PREFACE

I have been fascinated by spaceships for as long as I can remember. While all spaceships interest me, I have a particular fondness for large starships; vessels big enough to be considered communities in their own right. I have thought much about what life might be like aboard such a huge vehicle and have created this book to express my vision of such a ship and its society. In particular, I wish to show ashipboard society different from the paramilitary ones portrayed in the mass media. The shipboard society I have created is based in part on that of the Bahá'í Faith of which I am a member. The focus ofthis series of articles is on the shipboard society itself rather than the fantastic technology behind it.

The time period for this book is over a thousand years in the future. In the intervening centuries, humankind has achieved global unity in the form of a peaceful and progressive society which reflects and respects its full diversity. This society calls itself the Human Commonwealth. Humanity has colonized the solar system and spread into interstellar space using huge sublight powered space-habitats. The human race has also created sentient artificial life to be its companion in the exploration of space.

The human society of this future time is based on values emphasizing community and accepting diversity. It is a society that has moved beyond worship of profit for its own sake to utilizing wealth for the benefit of all, where the economic emphasis has evolved from consumption of resources to stewardship of them. The needs of the individual and the community are more balanced than they are in our own time, with both recognized as necessary to the maintenance of peace and order. While this future human society has reconciled its internal differences, it struggles to accept as equals the artificial life it has created.

Once humankind developed faster-than-light communications technology, a galaxy-wide association of sentient races called the Galactic Sentience Network initiated contact. Humanity was invited to join this
organization but the Human Commonwealth refused at first. It took humanity a while to adjust to the existence of extraterrestrial sentient life, and even after becoming part of the Galactic Sentience Network the major human belief systems had difficulty attuning themselves to the reality of ongoing contact with non-human sentient life. A new human belief system has recently arisen which attempts to harmonize itself with this situation. In the time since joining, humans have developed faster-than-light propulsion technology and for about a century their starships have served as part of the Star Guard Network, the joint exploration and mutual defense organization of the Galactic Sentience Network.

While the focus of this book is on life aboard the giant starship, a word should be said about the technology that would be necessary to make such an environment possible. It would obviously be far beyond our present technological level with many of its underlying principles as yet unknown to us. The nomenclature I have used when referring to this technology is thus deliberately vague and meant only to hint at its tremendous power and complexity.

I wish to thank my wife Sharie for reviewing this book. Her insights have definitely contributed to the quality of the final product.

David C. Mueller, August 1996, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

WELCOME ABOARD

Hello, my name is Levia. I am the sentient computer that oversees the operation of starship Leviathan. I will be telling you about life aboard this great vessel. Whether you are a visiting scientist, a diplomat, or a passenger traveling to some other destination, you will find this book helpful as you begin your life aboard the Leviathan. It will be my pleasure to introduce you to the shipboard society t hat offers much in the form of social interaction, relaxation, and entertainment. I will also inform you about many important things that any space traveler spending time aboard the Leviathan should know.

You will learn such things as how to interact with the human crew, sentient artificial life, and robots; where to go for fun and relaxation; how the shipboard government operates; and the procedure for
meeting resident aliens. In addition, you will become familiar with the general layout of the ship and how to deal with a variety of emergency situations that can occur during you stay aboard the Leviathan.

First let me tell you something about the wonderful vessel you now find yourself on. Starship Leviathan is a Type-IV Starcruiser, Star Guard Network registration number 146-HSC4. The Leviathan is one of eight starships of the Leviathan Class. The other seven vessels are the Colossus, the Titanic, the Gargantuan, the Immense, the Behemoth, the Gigantic, and the Vastness.

The Leviathan has been in service for about ten years and is one of the flagships of the human component of the Star Guard Network, the exploration and defense organization of the Galactic Sentience Network. As a Star Guard Network starcruiser, the Leviathan serves a variety of roles including deep space exploration, deep space patrol, search and rescue, disaster relief, priority personnel transport, and priority cargo transport.

The Leviathan is one of the fastest as well as largest human starships yet constructed. Its great size and complexity can overwhelm many first-time visitors. It may help you to think of it as a traveling
skyscraper. One of the most important things to be aware of is that the orientation of up and down varies from one section of the ship to another. Visitors should expect to experience occasional periods of
disorientation during their first few weeks aboard.

If this is your first time as a deep space traveler, you can also expect to suffer some form of space sickness during you first week aboard. Such space sickness typically lasts from one to three days and is easily treated with medication. If your symptoms last longer than three days, please visit one of the medical facilities for treatment. As a precaution, visitors are advised to take it easy during their first week aboard.

Some of the most outstanding features of the Leviathan are the three garden bays and one aquarium bay. Each has animal and plant life from a particular habitat. Visitors should visit the garden bays at least once a week to help combat claustrophobia; daily visits are recommended.

Visitors should be aware that the Leviathan is not a commercial starliner but a traveling community. As a visitor you are now a temporary member of our society, a small yet quite diverse collection of sentient beings representing a variety of beliefs. Most visitors come from planet-bound or space-habitat communities that are predominantly human. Your time aboard the Leviathan is a precious opportunity to meet and get to know beings different from yourself. Please take advantage of this chance to learn more about the diversity of sentient life. We hope you will find your experiences aboard the Leviathan
educational as well as enjoyable. Welcome aboard!

1. BASIC STUFF

1.1 A Brief Tour

The Leviathan is divided into seven main sections called zones which are labeled in alphabetical order from bow to stern. Each zone also has a title denoting its primary function. Zone A is also known as the Science Section, Zone B is the Visitor Section, Zone C is the Garden Section, Zone D is the Command Section, Zone E is the Crew Section, Zone F is the Cargo and Hangar Section, and Zone G is the Engineering Section. Each zone has its own life support system as well as being serviced by the ship’s main life support system.

Zone A/Science Section has twenty decks and contains the primary science laboratories as well as a large lecture hall. This section also contains the forward sensor array, forward navigational deflector machinery, and auxiliary communications equipment. Zone A has two lifeboats and two docking ports.

Zone B/Visitor Section has thirty-four decks and contains living quarters, medical facility, nursery, and recreation facility for all visitors. Also included in this section are a space energy absorber array, forward sublight propulsion units, education facility, and emergency control center with emergency computer. Zone B has three lifeboats.

Zone C/Garden Section has twelve decks and contains the three garden bays and one aquarium bay. Also included in this section are four hydroponics bays, main water tanks, emergency food
production and preparation facility, and emergency waste reclamation facility. Zone C has four lifeboats and four docking ports.

Zone D/Command Section has six decks and contains the main control center, main communications equipment, and main weapons control facility. Also included in this section are emergency quarters for the command staff, auxiliary sensor array, and a space energy absorber array. Zone D is capable of separating from the rest of the ship and is equipped with its own sublight propulsion units. Zone D has one docking port.

Zone E/Crew Section has eighty-one decks and contains the living quarters, medical facility, and recreation facility for the crew. Also included in this section are the main sentient computer core, worship facility, living quarters for resident aliens and sentient robots, auxiliary control center, large dining and alien reception facilities, main food production and preparation facility, rob (non-sentient
robot) service and control facility, main fabrication facility, main communications equipment, and two space energy absorber arrays. Zone E has one extendible docking port and six lifeboats.

Zone F/Cargo and Hangar Section has twelve decks and contains the main cargo holds, security facility, two smallcraft hangar bays, and two small starship hangar bays. Also included in this section are six
hydroponics bays, auxiliary waste reclamation facility, space energy absorber array, auxiliary communications equipment, auxiliary navigational deflector machinery, and main attraction beam
emitters. Zone F has two extendible docking ports and two lifeboats.

Zone G/Engineering Section has twenty-six decks and contains the space-matter intake, processing, and storage machinery; power generation and distribution systems; and the aft sublight and warp-jumppropulsion systems. Also included in this section are the auxiliary sentient computer core, an auxiliary control center, the main waste reclamation facility, the materials recycling facility, engineering
workshops, and a small medical facility. Zone G is equipped with a space energy absorber array, aft sensor array, aft navigation deflector machinery, and auxiliary communications equipment. Zone G has one docking port and two lifeboats.

1.2 Your Shipboard Guides

When you boarded the Leviathan, you were assigned three crew members to serve as your Shipboard Guides. These three people, usually all from the Recreation Service, are available to answer any questions you may have during your stay. You should see your Shipboard Guides for such things as scheduling tours of the ship; handling problems with crew members, robots, or fellow visitors; setting up audiences with resident aliens or me, the sentient computer. One shipboad guide has been assigned to you for each of the three duty shifts; please see each guide only during their duty shift. In addition to your

Shipboard Guides, you can receive information about the ship and the many scheduled activities by consulting the computer terminals in your quarters. If you are away from your quarters and need directions t o a specific location aboard the ship, you can ask a nearby crew member, rob (non-sentient robot), or me at one of my many interface terminals located throughout the ship.

1.3 Getting Around

There are two ways to move from deck to deck aboard the Leviathan : using the transport corridor system or using the service tube system. The transport corridor system consists of large horizontal and
vertical low gravity shafts which allow access to most of the vessel. Visitors should use the transport corridor system. The service tube system consists of smaller shafts which access the entire ship.

Service tubes, also sometimes referred to as engineering tubes, are used by service robots and crew members to perform inspections and routine maintenance. Visitors are only allowed to use the service tubes i f being guided by a crew member or robot.

The transport corridor system is built around three horizontal corridors which run along the ship’s central axis. Other horizontal and vertical corridors branch off of the three main corridors. The middle main corridor is used primarily for cargo, and visitors should use the other two main corridors whenever possible. The flow of traffic through all transport corridors except the middle main corridor is assisted by low level gravity fields which pull objects in the corridors in specific directions. All transport corridors have traffic flow signs which visitors are expected to obey.

The most trying task for first time visitors is crossing the intersections where horizontal and vertical corridors meet. First time visitors usually have some difficulty using the corridor transport system
but should not get discouraged and will find that with a little practice they can easily overcome their initial disorientation. Visitors should be aware that one of my duties as sentient computer is to
monitor all transport corridors and service tubes. Should you need help getting to your destination, just contact me by using one of my interface terminals located at regular intervals throughout the t ransport corridor and service tube systems. In addition to my monitoring of all transport corridors and service tubes, the security staff also patrols both of these systems regularly. Visitors are expected to obey all instructions given to them by the security patrols and should feel free to ask them for assistance at any time.

Restricted areas of the ship are clearly marked. Visitors who enter such areas will first receive a warning from me or a member of the security staff. Subsequent tresspassing violations will result in confinement to a limited portion of the vessel.

Visitors will note a large amount of plant life as they travel throughout the Leviathan. Much of it is planted in long trays mounted near the ceiling of most occupied areas. This plant life is part of the
s hip's life support system and supplements the large hydroponics bays. Visitors are expected to not disturb any plant life they may see aboard the Leviathan.

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