So my next "character" is going to be a small crew of scientists. Growing increasingly frustrated with the short-sighted profit motives of corporate-backed science, the soul crushing bureaucracy of government sponsored research, and the bickering and backstabbing of academia, they left their former positions and scraped together enough cash to purchase a small freighter stocked with scientific equipment (much of it "borrowed" from their previous employers) and beer. Their goal is to do pure research, with no strings attached, and to distribute their findings to the public (in the form of forum posts filled with pretty screenshots and a pseudo-scientific babbling). And frequent trips to Curacao to discuss their latest findings over Mai Tais on the beach.
What's a good choice of ship for the hard thinkin', hard drinkin' men and women of Science Without Borders? Desirable attributes include: cheap, reliable, cheap, not overly associated with any particular faction, cheap, cool-looking, and cheap.
Also, suggestions for interesting, research-worthy astronomical <strike>phenomenons</strike> <strike>phenomenae</strike> <strike>phemon-</strike> neat looking stuff in space would be greatly appreciated.
