Melchizedek
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| Melchizedek | |
 Melchizedek crew assignment patch. | |
| Spacecraft Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Base Hull | OV-200 series Space Shuttle |
| Length | 122' |
| Width | 78' (wingspan) |
| Height | 58' |
| Mass | 151,000 lb. |
| Drive Type | x3 ion drives |
| Drive Rating | Variable |
| Primary Manufacturer | Hephaestus Mining and Metalworking, Unltd. (licensee) |
| Owner | Panzer Kunst Gruppe |
| Flag of Record | Grunthal, Noctis Labyrinthus, Mars |
| Registry Number | OV-213 |
| Launched | 15 April 2016 |
| Purpose | General Utility. |
| Primary Crew | Variable. Annual contract. |
| Other Crew | Mel (AI) |
| Operational Status | operational |
OV-213 was ordered in October 2014, and given the name Melchizedek at launch. This was quickly contracted to simply Mel. Her original purpose was as a general utility craft, with the payload bay capable of being quickly configured for anything from a simple supply run, to ferrying passengers, to transporting a full Gruppe of Kunstler and their equipment on a mission. Mel has found herself being used on combat missions, mostly in situations where the Destiny Nova was either unnecessary or inappropriate... something which a few have frowned upon.
Mel herself is the thirteenth OV-200 shuttle to be constructed, and can be something of a teenager in mindset. She occasionally feels that her elder sisters look down on her for not being as much of an explorer like they are, but has also loudly complained that exploration is 'boring' anyway. Her crew agree she's just trying to differentiate herself from her sisters and find her own identity.
Tellingly, on her first true exploration mission to the Rigel Kentaurus system, she had a great time, discovering a rogue Jupiter-scale planet which had been captured by the suns gravity. The planet was given the provisional name Nostromo by the expedition.
Privately, Mel enjoys the variety in her life when compared to most other shuttles, and likes to brag to the others about her exploits. She has a youthful vigour to her, which is reflected in her taste for heavy metal music.
Mechanically, the only difference of note between Mel and the standard OV-200 series, is that Mel has been retrofitted with a high-powered radio transmitter in her horizontal stabilizer at her own request. Mel tends to be a little dirtier, having a more 'used' appearance than her sisters, Martian storms always leave her lightly coated with rusty dust. She sees herself as a Martian shuttle, and this is reflected in her Crew assignment patch.
Unusually, her crew are normally contracted in, the Panzer Kunst not having the personnel themselves.
Known Quirks
- Good Morning Starshine II: The Class Quirk for this model ship. Similar to the class quirk displayed by the Three Graces, the OV-200 Orbiters need music played at the beginning of each workday in order to function at peak efficiency. Unlike the Graces, the same song can be reused (no more than three times in a row per any given month), but each Orbiter needs a distinct genre of music played for the best possible effect. Melchizedek likes classic metal.
- Pirate Radio: The ship's AI, Mel ... is something of a metalhead, and is most decidedly un-gracelike - she tends to come across as something of a rebellious teenager compared to her more sober and graceful sisters. In their downtime, Mel and her usual crew operate the radio station Radio Kaos from a Mars orbit. It's popular enough, with an eclectic mix of classic rock, metal and a few other genres depending on the taste of her current crew. They also air some current affairs, and they're the only place in Fenspace that carries motorball results.
- What's that Rattle? Unlike her sisters who are usually based at a station or asteroid base, Mel is based on the Martian surface. As a consequence, she put on more launch/re-entry cycles in her first six months of flight, than her sisters did in over two years. Mel's already showing signs of this wear and tear both inside and out.
Trivia
- Mel was paid for using money the Panzer Kunst received for their consultation on James Cameron's Battle Angel project. Cameron also chartered Mel for a trip to Rigel Kentaurus where he filmed a documentary The search for the real Pandora. Another such mission to Sirius is in the planning stage.
- The motto on Mel's dedication plaque reads "Righteousness alone is my King"... an English language translation of her name.
- Mel gets on unusually well with Mayonaka and the other Blackbirds. The result has been described as a V10 Dodge Ram truck playing with a flock of SRT-10's.
Stories
Mel appears in the following stories:
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