Warp Drive Project

Officially non-political and now part of the Corp of Discovery. The Warp Drive Project is tasked with running the Galan Database. In practice they have been farming out parts of the database, getting it on the net for anyone to work on and aggressively open sourcing anything they find.
The Project Headquarters is an abandoned military airport in Long Beach Ca. with shops, offices, residences, and two blimp hangers that date from the second world war. This has become the center for a rising number of small schools and business that make a living off what is learned there. They are informally called Warp Drive Tech.
They have Ane and Aneilogs hanging out there, several alien shipwreck survivors (different ships), and quirky geniuses by the pint. Smart spies take the tour. It's more informative than breaking in and less risky. Security uses tricorders. It is an open and slightly strange hot house of learning and discovery.
==Project Charter==
Dictated by President Bartlett without anyone's by-your-leave:.
*The function of the Warp Drive Project is to mine the Galan Database and make the technologies therein accessible.
*As specified in the Galan Database all contents are under the GGL. Galan General License. -- Everything therein is public domain as is knowledge derived from the database. Knowledge, methods and means are public domain.
*Pay to play: If you want first hand access you help fund the process. There is no such thing as a free lunch. The United States government will have no say in who can or cannot participate.
*The Warp Drive Project is the research and Development function of the Corps of Discovery. This method of enablement is subject to change as the project matures, from within the project only. It is now and will always be a world project, not the sole property of the United States. 
*Otherwise this charter is not amendable.
Bartlett didn't ask anyone about this, he just did it. He figured, correctly, that by the time Congress got off its fat collective ass to complain there would be enough international participation that they couldn't close it down without looking like the total heels they are. Not that they mind being total heels, but they hate looking like it.
==People Known to be On the Project==
*Susan Anderson -- Astronaut First Woman on the Moon AND Mars, first woman faster than light. Currently a Captain with the Corps of Discovery
*Ane -- Several and Sundry. In general no better informed than everyone else, and want the project to succeed. They help with daycare, stress relief, and math. Therilan has supplied a telepathic interface and patched it into the project computers.
*Aneilogs -- Bipedal Ane. they have shown up since the trip Therilan took to a place called Coventry. They have hands and don't teleport. They are digging in to the project.
*Anthony -- A Greyhawken "god" that is present mainly to facilitate the use of the gate. The gatekeeper. He also acts as a trade liaison between Earth and Greyhawke. This hardly takes all of his time. Anthony handles PR for the WDP and the Corps of Discovery. He is also available to talk on magic, teach Quenya, discuss blacksmithing, or any such. General nice guy and easy to get along with. Did I mention Half Centaur?
*Jennifer Ashby -- Security and combat Mom. see "Ashbys"
*Steven Ashby -- Director of the Corps of Discovery the new parent organization of the WDP, Astronaut, see "Ashbys"
*Paul Buildit -- Spacecraft systems engineer. Short sleeved button down white shirt and bow tie.
*Dr. Elroy Blackthorne -- Senior Medical Doctor. Looks like he should be on the quarterdeck of some 17th century galleon. A city professional with a country doctor manner. He ditched the HMOs to work with the Warp Drive Project.
*Pete Conrad -- Apollo Astronaut, First man on Mars, first FTL mission
*"Crystaline" Cristina Lynn Finch -- Computer TK expert. Cristina can manipulate computers at the chip level. Her practical experience overcomes her lack of formal education. She and Ed Finch are married.
*Clark Cannon -- Head of the sensor team, local tricorder expert.
*Simon Daklander -- US INS. Mr Daklander is the US liaison for the Lost Persons Treaty. He doubles as the INS agent at the WDP as well. The treaty doesn't take much of his time thankfully.
*Dr Freeman J. Dyson -- Yes, that Dr. Dyson. Director of the Project with Ashby moving to direct the Corps of Discovery. He got tot he stars, and is still looking for more trips.
*Edgar Eager -- Shuttle Astronaut First FTL mission, first Mars landing. Moved to the CoD
*Edmond -- Local wild AI computer brought in from the cold. Edmond is happy to have useful work to do, and people of an ethical nature to talk to.
*Favel -- Favel is an Alien from yet another hole in the universe. He is not a formal member of the project but is willing to lend a hand and has. Bureau 13, Department of Super Heroes 
*Ed Finch -- Now spending all of his time at the Project. Part of the Wonder kids team of David Lamb, his wife Christina and Himself.
*David Lamb -- Autistic robotics genius self taught and tutored by an Alien that calls himself "Chevy Impala" AKA Ingala Fruupurp.
*Ingala Fruupurp --Shipwrecked Alien that has yet to make much of a mark. He is willing to help, but is a poor fit for Earth society. Formerly went by the name of Chevy Impala. (Yes, this was a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy).
*Dr. Elizabeth German -- Medical engineering
*Guinan -- El Alurian woman that was found shipwrecked. Good social sciences type. Her Science Fiction Novel The Storm from Orion, discussing the Great Orion Empire is becoming more popular with those that can read between the lines. The critics think it stinks; job accomplished.
*Ricky Guy -- Security.
*Dr. Ramond Knomuch -- Warp coil department.
*Mickey Mann -- Security Guy.
*Edward McMurry -- Sociologist.
*Jimmy Owens -- Red headed freckled, doesn't look a day over twelve, can punch out a Mack truck. Former Navy Seal Likes SF "nerd" stuff. Accompanied Betty to the Furry Con. Apparently furry girls don't press his lust buttons.
*Robert Stalk -- A short balding Ex PI Stalk lost is license over a "Beyond" case in central Arkansas that he undertook on his own accord. He slipped away before Bureau 13 could clean it up, and get him inducted. He was induced after the Vampire Stalkers Incident. Stalk is a known fried chicken addict. He works security on the investigative side. (B-13)
*Therilan -- General helper and tech type. She is an Ane History Scout, fully "out" since The Trial for Peoplehood. She likes the people here and loves being the Ashby "Aunt". She still does her primary and secondary jobs; being a scout, reading everything in sight, and working to heal people at the Big Sur Mental Health Clinic. She is usually seen around the project as an Aneilog.
*Uhura Young -- Head of IT. She and "Lapilan" her Ane built "IBM Thinkpad" AI computer are the core of the team's computer tech division. (In the know, trusted)
* Heinrich Mann - New Head of Security
==Sister Organizations==
*The Corps of Discovery -- Has taken over administration of the project.. The Corp of Discovery Academy is on the Moon.
*The ADF -- The Ane Defense Force consists of a couple of ships. Mind you these are advanced vessels from the Ane History Scouts. The ADF is more than willing to help the project in any material way.
*Collegium Arcane -- Teaching and researching practical and ethical magic. A growing necessity. This is starting painfully slowly. The lack of qualified teachers is the main impediment. The WDP also has an understanding with The Order of Magi, the Stanford University School of the Arcane. UCLA Blackmane School of Magic, Mystkonic University, the American private secondary school Salem Academy, and the English school Ravensglen.
*The Solar Patrol -- 12 ADF cutters placed in the hands of the Corp of Discovery to teach and to defend Earth.
* The New Society Project - An attempt to do for societies what the Galen Database did for technology.
Category:Groups
Category:CoD
Category:Technology
Category:Space
Category:Ground Ports
Category:Aliens
Category:Outsiders
Category:Long Beach
==Accomplishments==
===Technology===
Ares II -- Impulse Spacecraft: Passenger version of the Delta i. Used mainly for orbit to Moon travel.
Boeing 808 Starliner -- Impulse power orbital capable aerospace liner: Requires a runway, cannot land on the Moon.
Delta I "Ares" -- (Delta "Eye" not Delta One). cargo lift with twice the capacity of a shuttle, but light on passenger space. These are the craft building the Far Side Observatory and research facility. Runway or vertical take off and landing.
Gamma Lifter -- Lockmart Second generation dual mode aerospace passenger and cargo craft. It can carry 100 persons and luggage or equivalent cargo to the Moon or Mars and back. 
Gravity/Anti-Gravity -- Solved. Compact anti-gravs are available. With a trick demonstrated by one of the alien refugees at the project; build the grids of smaller gravity cones. Bam, the thing worked. instead of trying to balance on several large cones that eat the power build the small grids. Bigger is not always better. Home built flying cars started to come out of garages within weeks of the first published results. The FAA is scrambling to adjust.
Impulse Ground Space Ground 45 "Lancer" -- Aerospace Plane: The size of a small executive jet. The love child of a executive jet and the old Dyna Soar. Six couches, a hold of equal size. If you fit it with all couches it will carry twelve but you have to evacuate the craft or match a lock. They are used mainly for transport to orbit and back, or for ground to ground hypersonic sub-orbital travel. They are comfortable enough to stay in for a day or two if you cut the crew to four. That gives you sleeping room. Yes they have a toilet. 
Impulse reactors/generator -- The power plant that is changing the world. Truck sized and larger fusion electric generators. They are filling Krellite cells and killing big energy. Fusion reactors have been mounted in locomotives and on ships. 
 
Krellite cells -- The battery everyone wanted. Being held for the murder of the internal combustion engine. A car equipped with krellite cells can travel across North America on a single charge, and at highway speeds.
Lancer 50/50g -- The size of an old 737 with a profile more like the Long EZ from Scaled Composites. The Lancer 50 is equipped with reaction and landing jets and can land on the Moon or Mars. They have less room as what would have been the cargo deck is full of machinery. The model is being refitted with gravity plates. Gravity equipped models are called the 50g.
Matter-Antimatter Reactor -- a functioning reactor and warp core has been built. And has been used in a warp prototype.
Mars Bases -- Three bases currently and one space station. A fourth base on the shield to mine rare elements for warp coils is being built.
Moon Bases -- Permanent near side and far side bases. The Tranquility Science Station is the primary near side base. A tourist hotel for 200 the Virgin Diana Resort is in operation as well. Far Side Observatory is run by the WDP and JPL jointly. The Corp of Discovery Academy is under construction.
Orion II "Sheppard class" -- Impulse interplanetary ship: 1500 tons 350 feet long. crew of 50. It has two airlocks, crew quarters a galley, medical bay, bridge, engineering, wardroom, can dock and carry 2 Lancers or a single Delta i, and so forth. All the comfort of an old flush deck four stacker. Which for a space craft is the bleedin' Ritz. Existing models are being retrofitted with guns.
Challenger Class Cruiser -- 3000 tons, crew of 100. 420 feet long and full gravity. A warp ship. This one will be armed and has force fields for shielding and to stiffen the structure of the craft. Smooth skinned all components are inside the hull (Hanger deck!). As planned the first seven ships will be named for the lost Challenger astronauts regardless of the owner of what service runs the ship.
Phasers -- Weapon: Replacing firearms at least with the police. Stun only models are also for sale. They have ring locks as a standard feature. Various manufactures are experimenting with the settings. Ruger claims a phaser that goes to "11". You need an extremal power pack for it. Remington is exploring the market for the long phaser. A sniper phaser now exists. Smith & Wesson is exploring the size factor, how small can an effective weapon be made.
 
Protein Sequencer -- Artificial meat. Fit for Human consumption, three times the price of the real thing. The first carniculture rigs are headed for Mars and the Moon.
Regeneration -- Process discovered at the Mayo Clinic. It is about to enter medical practice.
Space stations -- Permanent presence in space. Several stations have been built. One, Aquarius Station, is solely for space tourists. Gagarin Station is used to build the Orion II class ships. Heinlein Station is the first free enterprise space station.
Tri-recorder Sensor package -- A heavy suitcase sized device that reads and records several wave bands in both active and passive sensor modes. In addition to the expected audio/visual, it detects magnetic and gravitic forces, electromagnetic energy outside the visible range. In the active mode it can closely examine life forms for anomalies and detect hidden weapons. A tricorder as it is called requires a two to three man team to operate. 
WDX-100 -- Unmanned proof of concept. Tested successfully. The working prototype has been safed and donated to the Smithsonian. Rather the shell has been. The guts share too much with the exiting test craft to discard.
WDX-200 -- Manned prototype warp ship. Tested successfully. The test pilot of record was Edgar Eager. The first man to go faster than light in an Earth built craft.
WDX-300 -- The third warp drive ship to test the inertial compensators necessary to actually turn at warp or even high impulse speeds. Unmanned vessel. Crash test dummies. will take the risks. The WDX-300 is similar to the WDX-200 in most systems.
===Events===
The Vulcan Rescue Mission -- Entirely a Project mission of mercy. It brought about formal relations with the Vulcan people.
The Trial for Peoplehood -- This even centered around the project as the Ane in question was shot on project grounds and the Project hosted most of the Aliens and Outsders that arrived.
==Resources==
"The Gadget" -- 23rd century "Vulcan shuttle" with warp sled. A gift from the Ane History Scouts.
Vulcan Scout -- It has been repaired and returned to the Vulcan Embassy. It remains in orbit to service the mission.
El Aurian Runabout -- Again, damaged, but something to study. It is under repair.
Dilithum -- Recovered from Builder Station
The Beast -- Kulad warp drive ship, The Beast is flyable. It has been turned over to the Corp of Discovery by the owner. 
Galan Database -- A gift from the Ane History Scouts. Since the project has been able to answer the question that required knowing how to build a working warp drive the database has opened up. All kinds of things are coming out.
Orion Wreckage -- Wrecks hauled back from Barnard's Star by the ADF Rubicon. A result of the aborted Orion raid on Earth.
Category:Groups
Category:CoD
Category:Technology
Category:Space
Category:Ground Ports
Category:Aliens
Category:Outsiders
Category:Long Beach
Category:Earth Gazetteer