Ship Name: SS Fateful Lightning (sometimes called the Temple)
Created by Kevin Eaches (Feinan)
Registry Number: MOERAE-003-N1
Base Hull: Semi cab, 36 semi trailers welded together along with miscellaneous bits.
Drive Type: Speed (max velocity 0.05c)
Owner of Record: Kevin "The Jason" Eaches
Flag of Record: Nominally, the United States of America
Purpose: Biomod laboratory, home, some asteroid mining (well...farming)
Launched: June 21, 2008
Crew:
* Kevin "The Jason" Eaches (Captain)
* Clotho (AI - Science Officer, Lab Caretaker, Medical Officer)
* Lachesis (AI - Quartermaster, Ship Maintenance, Motherhen)
* Atropos (AI - Engineer, Weapon's Officer)
* Fate (AI - First Officer, Navigator/Helmsman, Communications)
Auxiliary Vehicles:
* SC Merlin - ship's shuttle, a 'waved 1996 Toyota Tercel
Known Vehicle Quirks:
* On the Road Again: The ship's engine is finicky, and the rated speed is halved if music that the engine likes isn't played while it's in use. Said music mostly consists of trucker songs or songs about traveling. Examples known to work are: On the Road Again, White Line Fever, Driving a Truck With My High Heels On, Wolf Creek Pass, Beep Beep (Little Nash Rambler), Little Old Lady From Pasadena and Bat Out of Hell.
* I Never Drink...Wine: The part of the ship known as The Garden has absorbed the superstition that blood affects the fertility of the land, and it takes a bit of upkeep. In order to maintain the illusion of a natural landscape on Earth, it requires a blood sacrifice every other day or so; otherwise, the effects start to fade. Usually, a few drops of blood on the ground or on exposed handwavium is enough.
* Well, Where Would You EXPECT Goddesses to Live?: This quirk is responsible for the ship's nickname; it's not often one sees a Greek temple floating through space. Originally, the large mass of trailers were simply painted dark blue with stylized marble columns on the corners, and a painting of the three Fates on either side. The handwavium expanded upon this, so that the trailer section now looks like a multi-columned open-air temple reminiscent of Greek architecture. The three Fates move within its confines, their activity mostly determined by the ship's. When at rest, the Fates watch their Tapestry, or do small housekeeping chores. When the ship is moving, they are at work: Clotho spins glowing white thread that crackles with blue and gold lightning, Lachesis measures the threads and weaves them into the Tapestry, and Atropos clips them off where Lachesis marked them. It is also possible to look through the Temple; apparently, the handwavium coating is transmitting light from one side of the ship to the other to maintain the open-air illusion.
Known Crew Quirks:
* Animist: The Jason tends to view most things as alive, some just moreso than others. His Toyota was named Merlin long before it saw a coat of handwavium, and the DNA sequencer/synthesizer in his lab has been dubbed AGAThA after a favorite comic-book Mad. He pleads with things to work right, murmurs encouragement, and so on. Nothing on board (except the four AIs) has ever responded to him. So far.
* Pagan Technomancer: The Jason is eclectic pagan; the Garden actually contains a small stone altar tucked away in a secluded corner. Many of the handwavium items he has created have as much pagan ritual behind them as they do technical specifications. Whether this works by helping him focus the intent behind his creation, supersaturating the environment with ideas that resonate with what he wants to happen, or just causing the handwavium to go along with it to humor him, he's convinced that it helps his success rate with making handwaved items. He's never worked the numbers to tell; maybe it does.
* I'm a Toys R Us Kid: Except for Kevin, the rest of the Lightning's crew are AIs. This means that if they're going to do physical activities aboard the ship, they need drones that they can control. While the ship stocks a variety of drones that were cobbled together for specific purposes, Kevin tends to view toy stores as a perfectly good source of ready-made stock. Why bother to cobble something together from scratch when the toy manufacturers have already got something that just needs a few little modifications and some goo? Besides the made-to-order drones, the ship is crewed/serviced by everything from a modified Robosapiens to tiny electric track race cars, all overseen by Fate and the three Sisters. If you can find it in a toy store, it might be a crewmember. But not Furbies. Never Furbies.
* Must Consume Mass Quantities: This is a recent development, as the Jason has just undergone a self-prescribed biomod procedure (You know what they say about lawyers who have themselves for a client....does that apply to biomodders? Physician, screw thyself?). Between a metabolic rate that has apparently shot through the roof and what appears to be a mental overlay that encourages working out/'training', Kevin is frequently finding that he's eating two to three times the amount of food that he was before...without gaining any weight. And he wasn't exactly a small eater BEFORE the biomod.
* Aspects of Fate: With personalities/viewpoints based on the Greek Fates, the ship's AIs also tend to have hobbies that are appropriate for the Fates. Clotho is into traditional fortunetelling, whether it be astrology or Tarot, and will sulk if she doesn't get her daily horoscope. Lachesis is the most physically-oriented of the AIs, and has drones capable of spinning thread and manning a loom. She weaves fabrics and tapestries, and her efforts adorn various walls in the living quarters. Atropos is interested in another aspect of fortunetelling, and plays the stock market. Although she sticks to penny stocks, she seems to be VERY good at it, and Kevin sometimes suspects that she discusses various trends with Fate. Fate herself prefers to play the 'mysterious Oracle' role, giving cryptic announcements that after the fact seem to be spot on. She also people-watches, analyzing the news and headlines to try to see where things are going. She is FAR too good at both the probability analysis when it comes to people, and in the oracle role...to the point that even Kevin isn't quite sure if she can actually see the future or not.
* Block Parents: All of the crew of the Lightning are protective of fenkinder, and notorious soft touches. Any fenkinder that show up at the Jason's airlock are guaranteed a hot meal, a place to crash, and a shoulder to lean/cry on at need. Likewise, anyone trying to threaten/harm one of the fenkinder around the crew should probably make themselves scarce, quickly.
Faction: Non-Aligned
Home Port: Port Phobos, Phobos (though the ship spends most of its time in the Belt)
Current Location: En route to Port Phobos from the Asteroid Belt.
Status: ACTIVE
Trivia:
* In all fairness, the Jason should probably have been exiled from Earth as the Professor was. However, he's much more camera-shy as a Mad and not given to city-wide destructive sprees, which tends to make people overlook him. This is probably a bad idea. Fortunately, his lab containment procedures are fairly tight, and the experiment he would eventually dub the 'tribble rose' never managed to escape. Destroyed for safety's sake, the only remnants now reside as cell samples in a lab freezer, waiting to arise once more to devour the worl...*ahem*...in case they can ever be turned to useful ends
* The ship's library has what is probably the largest filk collection in space. Filkers who contact the ship and wind up speaking with Atropos will probably wonder why Juanita Coulson is on board, since Atropos' voice is based on hers.
* Among other things, the Jason will supply Christmas/Yule evergreens to those Fen who long for a traditional holiday in space. Anyone wishing to purchase a tree should apply early, and trees are usually delivered about a month in advance to allow for a final bit of 'growing time'. Special arrangements can be made if needed, of course.
* Kevin has been emailing the more creative and Mad-inclined among the Fen, trying to organize a Mad Scientists' Union, or at the very least a monthly newsletter of experiments, major planetary bodies destroyed, etc.
--Feinan
Created by Kevin Eaches (Feinan)
Registry Number: MOERAE-003-N1
Base Hull: Semi cab, 36 semi trailers welded together along with miscellaneous bits.
Drive Type: Speed (max velocity 0.05c)
Owner of Record: Kevin "The Jason" Eaches
Flag of Record: Nominally, the United States of America
Purpose: Biomod laboratory, home, some asteroid mining (well...farming)
Launched: June 21, 2008
Crew:
* Kevin "The Jason" Eaches (Captain)
* Clotho (AI - Science Officer, Lab Caretaker, Medical Officer)
* Lachesis (AI - Quartermaster, Ship Maintenance, Motherhen)
* Atropos (AI - Engineer, Weapon's Officer)
* Fate (AI - First Officer, Navigator/Helmsman, Communications)
Auxiliary Vehicles:
* SC Merlin - ship's shuttle, a 'waved 1996 Toyota Tercel
Known Vehicle Quirks:
* On the Road Again: The ship's engine is finicky, and the rated speed is halved if music that the engine likes isn't played while it's in use. Said music mostly consists of trucker songs or songs about traveling. Examples known to work are: On the Road Again, White Line Fever, Driving a Truck With My High Heels On, Wolf Creek Pass, Beep Beep (Little Nash Rambler), Little Old Lady From Pasadena and Bat Out of Hell.
* I Never Drink...Wine: The part of the ship known as The Garden has absorbed the superstition that blood affects the fertility of the land, and it takes a bit of upkeep. In order to maintain the illusion of a natural landscape on Earth, it requires a blood sacrifice every other day or so; otherwise, the effects start to fade. Usually, a few drops of blood on the ground or on exposed handwavium is enough.
* Well, Where Would You EXPECT Goddesses to Live?: This quirk is responsible for the ship's nickname; it's not often one sees a Greek temple floating through space. Originally, the large mass of trailers were simply painted dark blue with stylized marble columns on the corners, and a painting of the three Fates on either side. The handwavium expanded upon this, so that the trailer section now looks like a multi-columned open-air temple reminiscent of Greek architecture. The three Fates move within its confines, their activity mostly determined by the ship's. When at rest, the Fates watch their Tapestry, or do small housekeeping chores. When the ship is moving, they are at work: Clotho spins glowing white thread that crackles with blue and gold lightning, Lachesis measures the threads and weaves them into the Tapestry, and Atropos clips them off where Lachesis marked them. It is also possible to look through the Temple; apparently, the handwavium coating is transmitting light from one side of the ship to the other to maintain the open-air illusion.
Known Crew Quirks:
* Animist: The Jason tends to view most things as alive, some just moreso than others. His Toyota was named Merlin long before it saw a coat of handwavium, and the DNA sequencer/synthesizer in his lab has been dubbed AGAThA after a favorite comic-book Mad. He pleads with things to work right, murmurs encouragement, and so on. Nothing on board (except the four AIs) has ever responded to him. So far.
* Pagan Technomancer: The Jason is eclectic pagan; the Garden actually contains a small stone altar tucked away in a secluded corner. Many of the handwavium items he has created have as much pagan ritual behind them as they do technical specifications. Whether this works by helping him focus the intent behind his creation, supersaturating the environment with ideas that resonate with what he wants to happen, or just causing the handwavium to go along with it to humor him, he's convinced that it helps his success rate with making handwaved items. He's never worked the numbers to tell; maybe it does.
* I'm a Toys R Us Kid: Except for Kevin, the rest of the Lightning's crew are AIs. This means that if they're going to do physical activities aboard the ship, they need drones that they can control. While the ship stocks a variety of drones that were cobbled together for specific purposes, Kevin tends to view toy stores as a perfectly good source of ready-made stock. Why bother to cobble something together from scratch when the toy manufacturers have already got something that just needs a few little modifications and some goo? Besides the made-to-order drones, the ship is crewed/serviced by everything from a modified Robosapiens to tiny electric track race cars, all overseen by Fate and the three Sisters. If you can find it in a toy store, it might be a crewmember. But not Furbies. Never Furbies.
* Must Consume Mass Quantities: This is a recent development, as the Jason has just undergone a self-prescribed biomod procedure (You know what they say about lawyers who have themselves for a client....does that apply to biomodders? Physician, screw thyself?). Between a metabolic rate that has apparently shot through the roof and what appears to be a mental overlay that encourages working out/'training', Kevin is frequently finding that he's eating two to three times the amount of food that he was before...without gaining any weight. And he wasn't exactly a small eater BEFORE the biomod.
* Aspects of Fate: With personalities/viewpoints based on the Greek Fates, the ship's AIs also tend to have hobbies that are appropriate for the Fates. Clotho is into traditional fortunetelling, whether it be astrology or Tarot, and will sulk if she doesn't get her daily horoscope. Lachesis is the most physically-oriented of the AIs, and has drones capable of spinning thread and manning a loom. She weaves fabrics and tapestries, and her efforts adorn various walls in the living quarters. Atropos is interested in another aspect of fortunetelling, and plays the stock market. Although she sticks to penny stocks, she seems to be VERY good at it, and Kevin sometimes suspects that she discusses various trends with Fate. Fate herself prefers to play the 'mysterious Oracle' role, giving cryptic announcements that after the fact seem to be spot on. She also people-watches, analyzing the news and headlines to try to see where things are going. She is FAR too good at both the probability analysis when it comes to people, and in the oracle role...to the point that even Kevin isn't quite sure if she can actually see the future or not.
* Block Parents: All of the crew of the Lightning are protective of fenkinder, and notorious soft touches. Any fenkinder that show up at the Jason's airlock are guaranteed a hot meal, a place to crash, and a shoulder to lean/cry on at need. Likewise, anyone trying to threaten/harm one of the fenkinder around the crew should probably make themselves scarce, quickly.
Faction: Non-Aligned
Home Port: Port Phobos, Phobos (though the ship spends most of its time in the Belt)
Current Location: En route to Port Phobos from the Asteroid Belt.
Status: ACTIVE
Trivia:
* In all fairness, the Jason should probably have been exiled from Earth as the Professor was. However, he's much more camera-shy as a Mad and not given to city-wide destructive sprees, which tends to make people overlook him. This is probably a bad idea. Fortunately, his lab containment procedures are fairly tight, and the experiment he would eventually dub the 'tribble rose' never managed to escape. Destroyed for safety's sake, the only remnants now reside as cell samples in a lab freezer, waiting to arise once more to devour the worl...*ahem*...in case they can ever be turned to useful ends
* The ship's library has what is probably the largest filk collection in space. Filkers who contact the ship and wind up speaking with Atropos will probably wonder why Juanita Coulson is on board, since Atropos' voice is based on hers.
* Among other things, the Jason will supply Christmas/Yule evergreens to those Fen who long for a traditional holiday in space. Anyone wishing to purchase a tree should apply early, and trees are usually delivered about a month in advance to allow for a final bit of 'growing time'. Special arrangements can be made if needed, of course.
* Kevin has been emailing the more creative and Mad-inclined among the Fen, trying to organize a Mad Scientists' Union, or at the very least a monthly newsletter of experiments, major planetary bodies destroyed, etc.
--Feinan