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- Locations
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- Spaceship Locations
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- Illuminator Layout
Overview
About the Illuminator
The Illuminator is the newest Clarifier-Class Research Ship operated by the Vizierate. The Clarifier-Class are the pride of the Vizierate fleet. These modern, highly advanced ships have capacity to support a staff of 300 researchers, analysts and project team members in furthering the Vizierate’s portfolio of responsibilities and enhancing the Dominion. This is in addition to the ships’ operational crew. The Clarifier-Class’s range and speed make it suitable for assignment to a wide variety of project profiles. An assignment aboard a Clarifier-Class vessel is a prestigious, pleasant and productive one, with all crew and project teams having individual cabin assignments and their own private facilities. The vessels are equipped with comprehensive laboratories and work areas. Project teams and crews are encouraged to use the ship’s recreational facilities to keep minds and bodies sharp in furtherance of our work program.
Key statistics
Length: 191m
Beam: 50m
Mass: ~300kt (unladen)
Range: Jump-4
Speed: 2xFTL, 1G
Directions Aboard Ship
The directions aboard ship section starts with a naming and numbering standard that is common practice and boils down to: Things aboard ship are numbered from Forward to Aft along the Drive Axis, then Inboard to Outboard parallel to the drive axis, then Dorsal/Back to Ventral/Front. The main airlock defines the Port side of the ship and thus if you stand with the main airlock on your left, lower numbered things are behind you (Dorsal) and higher numbered things in front of you (Ventral). Odd numbers are assigned on the Port side and Even numbers to Starboard. Things actually on the Dorsal line or the Main Drive axis start with 0, otherwise they start with 1. In routine operation, standing on the deck, Forward is above Oliver’s head (sometimes called the Top end) and Aft is below his feet (sometimes called the Bottom end).
Layout
The basic layout of the Illuminator is that the habitat is at the forward or ‘top’ end of the ship in a series of rings stacked around a giant empty cylinder that is the space allocated for the hangar bay and cargo hold. Project team accommodations are at the very top, labs and offices below that, amenities below that and crew accommodations below that. Aft of the habitat decks are the engineering decks that make up approximately two-thirds of the ship. The main airlock through which Oliver entered seems to be somewhere amidships near the FTL drives, hence the ride up in the elevator.
Figure: Illuminator Layout Diagram
Deck Descriptions
Oliver takes us on a tour…
Through Deck Areas
There are four elevators that run the length of the ship, spaced equally around the central cylinder that contains the Hangar Bay and Unpressurised Cargo Hold.
Deck 7 – Project Staff Cabins
Outside the elevator is a small lobby, beyond which is a circular corridor curving back around behind him to the left and right. The corridor here is much more inviting. The walls and floor are coated in the common rubberised coating, which has been imbued with an apricot colour, and the floor has a geometric grey and orange decorative pattern. Vertical strip lights run from half-wall-height to ceiling every 3m or so. Unlike the lower deck area, the corridor is a pleasant and temperature controlled 22°C. Doors with numbers, presumably cabins, are spaced along the corridor at approximately 3m intervals.
Walking around to the right, Oliver passes even numbers that rise to 32 on his right and 84 on his left before becoming 31 and 83 and descending. He walks past another elevator on his left before finding 709 next to a third elevator lobby, which he estimates is indeed, half way around the circle that he has just traversed.
His door opens when he presents his ID Tag.
Example Project Staff Cabin (#709)
Oliver’s cabin is the shape of a slice out of a ring, the wall with the sliding door through which he has just entered is longer than the opposite. His bed is high bunk, with enough space below for a configurable area that has a fold-down table, a fold-down chair, or a fold-down couch. Storage space for clothes and gear, including a small safe, is along the corridor wall, and a compact fresher unit (combination toilet, basin and shower facilities) is nestled on the inner wall next to the bunk. One hopes Oliver isn’t claustrophobic.
A large vid terminal is along the wall opposite the bunk, placed so it can be seen from the bunk or the small living space beneath.
Oliver fiddles with the controls and brings up what appears to be a Welcome screen.
The vid fills with the image of a petite, grey-haired woman in a Vizant orchid uniform jacket with a short collar and four bars on her epaulets.
“Greetings, I am Vizant 4 Captain Idida Attenborough. Welcome aboard the Illuminator. On the menus below you will find safety briefing, directional and layout information, and your assigned areas for sleeping, working and emergencies. The Illuminator is crewed by Viziers, Vizants and Contractors, but you can distinguish ships’ crew from carried project teams and passengers by our uniforms.”
Captain Attenborough indicates her eapuletted jacket, which also has Captain and Attenborough written on tags above her left beast, where a Legionnaire would have their role badges.
“Should you have questions, our crew of Stewards will be happy to help. For now, please settle in, stow your gear and review the briefing information. I hope your time and travel aboard the Illuminator is productive.“
Decks 10 to 12 – Workspaces
Oliver rides up to Deck 11 and finds it follows the same ring corridor structure as the other decks he has seen. Inboard of the ring corridor are small offices/workspaces, and outboard are larger ones of various sizes. Most seem secure, but some are open plan to the corridor and some have windows. Each of the offices has a little sign under the number, reading variously Allocated, Unallocated, Bookable and Casual Use. Also on this Deck is a small kitchenette and shared fresher facilities.
Small Office Example (Office 1116)
Office 1116 (Allocated) is one of the smaller offices on the inboard side of the corridor. There is a small viewing window built into the door, but it is currently opaque. If Oliver presents his ID Tag to the door it will open and allow him access.
Meeting Room Example (Briefing Room 1201)
Deck 13 – Mess and Recreation
- A gymnasium, including sauna and spa
- A large eating area, apparently partition-able into two separate areas, and including some self-serve galleys for those with a mind to cook for themselves
- A recreation area, containing numerous tables and couches adaptable to different purposes and games
- Two large general-purpose rooms
- A mini Sportsball venue
On the corridor’s inboard side are a series of smaller rooms, some of which are apparently available for booking. Also on the inboard side are a number of commercial shops where staff and crew can apparently purchase goods and services. The ones near the mess area apparently serve food and drink not available from the general servery, one offering table service and there are a couple of small bars. Elsewhere around the ring are clothes shops, a Vizierate uniform supply outlet, what seems to be a general store, an electronics and gadgetry shop, a beauty parlour, body shop and a hairdresser, and others.
Many of the commercial shops seem to be closed at the moment, one bearing a sign that says We Will Reopen After Leaving Dock. Although one of the bars is open and a few people are inside, or sitting in the mess area with drinks.
One of the food shops, although closed, has some activity about it as boxes are being unloaded from a cart and carried inside.
The general servery in the mess is open – Oliver will discover this is open 3/10 [In the Dominion that’s like 24/7…].
Most rooms on this deck are not currently in use.
TOSO Bar
TOSO Bar is the largest establishment on the Mess and Rec Deck.
Bar Chill
The smaller bar that was originally closed when Oliver was scouting the Mess and Rec deck is called Bar Chill. It has more of a quiet, classy wine bar feel than the TOSO bar.
Deck 14 – Crew Cabins
Senior Staff Lounge
Example Vizier’s Luxury Cabin
Deck 19+ – Engineering
Deck 30 – Main Airlock
Just inside the airlock is a sign: Follow Yellow Line to Habitat Decks.
On the floor beyond the airlock are yellow, red and purple lines. There are no signs for the red or purple lines.
Ahead is a square corridor about 25m long with an intersection about 15m in. At the intersection the red line turns left, the purple goes straight on and the yellow line turns right. After another 5m corridor, there is a lift lobby. The walls on this level have an industrial feel, with tan paint over metal. Occasional handholds are recessed into the walls, presumably in case of grav plate failure. The hand holds double as light fittings, and the uneven light make brighter and dimmer patches along the corridor. A durable, slightly ridged runner provides traction along the floor. The air has a slight chill.