Regina to Aramis: a case study in transport astrography

[Agemegos]

Regina to Aramis is a distance of twelve parsecs.

X-Boat Route

The X-boat route {Regina, Aramis} is eleven Jumps long. It would take 102.5 days and cost G$242,000 (middle passage). Transshipping as Dinomn, Lanth, D'Ganzio, Ivendo, Equus, Rhylandor, Celepina, and L'Oeul d'Dieu might bring the fare down to G$99,800 (middle passage).

The cheapest fare along the X-boat route is G$99,800 (middle passage).

Seven-Jump Routes

Astrography does not permit a six-Jump route from Regina to Aramis in a J-2 ship. The shortest route available without going above J-2 is [Regina, Yori, Treece, Kinorb, Risek, Henoz, L'Oeul d'Dieu or Vinorian, Aramis]. That takes about 64.5 days. It can be accomplished without transshipment for G$27,300, or you can change to a J-1 ship at L'Oeul d'Dieu or Vincrian and save G$1,680.

The cheapest seven-Jump route costs G$25,620 (middle passage).

Six-Jump Route

[Regina, Yori, Treece, Kinorb, Risek, Henoz, Aramis] involves one transshipment at Henoz, takes 55 days, and costs G$25,500. It is faster and cheaper than the cheapest seven-Jump route.

The cheapest six-Jump route costs G$25,500 (middle passage).

Five-Jump Route

[Regina, Yori, Treece, Kinorb, Valhalla, Aramis] would be cheap, but is ruled out by the lack of fuel at Valhalla. [Regina, Yori, Treece, Depot, Henoz, Aramis] involves one transshipment at Treece, takes 45.5 days, and costs G$25,800. [Regina, Yori, Inthe, Risek, L'Oeul d'Dieu, Aramis] involves two transshipments (at Yori and L'Oeul d'Dieu) takes 45.5 days, and costs G$24,220. It is cheaper and quicker than the cheapest six-Jump route, and will be preferred by all passengers.

The cheapest five-Jump route costs G$24,200 (middle passage).

Four-Jump Route

The astrography does not allow a perfect 3+3+3+3 route from Regina to Aramis. [Regina, Yori, Inthe, Risek, Aramis] requires transshipment at Yori and Risek. It takes 36 days and costs G$37,900 (middle passage). It will be preferred only by passengers who value their time at G$1,442 per day or more. That probably includes executives and professionals.

The cheapest four-Jump route costs G$37,900 (middle passage).

Three-Jump Route

[Regina, Treece, Risek, Aramis] takes 26.5 days in a J-4 express liner and costs G$66,000. It will be preferred over the cheapest four-Jump route only by passengers who value their time at over G$2,960 per day, or G$1.08 million per year. Such people are not unknown.

The three-Jump route costs G$66,000 (middle passage).

Conclusions

The five-Jump route [Regina, Yori, Inthe, Risek, L'Oeul d'Dieu, Aramis], the four-Jump route [Regina, Yori, Inthe, Risek, Aramis], and maybe the three-Jump express route [Regina, Treece, Risek, Aramis] are economic, though the high BVOT needed to justify the express route suggests that traffic on that route might be thin.

Non-availability of refined fuel at Treece argues either that the express service is not run, or that there is an opportunity for providing refined fuel there.