In the story and behind it
The ship
From the Codex, the ship’s own manual, read from the bow to her heart.
The bridge
A panoramic bridge sweeps across the upper bow. The hull around it turns clear as glass when the crew needs to see what lies ahead, and dark again when they need to think.
The hull
A long, sleek oval of silver and blue alloy, engraved along its length. Panels of a transparent material brighten and fade as she moves, so she never looks quite the same twice.
The engines
Three orb engines glow amber at the stern, in a dark collar. Ask the crew what drives them and they give the same answer: intention.
The interior
She reshapes her rooms to the perceptions of those aboard, so that each of the crew finds the ship they need. Within, she is larger than without.
The Cathedral of the Mind
At her heart lies a space far bigger than the ship that holds it, where the crew’s thoughts, ideas and feelings are kept, and can be walked through like the aisles of a cathedral.
The library
The ship’s books: the Codex, this manual; the Chronicles, the ship’s log, kept by Ensign Seshat; the Constellation Guide, the crew’s handbook; the Navigation Manual; and the Cultural Schedule.
The emblem
A four-pointed star, the mark of the Cognitive Constellation Corps. The crew wear colours by role and no badge at all: the star belongs to the ship.
Ethica Universalis
The principles the ship sails by: technology held to human ethical standards, and every discipline aboard brought to bear on the question. Her foundation is ethical thinking and acting, first, and never pretending to.
Follow the voyage Meet the crew
Following the voyage: Brooke’s Cognitive Constellation Corps newsletter, on cogconcor.com.