BRIEF) was first charted by a
survey ship under charter by the ByChem
Corporation. The survey noted nothing of
interest until an atmoprobe (an unmann-
ed, atmospheric probe) was sent into the
upper atmosphere of the gas giant planet
Venturi (see opposite). This not only
reported the presence of the expected
gases (hydrogen, helium, methane, etc.)
but also found low concentrations of
several bio-chemicals (including Cys-
DiEropadyne and Meta-Trilphidone)
which had never been encountered in
nature before.
Cys-DE (Cys-DiEropadyne) and Meta-TI
(Meta-Trilphidone) are catalysts (com-
pounds which speed up chemical react-
ions) and are of great value in the
manufacture of pharmaceuticals, plastics
and bio-electronics. However, they are
both extremely unstable and very ex-
pensive to produce artificially. The dis-
covery of Cys-DE and Meta-TI on Venturi
had thus provided the ByChem Cor-
poration with a golden opportunity to
corner the market with a virtually limitless
supply.
The first problem was how to extract the
chemicals, since they existed only in very
low concentrations. The solution was to
divide the operation into two stages: the
preliminary extraction process would take
place within the atmosphere of Venturi
on a floating extraction platform (Jetsom);
and purification would br carried out in
orbit by the gas mining ship, Moneyspider,
spinning around Snobol, one of Venturi's
moons (see opposite).
The second problem was secrecy, since
many other mining operations would
eagerly start bio-chemical extraction on
Venturi given the chance. To keep the
secret, Jetsom and Moneyspider are
registered as research vessels.
The extraction platform Jetsom floats like
a hot-air ballon in the atmosphere of
Venturi, supported by bags of gas heated
by atomic reactors. It does not have a
fixed position but is blown around by the
planet's winds. It does, however, maintain
a constant altitude.
Jetsom has a distillation tower which
extracts crude forms of Cys-DE and Meta-
TI from the atmosphere. The platform is
manned by two crews of four (the Alpha
and Beta teams) who work 38-day tours
of duty with 38-day rest periods on the
Moneyspider. The crew are aided by a
number of robots and serveral sapes (see
CREATURES - Pull-out Sheet VI)
pro-
vided as part of a developmental project
by Renouf Associates.
mal radio transmission impossible, and
so Jetsom has a subspace radio for
communicating with the Moneyspider.
The automated shuttles (see below) have
normal radios and so lose touch with
Moneyspider once they enter the atmo-
sphere.
Snobol & Moneyspider
(Plan VP/S/02 & VP/M/03)
The moneyspider is a fully-operational
startship, but currently serves as the base
for the Venturi Project. It whirls around
Snobol at the end of a long cable,
providing artificial, centrifugal gravity
throughout the ship. An elevator runs
along the outside of the cable between
Snobol and Moneyspider.
The 10-kilometer-long micro-distillation
column ("micro-still") which purifies the
Cys-DE and Meta-TI runs alongside the
cable from the end nearer to Snobol.
Inside Snobol itself are docking
facilities
for starships (area S1), and the automated
shuttle-craft (area S4) which ferry per-
sonnel, supplies and unrefined chemicals
to and from Jetsom.
The automated shuttles can only make
the trip to or from Jetsom when Snobol is
closest to Venturi (every 38 days). They
use blocks of ice from Snobol as heat
shields to avoid burning up in Venturi's
atmosphere, and refuel at Jetsom for the
return trip. The constant magnetic storms
in Venturi's atmosphere occasionally
make the shuttle-trips hazardous.
The few starships which come to the
Belnafaer system are usually only passing
through. Those wich call at the project
usually dock with Snobol when it is farthest from Venturi and either leave
quickly or wait 38 days until the orbit again reaches its highest point.
