R.TXT

      Rachele Society: Vilani supremacist society founded on Pretoria/Pretoria

(Deneb) by Zid Rachele in 992. Genocidal policies favored by the group

culminated in the attempted takeover of the Pretorian government in 1010. An

attempt at nuclear blackmail backfired when 26,000 people (including 1,900

Rachelean commandos) were killed by a nuclear explosion after the society

seized the Imperial scout facilities on Saki/Pretoria (Deneb 0306.)



      Radar: A system using radio waves to detect the position of objects by

measuring the time a pulse takes to reach the object and be reflected back.



      Radioactivity: Spontaneous breakdown of one type of atomic nucleus into

another type. See Fission. (Fusion does not produce radioactivity.)



      Ramscoop jumpship: A ramscoop jumpship is designed to gather inter-

stellar hydrogen before and after a jump. In theory, if such a ship could

operate efficiently, it would never need to refuel at a gas giant or starport

and would have essentially limitless range. The ship's disadvantage is that it

takes many weeks of constant acceleration on maneuver drives to gather enough

hydrogen for a jump.

      An experimental craft, the Exatar, was moderately successful in tests. A

civil war, however, led to a loss of interest in the project. The Exatar was

used as a spyship, and was decommissioned after the war ended.



      Reftbreaker: Modified Seeker class scout vessel used by Kirshamil Riliam

to cross the Great Reft in Corridor sector. (e.g. Kirshamii Riliam.)



      Repatriation Bond: A document guaranteeing passage of an individual to a

specified location upon completion of contract work, or upon suspension of

contract work for any reason. Repatriation bonds are inducements to workers

wary of leaving their own worlds without the assurance that they can return.

      They are most commonly used by mercenary units. Repatriation bonds are

usually administered by a large financial institution which holds the

necessary funds in escrow.



      Repulsors: are large, focussed anti-grav projectors. When directed at

incoming missiles, they deflect them away from their target.



      Research Stations: Research is performed in two ways: under contract by

corporations, or in established research stations. The difference is that

corporate (and private) research aims at practical uses, while research

stations break new ground on the forefront of knowledge. Often they attempt to

duplicate technology reported in neighboring cultures, but not yet within

their own ability.

      An individual station will generally be constructed for a single

purpose, and continue in that area of knowledge for its entire span of

usefulness. Station size, personnel roster, power plant capacity, and even

visibility profile depend on the area of investigation.

      Research areas include: advanced gravity manipulation, anti-matter

containment, artificial intelligence, bionics, black globe development, black

hole research (both large scale and mini-black holes), cryptography, deep

planetary core sounding, deep radar analysis, disintegrator beams, genetic

manipulation, instantaneous transmitter development (so far impossible), long

range detection systems, magic (so-called), mass population behavior

prediction, nova prediction and prevention, personal shields, psionics,

psychohistory, robotics, stable super-heavy elements, stasis and time travel,

superconductors, weaponry research, and x-ray laser technology.



      Reservation, Imperial: A location, usually very large, restricted to use

by members of the Imperial family or those authorized by a member of the

Imperial family.



      Resistentialism: seemingly spiteful behavior manifested by inanimate

objects.



      Rider: See Battle Rider.



      Riliam, Kirshamii: in 1090, partially in reaction to the communication

lag during the Fourth Frontier War, Senior Scout Kirshamii Riliam mounted a

daring one-ship expedition to test the feasibility of a supply station route

across the Great Reft.

      Although nominally an IISS venture, General Products provided

substantial backing and a Seeker Class ship, Reftbreaker. By removing all non-

essentials, the cargo space was expanded to provide a second full fuel tank.

This increased Reftbreaker's range to 8 parsecs (two jump-4s). After

refuelling in a gas giant in the Yoma/Vast Heavens system (Deneb 0331), the

expedition returned to Corridor by the same route.

      Upon their return they were knighted by Emperor Strephon, and Riliam

received a baronial fief on Jafla/Sinta (Corridor 1840.) This expedition's

success increased Strephon's popularity. Serious consideration is being given

to the idea of planting several ice asteroids mid-rift as a permanent

refuelling station.



      Ringworld: An incredibly strong band could be set rotating about a

central star, making a ringworld that uses centrifugal force to provide a

simulation of gravity.

      A ringworld with a radius of 148 million kilometers and a width of 1.6

million kilometers would have a usable surface area equal to three million

Earths. A ringworld of 93 million miles radius and a width of one million

miles would have a usable surface area equal to about three million Terras.



      Robotics: A science concerning with applying improvements in mechanical,

electrical, and programming fields to the development of robots.



      Rosette: three or more equal masses (worlds) set at the points of an

equilateral polygon, and with the correct equal angular velocities about their

center of masses, will have a stable orbital configuration. The group does not

require a central star. Rosettes almost never occur naturally.



      Rydel Expeditions (153 and 160): Expeditions led by Inesh Rydel in an

attempt to find a usable jump route across the Great Reft from Corridor

(rimward) to Deneb. The first expedition originated from Sinta (Corridor 2037)

and eventually arrived by various routes at Ashishinipar (Corridor 0931). It

spent nearly a year trying to find a way to go further, but to no avail.

      A second attempt, by a different route, ended on Ishirdu (Corridor

0338). While closer, it was not close enough to Yoma/ Vast Heavens (Deneb

3031), the closest possible world in this area of the rift.