Progress

"*Sometimes, evolution must be guided by those who win the lottery of natural selection*." -- Arthur Feingold

*Progress* was a fleet designed primarily by the research and development scientists of Noveautrea in the First Trilogy Era and constructed in the Main Belt under the supervision of Technocracy triumvirate member Arthur Feingold. It consisted of a single cylinder spun for gravity at a twenty three degree angle from the plane of the fleet, connected by a network of steel booms to six small asteroids. A flagship at the head of the fleet served as the navigational center, command bridge, and center of government for the fleet. It was driven by two nuclear propelled engines in the rear behind the two outermost asteroids.

## Origin

*Progress* was designed by Nouveautrean scientists and was first conceived of as a thought experiment by the First Founders of Noveautrea. It's original conception had a from-scratch build schedule of at least half a century and required the peaceful cooperation of the Consortium, Noveautrea, and Confederacy. It was thought to be a scientific endeavor that could unify Sol System despite each culture's differences similar to the unity of Earth after the lunar landing of 1969 in the old calendar. Arthur Feingold was the son of Noveautrean parents who fiercely believed in the necessity of sacrifice for the sake of progress and adhered a political philosophy of the rule of the intelligentsia.

## Design

The central column of the fleet is a much bigger version of Nova 1, the central column of Noveautrea. It is spun clockwise at about two rotations per minute to generate 9.8 m/s^2 of gravity. Once gravity was generated on the main column, it did not require any additional propulsion to keep it going.

The main living column was pressurized and contained a closed atmospheric system that recycled N2 and O2 and used CO2 to feed the agrarium. A series of steel booms connects the fleet in a rigid structure. A quick moving kinetic shuttle within the booms allows for travel between the asteroids, engines, main living column, and the flagship. Freely moving shuttles (little more than engines with seatbelts) were also included for emergency purposes.

It's main propulsion was nuclear, though each asteroid had a trio of electromagnetic drives used for gimballing purposes. Though such a sophisticated propulsion system was considered unnecessary by Feingold himself, he thought that by sending so many engines with the fleet, the *Progress* would be deconstructed upon arrival at Proxima Centauri to construct smaller space craft.

Feingold had included massive solar panels on every part of the fleet, and cannabalised resources liberated in the war in the Main Belt and beamed it via laser to the fleet for additional velocity.

The central column has sections for work, entertainment, and residence. Each of the sections are controllable from both the bridge and the control room of the cylinder itself. These can be sealed off in case of explosive decompression. The entertainment section houses the largest library of books, films, music, and technical information known to man during the First Trilogy Era.

## Life Aboard

One hundred and sixty people left Sol System aboard the *Progress* fleet, purposefully chosen by Feingold to be as diverse in race, education, and belief as possible with the single uniting factor that they all believed in the necessity of the colonization of Proxima Centauri. Many of them were adherents of Architecture which played a significant role in the collective experience of the fleet. Monogamy was encouraged by the fleet members themselves both for spiritual reasons and to maintain a stable and healthy population.

## Travel

Progress will achieve a maximum velocity of 7.49\*10^7 m/s, or about 1/4 the speed of light (.25 c). With a total travel distance of about 4.3 light years, Progress reaches Alpha Centauri in 17.2 standard years.