INTRODUCTION
It was in the 2060's that the history of mankind began to rapidly advance, from a time when the population of Earth was not even sure that they would be surviving the escalating warfare of what would be called World War Three, to the discovery of warp drive and first contact with an alien race and the beginnings of the interstellar society that would eventually form the nucleus of the United Federation of Planets. It was undoubtedly one of the most exciting, most tumultuous times in the history of mankind. In 2063, Zefram Cochrane on board a converted missile called the Phoenix demonstrated that faster-than-light flight was possible, completing the drive to develop the warp engine that started in 2039 when Dr. Angela Chiang's so-called "Great Experiment" proved that it was possible.
The Phoenix was only a test ship that flew but once. At the same time, the United Earth Space Agency was building a fleet of three high-speed interplanetary transports, which were utilizing the advanced fusion impulse drives and the mass-reducing subspace fields that were the first products of the emerging science of subetheromagnetics and warp propulsion. When these ships were designed, Dr. Chiang and others convinced the UESA to make sure that these ships could accommodate a warp drive system, regardless of which of several competing designs and teams would come out on top first. As a result, once Cochrane's warp drive was proven, the first of the three UESA ships, the Bonaventure, was refitted with the warp engine. In the trials, the ship hit a top speed of twenty-two times the speed of light. Realistic travel to the stars was now possible.
The Vulcans, who had appeared after the first warp flight, only gave a few tantalizing hints at what lie in space, saying little beyond the idea that neither humans nor Vulcans were alone in the universe, not by a long shot, and that much life was out there, ready to be found. The Vulcans said that the humans should explore for themselves and not be led by the hand. As a result, when the Bonaventure was set for its first journey to the stars, those on board had no idea what they would find at their destination-Alpha Centauri.
The Bonaventure left Earth in early March 2064 for the three-month journey to Alpha Centauri. During the mission, the fourty-two member crew of the starship debated on what they would see. At one time, astrophysicists did not expect that binary stars like the Alpha Centauri system, where the stars were relatively close to each other, would have much in the way of planetary systems, although by late in the twentieth century, astronomers believed that stable orbits for small, Earth-like planets, were possible out to one quarter of the minimum distance between the stars. Around Alpha Centauri A, that meant that an Earth-like planet could exist in the range where the solar flux would allow liquid water to exist on the surface. Nevertheless, it was deemed that the odds of a suitable planetary system existing were rather low, and some argued that Tau Ceti would have been a better first destination for the Bonaventure, and that Alpha Centauri was chosen only because of something sentimental, on how it was the closest star to Earth. Of course, Alpha Centauri A is a class G2 star, which would make it almost the twin of Earth's own sun. Analysis of the star over the decades had also suggested that the Alpha Centauri stars were a billion years older than Earth's star, so it would have formed when the galaxy was less rich in heavy elements. Any planets around the star would be comparatively poor in minerals, and whatever uranium and other radioactive elements that would have been present would have long ago decayed into their byproducts. Even the core might have cooled down enough to gradually reduce if not end plate tectonics and volcanism, resulting in a planet that was slowly eroded down to unending lowlands. There was even the question of water and how the star itself would have been slowly warming up, rising the temperature on the planet from a point where liquid water likely did not exist.
By the time the Bonaventure was within a light year of the Alpha Centauri system, the telescopes and imaging systems on board had determined that four planets orbited the bigger star, and that the second one was roughly the size of Earth and located at a comparative distance from Alpha Centauri A. As a result, excitement on the Bonaventure rose, as it seemed possible that an inhabitable planet-or an inhabited planet-was located in the system. Again, the skeptics on board cautioned that the planet might not be inhabitable, and might never have contained life. On the other hand, since the system was a billion years older than the solar system, life might have come and gone, and evolved to a higher level, leaving a dead planet. Biologists, geologists, first-contact specialists and archaeologists on board all had no idea which of their professions would become most useful when the Bonaventure arrived at the world that was simply called A Alpha Centauri II. One member of the crew was even present to evaluate the planet as a candidate for terraforming, and some discussed how mankind's first colony on another world would proceed.
When the Bonaventuredropped out of warp and arrived at this new world, A Alpha Centauri II, they found an amazing sight, a world much like Earth, a class-M planet with oceans, continents, a variety of flora and fauna, and a humanoid race of beings who occupied that world, who had named it Kent and who were aware of subetheromagnetics and faster-than-light travel and who had been looking skyward, seeing who would be the first to drop from the sky. First contact with Kent and the Kentyans was made on June 16, 2064 (Earth extrapolated date). The following article provides a summary of what the Bonaventura found at Alpha Centauri, including the second planet around the larger star, and the race of beings who lived on that planet, a race that called themselves the Kentyans. The article is divided into a number of pages, including a description of the star system, the planet Kent itself, a description of the flora and fauna on Kent, including the Kentyans, and then the article looks at the history of the Kentyans and their standard world language. This leads to the calendar and how living in a double-star system has affected their concept of the calendar. Finally, a brief summary of the culture is provided. Click on the link at the bottom of the page to go to the appropriate section. The links are provided at the bottom of each section.
It was in the 2060's that the history of mankind began to rapidly advance, from a time when the population of Earth was not even sure that they would be surviving the escalating warfare of what would be called World War Three, to the discovery of warp drive and first contact with an alien race and the beginnings of the interstellar society that would eventually form the nucleus of the United Federation of Planets. It was undoubtedly one of the most exciting, most tumultuous times in the history of mankind. In 2063, Zefram Cochrane on board a converted missile called the Phoenix demonstrated that faster-than-light flight was possible, completing the drive to develop the warp engine that started in 2039 when Dr. Angela Chiang's so-called "Great Experiment" proved that it was possible.
The Phoenix was only a test ship that flew but once. At the same time, the United Earth Space Agency was building a fleet of three high-speed interplanetary transports, which were utilizing the advanced fusion impulse drives and the mass-reducing subspace fields that were the first products of the emerging science of subetheromagnetics and warp propulsion. When these ships were designed, Dr. Chiang and others convinced the UESA to make sure that these ships could accommodate a warp drive system, regardless of which of several competing designs and teams would come out on top first. As a result, once Cochrane's warp drive was proven, the first of the three UESA ships, the Bonaventure, was refitted with the warp engine. In the trials, the ship hit a top speed of twenty-two times the speed of light. Realistic travel to the stars was now possible.
The Vulcans, who had appeared after the first warp flight, only gave a few tantalizing hints at what lie in space, saying little beyond the idea that neither humans nor Vulcans were alone in the universe, not by a long shot, and that much life was out there, ready to be found. The Vulcans said that the humans should explore for themselves and not be led by the hand. As a result, when the Bonaventure was set for its first journey to the stars, those on board had no idea what they would find at their destination-Alpha Centauri.
The Bonaventure left Earth in early March 2064 for the three-month journey to Alpha Centauri. During the mission, the fourty-two member crew of the starship debated on what they would see. At one time, astrophysicists did not expect that binary stars like the Alpha Centauri system, where the stars were relatively close to each other, would have much in the way of planetary systems, although by late in the twentieth century, astronomers believed that stable orbits for small, Earth-like planets, were possible out to one quarter of the minimum distance between the stars. Around Alpha Centauri A, that meant that an Earth-like planet could exist in the range where the solar flux would allow liquid water to exist on the surface. Nevertheless, it was deemed that the odds of a suitable planetary system existing were rather low, and some argued that Tau Ceti would have been a better first destination for the Bonaventure, and that Alpha Centauri was chosen only because of something sentimental, on how it was the closest star to Earth. Of course, Alpha Centauri A is a class G2 star, which would make it almost the twin of Earth's own sun. Analysis of the star over the decades had also suggested that the Alpha Centauri stars were a billion years older than Earth's star, so it would have formed when the galaxy was less rich in heavy elements. Any planets around the star would be comparatively poor in minerals, and whatever uranium and other radioactive elements that would have been present would have long ago decayed into their byproducts. Even the core might have cooled down enough to gradually reduce if not end plate tectonics and volcanism, resulting in a planet that was slowly eroded down to unending lowlands. There was even the question of water and how the star itself would have been slowly warming up, rising the temperature on the planet from a point where liquid water likely did not exist.
By the time the Bonaventure was within a light year of the Alpha Centauri system, the telescopes and imaging systems on board had determined that four planets orbited the bigger star, and that the second one was roughly the size of Earth and located at a comparative distance from Alpha Centauri A. As a result, excitement on the Bonaventure rose, as it seemed possible that an inhabitable planet-or an inhabited planet-was located in the system. Again, the skeptics on board cautioned that the planet might not be inhabitable, and might never have contained life. On the other hand, since the system was a billion years older than the solar system, life might have come and gone, and evolved to a higher level, leaving a dead planet. Biologists, geologists, first-contact specialists and archaeologists on board all had no idea which of their professions would become most useful when the Bonaventure arrived at the world that was simply called A Alpha Centauri II. One member of the crew was even present to evaluate the planet as a candidate for terraforming, and some discussed how mankind's first colony on another world would proceed.
When the Bonaventuredropped out of warp and arrived at this new world, A Alpha Centauri II, they found an amazing sight, a world much like Earth, a class-M planet with oceans, continents, a variety of flora and fauna, and a humanoid race of beings who occupied that world, who had named it Kent and who were aware of subetheromagnetics and faster-than-light travel and who had been looking skyward, seeing who would be the first to drop from the sky. First contact with Kent and the Kentyans was made on June 16, 2064 (Earth extrapolated date). The following article provides a summary of what the Bonaventura found at Alpha Centauri, including the second planet around the larger star, and the race of beings who lived on that planet, a race that called themselves the Kentyans. The article is divided into a number of pages, including a description of the star system, the planet Kent itself, a description of the flora and fauna on Kent, including the Kentyans, and then the article looks at the history of the Kentyans and their standard world language. This leads to the calendar and how living in a double-star system has affected their concept of the calendar. Finally, a brief summary of the culture is provided. Click on the link at the bottom of the page to go to the appropriate section. The links are provided at the bottom of each section.
