Daniel Boone Scout Cruiser
One of the more
popular utility ships for the private sector, the Daniel Boone-Class scout
ships were marketed as the smaller, more efficient, high-tech replacement to
the older Venture-Class exploration vessels. Created by the same design company
that made the venerable
The little cruisers have been on the market for about 25 years, and they have sold and performed well. They are a favorite of privately-financed FACE teams, scientific organizations, and industries concerned with exploration and colonization. The Hannu clan has pretty much adopted the design as its symbol, and the clan, as a private entity, has purchased an entire fleet of them and has been known to give them to clan loyalists who’ve proven to be successful explorers.
The
Boone is specifically designed for scientific exploration. It is capable of
incredible long ranges, can operate independently for extended periods of time,
has military-grade FTL capabilities, and powerful long-range scanners and
communications. It also has scientific lab space, an on-board A.I., and
extensive suspended animation facilities for long voyages.
It is lightly armed, only having one defensive turret and probe launchers capable of also firing medium-range missiles. Most captains keep a small supply of such missiles in case of trouble. The A.I. makes quick jumps to FTL possible, however, and this is the ship’s primary defense. That being said, there are more than a few of these ships that have been modified for more combat-oriented purposes by both pirates and mercenaries, who use it as a recon vessel.
While the ship is fully capable of planetary landings with no trouble, it come standard with a “Hopper” transorbital shuttle that has its own external docking hatch on the rear ventral hull.
The ship’s computer, the Ship’s Artificial Neural Database Intelligence (S.A.N.D.I.), has an extensive list of protocols on first contact, a database on all known species, and an extensive translator and decryption program for decoding new languages. The A.I. is generally personable and is specifically designed to help interact with a crew over long periods of time. In most cases, the crew thinks of the S.A.N.D.I. as the personification of the ship itself. There are numerous safeguards on the S.A.N.D.I. to keep it from endangering the crew. First, like all human A.I.s, it relies on Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics. Second, excess data lines and code (which are known to cause personality quirks in A.I.s) are routinely deleted. Finally, there is a non-networked kill switch in the captain’s quarters that the A.I. is unable to access.
That being said, there have been a couple incidents of S.A.N.D.I.s going rogue. In the most famous case, the computer was infected with an alien computer virus after interfacing with an ancient device. It tried to kidnap the crew and take them to an unknown location deep inside the Orion Expanse, locking them out of the Captain’s quarters. The situation was resolved with the use of a fire axe to the A.I.’s central processing unit.
Most standard crews include a sensate or solari to counsel the crew, and a robotics and computer expert to interface and psychologically monitor the A.I.
Model: Daniel Boone Scout Ship
Class: Light Civilian Cruiser
Crew: Varies, minimum of 5 to operate on a basic level and with heavy use of the A.I. Standard crews are between 15 and 30. Maximum capacity of 40.
Auxiliary Craft: One STS-5 “Hopper” transorbital shuttle
M.D.C. by Location:
Launch tubes (2) – 350 each
Solar panel arrays (2) – 750 each
Ion turret -- 200
High-powered antenna – 250
Communication dish – 400
Forward scanning array – 700
Main engine pods (2) – 1,000 each
*Bridge – 600
**Main body – 4,000
*Destroying the bridge eliminates the primary controls and will likely kill the bridge crew. However, the view port is the only means to hit the bridge without hitting the main body, and requires a called shot at -2, The bridge can only be targeted by vessels directly in front of the ship (hitting the view port bubble from above or below simply shatters it and activates an automated patching system that will immediately seal the breach).
**Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body disables the vessel, leaving it a floating wreck. Survivors can use escape pods or the shuttle to escape. Reducing the M.D.C. to -500 causes the vessel to explode, doing 1D4x100 M.D. to everything within a 600-foot radius.
Speed
Maximum sublight speed: .2 C, or 20% of the speed of light.
Maximum FTL speed: 365 C; one light-year per day.
Maximum Acceleration/Deceleration Rate: 6Gs per melee round
Maximum atmospheric maneuvering speed: Mach 6; can attain escape velocity with minimal maneuvering capabilities.
Statistical Data
Height: 68 feet
Length: 295 feet
Width: 266 feet
Cargo: 400 tons
Power Plant: Anti-matter reactor
Range: 730 light years (or two years of consumables)
A.I.: Ship’s Artificial Neural Database Intelligence (S.A.N.D.I.)
I.Q.: 20. M.A.: 15.
Possesses the following skills at 98%: Research, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Radio: Basic, Radio: Quantum, Radio: Satellite, Laser, Read Sensory Equipment, Navigation: Space, and can speak and read all earth languages (only English, Spanish and Chinese are heavily in circulation in Protectorate space), Xintari, Mogtu, Nix and Arkhon. The A.I. knows the following skills at 75%: Starship mechanics, Cryptography, Electrical Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Starship Mechanics, Pilot: Large Spaceship, Archaeology, Paramedic, and Lore: Galactic.
Note: The A.I., even though skilled, is not a creative thinker. In unusual circumstances, drop skill percentages by half (except for language, astronomy and radio skills).
Market Cost: 8 million credits new, 5 million credits used. Good availability (the company keeps a number in stock at all times)
Weapon Systems
1. Ion turret: This is a simple, dorsal-mounted turret with dual ion cannons. It can rotate 360 degrees and elevate 60 degrees. It can be controlled by one person or by the A.I. (at a +4 to strike)
Primary Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: 4D4x10 M.D. per dual blast.
Rate of fire: Four times per melee round
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
2. Launch tubes (2): These are primarily for launching scientific probes, but can also fit standard medium-range missiles. Most captains carry at least one load of missiles just in case. It takes 1 minute for the automated loading system to switch from the probes to the missiles. Because it is used to fire probes and uses an electromagnetic launch system, it greatly increases the range of the missiles, but at the cost of a much slower firing rate than standard launchers.
Primary Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type.
Rate of fire: Individual missiles from each tube only. Each tube can fire two missiles per melee round.
Payload: 10 total, five for each launcher.
Sensors: The Boone has a very impressive sensor array, utilizing multiple sensor systems. A.I. controlled passive digital telescopes can identify stellar bodies of 200 miles or greater in diameter at a range of 10 Astronomical Units (A.U.) By analyzing the light from such objects, the computer can identify major elements and can recognize signs of life or civilization, such as lights, pollution, and water. It has long-range mass detectors and electromagnetic field sensors with a range of one A.U. (about 96 million miles, the distance from the earth to the sun…about eight light minutes). Short-range sensors capable of highly detailed scans have a range of 500,000 miles.
Probes: The Boone comes with a rack of 20 long-range probes, which have a range of one million miles. Each probe has 50 M.D.C., a max speed of 300,000 m.p.h., max acceleration of 4 Gs, can be remote piloted, and has short-range sensors with a range of 100,000 miles, and penetrating sensors with a range of 50 miles.
Amenities: The Boone comes with sleeper pods for up to 40, with room for an additional 20 (must be purchased separately), two fully-equipped science labs, a workshop, and a “surveillance” mode with a reduced EM signature (runs on solar panels only) that gives a -20% to read sensory equipment rolls to detect the ship at ranges of 200,000 miles or greater. It has two state rooms, one of which is usually the captain’s quarters. The other is usually for important passengers or the head of the science team. The rest of the crew sleeps in dorm-style quarters that hold four each. There is a common rec room and extensive galley. In an emergency, the solar panels can keep the ship operating if main power is disrupted, but the crew will need to use the sleeper pods for any period longer than 48 hours without main power.
