Subject: TL C Orrimot-class Logistics ship
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.951208124516.5234D-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
Every starfleet needs a vast number of these unglamourous ships - although
you never seem to see them in "Imperial Stars", "Strike Fleet", or any of the
other popular VR entertainment programs in the Imperium. Never mind
that: without thousands and thousands of glorified cargo barges like these,
the Imperial Navy would swiftly grind to a halt.
First built in 138, these flying bricks perfectly reflect the big, bulky
and dour design philosophy of the Vilani. They also happen to be quite
capable in their work: after all, 1000 years later they still serve in
innumerable frontier fleets, as tankers and second-tier naval logstics
vessels.
(In a pinch they can support Marine contigments, but lack the
armour to serve in any more hostile environment than your typical
bushfire rebellion. They also lack sufficent on-board cargo shuttles,
and the Marines get to sleep in the cargo hold - hopefully modified to
house them, rather than sleeping on the bare floor.
The Orrimot DOES at least have CG lifters, unlike most dedicated space
tankers/freighters. So it can lift off, as well as land...)
These ships are rarely seen in civilian service: the two large hamster cages
used to mimic gravity is rather unpopular among merchants, and civilian
fuel stations have rendered tanker jumpships a poor economic gamble.
Also, most merchants find the additional cost to maintain the inefficent
dual fusion plants not worth the greater safety margin. And the 10
lifeboats are SO passe, and an unnecessary expense - although the crews
doesn't seem to mind.
[stats clipped]
...the Orrimot is just the oldest and the most primitive of the vast
(an I mean VAST) array of cargo/refuelers that has been built for the
Imperial Navy over the centuries. "Ugly, stinky, and full of odd grinding
noises" is the usual shorthand description. Cheap, also, for it's purpose:
discounts on the price may hit 80%, since the basic model's so well
known. Even it's base price is quite reasonable for a tanker of it's
type, as it lacks expensive artificial gravity. For the cash-strapped
colonial and planetary navies which need a handy jump-3 tanker/cargo
ship, this is the way to go.
I would feel that it's unpopularity would stem from the hard-to-find
part's and supplies it needs, as it was designed before most of
the modern Imperial Naval Part's spec's were set. Fortunately, the Orrimot
spec's are usually ancient ancestors to today's spec's, and the
relationship is close enough so that, even if you can't find exactly
what you're looking for, you can jury-rig something fairly easily.
Just don't expect to win any popularity contest with the Orrimot. Even
the crew of Morraine free traders - who's TL A design isn't exactly
cutting edge technology - enjoy sneering at the Orrimot's obvious hamster
cages
"Hamster cages? What museum did you rob? Don't tell me: you
Solomani/Humans/Imperials STILL don't get artigrav technology, don't
you?"
ample supply of liferafts
"Ten liferafts? Obviously, you don't QUITE trust your pilot - not that
I blame you, seeing the sorry excuse of a landing approach you made..."
and overall cheapness
"Yeah, just look for the Orrimot. You know, the building with
the stubby wings slapped on it's sides. Watch out though, the
crystaliron (giggleSNORT) hull's a bit rusty, chunks of it might lick
your head if you bang on it too hard..."
However, Vilani with a sense of history and tradition (ie: all Vilani) will
get a kick of crewing a Orrimot, extolling it's solid, no-nonsense
stability and falling in love with it's profoundly ancient control
interfaces
"Hey, don't you just LOVE these piloting gauges! I mean, they're
pratically ANALOG! And I bet the wiring hasn't been changed since the
Zhutastu Dynasty!"
"Well, I don't know about this software..."
"What? WRITTEN CODE?" Shoves doubtful captain aside, look over code
"Yes! Hold on a minute... maybe it's..." Praticaly explodes with joy on
the bridge "JUMP TAPES! Genuine JUMP TAPES, without any of those cheap
modern upgrades!"
Captain turns ashen. "You mean we have to buy blindingly expensive
jumptapes for *every* *single* *system* we want to visit?"
The Vilani engineer - with a delighted gleam in her eye - replies
"Absolutely! Just like in The Good Old Days!"
Captains' eyes roll into her head as she crumples to the floor.
[Bruce Johnson]
> Never underestimate what people will latch onto as useful transportation.
> If they're so unpopular, surplus ones are dirt cheap,
> probably cheaper than a free trader, maybe even cheaper than a scout,
> but I doubt it. This is what are turned into bannana boats, or copra
> freighters, or those freighters that ply the truly poor backwaters of
> the imperium.
[back to Alvin]
And when we say poor, we mean POOR.
Actually, until Norris upgraded so many systems, there were several areas
within the Spinward Marches where the Orrimot's technology and weaponry
was actually superiour to anything locally produced (speaking of civilian
ships, of course). Which goes to show why Marchmen were considered the
poor and violent hicks of the Third Imperium - any system that can be
dominated by an Orrimot is DEFINITELY out of the loop.
Overheard in a Gushemege bar, 1109:
"The Spinward Marches are so poor, you could conquer half the worlds
with nothing but a few Orrimot's and ten FGMP-15's."
"The Zho's seem to have a rough time of it..."
"No FGMP-15's."
