Yellowstone

[maclypse]

Research vessel Yellowstone:

Hull Class: Democritus Yacht
Cargo Capacity: 1500
Impulse speed: 100
Armaments: 4x class 5 turrets, 1x mining laser, 2x CM
Hull Integrity: 170,000
Jump Drives: Beoluc 200b - able to send a large vessel through barely aligned jumpholes
Sensor Array: Dicscovery scanner, Long range scanners, Mapping scanners, Survey scanners, Gravitational scanners

The standard layouts of the Democritus-class ships are those of high-class luxury; sky-bars, spas, pools, 5-star kitchens and accomodations are standard on all models. Of course, the manufacturers are able to accomodate any needs or wishes, their excentric customers may require.

As far as custom ships go, this is one of the most customised ships in all of Sirius, and certainly one of the most unusual Democritus-class ships to ever come out of the shipyards. While the crew's quarters are comfortable, they are anything but luxurious, and all facilities shine in their absence. The defences too have been made to suffer; the standard armament of 4 transport turrets and 1 gunboat turret have been severely limited to allow only much lighter weaponry. The power is needed elsewhere in the ship.

The Yellowstone is a mobile research lab, capable to dealing with much of the initial research en route to it's destination, which is usually Cambridge or Manhattan University. The on-board research facilities are little short of spectacular. All standard equipment is available: gas cromatographers, magnetic resonance scanners, electron sweep microscopes, and so on. There's more though, including a state of the art genetics lab and a small scale artifact lab - complete with a small nomad power cell, for testing the few active artifacts that can still be found. The ship's crew is relatively small, only six, including the commanding officer, but there's also ten research assistants stationed aboard.

Doctor Marcus Boon

Marcus Boon has spent much of his life at the centres of higher learning in Sirius, holding a doctorate in genetics from Manhattan University, a double doctorate in Xeno-archeology and Xeno-biology from Cambridge. Needless to say, anything involving the Dom'Kavosh, the Nomads, alien life and Cardamine will get his attention.

Boon's interest in cardamine is a very logical one: if cardamine can rewrite the DNA of the user, understanding this process could lead to brand new types of treatments for genetic disorders, without the bothersome process of designing custom made retro-viruses, which are much to expensive to use for anyone but the exceptionally wealthy. For this reason, the doctor is often seen searching for cardamine samples in the upper Omicrons, of different quality, purity and makeup. His attempts to secure some plants from Malta for research have so far been fruitless, as the Outcasts are unwilling to release any plants - fearing their drug monopoly will be forever lost.

Artifacts also accupy much time and space on the Yellowstone. The ship is equipped to locate and retrieve artifacts from asteroid fields, and in some cases the Yellowstone has even been seen landing on Crete, in order to browse the bazaars for interesting artifacts to purchase. Delivering said artifacts to the xeno-archeology department at Manhattan University is always a tricky business, that requires a delicate blend of permits, smuggling, and honest-to-god bribery.

Xeno-biology is the third major field of interest for Marcus Boon, and mostly revolves aroud two fields; the first being small alien organisms. These are mostly of interest from a terraforming point of view, and are needed in large quantities on California Minor, but Marcus is always on the lookout for new strains of alien bacteria with new and interesting qualities. The second field is of course research into the Nomads. This is by far the most difficult field to research. Even when the Yellostone manages to locate something of interest, the Order usually rears it's head to confiscate all samples and data. It's a great source of frustration for him, that he has not yet been able to bring even the smallest sample of nomad biology back to Manhattan intact.

Boon likes to think of himself as truly neutral, even though it's rare that people agree with his view. As a hard core scientist, he's loyal to science and the truth - and nothing else. While travelling the sector, he is forced to deal, lie, cheat and strike bargains with everyone from liberty officials to the major pirate factions in the deep Omicrons. As long as he finds the truth, discovers something, he feels that the greater good of mankind has been served. Not everyone agree of course. At times, his attempts to enter sections of space are effectively blockaded by individuals and factions that see him as the enemy - for consorting and striking bargains with their enemies. Truth be told - if all the factions had the full story on Boon, they might just split him in pieces, send the head to Sugarland, the left leg to Rheinland police, the right one to the Kusari Navy and distribute the remaining parts among the pirates of Sirius. Working closely with professors Ramius and Jackson at Manhattan University, the general consensus seems to be that Boon, and the Yellowstone, are liberty aligned - but the doctor himself refuses to acknowledge any political affiliation. Boon knows full well where the best scientists and facilities are located, and his continuous dealings with Liberty is a matter of practicality, not politics. However, it's hard to convince a political activist of something liek this. It's like the frog said: It ain't easy being green.