I don't think that we should give up on Deep Meson Sites quite so
easily (though Scott Kellogg has a bunch of good points 8-) . Rather, let's
look at a well-done survivable Deep Meson network.
First, let's assume that the point is to build a net of 10 sites, geo
powered with factor-T meson guns. Each site's weapons already cost MCr 1000,
so total installation value (per) is probably nearly MCr 2000 or so. Make them
manned, unless you're worried about Zhodani in the area, then make them
unmanned (but man-tended) or put psi-shields in the walls. In any case, bury
them far enough that neither densiometers nor nukes are a real threat... say
5km.
Now, given that they're 5km deep and need to have secret locations,
and that the project will cost MCr20,000 without any infrastructure, we can
start to arrainge the whole network. Say we build a tunnel, from one base
to another, 5km deep. Make it a bit curvey, and somewhat variable depth, just
to confuse people. Say it's 50km long. Given current engineering prices,
and a reasonable extrapolation of dollar->Cr, it's going to be three to five
billion credits to build. That's ok, we've already budgeted 20, so going
50% more on other stuff would be reasonable. Assume that the main tunnel is
5 billion credits.
Off the main tunnel, at random intervals, run side tunnels. Make them
about 5km long, but of variable length and at random directions
Have robots make the tunnels, and don't let someone on the outside
plan the locations. Don't even keep records of the locations. You don't need
them. Have all transport to the sites via inertial-compensated vehicles in
the tunnels, so nobody knows where they're going, and can't run an inertial
trace on position. Assume that the side tunnels and other stuff are about
another 5 billion credits. Run wiring so that if a single site loses power
or targeting, it can get it from the rest. Handle targeting with a large
network of meson-communicator connected passive (and thus untracable) EMS
sensor sites, and neutrino detectors colocated with the Deep Meson guns (they
don't emit and work perfectly well under rock).
This arraingement is difficult to trace, and nearly impossible to
destroy. If you're worried about people running seismic waves through to find
where tunnels run, just pipe grout into the ground in wierd patterns to shield
or confuse seismic returns from the area. (cheap). The whole thing doesn't
cost all that much either, compared to the guns... The installations only
cost as much as the weapons themselves, ignoring the power system.
Alternate arrangements might be a whole interconnected network of
tunnels, tunnels with mobile crawlers with meson guns, and I'm sure more are
possible.
- - -george william herbert