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README.md

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-Setting the character names and credentials here. Firstly our Hyperion characters.
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-Dr. Mitchell Drinkwater, PhD, Senior Chief Petty Officer Electrician's Mate, E8, US Navy, retired.
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-US Army Rangers Regimental Military Intelligence Battalion:
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-Deployed out of Fort Benning to the USS George W Bush. Passengers on the Hyperion to EUCOM.
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-Adam Mazza, Thomas Singleton, Adam Jagiello, Robert Grimball.
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-No ranks given. No insignia on uniforms.
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-US Navy Airmen:
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-Captain Ulysses Middleton, O-6, US Naval pilot. Flight commander of the Hyperion. 
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-Captain Julie Wren, O-6, US Naval pilot. Co-pilot of the Hyperion.
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-Petty Officer, 3rd Class Gregory Hinch, E4, US Navy Loadmaster to the Hyperion, on loan from a Greyhound crew.
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-Lieutenant Commander Billie Jefferson, O-4, EWO. Navigator and electronic warfare officer for the Hyperion.
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-In addition to Dr Drinkwater, the other civilians traveling to Stuttgart via the Hyperion are:
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-Donna Kilgore, deputy US ambassador to the United Kingdom.
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-Her counterpart, Arthur Heathcote, MVO. Deputy British ambassador to the United States.
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-Meredith Jameson, project manager, Holyfield Construction. Extensive experience in large scale construction projects including offshore oil rigs and power stations 
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-Dr Peter Ongoqui, Vice President of North American operations for Siemens Energy. Doctorate in mathematics. Double masters in physics and math. A German energy corporation representative carrying hard copies of proprietary energy technology. The company is willing to waive intellectual property rights in order to help solve the crisis.
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-Geoff Bellingham, Instruments and Control chief engineer, FirstEra Energy. Expert systems engineer, he is familiar with the design and operation of the type of power plant they are targeting for the first restoration.
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-Professor Sarah Goldman, head of the physics department at Stanford. Doctorate in mathematics and theoretical physics. Renowned theoretical physicist with a focus on quantum field theory.
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-Prologue: the US Navy prototype cargo plane, code name Hyperion, flies into Britain on a humanitarian mission to restore power to a natural gas power plant knocked out in the wake of an EMP event. In the cargo of the Hyperion is some 80,000 lb of humanitarian supplies and equipment, raw materials needed to refurbish the power plant. Wiring, transformers, generators, motors, control paneling, etc along with heavy equipment, witches, block and tackle, hydraulic Rams. However after the initial flyby of Manchester and spotting the landing zone the Hyperion was looping back when it was affected by an unknown phenomenon. The engines of the Hyperion lost power, however the internal generators allowed for hydraulic fly-by-wire as the plane was able to maneuver, gliding and sloughing off airspeed in order to make an unpowered landing without the benefit of landing gear or reverse thrusters. Upon landing they did not yet know that they had been transported back in time to the year 1485.
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-Day 1. July 10, 1485: In the aftermath of the crash landing, the crew encountered two scouts from King Richard III's levies, brothers James and William Farmer. The day was defined by two crucial events: an invitation to the feast of St Margaret (of Scotland) and a concerted effort to tackle their water supply. It was on this day that Mitchell Drinkwater, their resident engineer, demonstrated his worth by creating an electric kettle out of a used propane tank. The day ended on a high note as they attended the feast (the rangers providing unseen support and Dr. Peter Ongoqui staying behind) and were granted hunting, fishing, and coppicing rights, as well as firebote lease by John Howard, the king's representative.
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-Day 2. July 11, 1485: The second day was characterized by manual labor and construction work. They employed the mini excavator to dig latrines and break up a rocky outcropping to make footings for a sleeping extension shelter. A shed was built to house the invaluable sintering printer, wires were strung and poles woven to create a rudimentary fencing, and cameras installed at the two entrances to the compound. In between their physical toils, they also found time to identify local edible plants, a crucial step in securing their food supply.
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-Day 3. July 12, 1485: Day three marked the initiation of two ambitious engineering projects: an off-road buggy and a wood gasifier. Concurrently, as the Army levies loyal to King Richard III moved north, the crew saw an opportunity to extend the compound's borders. A UAV flight identified local rivers and valleys, which the rangers immediately started mapping for security and hunting opportunities. The day concluded with strategic discussions about their approach to Henry Tudor, a potential ally in this historical tumult.
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-Day 4. July 13, 1485: The fourth day ushered in progress and innovation. Geoff Bellingham refined the design of the gasifier, adding a water bubbler and charcoal filter. The crew began producing a crude pulp paper product for insulation and filter base, which sparked the idea for a miniaturized gasifier. This development led to a complete redesign of the buggy. Amidst these technological strides, they continued lumber production. The majority of the cargo was warehoused outside, freeing up the former cargo hold as their new sleeping quarters.
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-Day 5. July 14, 1485: With the foundation of their makeshift camp firmly established, day five became a testament to consolidation and expansion. Early in the morning, they initiated the construction of an expanded water purification system, capitalizing on Mitchell's initial design. Progress on the buggy continued apace, with Bellingham's miniaturized gasifier prototype steadily taking form. 
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-To maximize the efficiency of their newfound space, the team repurposed parts of the damaged Hyperion to build a makeshift workshop, allowing multiple projects to progress concurrently. The area surrounding the compound was surveyed meticulously, with Donna Kilgore leading the effort to map out nearby water sources, foraging spots, and potential threats.
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-Meanwhile, Sgt. Adam Mazza and his rangers strengthened the compound's defenses, installing additional cameras in the trees for a more comprehensive view of their perimeter and laying traps to deter any unwanted visitors. 
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-Finally, the day ended with an open-air communal dinner, cooked over a fire pit that they dug, serving as a much-needed moment of camaraderie amidst the hustle of survival and preparation.
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-Day 6. July 15, 1485: in the early predawn drizzle Robert Grimball, the silent ranger who had yet to speak a word to anyone other than his three fellow rangers, bagged their first deer. A large red doe. The sintering printer was running full tilt churning out parts for the buggy. Mitchell and Geoff dismantled parts of the Hyperion's landing gears for reuse as struts and suspension. A Jerry-rigged lathe turned and faced the metal after hours of trial and error. The wood gasifier was generating plenty of charcoal and potash. They were still working on the gas capture and refinement.
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-Day 7, finally an English summer day. Heat steamed the woodlands, the humidity sucking the energy from everyone. The commander refusing to engage the Hyperion's climate control in order to conserve energy. In the clear sunlight the UAV was able to provide them with their best look at the landscape yet. The range was still limited to about 4 kilometers due to the demands of the video uplink. Grayscale maps were printed using a simple consumer inkjet printer, using a tile feature that meant they could be combined into a massive 5'x8' wall hanging. That night, as Heathcote had warned, winds howled and rain fell in sheets. Tarps were wrapped around the sintering shed. In an emergency flooding situation the excavator had to dig out a swale and water bar in the pitch black.
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-Day 8. Another new project for Mitchell. The excursion team had been picked that would take the off-road buggy west in search of Henry Tudor: Arthur Heathcote, Geoff Bellingham and Sgt. Adam Jagiello. They needed to be able to radio back to the Hyperion, Jefferson handling the radio array. The suggested solution was a radio repeater and broadcasting antenna attached to one of the commercial drones. It would rise up into the air for better line of sight. A radio tower in the compound should be able to pick it up. Mitchell had a better idea. Short-wave radio. They could bounce the signal off the upper atmosphere with zero interference. The Hyperion was a prototype, it didn't carry a short-wave broadcaster but Mitchell could build one in his sleep he assured them. Billie Jefferson pitched an upgrade to the UAV receiver array in order to extend the range.
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-Day 9, July 18, 1485: the expedition team (Arthur Heathcote, Geoff Bellingham, and Sgt. Adam Jagiello) packed up the all-terrain buggy. They carried water purification filters, the small wood gas generator, one of the small drones and it's tablet, MRE packets, waterproof tarps and some bedding. They also carried an array of brush clearing machetes, a saw for clearing obstacles and gathering wood, small arms and long guns. The rangers assured them that Adam would be all the protection they needed and the fact that they need not stick to the roads or paths would add to their security. -- Back at the base -- The rangers want another vehicle. It's a bit late in the season for crop planting but they make preparations for the next season and transplant local wild edibles into a prepared garden bed, allowing them to self propagate. Mitchell prepared a rough magnetometer for finding potential iron deposits. Their charcoal is put to use as fuel for a new water treatment concern. Both as filter and fuel for boiling. The day ends with a report from the expedition trio on their progress.
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-Day 10. Mitchell poured through "History of the British Iron and Steel Industry from c. 450 B.C. To A.D. 1775" which was part of the British history research of the Rangers on a borrowed tablet. In conjunction with two introduction to geology textbooks from Professor Sarah Goldman's trove. Dr Peter Ongoqui until now reticent to relinquish the proprietary documents belongs to Siemens Energy now allowed them to be scanned, processed by a text reader and converted to documents. They had been meant to assist in the repairs to the Carrington Power Station on the outskirts of Manchester. Mitchell had skimmed the documents but knew Bellingham was the systems expert. Meredith Jameson continued to expand the infrastructure of their burgeoning base. She was now working with the Rangers on replacing the wire and post fencing with a modern take on the palisade wall. The day ends with a report from the expedition trio on their progress.
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-Day 11. Middleton and Jameson meet with Mitchell regarding priorities. Infrastructure, primarily roads and rail are going to be key and to that end they need more heavy equipment. Sgt Singleton, the lead ranger is brought into the discussion. Thomas Singleton raises the need for concrete. Mitchell consults the "History of the British Iron and Steel Industry" PDF provided by the Rangers. They discuss limestone deposits, that they should be easy to spot in this time. They also discuss the magnetometer for finding iron ore. Middleton says they will need an earth mover, something with a lot of torque. Mitchell joins them in brainstorming possible designs. Mitchell raises the possibility of having to start using more of the Hyperion's structural components if they want the type of equipment they've been talking about. The day ends with a report from the expedition trio on their progress.
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-Day 12, July 21, 1485: Mitchell allowed himself to sleep in, up late working on the designs. Just before the midday meal, he gathered the team to make his presentation. Instead of a bulldozer, he proposed a stationary wedge driver. Using gearing to turn rotary motion into unstoppable force, driving limestone apart at the natural sedimentary layers. The wedge driver could be rotated on the horizontal plane and extensions added to the wedge arm in order to level a wide arc. A second machine was a glorified winch, using block and tackle to haul the stone or ore out of buckets, which the excavator would load and unload. The excavator would also reposition the machines and dig down to follow the seams. Later, Donna Kilgore, Sarah Goldman and Ulysses Middleton discuss plans to strengthen the Lancaster claim to the throne. The day ends with a report from the expedition trio on their progress, one of significance. They were at their target, Dinefwr Castle in order to meet with Rhys ap Thomas, the man presumed to be coordinating the Lancaster arrival into Wales. They reported that they had traded for horses and would hide the buggy before approaching the castle in the morning.
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-Day 13: While the expedition trio is waiting urgently for word of the expedition's meeting with Rhys ap Thomas, inside the Hyperion's fuselage Mitchell was constructing a model of his excavation wedge machine from used card stock. At the other end of the table, Donna Kilgore, Sarah Goldman, and Ulysses Middleton huddled around tablets and monitors filled with historical texts, engrossed in the writings of the past and immersed in the future's unchartered waters. They discuss Plantagenet aligned targets for either blackmail or were known to have ultimately sided with the Lancasters.
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-Bille Jefferson, the EWO, come in to tell Mitchell that everything was in place. Mitchell asked her to clarify. She said it was the UAV receiver upgrades they talked about. Mitchell vaguely remembered them insane something maybe a week ago? But he figured he'd be able to pick it up. His memory returned as soon as he saw what awaited them. A Post Tower had been raised next to Jefferson's communication shack. A pile of salvaged wires was neatly coiled at the base. Jefferson: if you're busy you can just tell us the proper arrangement and we can do the installation.
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-Mitchell was happy to take her up on the offer. First inspected the wires and then spent a few extra moments with the soldering iron making repairs. Once all of the raw materials were inspected and confirmed, Mitchell wrote out a detailed set of instructions complete with the sequence diagram of how everything should be connected. With that task accomplished, Mitchell returned to his ongoing project, the mock-up wedge machine, leaving Jefferson and her team to their task. Later Mitchell returned to the shack to see the video feed from the UAV. The range had been more than tripled, from four kilometers to fifteen. Ten kilometers west they spotted a town, a large one with a stone church, perhaps home to a hundred or so people. Sgt. Singleton volunteered to make the journey with the UAV and the other rangers providing support. The trek took Singleton an hour and a half, he did not stay long, on the video feed they watched him speak to two people and then return. The town was called Macclesfield. Consulting their maps they immediately sent the UAV to the east and in ten kilometers away, as on the map, lay Buxton, just beyond that, according to the map were three limestone quarries. Still in operation when their modern map was made.
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-That night they finally get the call from the expedition trio. They are shocked to discover that Rhys ap Thomas is joining them on the radio. Somewhat surprised at his English. Thomas insists on speaking to the Commander. Middleton is coached off-mic by Donna Kilgore in the negotiations.