RICE Paper #SM-2306: Shionthy/Regina
RICE Paper #SM-2306: Shionthy/Regina
Last Updated
25 March
2003.
| Primary: | Splinter | Type: | M4V | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp: | 3340K | Luminosity: | 0.0214 | ||
| Mass: | 0.268 | Radius: | 0.00358 AU (0.396 Sol) | ||
| Lifespan: | 168bn years | Age: | 7bn years | ||
| Safe Jump: | 0.716 AU |
The danger of contacting free-floating antimatter particles gives the Shionthy system its Red Zone (interdicted) classification.
Ships travelling further insystem than the orbit of the outer gas giant Pathrio should engage the services of an experienced local pilot.
| Orbit | (AU) | Name | UPP | Notes | Diam | Dens | Grav |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Splinter | M4 V | |||||
| - | (0.128) | ----- INNER EDGE OF LIFE ZONE ----- | |||||
| 0 | (0.160) | Hellbelt | X000-665-8 | Mining towns, military base | |||
| - | (0.178) | ----- OUTER EDGE OF LIFE ZONE ----- | |||||
| 1 | (0.460) | Thiomen | Small gas giant | 27k | 1.4 | 0.861 | |
| Shaw | G423-332-8 | Uni of Regina lab, ice-capped | |||||
| T-Dva | H410-000-0 | ||||||
| Ring System | YR00-000-0 | ||||||
| Ring System | YR00-000-0 | ||||||
| T-Tre | H4A0-340-0 | Mining camp | |||||
| Stableford | F100-425-8 | Traffic Control -- Inner System HQ | |||||
| - | (0.676) | ----- SNOW LINE ----- | |||||
| - | (0.716) | ----- SAFE JUMP (100 STELLAR DIAMETERS) ----- | |||||
| 2 | (0.760) | Althioy | Small gas giant | 49k | 1.0 | 1.12 | |
| A-Adeen | YS00-000-0 | ||||||
| A-Dva | H400-000-0 | ||||||
| A-Tre | H200-000-0 | ||||||
| Dickson | H403-164-8 | Traffic Control obs post, ice capped | |||||
| A-Pyat | H201-000-0 | Ice capped | |||||
| A-Shest | YS00-000-0 | ||||||
| A-Shem | H430-000-0 | ||||||
| Waldrop | G512-314-8 | LSP Lab; Imperial Army base | |||||
| 3 | (1.360) | Griosh | Small gas giant | 48k | 1.0 | 1.09 | |
| G-Adeen | H300-000-0 | ||||||
| G-Dva | H100-000-0 | ||||||
| G-Tre | YS00-000-0 | ||||||
| Blish | G310-322-8 | Lab | |||||
| Ring System | R000-000-0 | ||||||
| White | H530-365-7 | ||||||
| G-Shest | YS00-000-0 | ||||||
| 4 | (2.560) | Pathrio | Large gas giant | 75k | 0.7 | 1.20 | |
| P-Adeen | H540-000-0 | ||||||
| P-Dva | H400-000-0 | ||||||
| P-Tre | H310-000-0 | ||||||
| P-Chetir | H100-000-0 | ||||||
| Ring System | YR00-000-0 | ||||||
| P-Pyat | H522-000-0 | ||||||
| P-Shest | H500-000-0 | ||||||
| P-Shem | H100-000-0 | ||||||
| Kelleher | F6A0-520-7 | Hellbent (mining town) | |||||
| P-Dyevat | H300-000-0 | ||||||
| P-Dyesat | G620-000-0 | ||||||
| P-Adnatsat | H5A1-000-0 | ||||||
| Ring System | YR00-000-0 | ||||||
| Miller | H100-363-8 | Traffic Control -- Outer System HQ | |||||
| 4* | (2.56*) | Shionthy | X000-742-8 | Mainworld (Leading Trojans) | |||
| - | (12.00) | ----- OUTER LIMIT OF STELLAR SYSTEM ----- | |||||
Note: Every body of size 1+ has a Dust Bunker: a beacon-marked artificial cavern in which ships of 400dT or less can shelter from uncharted dust-falls. Bunkers are Port Type H (primitive).
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| Date | UWP | Notes | Zone | Sys | Alleg | Star | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1105 | X000742-8 | Na As | Red | GG | Im | CT Supp 3 | ||
| 1110 | X000742-8 | Red | Im | CT Beltstrike | ||||
| 1117 | X000742-8 | As Na | Red | 714 | DD/Im | M4V | MT:IE | |
| 1200 | C000742-9 | As Na An | Am | 814 | Re | M4V | TNE:RS |
For Imperials, Shionthy is known for the following facts: the Shionthy system contains an asteroid belt partly composed of antimatter, and is under a Red Zone interdict because of the danger to insystem navigation. These facts are true, but incomplete.
Some commentators believe that the UWP of Shionthy is that of the Shionthy system's Inner Belt -- locally known as the "Hellbelt". The majority of the Shionthy system's antimatter is located in the Hellbelt -- hence the name. However, although Shionthy's Hellbelt is infamous throughout the Imperium, it is not the system's mainworld.
Shionthy is in fact the proper name for the leading Trojan asteroid cluster of Patrio, the outer gas giant. The majority of the system's inhabitants live there, relatively safe from the bombardment of antimatter dust in the Hellbelt, and with a good supply of the carbonaceous and ice asteroids needed to sustain life. Many of the system's inhabitants also live and work on the moons of the system's four gas giants.
Shionthians despair of ever correcting the Imperial misgivings about their system.
(1105-1120) 70 million, mainly inhabiting the Trailing Trojan cluster of the outer gas giant Pathrio. The dangers of the Shionthy system and economic restrictions due to the Imperial Navy interdiction rendered the population and economy static for more than a century.
(1200) 80 million. Shionthy's reclassification from Red to Amber travel zone in 1147 attracted trade, stimulating immigration, technological development and population growth.
Table 1: Shionthian Issues and Factional Alignment Roll(2D) Imperial Foreign SeeTee Admin Defence FACTION Loyal Self-reliance Conservative Centrist Hawk 2 Fanatical Public Fanatical Public Fanatical 3-4 Public Public Sympathetic Public Fanatical 5-6 Public Public Sympathetic Unaligned Sympathetic 7 Unaligned Unaligned Unaligned Unaligned Unaligned 8-9 Sympathetic Sympathetic Public Public Public 10-11 Public Public Public Fanatical Public 12 Fanatical Fanatical Fanatical Fanatical Fanatical FACTION Indept. Open-door Liberal Democrat Dove NEXT VOTE 2D months 1D months 1D years 2D months 1D months
Unaligned: Has no opinions on the matter. Sympathetic: Inclined to agreement.
Public: Openly partisan on the matter. Fanatical: Focuses on this matter much of the time.
Note that this table can be used to determine the entire Shionthy system's stance on any issue at a given time. NEXT VOTE gives how long before another vote will be held on the issue, in the normal course of politics. Note however that a major upset in system politics -- for example a major antimatter disaster, or a revelation that the Imperial Navy is experimenting with SeeTee weapons -- can precipitate an immediate vote in one or more issues.
Law level 2 (Control rating 1). Most laws and regulations have to do with controlling insystem traffic and access to Seetee. Other laws come into play only in the most extreme circumstances, when a Tribunal is convened.
In such cases, however, a Tribunal's dictates are absolute and very rarely challenged.
The majority of Shionthy's miners are conventional, working the Trojan points and moons of the system's four gas giants. However, the powerhouse of the Shionthian economy is the antimatter trade. Antimatter can only be (legally) bought and sold at the LSP ContraTerrene Matter Market (CTMM, or SeeTeeDouble-Em).
| Starting Wholesale Price ==>MCr5 per kilogram. | |
| Daily Roll (2D) | Price Mod |
|---|---|
| 1- | -75%, roll again |
| 2 | -50% |
| 3 | -25% |
| 4-5 | -10% |
| 6-8 | Stable |
| 9-10 | +10% |
| 11 | +25% |
| 12 | +50% |
| 13+ | +100%, roll again |
The Imperial Navy takes a very dim view of illicit trading in antimatter.
Price of anti-matter = MCr0.2 per kilolitre (TNE:FF&S, p63); however, this is at TL17+, the tech level at which antimatter power plants become available and industrial production of antimatter is relatively safe and simple.
Each kilolitre of this 'antimatter fuel' in fact only contains a small quantity of antimatter - the remainder is a containment bottle for this highly dangerous material.
Table 2: Antimatter price, volume, raw antimatter mass and chance of mishap
TL Price Mass Min Vol Max A-M Mishap* Max explosive
(MCr) (t) (kL)**** (kg) (2D) yield (megatons)**
TL17 0.2 1.0 1.0 13+ 300 MT
TL16 0.4 2.0 0.5 12+ 240 MT
TL15 0.8 4.0 0.25 11+ 190 MT
TL14 1.6 8.0 0.13 11+ 150 MT
TL13 3.2 16.0 0.06 10+ 120 MT
TL12 6.4 32.0 0.03 10+ 90 MT
TL11 12.8 64.0 0.01 9+ 60 MT
TL10 25.6 128.0 0.005 8+ 50 MT
TL8-9 ---- 550.0 0.001 6+ 15 MT
* Roll for a mishap if the containment bottle is disturbed in some way -- eg a substantial shock, or the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) of a nearby nuclear missile explosion. Note that from TL17, antimatter containment can be considered safe unless the containment bottle is breached.
It should be obvious to even the casual observer that the prices paid for antimatter outside the Shionthy system is considerably better than that paid at the LSP-dominated SeeTeeDoubleEm.
Shionthians mount antimatter containment vessels on the outside hull of their ships, where they can be quickly jettisoned in an emergency. Most Outsiders are not so intelligent -- yet another argument in favour of hiring a local insystem pilot.
In any case, the breach of an antimatter containment bottle should be considered "a serious thing" and has potential for both serious tension and roleplaying opportunities. Resolution of such a situation is left to the Referee, with bonuses given for Engineering expertise and innovative attempts at a solution.
Antimatter can be produced in minute quantities from TL7, but only at enormous expense - costing tens of millions of credits per nanogram.
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"Outsiders come to the Shionthy system with various objectives. Many want to become rich -- to find that lucky macroscopic strike of seetee in the inner belt, and successfully return it for sale.
"Others come for knowledge -- to investigate the properties of seetee or the unique role of the Ancients in Shionthy's history. And some come for power -- either the energy locked in seetee, which can be released for the benefit of Humaniti, making possible almost unlimited energy reactors, for example -- or the terrible weapons that seetee makes possible.
"All of these outsiders have one thing in common: hunger, whether for wealth, knowledge or power. But no mortal appetite can match the ravenous hunger of seetee, which waits to devour matter at the slightest touch."
- Maria Svobold, seetee miner and novelist.
"Three factors influence the size and distribution of contraterrene (CT, or anti-matter) particles in the Shionthy belt: gravitation, collision with macroscopic particles of matter, and the solar wind.
"Gravitation acts on CT in the same way as normal matter: CT particles are pulled into orbit around the star, and influenced by asteroids, planets, comets and other particles of both CT and normal matter. Under gravitation, CT particles either combine with other CT particles into even larger CT concentrations, or are attracted to normal matter.
"A physics professors would tell you that when matter and CT combine, both experience the joys of mutual annihilation. This is correct - in laboratory conditions. In the real universe, however, the situation is rather more complicated.
"Imagine smashing two large rocks together. The rocks actually touch at only a few points. Now imagine that one rock is matter and the other anti-matter.
"Antimatter annihilation taps the power of total conversion: "E=MC squared," in the famous formula of the ancient Solomani philosopher, Einstein. This releases energies of an order of magnitude greater than nuclear fusion - but in practice, total conversion only occurs in the parts of the rocks that actually come into contact. This releases enough energy to vapourise most of the resulting matter and antimatter, and send the remaining pulverised rock flying apart in the form of ions, atoms and larger particles. Over time, then, annihilation tends to reduce larger fragments of anti-matter to much smaller particles.
"Shionthy's star, Splinter, emits a continuous solar wind of particles - ions, protons and electrons, all of which attract and annihilate their counterparts - anti-ions, anti-protons and positrons. What remains is neutrally-charged CT atoms, molecules and larger particles.
"Splinter's solar wind also erodes CT fragments, with the rate of erosion depending on the ratio of surface area to volume. I leave the mathematics to the student, but the overall effect is that the rate of erosion is fastest in the smallest particles, and much slower in larger fragments.
"The overall effect is that CT matter in the Shionthy system takes two forms: a small number of larger fragments, which still remain in the Shionthy Belt; and vast clouds of what Shionthy miners call "Dust" - the pulverised remains of larger impacts, blasted randomly across the whole system on the solar wind.
"Fortunately, the system's four gas giants tend to act as vacuum cleaners - if you'll excuse the pun - sweeping up much of the Dust that strays beyond the inner system. Most of the system's inhabitants live in the Trojan asteroids and the moons of Pathrio, the outer (and largest) of the system's gas giants; a smaller number inhabit the moons of the inner gas giants; and an even smaller number of hardy - or foolhardy - miners and researchers live within the inner belt itself, where the concentration of CT matter is the highest.
"Popular myth tends to focus on the danger of the few large chunks of CT matter that remain in the Shionthy Belt, but the reality is both more mundane and more dangerous: the continual danger of encountering a cloud of Dust, without warning, anywhere in the Shionthy system, and the sleet of gamma radiation from the annihilation of microscopic particles of CT matter.
"One final complication: Splinter is an M4V flare star, which erupts with solar flares that randomly increase the strength of the solar wind by many orders of magnitude. At times of maximum flare activity, Dust can be thrown far into the outer system. As you might imagine, the radiation hazard at such times can be extreme.
"Because of all of these factors, it would be irresponsible and foolhardy to lift the interdiction on the Shionthy system."
- Arnold Guumish, Chief Scientist of LSP's CT Insitute and antimatter consultant to the Imperial Navy, before the Imperial Interdiction Review Board convened at Regina on 221:1117.
"Understanding the influence of antimatter in the Shionthy system is simple: it's all about money and power. Or if you prefer, about LSP and the Imperial Navy. Antimatter is profitable for LSP, which runs a secret weapons research laboratory located in the Shionthy Hell-belt. Antimatter is power for the Imperial military, which stands to gain from the new weapons that LSP is producing.
"But antimatter is a poor weapon of war: it is difficult to store, hard to control and indiscriminate in its effects. There is still no feasible way of controlling an explosion so that all antimatter is annihilated -- a few pieces of antimatter, continually breaking into smaller randomly-scattering fragments, could make an entire solar system uninhabitable for decades. Any state that uses antimatter weapons will face horror and immediate condemnation from its interstellar neighbours -- allies and enemies alike.
"However, these factors make antimatter an excellent weapon of terror. One terrorist with a grenade-sized vessel can carry enough antimatter to obliterate a city; an antimatter bombardment could reduce an entire planetary surface to a sea of radioactive dust; and the horror that antimatter generates is perfect for terrorising civilians. Best of all, a state can distance itself from the actions of a terrorist group in a way it could never do with its own military.
"My evidence proves conclusively that not only has LSP developed antimatter terror weapons, but that the Imperial Navy has plans to stockpile and smuggle these weapons to Imperial agents and insurgent groups in the Outworld Coalition."
- Professor Nelson Burgiss, formerly Dean of Contraterrene Physics at the University of Regina, to the Imperial Interdiction Review Board convened at Regina on 221:1117.
Professor Burgiss died in a tragic antimatter accident less than a week after he appeared before the Imperial Interdiction Review Board. Burgiss' evidence was lost when the IISS X-boat transporting the evidence to Capital misjumped and disappeared somewhere in Corridor sector. Due to an administrative oversight, the Ministry of Defence had failed to make backup copies.
"Let me be perfectly clear: LSP does not now, and has never in the past, conducted antimatter weapons research in the Shionthy Belt."
- Sergei Semyonovich Verontsov, Marquis of Shionthy and Chairman of Shionthy CT Mining LIC, before the Imperial Interdiction Review Board convened at Regina on 221:1117.
"Any accusation that LSP is colluding with Imperial Navy Reserve officers in the interdiction of the Shionthy system is not only slander, but purely and simply ridiculous."
- Reserve Commodore Dipesh Waldrop-Malayen, commander of the 1212th Reserve Fleet, the unit responsible for enforcing the interdiction of Shionthy system.
"Shionthy CT Mining LIC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of LSP. Marquis Verontsov is using the Imperial Navy interdiction for his own private profit, and for the benefit of LSP's shareholders. How do I know this? Because Reserve Commodore Dipesh Waldrop-Malayen's day job is as the Chairman of LSP's Regina Board of Directors."
- Huang Wei, Industrial Organiser, Shionthy Miners' Union, before the Imperial Interdiction Review Board convened at Regina on 221:1117.
"The allegations levelled by the Shionthy Miners' Union and their associates are purely political, fabricated by agents trying to infect the Third Imperium with a lethal plague of populist democracy."
-Sergei Semyonovich Verontsov, Marquis of Shionthy and Chairman of Shionthy CT Mining LIC, before the Imperial Interdiction Review Board convened at Regina on 221:1117.
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Two contradictory factors make the Shionthy system unique: first, that the system components have indisputably been altered in the distant past, most probably by the species known as the Ancients; and second, that no physical artifacts of the Ancients have yet been discovered in the system. Three pieces of indirect evidence point to these conclusions:
The actual involvement of the Ancients has been a matter of considerable speculation. Several theories have been advanced for the unique presence of antimatter in the Shionthy system:
MT Imperial Encyclopedia; TNE Regency Sourcebook; GT Behind the Claw (GT:BTC); CT Supplement 3: The Spinward Marches; TNE Fire, Fusion & Steel; CT The Traveller Adventure (esp. pp12-15, for history of Spinward Marches); CT Beltstrike; MT Hard Times; CT Adv 1: The Kinunir; CT Adv 12: Secret of the Ancients.
Note: the details here are quoted for the purposes of study the "fair usage" provisions of the Copyright Act, and with no intention to violate the rights of the copyright owners.
C000-742-9 As Na An A814 Re M4V TNE:Regency Sourcebook
Description:
With the advent of Virus, antimatter was too useful a weapon to remain hidden. The interdiction on the Shionthy system was finally lifted in 1147 (travel classification: Amber), and progress made on seetee Dust weapons designed to deter or destroy vampire fleets threatening the Domain of Deneb.
Although the Domain abandoned seetee weapons as too dangerous, the lifting of the interdiction led to an increase in scientific activity and the introduction of gravitic, jump drive and fusion technologies (tech level:9). A general increase in living standards in the Shionthy system has induced a small annual growth in system population after centuries of stagnation (pop mult:8). In 1155, Shionthy was officially declared an Ancient site (trade code: An), although the exact nature of Ancient artifacts found remains a secret. Tourist liners began visiting the Shionthy system in 1194.
The increase in research activity has not only benefited the Shionthy system. Researchers from the University of Rhylanor have made solid progress on a prototype antimatter power plant, using engineering advances based on Shionthy antimatter research.
References:
(1200) "Shionthy has tremendous historical significance because of its role in the life of Norris, the First Regent. The Shionthy belt was the final resting place of the Colonial Cruiser Kinunir (TailNo.9514), which was carrying an Imperial Warrant from Emperor Strephon for then-Duke Norris. Kinunir suffered a failure in her AI security system, killed her crew (foreshadowing the Collapse) and wound up out of fuel as a derelict in the then-interdicted system. Norris was eventually able to trace the location of the warrant, enter the Shionthy system, find the ship, and recover the Warrant, allowing him to take over command of the Imperial forces in the Fifth Frontier War from Sector Admiral Santanocheev, and bring the war to a successful conclusion.
"Kinunir remains in her resting place as an historic site and war grave. Tampering with war graves is a high justice crime. For further details, see the MT Imperial Encyclopedia, Adventure 1: The Kinunir, Fifth Frontier War, and The Spinward Marches Campaign." (TNE:RS)
(1200) "It is this danger (anti-matter) that caused (Shionthy's) previous interdiction and current Amber Zone status. Those brave or foolish enough to collect these particles can sell them for amazing prices, but face the hazards of handling, or even operating near, this dangerous material." (TNE:RS) (see also TNE: Fire, Fusion, & Steel, p65).
References:
(1120) "The Shionthy belt is thought to be the remains of a world destroyed by the Ancients in their Final War, as it contains significant quantities of anti-matter." (GT:BTC)
(1120) "The system's population is made up of Ancients-studying researchers, a group of very optimistic anti-matter miners and a larger number of belters (and their dependents) who work the 30 moons of the system's four gas giants." (GT:BTC)
(1120) "The last resting place of the Imperial vessel Kinunir lies in the belt and is marked as a war grave. The historical importance of this craft is great, as Kinunir was carrying an Imperial Warrant to the then-Duke Norris when it was destroyed. Norris tracked the warrant down and used it to bring the Fifth Frontier War to a successful conclusion by taking personal command of the Imperial forces." (GT:BTC)
X000-742-8 As Na GG Im CT: Beltstrike
References:
(1110) "Shionthy (Regina 0706 X-000742-8): The large belt dominating this system is believed by many authorities to be the result of the destruction of a large world by the Ancients. The presence of quantities of anti-matter in the belt suggests a mechanism. Because of the anti-matter, Shionthy Belt is dangerous to enter (the explosion resulting from contact with even a microscopic particle can cause severe damage) and has been interdicted by the Imperium. Before interdiction, Shionthy had already acquired a population of belters searching for fragments of anti-matter, worth several million credits per gram. Imperial law allows established populations to remain in a system after interdiction and, despite periodic disasters - in addition to the dangers of anti-matter, asteroids occasionally collide with each other in this young belt - the population has grown. The inhabitants sell their finds to the Imperium, which, despite the humanitarian concerns which led to the interdiction, finds the present arrangement too valuable to abandon." (CT:Beltstrike - Library Data)
1110 -- Ling-Standard Products
References:
"Ling-Standard Products, LIC: Originally a mining firm (and still very active in that area), LSP currently engages in a wide spectrum of activities, including (but by no means limited to) manufacture of electronic equipment of all sorts, ground and air vehicles, starships and starship armament systems, drive systems, power systems, computer systems and software, small arms, and a variety of other items. Concerned to a small degree with banking, insurance, and other activities, LSP maintains mining and manufacturing facilities throughout the Imperium and beyond.
"...megacorporations have truly astronomical numbers of employees, shareholders, and profits. Their upper level executives labor at broad policy questions, and are largely out of contact with day-to-day (and even year-to-year) activities of the corporation. The real power in the company lies in the hands of the regional managers (under whatever title they have) who control the actual operations of the business. While they may control only a small fraction of the megacorporation's assets, they wield more power in some areas than do the representatives of the Imperial government.
"A small number of regulatory agencies have power over the megacorporations, and the companies are subject to any applicable local taxes as well. Nevertheless, if Imperial sovereignty is not blatantly violated, regional managers can usually conduct their company's business as they see fit. Because a direct confrontation with the Imperium would be bad for business, intentional violations of Imperial laws occur on a covert basis only." (CT:Beltstrike - Library Data)
X000-742-8 Na As GG Im CT: Supp 3
References:
(1105) "Of special interest is the Shionthy system...(which) on this map is not an asteroid belt, but instead a planet...Based on this evidence, it is logical to conclude...that Shionthy was converted to an asteroid belt during the Final War." (CT Adv 12: SotA)
(1105) "Rumours...may direct the adventuring band to the Shionthy (0706) Asteroid Belt. Upon arriving at that location, they will find warning beacons (automated) which continuously broadcast a message stating that this area is interdicted and dangerous.
"This system has a gas giant, and it is possible for the incoming ship to simply refuel and leave the system. Faint radio signals are audible over the warning beacons, and may be followed to the central populated location in the belt.
"The belt itself is partially composed of contra-terrene matter (antimatter). Contact with a particle of such matter will result in the conversion of the contra-terrene matter and an equal amount of normal matter to energy. Throw 3+ per hour to avoid encountering contra-terrene matter; if it is encountered, the explosion will disable some critical function of the ship, requiring repairs...
"...every hour, throw 11+ to receive faint signals from a location in the belt far removed from the populated area. These signals come from the Kinunir, which lies derelict in a small cluster of asteroids. If signals are not detected, there should be some chance that encounter with the population of the belt will indicate the presence of the ship.
"The Kinunir itself is lying derelict with computer operational and auxiliary power, but has not moved for years. Close external examination will not reveal any clue to the reason that the ship is in its present state; but a wider search will show (about 1,000km away) a group of four of the ship's crew caught in the gravitational field of a small asteroid. They are not wearing vacc suits, and show signs of death by vacuum.
"The suggested reason for the derelict ship is a malfunctioning security system which has eliminated the crew and disposed of them. The computer has refused to obey its verbal override commands, and has used its internal equipment to eliminate the crew. In the process of doing so, it has exhausted its maneuver and jump fuel, and is now trapped in the belt." (CT Adv 1: The Kinunir)
"...players who blunder into the Shionthy Belt will probably be less alert to the idea that the Kinunir lies derelict within the system. It should be entirely possible for the characters to play out an adventure within the belt (prospecting perhaps, or undertaking a mission for a patron they encounter there), and never guess that they are so close to the ship they will ultimately be seeking. Later, when they return to the belt in search of the ship, they may have some advantage (such as knowing a local figure, or being familiar with the route to the central area of the belt) which may assist them in their search." Referee's notes (p44) (CT Adv 1: The Kinunir)
References:
(pp7-9) (CT Adv 1: The Kinunir)
"A: An aged former scout (about age 50, 433976) says that he encountered weak coded positional signals in the interdicted system of Shionthy (0706) as he passed through in 1089 on a mission. The signals, he is certain, were from a Kinunir class vessel. He remembers because he thought people were supposed to stay out of interdicted systems...
"I: A scholar (age 58, 692CC9) has been researching the previous cultures which have inhabited this region (prior to the arrival of humans). His inquiry has lead (sic) him to believe that both Knorbes (0207) and Shionthy (0706) are both former hubs of such cultures. Unfortunately, Shionthy is interdicted...
"S: A well-dressed young gentleman (age 29, 83799A) is found beaten in an alley. If helped, in gratitude, he will discuss his father's business - a subsector mapping and chart service. Imperial subsector officials are pressuring him not to chart interdicted worlds, especially Shionthy (0706)...
"U: Interdicted worlds are interdicted because the Imperium is trying to conceal its mistakes in social and political planning..." (CT Adv 1: The Kinunir)
References:
"The Shionthy (0706) Asteroid Belt is believed to have been formed during one unusually intense battle between Ancient forces..."
"Interdiction: The Imperial practice of interdiction of worlds within the boundaries of the Imperium has long been a source of contention between liberal and conservative factions in the government. Interdictions must be approved by a member of the Imperial family, but generally such approval is given in response to a request from an interested service, nearly always the Scouts or the Navy.
"It is generally held that the Scouts recommend interdiction to shield a young or sensitive culture from the interference that interstellar trade and commerce will bring...
"The Navy is held to be more vindictive in its recommendations, using interdiction to punish local governments or to hide its own mistakes.
"Interdicted worlds are classed as having type X starports. The Traveller's Aid Society generally awards interdicted worlds Red Travel Zone rating...The code red is reserved for dangerous areas; Imperial interdictions, wars, and quarantined worlds are routinely classified as red zones." Library Data (pp38-42) (CT Adv 1:The Kinunir)
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Perhaps not surprisingly, then, reconciling various canon details was very difficult -- especially GT: Behind the Claw which described the bulk of the system's population as follows: "The system's population is made up of Ancients-studying researchers, a group of very optimistic anti-matter miners and a larger number of belters (and their dependents) who work the 30 moons of the system's four gas giants."
I needed to reconcile this with CT, MT and TNE descriptions which give the "mainworld" stats as X000-742-8 -- ie that the major populated area is an asteroid belt. TNE: Regency Sourcebook says that there is a planetoid belt in the system, (ie in addition to the 'asteroid' belt mainworld); as well as four gas giants.
A compromise required some tweaking (but not significant violence) to the published Traveller canon.
The problem solved itself over numerous cups of tea, brewed northern Indian (Kashmiri, I think) style -- with half a stick of cinnamon, a bay leaf and a few cardamom seeds -- highly recommended. These psychoactive substances induced a creative fervour in me -- of course, it came to me in my tea-enhanced stupour, the Trojan asteroids of the gas giants!
Well, okay, the Trojans are not precisely an asteroid 'belt' but close enough, especially since the canon has up to now ignored the possibility of Trojan asteroids being populated. And although the Trojans are certainly not 'moons' of the gas giants, GT:BTC says that the miners "work" the moons, not that they live on them permanently.
In fact living in a large gravity well isn't a great idea in a system swimming with chunks of antimatter -- being sucked towards the gas giant, then hitting each of the individual moons, a trip outdoors would be a little like trying to sunbake in a thermonuclear bombardment.
And even though the antimatter miners are mad enough to live in the antimatter belt close to the star, the bulk of the population would be a bit more intelligent. Much smarter to live where life is a bit more calm -- the Trojan asteroids fit the bill nicely.
That's my story, anyway, and I'm sticking to it.
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I followed the discussion closely even though I didn't always feel I could participate. All your suggestions and comments were considered, even if I ended up taking a different path!
Finally -- this writeup of the Shionthy system owes a lot to Jack Williamson's Seetee series, especially Seetee Ship (1951). Even though the series is now 50 years old, Jack Williamson's books mined the implications of antimatter so thoroughly that those following are forever in his debt.