Nansei Research Complex

CLASS: Amaterasu

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

POPULATION: 650

The Nansei Research Complex is a cutting-edge Samura facility for the development of antimatter technology in conjunction with the Kusari Navy. The Battleship *Nagumo* maintains a careful eye on the complex as a safeguard against strikes by any terrorist group intent on turning antimatter technology towards its own destructive ends.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Border World Exports
* Gateway Shipping
* Kishiro Technologies
* Samura Industries
* Farmers Alliance

## Commodities

* MOX
* Superconductors
* Pharmaceuticals
* Cardamine

* Water
* H-Fuel

## Rumors

* The scientists here feel that it would be foolish to store antimatter in a ship. Somehow we need to find a way to generate on the fly the moderate amounts of it needed during the high boost phase of the engines.
* The field of solar collectors you see outside generate the immense amounts of power required in antimatter production. We have done a lot of allied research in cheap manufacturing methods for solar collectors.
* The antimatter research is a cover for our real purpose here: replicating the Ageira Superconductors. Somehow Liberty has learned extremely advanced manufacturing techniques to create compounds that we've never seen.
* It appears from our research that it is still not economical to create mass quantities of antimatter, even with cheap solar energy. Then there is the issue of transport. A large amount of antimatter transported on a ship would be a tremendously powerful bomb if the containment field were ever breached by accident or hostile action.
* The Blood Dragons know what our weakness is here. They always go after the antimatter storage vessels. If they were to breach just one, it could be a chain-reaction catastrophe.
* If there were ever an accident in Nansei, all of Kyushu would know immediately. This entire complex would be vaporized in an instant. Antimatter destroys matter on contact in a mutually destructive collision. We have several metric tons stored here for research purposes. That would make a 1000-megaton thermonuclear weapon explosion look like a candle flame in comparison.
* Nansei is in direct competition with Kansai. They have more innovative and well paid scientists at Kishiro. Samura receives much money from the government for this project, yet we lack simple supplies and modern laboratory facilities.
* We require many Superconductors to create the massive electromagnetic fields needed to accelerate hydrogen to the speeds that create antimatter particles. The high efficiency Liberty Superconductors are far more economical than any Kusari has been able to fabricate.

* We are not making nearly as much money as Kishiro research scientists. Plus, all of our equipment is outdated. Some of our materials are getting so old that accidents can happen. This is not a good place to work, though I could not dishonor myself by leaving Samura.
* This is just another kickback from the government to Samura. Samura receive 50 million from Tokyo every year, yet we never are allowed to spend more than 20. The rest goes to fund all of Samura's extracurricular activities around Kusari.
* The Samura scientists stationed here have been demoralized by the cuts in overtime and bonuses by Samura during the last year. Rumor is that our support of the Farmers Alliance has been more costly than expected.
* All the best scientists work for Kishiro -- everyone knows that. Most of us are Kyushu University graduates, a school known more for its agricultural research than up-to-date propulsion engineering programs.
* In 400 AS the Kusari government decided to offer corporations incentives to move offices and bases into Kyushu. This was to help stimulate development of the system. We decided to take advantage of that offer; in return the government is getting the best research available governing antimatter. Eventually, these projects could lead to new forms of propulsion, energy, and weaponry.