The Aurora Lady

 
 

The Aurora Lady was built in 2465 in the Stockton Shipyards, Stockton California Earth.  She is a Chinook model built for medium range hauling.
 

Her last captain was a man named Tong Ye Fang and during the 25 years he ran her he made several upgrades including an extra thruster for getting out of deep gravity wells of the heavy gravity planets.  This gives her the ability to lift heavier loads out of normal gravity worlds. Also for added crew safety in the outer worlds a small infirmary was added replacing one of the larger crew suites.  Fang was known as a hypochondriac and always kept a physician by his side, an unusual arrangement on a working freighter. She has the ability to go to light speed and the ability to defend herself with modest armament.
 

She is not pretty, she is utilitarian. Not much space is wasted on crew comfort.  This is a trademark of the Chinook line, pretty is as pretty does.
 

All in all there are crew quarters for up to 12, with two double occupancy suits and ten single berths. The accommodations are Spartan, at best.  The hygiene facilities are shared by everyone, except the captain who has his own in his quarters.  The other suite is used by passengers and visitors and is not  currently occupied.
 

The ship carries two very small four-person shuttles and the crew quarters also double as life pods in the event of an emergency. She also has one quad that is tucked in one of the onboard cargo bays.  The quad is used to move things around when she is on dirt or in a dock.  The quad is about as old as she is, and may be part of her original equipment.
 

She is powered by a small efficient reactor that gives her the lift and allows for the use of the extra thruster. It was upgraded in a complete overhaul about fifteen years ago. The reactor has reserve power, so if anything the Lady performs well despite her woe begotten looks.
 

Her navigational system was put in about five years ago, an upgrade from the original.  Fang had acquired a black market system that has the ability to interface with a pilot AI implant.  This gives the pilot the ability to monitor all systems at any given time and to carry on communications.  This AI was originally developed for the UEF Transport Pilots who had to constantly monitor communications and ship operations during combat operations.  The AI and the NavComm systems were copied, reverse engineered and found their way onto the underground.
 

Access to the interior is through one of five airlocks, three on the main deck and two on the engineering deck.  There is also a lock between the cargo ring and the main deck and the main deck and the bridge.

 

The Aurora Lady has led a hard service life and was abused many times.  The repairs that were made were sound, but they were not pretty.  Her protective coatings bear the marks of this life and need freshening.
 

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