INTRODUCTION

Hello new recruit, and welcome to the family! My name is Jade Harley, and with this handy little packet, I'll give you an overview of everything you need to know! :D

Here at S.B.U.R.B, we have a lot of things going on, but I'm sure you'll catch on! Now then, the first thing you need to know is our base! (An actual map will be in the back, but I'll tell you about the levels!)


H.Q FLOORS

Level 1: Security Check

You've all been here! Above is the barn/warehouse/field thingy that hides the base. It's the only floor that has a separate elevator system from the facility; we wouldn't want a civilian stumbling on us after all! It's the smallest room, but you could already tell that. You'll get an official I.D shortly after you get this, so you'll be able to pass clearance in and out. (I should point out that anyone without an I.D will be severely reprimanded and any civilian on base will be arrested, so please don't make security arrest your friends outside :( )

Level 2: Cafeteria

You'll become very use to this floor! It's way bigger than security check. This is where we all eat (duh :P). Not much else besides that, really. (Oh! If you have any allergies, please please please let our staff know! We don't want to kill anyone before we leave).

Level 3: Warehouse

Only a few of you will get to know this floor! It's also the biggest one out of all of them. Our top mechanics will be stationed here and build the ships for travel. Lots of equipment and stuff on this floor, so if you're not supposed to be there, please be careful!

Level 4: Resident-Quarters

Everyone will know this place! Third biggest floor, this is where all of us will be staying. After all, we all need to get use to each other! Anyhoo, it's divided into four parts: Alpha and Beta ships (Alpha on the left side from the elevator, Beta to the right) and then divided into Guy and Gal sides (Just a precaution :P), Alpha Guys being on the right-hand side after the initial left turn, Gals on the left, and vis-versa for Beta ship. Bathrooms will be in (in, on, blah) the wall inbetween the Guy and Gal sides.

Level 5: Rec Room/Training

Last floor (Well, that most you guys will have clearance for; some of us science-y people have clearance to Level 6, but that's just the Labs) of H.Q! Here, you'll be able to 'kick back' and relax a bit. Second-biggest area (lots of gear here!), you'll be spending most of your time on this floor, since there's not much else to do, really!


MISSION

Now then, you're probably wondering, 'Ok, but what am *I* doing?'. I'm glad you asked! Here at S.B.U.R.B, we strive for the technology of the future, and part of that means doing what no one has done before! We've discovered a planet that could host life! With this in mind, the possibility of colonization is very plausible. Everyone here was brought for a different reason or another, but together, we will all travel into space together!


Planet *****

(Sorry, the name is super-duper classified). Anyway, you're also probably wondering what this planet is like. It's a lot like Earth, really, though there are a lot of big differences! It appears to have about 80% the gravity we have here on Earth (100 lbs = 80 lbs/45.36 kg = 36.29 kg), so expect to be a bit quicker and stronger! Bio-scans also show there is very possibly complex life on the planet, so we must do our best not to tamper with it during our studying.

So, the planet is primarily made up of two continents, a larger one in the northern hemisphere and a smaller one in the southern (And you might have noticed, there are two teams!) The crew of Ship Beta (Me and John's ship!) will have primary responsibility over the southern continent while Ship Alpha studies the northern one. Remember, we will be there to observe, record, and take back samples, NOT mess up the environment.


Life on My Ship

We'll be spending a lot of time together, like I've said before! Well, sort of, but I'll get to that later. The closest galaxy (where we're going) is about 25,000 light-years (236,500,000,000,000,000 kilometers / 147,000,000,000,000,000 miles) away from where you're standing right now! In order to get there and, well, be alive, we need to get close to the speed of light! (Not entirely though, but I'm getting there, hold on!)

Now, I've done the math, and to safely approach the speed we need (around 90-95% the speed of light), and I've calculated that it'd take around 4 years to accelerate and decelerate at a safe enough rate so that we don't explode against a wall or something (inertia silly :P ). Now you're probably going 'Wait, whoa, what? 8 years just to stop and go? What about actually getting there?' Well, this is a weird science-y thing. Time dilation. See, along with my calculations, I took into account the time dilation. The faster you move, the slower time 'feels' for you. Even though it'll take 4 years to speed up and slow down, it'll feel (roughly, I should point out) like it's been around 180 days, both ways. Actually getting there should feel like a year or two. Umm… I should tell you guys though that when we get back, it'll feel like you've been gone for 4/5 years, but it'll actually be about 20/25. Just get ready for that.

Both ships have been designed to spin at a speed and on an axis to simulate gravity (like a Graviton ride! You know, where it spins and you're on a wall and the wall is the new down?), so don't worry about floating into the women's/men's restroom in your sleep! And yes, there each floor is basically a can, with the actual floor being on the sides (you'll see for yourselves soon enough!). Now then, how do you travel around the ship? Easy! Two ways: the first being the elevator system in place. The second is in case of an emergency: the center has no gravity and plenty of things to grab on to, and each floor has a hatch to connect to it. So, feel free to fling yourself around in there if you need to.

Don't worry about food either; our resident botanist Jane Crocker (Go Jane!) basically made super plants and mega fertilizer (and don't worry about room; these ships are huuuge!). If you guys have any requests for anything in particular or allergies to anything, please please let her know before we leave! Super-duper important, ok? Great!

Last thing: 'Jade, are we gonna be cut off from the other ship the entire time?' Of course not! Both ships have a ferry pod that can match the rotational speed and acceleration of the other ship, allowing docking. Each can carry about four people a trip (can't have too many people in it and stuff). With that, I'm pretty sure you're all set for life on board!


FAQ

1. What if something really bad happens to the ship I'm on?

Well, if you're near the planet, we have enough escape pods on board each ship, just in case of an emergency!

2. I don't like ***** and they make me feel cranky! Do I have to 'deal' with them daily?

Yes! We are ALL crew-mates here; even if you don't get along with someone for whatever reason, we're all stuck with each other here, so you two need to work out your differences.

3. I miss home; can I go back? (On board I expect this)

Sorry guys, you can back out before we leave if its serious, but for the most part, you're committed to this.

4. Can I bring/show/tell my ***** about this?

That's a big NO there buster-brown. Our operation is top-secret and highly protected. We don't want to blow our horn until we return.

5. What will we do on board?

Well, I've stored up recordings of television shows and movies from now to waaaay back centuries ago, because you never know how much entertainment we'll need! If that's not your cup of tea, we're also bringing video games and board games. Finally, if all else fails, there's always time to train some more and get into super-shape before we reach the planet!


Conclusion

That should wrap up everything! If you have any questions at all, please message me and ask away! As one of the founders of this project, I don't want any confusion at all about what we're trying to do here at S.B.U.R.B!

I'll see you around!

-Jade Harley

(AN: Hey guys, sorry; I've been working on this and the next chapter, and boy oh boy, is the next one huge! Anyhoo, it should be up either tomorrow or Monday. Afterwards, I'll be taking a bit of a break to catch up (well, after I write 'LAUNCH', at least). Thank you for being patient! -John)