Deck Plans

Deep Rift Highliner

Faraway Class

 Type R6

Using a 100-ton hull (with up to 700 tons in 100-ton modules), the Deep Rift Highliner is a curious artifact of the few TL9 cultures in the Great Rift. It is a Tech Level 9 solution to a jump-6 problem, allowing worlds that would otherwise be lost in the depths of the Rift to colonize, trade and otherwise participate in the interstellar community. Its modular design allows it to be effective within local star clusters, while still allowing it (with multiple Fuel Pods) to cross jump-6 rifts.

It mounts jump drive-D, maneuver drive-D and power plant-D, giving a performance of jump-4 and 4G acceleration (but see fuel limitations). Fuel tankage for 10 tons supports the power plant at power-1 for 4 weeks or at power-4 for 1 week, but has no fuel available for jump. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model/1bis. The ship has 4 tons devoted to fire control, but only one hardpoint - the other fire control stations are for remote turrets that can be attached to 100-ton modules. There is one stateroom.

There is one ship’s vehicle, a 20-ton Launch/Lifeboat. There is no cargo capacity in the primary hull, and the Deep Rift Highliner is unstreamlined.

The Highliner requires a crew of 1: Captain/Pilot. When a single Pod is added, crew requirements are Captain/Pilot, Medic, and 2 Engineers. Any additional Pods add a Navigator to the crew requirements, and Stewards and Gunners may be added as needed. The Pilot or Navigator pilots the Launch.

Modular Pods: The Highliner can carry up to seven 100-ton Modular Pods, with corresponding degradation of its drive capabilities. Adding, removing or reconfiguring Pods is a simple task, requiring approximately one week of work at a class C or better starport no matter how many Pods are changed out. It is possible to detach Pods without starport facilities, but it must be done with extreme caution to avoid damaging the Highliner or unbalancing the ship. The most common Pod designs include:

Fuel Pod: 100 tons hydrogen fuel in baffled tanks.

Crew Pod: 22 staterooms, 12 tons cargo. The cargo capacity is included due to the long voyages the Deep Rift Highliner is designed for.

Shuttle Pod: Includes a berth for a 95-ton Shuttle and a 5-ton cargo bay (for shuttle parts and cargo transfer spaces). For frontier operations, a Fuel Shuttle is usually carried.

Cargo Pod: 100 tons cargo capacity, with partitions and tie-downs to allow a variety of cargo packages from modules to pallets to large machinery pieces.

Survey Pod: A multi-function Pod designed for exploration and survey duties. It includes a berth for a 30-ton Slow Boat, garages for two 10-ton ATV’s, five Survey Probes in Launch Tubes, 10 Low Berths (for biological specimens), 20 tons dedicated to Lab Spaces and a 20-ton cargo hold.

Scout Pod: Actually an external carry cradle, the Scout Pod is designed for a Type-S Scout/Courier. The docking arms include an access tunnel and power/life support connection; the Scout Ship can even be used as additional living space while the Deep Rift Highliner is on a voyage.

Other Pods: While other types of Modular Pods are in service, they are uncommon. Low Berth Pods, Battle Pods, Fighter Pods and a variety of specialized Cargo Pods have been seen. Some Highliners dedicated to specific routes have combination Cargo/Fuel Pods, with the fuel capacity tailored to their needs.

Drive Potentials: The Highliner has the following drive potentials:

Common Configurations: While a near-infinite range of combinations is possible, there are several that are commonly seen operating within and around the Deep Rift.

Passenger Liner: Shuttle Pod, Crew Pod, and 5 Fuel Pods. Allows a range of jump-6, carries a crew of 7 (Pilot, Navigator/Captain, Medic, 2 Engineers, 2 Stewards) and 16 High or Middle Passengers. Cargo capacity is 12 tons, but this may be increased to 112 tons if orbital facilities are available (by dispensing with the Shuttle Pod and adding a Cargo Pod).

Exploration Ship: Shuttle Pod, Crew Pod, Survey Pod, and 4 Fuel Pods. Range is Jump-4, with plenty of fuel reserved for small craft operations and long-endurance missions. Crew is 6 (Pilot, Navigator/Captain, Medic, 2 Engineers, Steward) with 17 positions for scientists, specialists, small craft pilots and support personnel. Cargo capacity is 32 tons. Variations include forgoing the Shuttle Pod for a Fuel Pod, making frontier refueling much more laborious (with the Slow Boat and Launch) but allowing a range of jump-6.

Courier: Travelling with a single Fuel Pod, and a crew of 4 (Pilot/Captain, Medic, 2 Engineers), the Courier is capable of 4G acceleration and two consecutive jump-2’s (due to computer limitations). Crew quarters are abominable, as four people must share a single stateroom for the two to three week trip.

Peculiarities: The Highliner’s weapon systems are adversely affected by its modular construction. Only the weapon turret above the bridge is a manned installation, the others are remote installations attached externally on the Modular Pods. These remote turrets each suffer a –1 DM to all tasks due to difficult placements and poor fire arcs.

Note: The Highliner is almost always constructed and operated by a government, as it is difficult to operate at a profit. The alternative is to remain lost in the Deep Rift, so many governments are willing to assume the cost so as to reap the benefits from open lines of communication. For worlds in this situation the Highliners will be the only means of interstellar travel, thus every berth and every liter of cargo space will be in the highest demand.

Cost: The Core 100-ton hull of the Deep Rift Highliner costs MCr 54.5. Fuel and Cargo Pods each cost MCr 10, Crew Pods cost MCr 22.5, Shuttle Pods cost MCr 43 and Survey Pods cost MCr 26.56. The Core hull and each Pod take 9 months to build.

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