as the mob rout.
Save the lead the frost will most likely finish them for us any way.
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[X] Plan Stability
-[X] People - Stick to the traditional
-[X] Mob - Cannibals must die.
"Traditional" is going to be the most stable. There will be less dependents who will strain our resources and everyone will have a family to care for. If the Cannibals are allowed to leave then they will attack somewhere else that does not have marines with cannons.
-[X] People - Stick to the traditional
-[X] Mob - Cannibals must die.
"Traditional" is going to be the most stable. There will be less dependents who will strain our resources and everyone will have a family to care for. If the Cannibals are allowed to leave then they will attack somewhere else that does not have marines with cannons.
- Location
- Germiston, South Africa
You have indeed identified my inspirations. Not that I was trying to hide them
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Ghostdevil
The Devil of Ghosts
- Location
- United States
[X] People - Adapt and accept
Time for that Pop boom
Time for that Pop boom
- Location
- Germiston, South Africa
Oki vote closed - writing
Two - Weddings and Funerals
- Location
- Germiston, South Africa
Adapt and Accept 3 Tradition 3 (tie - both options chosen) No slaughter 4
You are Henrietta Victoria DeMarne, and four other names besides, and you are turning the Captain's rather vague ideas into something that people can live with. Right now you are giving a speech to assembled refugees, mostly women and children, only a few men here and there.
"The Captain has 800 men who need wives, there will be a marriage fair tomorrow at the town hall. Those rated Able Seaman and up, that is roughly a Corporal for those of you who only know Army, will be allowed multiple wives and to adopt orphan children. These higher-ranked individuals get better pay and conditions, and can afford to care for more than one.
If you are wondering whether you should join up when you will be going North, well - the Captain had 550 men in his crew at the start of the
Freeze, he still has 530 of those, and another 250 odd who have joined. He keeps people alive. Thank you and hope to see you tomorrow"
Short and blunt, but you have another three meetings today. The hurry helps you forget that the only two men of sufficient station for you to marry are the Captain and Professor Wilne. Perhaps you should be staking your own claim at the fair?
Lieutenant Torrance brought his sword down as the swirl of figures reached the 900 pace marker he had placed in the road, and sergeants bellowed "Muskets Present, ..., Give Fire!". A solid wall of noise washed over him as a thousand pieces bellowed, and he raised his spyglass to check the effect. Some 50 hits, damn good practice at this range. To either side of him the drill continues. "Bite your Cartridge, Pour, Ram, Spit and wad, Ram, Level, Tilt and Tap, Present, Wait for it." The sergeant stepped into the formation and used his fists to encourage one of the townsmen to remove his ramrod, and stepped back again. The sword swept down "Give Fire!". Waving away smoke he looked again, yes the mob were wavering. Fortunately they did not know that this lot knew only how to fire standing, no idea how to move with musket or wheel. All the mob could see was disciplined volleys coming in, and the sullen menace of the cannon in the road itself, waiting for case-shot range. Another two volleys and they broke, leaving groaning and still bodies in the road. He turned and ordered, "Marines form up". The locals could deal with the survivors, he had a ship to get back to, and work to do.
Speaking of work, the Captain needs to decide how it will be done. This is definitely an emergency situation, and it could be life and death to have everyone working a shift for the common weal. The problem with a planned economy of course, is that if he forgets something critical, everyone dies. Since Captain Cullum was not issued infallibility with his rank, perhaps at least some civilian economy would be desirable.
[] Economy - Peacetime
Only persons in the Direct service of the state - currently some 200 Royal Marines and another 200 soldiers.
Effect: This is a civilian economy versatile and adaptive. Difficult to mobilize for large projects, but those working on such will be volunteer rather than Pressed. One volunteer is worth three pressed men after all.
[] Economy - Militia
Everyone puts in a 4-hour shift each day.
Effect: This will still leave those not in direct service 12 hours a day to do whatever, but will allow some large project handling.
[] Economy - Wartime
Everyone puts in an 8hour shift each day.
Effect: Communal projects will advance swiftly and efficiently. Those who wish to better themselves will have 8 hours a day.
[] Economy - Watch and Watch
12 hours a day, 4 on 4 off repeating. This has been the standard on HM ships since time immemorial. Soft landsmen complain about it until they adapt but adapt they do. Personal experience shows that perhaps a scorth of the men will spend half their recreation time pursuing advancement. Minimal to no civilian economy. Sustainable 24/7/365.
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Ghostdevil
The Devil of Ghosts
- Location
- United States
[X] Economy - Watch and Watch
[X] Economy - Militia
- Location
- Germiston, South Africa
Closing voting
Choose your Train
- Location
- Germiston, South Africa
Your current population will be 700 men, 2100 women and 3500 children (83 work gangs). Your work gangs will operate at 70% efficiency for 4 hours a day. It typically requires between 10 and 15 work gangs to fully man an industry site. Your population growth and thus the rate at which you gain new workers each year will be Very High. Considerable civilian industry as a safety net.
You are Captain Cullum and the Ice train is beginning to take shape. The Standard car will sleep 200 souls in cramped discomfort, and carry 3 months food and sundries.
You will need 42 such to move the people you have already committed for. The engineers have muttered their arcane rites, and tell you that such a train will take a month to reach the North at 5 knots. You could order more cars, for either a medium train at 60 cars and a month and two weeks, or a long train at 80 cars and two months.
You can also add specialist cars such as:
Scouting car. This adds four icerigger hermaphrodite boats. Their purpose will be to probe ahead of the train and on its flanks. Such advance warning of crevasse and pressure ridge could be critical. Your current scouting is Professor Wilne's 'hovercraft'.
Supply car. A supply car for each 10 standard cars will give you another month of supply.
Skater car. Walking through deep snow is heavy exercise and does 1 knot at best. Snowshoes or cross-country skis are medium exercise at 3 knots.
Skating is light exercise, almost none if hanging onto a pull rope. A skater car has tents for 500 people, and allows them to ride behind the train in the 'paved ice' created by its many rollers. When the train stops at night the tents are unfolded and heated from the car's boilers. These could allow you to save many more people.
Hothouse car. Start now learning how to warm and grow food, for an early start once you arrive. Will also reduce the risk of scurvy on the way.
You will be growing radishes, carrots and other 30-50 day crops which are low on food but high on flavor and nutrients.
[] Size - Small 42 cars .
A swift journey but the fewest resources and workers at the other end.
[] Size Medium 60 cars
Middle of the road.
[] Size Large 80 cars
Most workers and resources. Slow pace.
Specialist cars
[] Scout
[] Supply
[] Skater
[] Hothouse
[] Write-in?
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Ghostdevil
The Devil of Ghosts
- Location
- United States
[x] Size Medium 60 cars
[X] Hothouse
[X] Hothouse
[x] Size Medium 60 cars
[X] Hothouse
[X] Hothouse
- Location
- Germiston, South Africa
Absolutely. In fact for supply cars you will need (currently) 5 to achieve another month's supplies. Add as many as you wish of one or multiple types.
[X] Plan Preserving our Empire in its people
-[X] Size Large 80 cars
-[X] Scout Car
-[X] 8 supply cars
-[X] 1 hospital car: Find whatever medical supplies and doctors we can and put them in a car dedicated to healing the sick; God knows we'll need it
-[X] 3 gun cars: Create some weapons platforms for our men and cannons. It should provide some level of protection for anyone firing from it, and will be placed equidistant along the train with one right after the engine and its coal carrier, one in the middle, and one at the very back.
-[X] Observation car: See if our men can rig up a tethered, one man hot air balloon with optical equipment that we can send up (weather permitting) for reconaissance and spotting anything of interest
-[X] Size Large 80 cars
-[X] Scout Car
-[X] 8 supply cars
-[X] 1 hospital car: Find whatever medical supplies and doctors we can and put them in a car dedicated to healing the sick; God knows we'll need it
-[X] 3 gun cars: Create some weapons platforms for our men and cannons. It should provide some level of protection for anyone firing from it, and will be placed equidistant along the train with one right after the engine and its coal carrier, one in the middle, and one at the very back.
-[X] Observation car: See if our men can rig up a tethered, one man hot air balloon with optical equipment that we can send up (weather permitting) for reconaissance and spotting anything of interest
Ghostdevil
The Devil of Ghosts
- Location
- United States
[X] Plan Preserving our Empire in its people