The Caer Paravel class Subsidized Merchant

 

Type M, 600dtns, unstreamlined

Crew: 9 – 13

Passengers: 20 Low, 21 – 17 Middle or High

Cargo: 129 – 131

 

The Caer Paravel is a class of M-type subsidized liners named for palaces found in myth and literature.  It is constructed as a cross-deck design, with decks perpendicular to direction of main engine thrust.  Bridge and avionics are towards the bow, followed by passenger areas, cargo bays, fuel stores and cargo.  A 20dtn launch is carried in a standard 4.5m docking ring, and is usually used as a lifeboat and occasional liaison craft – the ship depends on orbital docking facilities and in-system shuttlecraft for most of it’s passenger and cargo transport needs.

The Caer Paravel is designed for a crew of up to 13.  A pilot, navigator, medic and three engineers are required; three stewards round out the usual minimum crew complement of nine.  There are four “Starman’s Berths”, passenger-class cabins designed for easy conversion to crew quarters.  Common practice is for these berths to be occupied by a captain and one or more gunners, such gunners being required on the crew roster when trade routes are dangerous or a lucrative mail contract has been obtained.  Any Starman’s Berths not used for crew accommodations can be used for passengers.

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Deckplans

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The ship’s decks are laid out on a thirteen-deck design, lettered A through M for convenience.  The decks are as follows:

 

Deck    Purpose

A         Bridge and Avionics

B          Avionics, Ship’s Computer and Ship’s Services

C          Crew Quarters

D         Passenger Lounge and Staterooms

E         Passenger Staterooms and Suites

F          Low Berths, Launch Dock and Cargo Lockers

G         Main Cargo Bay (Double Height Deck)

H         Upper Fuel Deck (One and a Half Height Deck)

I           Fuel Service Deck (One and a Half Height Deck)

J           Lower Fuel Deck (One and a Half Height Deck)

K         Upper Drive Deck – Engineering Services

L          Middle Drive Deck – Power and Jump Systems

M         Lower Drive Deck – Maneuver Drives and Regulatory Systems

 

Points of Entry:

Deck

A         Forward Turret Inspection Hatch

            Bridge Observation Ports

C          Crew Stateroom Viewports

D         Boarding Lock, Starlight Lounge Observation Ports, Stateroom Viewports

E         Sitting Room Observation Port, Stateroom Viewports

F          Upper Cargo Transfer Lock, Launch Boarding Lock

G         Lower Cargo Transfer Lock, Main Cargo Lock, Launch Cargo Lock

I           Amidships Inspection Lock, Fuel Transfer System Inspection Hatches (2)

J           Aft Turret Inspection Hatches (2)

K         Main EVA Lock

M         Drive Maintenance Hatch

 

Area Descriptions

A Deck – Bridge

  1. Bridge:  All ship systems can be monitored and controlled (at least for a short time) from here.  Positions include Captain (a), Helmsman (b), Astrogator (c) and Engineer (d).  The Engineering position mainly consists of indicators and repeaters linked to the main engineering workstation on K Deck.  The bulkhead by location 4 contains a small dispenser of drinks and snacks for use by the bridge crew on duty.  An unusual feature of the bridge is the presence of large viewports looking out over the ship.  Useless for close-in docking procedures, as the ship’s docking ports are on the other side of the ship, the viewports are really there for the benefit of VIP passengers receiving a bridge tour.  In normal operation metal shutters close the viewports and holographic viewscreens are projected on their interiors.
  2. Ship’s Locker:  This secure compartment is the repository for weapons, pharmaceuticals, and other dangerous or valuable pieces of equipment.  Access is usually restricted to the Captain, First Mate, Purser, Ship’s Doctor and any high-ranking officials of the company that owns the ship. 
  3. Forward Turret: This compartment contains a fire control station and machinery to support the forward turret.  The seat contains an extended life support unit that can be linked to a standard Vacc suit and other emergency equipment.  Traditionally, all ships of the Caer Paravel class operate with one hardpoint armed, the forward one.  Armament usually consists of a dual turret with a beam laser and a sandcaster.  Ships that have been called up for merchant marine wartime duty, or are forced to work in dangerous areas, are appropriately up-gunned. 
  4. Bridge Fresher:  A standard sanitary unit for use by the bridge crew on duty.
  5. Avionics Bay:  Sensors, scanners, and other electronic equipment essential to the operation of the ship fills this compartment, making it rather cramped.  The headroom slopes downward from the bridge towards the exterior bulkhead, making the outer area of this compartment more of a crawlspace.
  6. Avionics Bay:  Similar to area 5.

 

B Deck – Avionics and Ship Services

  1. Access Corridor:  A circulation space.  The bulkhead towards area 2 contains bulletin boards with ship announcements and some ship and crew mementos.  The exterior bulkhead is covered with storage shelves that contain emergency gear, cleaning equipment, and day-to-day stores for the crew.
  2. Ship’s Computer:  This secure compartment houses the main components of the ship’s Model/3 computer.  Software, manuals and maintenance equipment are also present here, but this compartment seldom needs to be entered by the crew during normal operations.
  3. Purser’s Office:  This compartment contains desks, filing cabinets and other equipment used by the Purser to manage the ship’s business.  Hardcopies of crew records, cargo manifests and other documents are kept locked up here.  A mini-fresher is against the exterior bulkhead.
  4. Avionics Bay:  An extension of the bay in area 4 on A deck above, this full-height area is not quite as cramped but is still filled with electronics gear.
  5. Workshop:  This area contains a workbench, parts bins and other equipment necessary to keep the ship’s avionics in working order.  Avionics gear is incorporated into all the exterior bulkheads of this compartment.
  6. Avionics Bay:  Similar to area 4 on this deck.
  7. Medical Bay:  While most medical cases aboard the Caer Paravel are transferred to low berths, the Ship’s Doctor does maintain an office and dispensary to manage the health of the passengers and crew.  The compartment contains an examination table with internal scanners and one recovery/isolation bed, as well as cabinets of medical supplies.  Passengers with minor illnesses and injuries would usually be treated in their own cabins.  A mini-fresher is against the exterior bulkhead.

 

C Deck – Crew Quarters

  1. Access Corridor:  A circulation space.  The exterior bulkhead is covered with storage shelves, containing equipment for use by the crew.  A large display panel covers the bulkhead by the freshers and cycles through ship location and status information, images of exotic landscapes and short, silent scenes from old 2-D video entertainments.
  2. Fresher:  This is a deluxe sanitary unit for use by the crew.
  3. Fresher:  Identical to area 2 on this deck.
  4. Crew Stateroom:  Each of these cubicles is designed for use by one crewmember, and contains a wardrobe cabinet, worktable and bunk with under-bunk storage.  Most have a viewport with a protective shutter controlled from the cabin or from the bridge.  While the crewmember is intended to use the fresher in the passageway for most sanitary needs, there is a small foldout washbasin.  A foldout spare bunk is above the standard bunk, in case naval auxiliary service calls for double occupancy.

 

5-12.  Crew Staterooms:  Identical to area 4 on this deck.

 

  1. Crew Commons:  Dining, meeting and recreation area for off-duty crewmembers.  The area contains a table, chairs, and a large entertainment viewscreen.  Storage cabinets along the bulkheads and under the bench seat contain various recreation and miscellaneous equipment for use by the crew.
  2. Galley:  A compact galley serves as a preparation area for snacks and beverages and as a holding area for meals prepared in the main galley on the passenger deck below.

 

D Deck – Passenger Lounge and Staterooms

  1. Boarding Lock:  This is the main entry point for passengers boarding the Caer Paravel.  While it can adapt to dock with most standard starship airlocks, its docking tube is mainly designed for use with orbital docking facilities.  When docked at a starport, the outer lock hatch is usually left open and the inner hatch’s decorative paneling is folded back to reveal clear sections for observation of the boarding passage.
  2. Boarding Lounge:  This passenger area serves as an embarkation and debarkation area while the ship is in port.  During voyages this compartment serves as an added passenger lounge, a quieter, more sedate area than the main Starlight Lounge in area 8 on this deck.  On ships with more than nine crewmembers, additional crewmembers (up to a total of thirteen) are usually quartered in the cabins off of this lounge.  If all of these “Starman’s Berths” are occupied by crewmembers and/or employees of the ship’s owning company, the Boarding Lounge is traditionally closed off to passengers during the voyage and used as additional living space by the crew.
  3. Starman’s Berth:  The ship’s captain usually occupies this cabin, if there is a captain aboard.  The stateroom is otherwise appropriate for passenger accommodation, with a bed, chair, worktable, wardrobe cabinet, and private fresher.  Unlike most passenger staterooms on the Caer Paravel, this stateroom has a foldout upper bunk concealed in a bulkhead in case dual occupancy is required for naval auxiliary service.

4-6.            Starman’s Berths:  Identical to area 3 on this deck, these staterooms are usually occupied by senior crewmembers if there are ten to thirteen crewmembers aboard.  Additional Starman’s Berth staterooms are preferentially given to employees of the ship’s owning company, acquaintances of the senior officers, and other trustworthy passengers.

  1. Staircase:  This wide, somewhat winding staircase leads from the starlight lounge to the passenger deck corridor below on deck E.  Acoustic panels, disguised as decorative accents, help limit the noise from the Starlight Lounge.
  2. The Starlight Lounge:  The social center of the ship, the Starlight Lounge is a combination restaurant, casino, ballroom and theater.  Tables fold away when not in use, lighting varies at need, recreational equipment is quickly presented from storage areas beneath the deck and in the storeroom (area 10 on this deck) and just as quickly whisked away.  One of the most impressive features of the lounge is the wall of floor-to-ceiling viewports that cover the exterior bulkhead.  Easily sealed by metal shutters controlled from the galley or bridge, the viewports can provide a breathtaking view.  The captain will try to arrange a docking slip so that passengers can enjoy a good view of the planet below while the ship prepares for a voyage.
  3. Galley:  The main food preparation area for the ship.  One side of the compartment opens into a bar and service area for the dining tables.  Most of the controls for lighting and other equipment in the Starlight Lounge (area 8 on this deck) are located behind the bar, which is usually manned by at least one crewmember at all times during a voyage.  While most cuisine aboard the ship is based on pre-packaged meals, the Galley is fully equipped to prepare foods from scratch if proper ingredients are available.
  4. Storeroom:  This compartment serves two purposes:  a ready-use pantry for the Galley (area 9 on this deck) and an equipment storage area for the Starlight Lounge (area 8 on this deck).  Walls are lined floor to ceiling with storage bins, shelves, coolers and lockers.
  5. Passenger Stateroom:  This is a standard high passage compartment, equipped with bed, chair, worktable, wardrobe cabinet and private fresher.  Like the Starman’s Berths on this deck (areas 3-6), a foldout upper bunk is concealed in the bulkhead in case naval auxiliary duty calls for double occupancy.  Liners that have hired live entertainment traditionally bunk them here and/or in area 12 on this deck.  On some ships of the Caer Paravel class, this stateroom has been converted to a boutique or other passenger service compartment.
  6. Passenger Stateroom:  Identical to area 11 on this deck.

 

E Deck – Passenger Staterooms and Suites

Note that many of the staterooms on this deck have connecting doors, allowing them to be combined as more extensive suites for families and other groups traveling together.

  1. Sitting Room:  A small passenger lounge, with some comfortable couches and small tables.  A call button beside one of the couches opens an intercom link to the Galley (area 8 on D deck) to summon a steward for drinks, snacks, cards or other needs.  A viewport fills the exterior bulkhead, sealable by metal shutters controlled from the Bridge.
  2. Closet:  This cubicle contains cleaning supplies and maintenance equipment for the passenger staterooms.
  3. Closet:  Identical to area 2 on this deck.
  4. Staircase:  This winding stair leads to the Starlight Lounge, and is area 7 on D deck.
  5. Closet:  This storage area is similar to area 2 on this deck, but is mostly under the staircase and has lower headroom.  A seldom-used access hatch is behind a panel at the back of the closet, and leads to the cargo area (deck F) below.
  6. Passenger Cabin:  This is a standard high passage cabin.  Bed, chair, table, wardrobe cabinet and private fresher are present, as is the usual entertainment screen.

7-16.        Passenger Cabins:  Essentially identical to area 6 on this deck. Note the presence of connecting doors in some staterooms that can be unlocked by a steward to allow families and other groups to have connecting cabins.  Cabins 6 and 7 on this deck, slightly larger than the others, are usually allocated as Voyager Cabins, set aside for passengers who will be with the ship for more than one jump.

  1. Ducal Suite:  Usually given to the highest-ranking noble passenger, the Purser has a selection of nameplates (Count’s Suite, Baronial Suite, etc.) to personalize this suite for its occupant.  This is the most luxurious stateroom on this ship, with prize fabrics, mini-bar and other lavish appointments.
  2. Chairman’s Suite:  Only marginally less luxurious than the Ducal Suite (area 17 on this deck), the Chairman’s Suite is traditionally allocated to the highest-ranking VIP of the ship’s owning company aboard, or a guest of such an officer.
  3. Deluxe Cabin:  A step up from the standard high passage cabin, spacious and well-appointed but otherwise similar to areas 6-16 on this deck.
  4. Deluxe Cabin:  Identical to area 19 on this deck.  Note the connecting door that can be unlocked by a steward to allow both staterooms to be combined as connecting cabins for families or groups traveling together.

 

F Deck - Low Berths, Launch Dock and Cargo Lockers

This deck, unlike the carpeted and comfortable decks above, is a work area.  Metal decking, visible conduits and cable runs on the bulkheads show the active innards of a starship instead of the muted borders of a passenger haven.

  1. Cargo Transfer Lock:  This large airlock is unusual in that it contains a cargo elevator (connecting to area 1 on G deck below).  It is intended as a pass-through connection to a cargo handling area on an orbital facility, but can mate properly with most standard starship cargo airlocks.
  2. Corridor:  A wide access way for moving cargo around.  The bulkhead beside the door to area 3 on this deck has a rack for two low-berth gurneys, intended for use in transporting low berths from area 3 on this deck to another ship or orbital station.
  3. Low Berths:  20 low berths are installed here, racked two high.  Some liners have support rigs for modular low berths, to allow low passengers to be put into cold sleep at the starport and loaded, transported and unloaded without having to wake them.  It is possible for this area to be cleared of low berths and used as a rather barren stateroom for two crewmembers (four if double occupancy for naval auxiliary service), but this is seldom done.
  4. Closet:  Storage area for medical equipment and other gear for the maintenance and operation of low berths.
  5. Fresher:  A standard sanitary unit.
  6. Mail Locker:  A secure storage area for up to five displacement tons of small package cargo.  This locker is intended for use with a mail contract, and usually only the Captain, First Mate and Purser have access to it.
  7. Passenger Lockers:  lockers for passenger luggage, up to the usual maximum of one displacement ton per high passenger and lesser amounts for middle and low passengers.  Stewards and ship’s officers have access, and may bring trusted passengers or the servants thereof down here to retrieve needed items.
  8. Cargo Bay:  An open bay for small package cargo, carted in through area 1 on this deck.  Tie-downs on the deck and bulkheads allow cargo to be secured throughout this area as needed.  A work panel with a foldout seat is at the entrance to this area, to be used by a steward or other crewmember performing cargo management duties.
  9. Storage Locker:  This compartment contains maintenance and emergency equipment for use on the cargo decks.
  10. Launch Boarding Lock:  This lock mates with a small craft’s personnel airlock in the 4.5m docking slip along the hull of the ship.  Note that it is a one-hatch lock, and will not open unless there is a small craft airlock (or other docking tube) mated to it on the outside.  The area inside the lock is a muster area for boarding the launch, but is usually used by crew only – if passengers need to board the launch, it is usually mated to the Boarding Lock (area 1 on D Deck).
  11. Launch: This is the forward part of the ship’s 20dtn launch, mounted in a standard 4.5m docking slip along the hull.

 

G Deck – Main Cargo Bay

This deck is more than twice the height of the standard decks of the liner.  Compared to the upper decks, this deck is chill, dimly lit and bare (when not filled with cargo).

  1. Cargo Transfer Lock: This is a cargo airlock that also contains a cargo elevator, connected to the Cargo Transfer Lock on F Deck.  Like the Cargo Transfer Lock above, this lock can mate to most standard cargo transfer airlocks. 
  2. Main Cargo Bay:  Equipped with tie-downs as needed, this area can handle nearly any kind of cargo.  The majority of the liner’s cargo capacity is located on this deck.
  3. Cargo Management Station:  A work panel and seat are located here, as is a rack of cargo handling tools.
  4. Main Cargo Lock: Designed to mate with cargo transfer locks on standard cargo shuttles and other cargo transfer craft, the Main Cargo Lock is intended as the major access point to the ship’s cargo bay.
  5. Launch Cargo Lock:  This large lock door is intended to mate with the cargo doors of a small craft docked in the standard 4.5m docking ring along the hull.  It is a single-hatch lock, much like the one at area 10 on F Deck, and cannot be opened unless a craft or docking tube is present on the other side of the hatch.
  6. Launch:  This is the aft area of the ship’s 20dtn launch, berthed in a standard 4.5m docking slip along the hull.

 

H Deck – Upper Fuel Deck

This deck is about one and a half times as high as the standard deck, and is mainly made up of baffled fuel tanks for the jump drive and power plant.

  1. Access Corridor:  Almost unlit, this seldom-used corridor provides access to several crucial parts of the ship’s fuel system.
  2. Access Corridor:  Essentially identical to area 1 on this deck.

 

I Deck – Fuel Services Deck

This deck is similar to H deck in configuration.

  1. Access Corridor:  This area has control panels and monitors for elements of the ship’s fuel system.  It is better lit than the rest of the fuel decks, and provides access to the ship’s elevator.
  2. Amidships Inspection Airlock:  This manual airlock is intended for inspection and repair of the Fuel Transfer System.  As refueling usually takes place at orbital stations that have their own repair crews, this airlock is almost never used.
  3. Equipment Locker:  Stores maintenance equipment, repair tools, a limited amount of EVA gear, and an emergency Vacc suit.
  4. Fuel Transfer System:  An extendible rig for connecting to a fuel source (such as a orbital station or fuel shuttle) and filling the ship’s fuel tanks.  While usually kept in vacuum, its outer doors are airtight and atmosphere can be released into this area so shirtsleeve maintenance can be performed.
  5. Access Corridor:  A dimly lit passageway allowing access to some parts of the ship’s fuel system.
  6. Crawlway:  A conduit-lined tube, approximately a meter in diameter, connecting the two Access Corridors on this level.  This crawlway, while nominally kept at the same environment as the rest of the ship, is uncomfortably cold and damp.

 

J Deck – Lower Fuel Deck

This deck is similar to H deck in configuration.

  1. Access Corridor: Similar to the access corridors on the fuel decks above, this passageway is dimly lit by the glow from various status lights and indicator panels.  It allows access to various components of the ship’s fuel system.
  2. Access Corridor:  Similar to area 1 on this deck.
  3. Hardpoint Two:  Accessed from the Engineering Deck below, this hardpoint is seldom armed unless the ship is called up as a naval auxiliary.  The engineering crew often uses it as a storage locker.
  4. Hardpoint Three:  Similar to area 3 on this deck.

 

K Deck – Upper Drive Deck, Engineering Services

All engineering decks have decks made of removable gratings with conduits and drive elements accessible underneath, and the decks themselves are nearly filled with the large, loud drive elements themselves.  Storage cubbies for tools, replacement drive components and other gear take up space here and there throughout the decks.

  1. Aft Cargo Locker:  The Caer Paravel was designed on a standard hull as a cost-saving measure.  This design decision left a small amount of “waste space” (two displacement tons) available in the drive section of the hull, and it was set-aside as a small cargo space.  Small packages can be carted down on the ship’s elevator and stored here, though on some ships the poor accessibility of this cargo locker has led to it being used as a sort of “ship’s basement”, for storage of little-used but necessary ship’s equipment.
  2. Main Engineering:  These work panels are the main control and monitoring stations for the ship’s drives.  One engineer usually mans them whenever the ship’s drives are operational, and both seats are manned during startup, jump, and hard maneuvering.  The bulkhead separating this area from area 1 on this deck is covered with tool racks.
  3. Staging Area:  This is a prep area for EVA.  Service racks to prepare Vacc Suits are on the bulkheads, as are tools and hoses for maintaining and supplying them.
  4. EVA Airlock:  This is the main airlock used by the ship’s crew for repair or inspection spacewalks.  It is seldom used, as the ship usually makes use of inspection and repair crews based on orbital stations along its route.
  5. Equipment Locker:  This storage locker contains EVA equipment, engineering parts and tools.
  6. Power Plant:  This is the upper structure of the ship’s Halyonics Systems Code-J Fusion Plant.  Large conduits feed fuel from the fuel decks above into the drive.
  7. Jump Drive:  The perimeter of this deck is lined with elements of the ship’s Void 7 Code-J Jump Drive, stretching to the height of the deck and down into the deck below.

 

L Deck – Middle Drive Deck, Power and Jump Systems

This deck is similar in configuration to K Deck above.

  1. Rest area:  This area is well insulated from the noise and vibrations of the drive decks around it.  It contains a mini-fresher, access to the ship’s elevator, a bench seat, and a small drink and snack dispenser.  The ship’s engineers use it for short work breaks during their duty shifts.
  2. Power Plant:  This is the heart of the ship’s Halyonics Systems Code-J Power Plant.
  3. Jump Drive:  Most of this deck is taken up by the machinery for the ship’s Void 7 Code-J Jump Drive.

 

M Deck – Lower Drive Deck, Maneuver and Regulatory Systems

This deck is similar in configuration to K Deck above.

  1. Power Plant:  This area is taken up by the massive heat exchangers that dump waste heat from the ship’s power plant to the exterior of the ship.
  2. Drive Maintenance Hatch:  This access hatch is not an airlock – it is just a single hatch leading to the exterior of the ship.  It is usually only used during overhauls, annual maintenance and other major maintenance and repair operations.
  3. Maneuver Drives:  These two areas house the ship’s Halyonics-Pulsa Code-C Maneuver Drives, which power the drive plates on the aft end of the ship.

 

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Copyright Walter G. Smith 2003