Post by Vilhelm von Benkern on Feb 17, 2007 19:20:11 GMT -5
The Stellar Ship Numenor is now availible for freelance freight duty.
Background
The SS Numenor has quite a unique history. It's current owner and Captain, Vilhelm von Benkern, originally found the vessel half destroyed in his youth while off-coast fishing South of Benacia on Micras. Once the huge vessel had been recovered and brought to shore, it was quite obvious it was not of this world - the technology was far more advanced than anything Numenor could have produced within the next 200 years if not many more. Even above its weaponry, carapace armour and strangely light-weight material, the most puzzling aspect of the Ship was its single-crew - by standard design, the Ship was piloted by one humanoid, who was plugged into the interface.
After discovering that the ship could be plugged into the Mains Electricity Grid of Numenor, von Benkern soon powered up the ship for the first time. When he got into the pilot seat and plugged himself in, he discovered that none of the buttons in front of him actually responded to his touch - the vessel maneuvered itself according to the pilots nerve impulses and thoughts. Later, von Benkern drew up a theory that the buttons were laid before the pilot simply to stimulate him or her - they were to remind him of being a real pilot. This alone sets this mysterious ship apart from all others.
Even after the Battery cells were charged, the vessel was far from Space-worthy. In fact, there was a gaping hole in the hull that would have killed any people inside the ship - strangely, the ship repaired itself over time, revealing yet another of its many unique characteristics. After over 3 years of repair and pilot orientation, von Benkern felt the newly-christened SS Numenor was ready for Space travel. He took off in the ship and flew around Tarsica twice before returning to Micras, according to Colish astronomers. When he returned to solid ground, von Benkern remarked, "This thing can go further and faster than anything on Micras."
Supplying himself with at least 50 years worth of rations, von Benkern took off from Micras 7 years later on an expedition of exploration for Numenor. After only 3 months in Space, von Benkern came across Taki Kawada's space haven, Super Fortress Vi'Ix. He immediately applied for a Visa, which was accepted, and he now enjoys life as one of the universe's most daring and somewhat insane pilots.
Armament
Despite being primarily a Freight Vessel, the SS Numenor is more than capable of defending itself. When on Micras, von Benkern had the vessel fitted with 3 concussion grenade launchers and a minigun on its rear - although this is not what makes it dangerous. The two twin-plasma cannons on the top its shell and the one beneath can spin 1080 degrees, and in terms of power they can easily go through the shell of a tank or civilian vehicle - the Captain had a little test run while still on Micras. However, before he arrived at Vi'Ix, the Numenor ran into trouble with a still unidentified Stellar Ship. The faster, smaller craft easily outmaneuvered the Numenor and proved that its twin-plasma cannons were not as destructive as they appeared on Micras - they only penetrated a few inches into the hull of the enemy ship or simply deflected off it. The concussion grenades eventually drove the small dogfighter off, leaving the somewhat bewildered Captain more wary of the dangerous spacecraft which lay in the unending skies of the universe. In light of this, the SS Numenor now travels with a small entourage of smaller dogfighting vessels to protect its often precious cargo.
Freight
The huge vessel is almost large enough in its interior to house a few small houses - its life support and shielding systems take up very little space and the tough but light hull is very thin. In spite of this, the cargo level is usually quite low to save on weight - the Numenor's speed can be severely reduced in this way.
Business
The Captain of the SS Numenor reserves the right to eject any cargo if he believes that without it he can increase the chance of the onboard crew and the Ship itself surviving if it is attacked by Space Pirates. This term is non-negotiable. Other than that, the SS Numenor's terms are fairly liberal and it will carry or pick up pretty much anything. The Captain reserves the right to reject any job presented by a client.
Background
The SS Numenor has quite a unique history. It's current owner and Captain, Vilhelm von Benkern, originally found the vessel half destroyed in his youth while off-coast fishing South of Benacia on Micras. Once the huge vessel had been recovered and brought to shore, it was quite obvious it was not of this world - the technology was far more advanced than anything Numenor could have produced within the next 200 years if not many more. Even above its weaponry, carapace armour and strangely light-weight material, the most puzzling aspect of the Ship was its single-crew - by standard design, the Ship was piloted by one humanoid, who was plugged into the interface.
After discovering that the ship could be plugged into the Mains Electricity Grid of Numenor, von Benkern soon powered up the ship for the first time. When he got into the pilot seat and plugged himself in, he discovered that none of the buttons in front of him actually responded to his touch - the vessel maneuvered itself according to the pilots nerve impulses and thoughts. Later, von Benkern drew up a theory that the buttons were laid before the pilot simply to stimulate him or her - they were to remind him of being a real pilot. This alone sets this mysterious ship apart from all others.
Even after the Battery cells were charged, the vessel was far from Space-worthy. In fact, there was a gaping hole in the hull that would have killed any people inside the ship - strangely, the ship repaired itself over time, revealing yet another of its many unique characteristics. After over 3 years of repair and pilot orientation, von Benkern felt the newly-christened SS Numenor was ready for Space travel. He took off in the ship and flew around Tarsica twice before returning to Micras, according to Colish astronomers. When he returned to solid ground, von Benkern remarked, "This thing can go further and faster than anything on Micras."
Supplying himself with at least 50 years worth of rations, von Benkern took off from Micras 7 years later on an expedition of exploration for Numenor. After only 3 months in Space, von Benkern came across Taki Kawada's space haven, Super Fortress Vi'Ix. He immediately applied for a Visa, which was accepted, and he now enjoys life as one of the universe's most daring and somewhat insane pilots.
Armament
Despite being primarily a Freight Vessel, the SS Numenor is more than capable of defending itself. When on Micras, von Benkern had the vessel fitted with 3 concussion grenade launchers and a minigun on its rear - although this is not what makes it dangerous. The two twin-plasma cannons on the top its shell and the one beneath can spin 1080 degrees, and in terms of power they can easily go through the shell of a tank or civilian vehicle - the Captain had a little test run while still on Micras. However, before he arrived at Vi'Ix, the Numenor ran into trouble with a still unidentified Stellar Ship. The faster, smaller craft easily outmaneuvered the Numenor and proved that its twin-plasma cannons were not as destructive as they appeared on Micras - they only penetrated a few inches into the hull of the enemy ship or simply deflected off it. The concussion grenades eventually drove the small dogfighter off, leaving the somewhat bewildered Captain more wary of the dangerous spacecraft which lay in the unending skies of the universe. In light of this, the SS Numenor now travels with a small entourage of smaller dogfighting vessels to protect its often precious cargo.
Freight
The huge vessel is almost large enough in its interior to house a few small houses - its life support and shielding systems take up very little space and the tough but light hull is very thin. In spite of this, the cargo level is usually quite low to save on weight - the Numenor's speed can be severely reduced in this way.
Business
The Captain of the SS Numenor reserves the right to eject any cargo if he believes that without it he can increase the chance of the onboard crew and the Ship itself surviving if it is attacked by Space Pirates. This term is non-negotiable. Other than that, the SS Numenor's terms are fairly liberal and it will carry or pick up pretty much anything. The Captain reserves the right to reject any job presented by a client.
As for prices... there is no actual standard currency in Vi'Ix at the moment. Any ideas, anyone? I'm thinking something simple... Credits, maybe Vi'Ix Credits, Stellar Credits... something like that?