Freelance Traveller
M - 3421221 - 000000 - 00000 - 0 MCr 134.186 300 Tons
Crew: 4 TL: 12 Cargo: 95 Emergency Low Berth: 3
Fuel: 66 EP: 6. Agility: 1
Craft: 1 x 27 Ton Ship's Boat
Fuel Treatment: Fuel Scoops and On-board Fuel Purification
Computers: 1 x Model/2 Computer
Architects Fee: MCr 1.342 Cost in Quantity: MCr 107.349
Detailed Description
- HULL
- 300 tons, Close Structure Configuration
- CREW
- Pilot, Navigator, Medic, Engineer (optional: up to 3 gunners)
- ENGINEERING
- Jump-2, 1G Manuever, Power plant-2, 6 EP, Agility 1
- AVIONICS
- Bridge, Model/2 Computer
- HARDPOINTS
- 3
- ARMAMENT
- None
- CRAFT
- 1 x 27 ton Ship's Boat (Cost MCr 21.95)
- FUEL
- 66 tons, On-Board Fuel Scoops, On-Board Fuel Purification Plant
- MISCELLANEOUS
- 12 staterooms, 3 emregency low berths, 95 tons cargo (90 standard, 5 'hidden' for smuggling purposes)
- COST
- MCr 134.186 singly (includes Architects fees of MCr 1.342), MCr 107.349 in Quantity, plus MCr 21.95 of Carried Craft
COMMENTS
The Medea class was an attempt during the early days of the 3rd Imperium to create an alternative to the more standard merchant designs (i.e. 'free', 'fat' and 'far' traders), but met with limited success. Although generally ignored by the larger merchant lines (in part because the Medea is a rather ugly design, visually), the Medea class did gain a certain popularity with families who wanted to go in together on investing on a starship for their future homes. Thus, the Medea class became better known as the 'Gypsy' class of starships. Entire families live on these ships, and depending on the age of the ship, may have lived on them for generations.
The above specifications are for these ships as initially purchased, and tend to be heavily modified over time, included weapons being added (of course), the computer being modified and upgraded, unused staterooms being used to carry extra cargo, etc. Because the Medea is not streamlined for landing on planets (crew members can use the Ship's Boat for the purpose, if necessary), these 'Gypsy' ships are more common in more civilized areas, where higher tech worlds with better (i.e. orbital) starports, as opposed to frontier areas (such as the Marches). In fact, many such 'gypsies' dislike actually landing on a planet, preferring to stay in space, either on their ship or stopping over at some orbital starport.
Although the number of staterooms exceed the number of necessary crew, these staterooms usually don't carry passenger, but rather extra family members, often children (who bunk two to a room, usually). If there are unused staterooms, passengers may be taken on, but often with some reluctance, as these 'gypsies' are hesitant about having strangers in their 'home'. If this is done, the passengers travel Middle passage, not high; the crew members do not bother with such fineries, and do not train anyone in Stewardship. An interesting facet of the staterooms is that their are two doorways per room, once facing a starboard corridor, the other facing the port corridor. The starboard corridor is the 'passenger corridor', the port corridor being off-limits to passengers. For any passengers, the port doorway in their stateroom is locked, and cheap paneling covers that doorway, so the the passenger is unaware that their is a second doorway in their room. If necessary, these doorways can be easily opened by the crew from the port corridor.
Five tons of the cargo space is hidden in small areas throughout the ship, no one hidden area larger than 1/2 ton.