Part 57: Episode VI: 2329 - 2349

Episode VI: 2329-2349




2331. Only a quarter-century or so late ... As painful as it is in terms of slowdown, I've got to send a bunch of colonists over there. 22M.




This bearded human scientist has something useful now. One Colonizer on it's way to Exis(the Arid one that should extend our range the most), and we move on to Irridium Fuel Cells.

A second ship will begin soon, but first another swath of Recons are needed. Berel ships a bit of population back to the capital to get it maxed out again a little quicker; it's main job will be colonist incubation for a while now.




At least we've seen no rivals yet, though I imagine that'll change soon.




Whaddya know, a Meklar. We hear tell they are Xenophobic Industrialists, an appropriate philosophy for such creatures.




Typically they do start slow, so at least we are even in territory at this point -- but if they claim a bunch of that upper-left quadrant, their industrial base will prove quite annoying. 50BC in trade to start things off. Normally that would start at -15 BC, but it'll cost us just 2.




A couple of years later, and our ring of Recons starts arriving at their destinations. Not everyone is pleased. Here, a destroyer chases us away.




Second barren planet we've found. Getting that quickly could be profitable ...




Outstanding.







Finally, another standard world.




And another. Not great ones, but we'll take what we can get.




Hostility everywhere. Off to the right we are running into a Mrrshan wall in multiple locations.




Big one to get obviously, literally and figuratively.




2349 here. Just settled Keeta so that gives us four, while the Meklar have not expanded further. The 'O' in the lower-middle is Rha, we have a colony ship several years out to there. After that I'm not sure that we have any other options. Morrig in the lower left is too far away. There are three barren systems out there though. One is decent sized, one is rich, the other one sucks but gets us to Morrig. It seems time to rush Barren landings; we've already got Terraforming queued up so I'll need to get that first. An early pause in colony-ship building is not what I'd like, but it seems to be what the situation calls for.




We spot a Silicoid scout in the nebula a bit above and to the right of this, but this galaxy seriously isn't playing around with the mineral wealth.




Took several years of trying to scout this, with both Bulrathi and Mrrshan ships in the area. Doesn't seem like it was worth it.