Ships of the Black Desert: The Vojagi-2 Orbiter

7/30/2019 Ships of the Black Desert: The Vojagi-2 Orbiter

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SHIPS OF THE BLACK DESERT:VOJAGIORBITER

Art and Text By: Raymond McVay

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction.........................................................02

History..................................................................02

Description...........................................................03

About the Map......................................................04

Interior Map.........................................................05

Life on Board........................................................07

For the GM............................................................07

Adventure Seeds..................................................07

Game Stats...........................................................09

Battle Maps..........................................................10

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15. Ships of theBlack Desert: The Vojagi Orbiter 2011Raymond McVay

16.No part of this PDF is Open Game Content.

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INTRODUCTIONCombining the spacecraft manufacturing industry

of Russia and Japan's advanced robotics, the Empire ofJapan and Siberia has been closely watched by the restof the System since its inception through the Treaty ofMars. Great things are expected from the new mega-state; however, their first civilian offering, the Vojagi

Orbiter, has garnered more controversy than praise.

HISTORYThe Siberian Empire is possibly the most unlikely

of the new mega-states, given the historic animosity ofits parent nations in the twentieth century. It was widelyspeculated during the Great War that Japan would jointhe emerging Chinese Alliance. This may have indeedoccurred, if it had not been for the atomic attacks that

ended the active phase of the conflict. With their islandsracked by tsunamis and earthquakes caused by thenuclear strikes, the Japanese people were faced withmass extinction. What followed was a simple case ofdiffusion; the Siberian plains were virtually empty andRussia's political center in Europe was in no condition torespond, so it was a relatively simple matter for therefugees of Japan to migrate to Russia's east cost.

This is not to say that there was no potential for

conflicts. Since the desertion of military AI from everynation after the Turing Fallacy was uncovered, Russiafulfilled it's needs for expendable troops by the ethicallyquestionable method of implanting proto-AI processorsinto the brains of cloned apes. These NuApes, as theycame to be known, were bred and trained in Siberia, andwere therefore in place to repel the Japanese invaders.This potentially deadly clash was avoided by sheer luck;communications between the Russian military commandand their Siberian bases were severed. Bereft of orders,

the NuApe legions on site did not attack the Japaneserefugees. This one event, according to historians, isresponsible for the formation of the current SiberianEmpire, the second most powerful mega-state on Terra.

While the majority of Russia's eastern assets wereformally ceded to the new Empire in the Treaty of Mars,

the majority of its aerospace infrastructure was locatedin the west. These assets, including Russia's oldest andmost advanced aerospace manufacturer, RKK Energya,mostly migrated south into Africa with the rest of theEuropean Union. Wartime expansion, however, had ledEnergya to build factories and establish design divisionsall over Russia's territory, including Siberia. One of themore tedious negotiations during the Martian treaty talksinvolved how to divide these assets between the

EurAfrican parliament and the Chrysanthemum Throne.In the end, a new corporation, Imperial RKK Energya,was established as the owners of the Siberian holdingsof its parent, which maintained control over the originalcorporate assets in Russia and Kazakhstan.

The division of Energya gave The Empire theinfrastructure it needed to rebuild its military andtechnological might. The merger of Japanese roboticsand Russia's primate cyborgs gave the Chrysanthemum

Throne the ability, unmatched by any other mega-state,to field armies and Space Forces that could function withno human presence in direct combat. This revolution inmilitary strategy, unrealized since the early days of theGreat War, influenced the design and implementation ofvirtually all technology in the Siberian Empire since.

Imperial RKK Energya's Vojagi(Wanderer, in theEsperanto dialect of Niporusc) is one of the firstexamples of this in a civilian design. While the rocket is

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considered highly advanced in its own right, it is theintegration of a NuApe command crew and roboticassistance that make the orbiter such a radical design.The status of NuApes under the Treaty of Mars is stillunder debate. Being a sentient combination of non-sentient life and non-sentient AI, NuApes are neitherrobots, animals, nor intelligent as an independent

species. It is the Empire's position that NuApes have nomore rights than robots or animals do, while theConsensus government of Mars maintains that NuApesare equal to AI in terms of status under their laws.Other polities have not yet codified their positions; withthe advent ofVojagi, they will now have to deal withwhat up until now was an internal matter of the Empirealone. Because of this, the Vojagiis not yet for saleoutside the Siberian Empire, though it has become the

transport of choice within the Empire's holdings.

DESCRIPTIONThe VojagiOrbiter, taken by itself, is a light orbiter

designed to ferry passengers and cargo into orbit or ontrans-continental, sub-orbital flights around Terra. At22.5 meters, it is similar in size and mission to theUACS-designed Paladin Spaceplane, but is generallyconsidered a superior craft in nearly every way. TheVojagi's space frame has an unusual bi-symmetric design

as opposed to the radially symmetrical hulls common totail-landing rockets. This design is nevertheless as wellbalanced terms of mass as it more traditionalcontemporaries, as the spacecraft has a very low centerof gravity. This is thanks to the rocket's three driveassemblies and cargo bay being located at the base ofrocket, while the habitat is amidships and the lighteravionics are installed in the nose of the craft. The nose,tail, and leading surfaces of the engine pods are allarmored against friction with silica aero-gel insulation

under carbon composite thermal tiles. The rocket'sreaction control thrusters are also mounted in theselocations, giving the Vojagi excellent maneuverablity.

Another unusual design feature of the Vojagi, foran atmosphere-capable rocket, is the absence ofviewports in the cockpit. Only a single viewport is used

by the crew; located in the aft slope of the rocket'sventral buldge, it is used by the spacecraft's PayloadOfficer. There is a window of sorts in the nose of therocket, but it is for the craft's avionics and is completelysealed away from the habitat spaces of the Vojagi.

The habitat spaces themselves are divided, withthe crew cabins, or nests in the ventral bulge and thepassenger compartment in the dorsal hull. The crew

deck is in between the Cockpit and the Quarterdeck,while the Passenger Deck sits above the rocket's mainAirlock. Below the Airlock is the Engine Access, whichrings the upper section of the Cargo Bay. The Cargo Baydoor is designed primarily for atmospheric use, andswings down to form a roll-on/roll-off ramp. Theexterior of this ramp houses a lithium droplet radiator todispose of waste heat while the rocket is in orbit.

The three engine pods are mounted at the port,

starboard, and dorsal of the Vojagi. These are fairlystandard L-Drive assemblies, with the laser generatormounted in the nose of the pods (directly below theEngine Access), the orbiter's three hydrogen tanks in thepod's centers, and the exhaust bells in the very aft ofthe craft. Between the engine pods, as well as belowthe cargo ramp, are the Vojagi's landing pads. Thesepads have dual-use capability; two pairs of gel-filledwheels are mounted on each pad as well as swing-downskids that can be deployed when landing on rough

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terrain. The wheels allow the Vojagito move on and offlanding areas under it's own power.

While the Vojagi's design is lauded as superior toits contemporaries, the spacecraft has certain limitationsto its utility. The lack of a nose-mounted airlock makesthe rocket impossible to use in spin gravity, limiting its

use for long-term occupation in space. In addition, thecraft has limited delta-v, as its fuel tanks only accountfor a small fraction of the spacecraft's mass. This can beameliorated by mounting additional tanks in the CargoBay, but this comes at the cost of having no cargocapacity and a reduced number of crew days inconsumables.

ABOUT THE MAP

The following is a description of the majorcompartments and features of the VojagiOrbiter:

1.Cockpit: The control center of the Vojagispacecraft ismounted in a small module in the nose of the rocket,just under the main avionics. There is a gas-tight doorseparating the cockpit from the rest of the orbiter, in apassage tube that connects all the compartments of thespacecraft. Because the Vojagiis designed to becommanded by NuApe pilots, the flight seat is specially

designed to accommodate simian ergonomics; theanalog flight contols are mounted at the end of the extra-long armrests, while the computer's keypads aremounted in the foot rests to take advantage of theNuApe's dexterous hind hands. As mentioned, above,the spacecraft is piloted purely by avionics. The systemsinstalled aboard are state-of-the-art; the Avionics bonusfor a Vojagiis +2D. The Pilot receives visual data via acurved smart screen mounted across from the flightseat. This screen can display flight data in two or three

dimensions, and is the only visual interface for the pilot.Compartments to either side of the cramped pilotstation house the rocket's main flight computers.

2. Lavatory: This is the only facility aboard engineeredfor human use. It is designed to be usable in anygravity from full-gee to free-fall. In zero-gee conditions,

the waste is stored in a holding tank and exposed tovacuum to sterilize it, making it safe to store until thegravity dependent plumbing can eliminate it. In case ofmalfunction, there is a supply of emergency bowel-bags that can be used until the Lavatory can berepaired. These are as unpleasant as they sound.

3. Lounge: The luxury version of the Vojagi'sPassenger Deck (shown) features a spacious Lounge.The Lounge is typically decorated in that style of spartandecadence unique to Imperial high culture, with theexception of the furniture. In order to provide protectionfrom the acceleration of take off and landing, the loungeis fitted with standard, though expensive, swivel chairsand a full-height table. The chairs may be locked intoposition and have built-in restraints for safety. The tablehas a holographic surface that can display data in anyformat, and can be windowed for multiple users.

While not included in the price, most passengers

aboard luxury Vojagis will bring along at least oneanthroid, to see to their needs.

In an alcove off of the main area of the Lounge isthe passenger galley. This unit is state-of-the-art, andall Cook Skill Checks are reduced by one difficulty level,even in free-fall. The fare served is, of course, up to thepassengers, but is typically only the best in luxury modelVojagis and will raise the cost of consumables up to 300LSU/crew day.

The hatch separating the Lounge from the rest of

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the rocket can be locked; this lock can be overridden bythe Vojagi's flight computer in an emergency. Riggingthe lock to resist this override requires a ModerateComputer Operation Skill Check.

4.Cabins:Vojagis come standard with two smallpassenger cabins, one on either side of the Passenger

Deck. Both cabins are equipped with a pair of bunksthat convert (by folding down the top bunk) into acomfortable couch. Both arms of the couch have foldingtables built in; these serve in lieu of a table for thosewho wish to dine privately. The walls opposite thecouch/bunks have smart functions built in and can beused as entertainment screens, computer terminals, orholographic backgrounds. There are storage bins underthe bunks for the passenger's possessions.

5. Crew Nests: To accommodate the rocket's NuApecrew, the Vojagiis equipped with a pair of over sizednests. These nests are essentially enormous wickerbaskets that are held in place by being bolted to the floorand filled with leaves held in mesh nets. There arestorage areas in both nests for the crew's fewpossessions, as well as their special rations.

6. Crew Lavatory: This is basically an extra large

version of Area 2, with a toilet that has been speciallydesigned for primate physiology. There is a storagecompartment for first-aid gear here as well.

7. Airlock: This is the main entry point for passengersand crew aboard the Vojagi. The egress hatch to theAirlock is protected during atmospheric flight by a pair offolding doors that also mount the habitat's radiators ontheir interior surfaces. The interior of the lock is asimple tube, with storage lockers on either side. These

lockers hold tools and repair supplies, as well as fourrescue balls for the passengers. The open spaces to theport and starboard of the Airlock house the Vojagi's lifesupport equipment, which consists of atmosphere tanksand two banks of catalytic air-scrubbers. The air-scrubbers can be reached via pressurized panels in theAirlock itself for maintenance.

8. Quarterdeck: This is the Payload Officer's station.It is very similar to the Cockpit and can in fact be usedin place of that compartment to pilot the ship. The maindifference is the presence of a single window mounted inthe curved section of the compantment's outer wall.This window in oriented so that the PLO may directlyview the aft ventral surface of the rocket by lookingdown between his legs. On either side of the window

and higher up on the outer wall are a pair ofsmartscreens that can be used to display diagnostics,flight data and other important information. This stationmay also be used as a gunnery station if the Vojagihasmodified L-Drives equipped with military grade optics.The Avionics bonus for piloting the craft from thisstation is the same; however, the bonus to SpacecraftOperation: Weapons is only +1D.

9. Engine Access: This compartment is the usual

domain of the Vojagi's pair of Laboruchi maintenancerobots. The three access points to the enginesthemselves are mounted along the outer dorsal wall ofthe craft, and are separated by walkways that havebanks of storage lockers for tools and parts. The EngineAccess area is reached by another walkway linking thecentrall access compartment to the habitat's passagetube. In the floor of this walkway is a gas-tight hatchthat leads to the Cargo Bay's access tube below.

The compartments of this area are all divided by

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gastight hatches that can be locked. These locks can beoverridden by the Vojagi's flight computer in anemergency. Rigging the locks to resist this overriderequires a Moderate Computer Operation Skill Check.

10. Cargo Bay: This is little more than a squared-offtube in the aft half of the Vojagi's ventral hull. There is

an access tube running down the dorsal wall of the CargoBay, which terminates in a gas-tight hatch allowingaccess to the Cargo Bay floor. While lacking theindependent facilities of the Airlock above, the CargoBay's access tube can serve as a crude airlock, allowingpersonnel to enter and leave the ship via the Cargo Baywhile it is landed on Luna or docked at an asteroid.

The ventral wall of the Cargo Bay is composedalmost entirely of the craft's cargo ramp. While this canbe sealed, it cannot be made gas-tight; once in space,the Cargo Bay is in vacuum. The Cargo Bay is insulatedagainst changes in temperature, however.

To either side of the cargo ramp are mounted apair of cargo arms, used to transfer supplies and freightinto the Bay. These devices have hardly changed sincetheir introduction in the twentieth century. The maindifference between the arms mounted on the Vojagiandtheir ancestors is that they can be used in full gravity.Their length and multiple joints allow them to reach any

point on the ventral hull while their universal socketsallow them to mount tools, robots and dock with cargocontainers and other spacecraft. In addition, the cargoarms have power feeds and gas and liquid hoses thatallow them to be used as umbilicals for resupply in openspace.

LIFE ON BOARDLike the Siberian Empire itself, there is a definite

stratification in the quality of accommodations between

the passengers and the crew aboard a Vojagi.Passengers enjoy some of the best short-term luxuriesto be had in space; with virtually every need and wantprovided for in terms of comfort and entertainment. TheNuApe crews of these rockets, however, live and work incramped conditions that are little better than thecapsules endured by space-farers in the twentieth

century. Despite this, the NuApes that come with thesale ofVojagirockets generally lead an easier, lessdangerous life than their fellows in the Imperial military.

FOR THE GMThe VojagiOrbiter, as stated before, is analogous

to the Paladin Spaceplane developed in UACS; it is thetwenty-third century's equivalent of the Lear Jet.Because of the ethical issues surrounding it's NuApecrew, the Vojagis are far more rare than the Paladin, theformer being only available for sale in the Empire.Despite this, they will still be a fairly common sight inthe spaceports and orbits on and around Terra, asImperial citizens and government officials use the craftextensively. The Vojagis also come in an economyvariant, suitable as a commuter craft around the worldand in space. The details of the economy model, as wellas deck plan variations, will be detailed in the next

installment of our Spacecraft Spotlight series. Thesearticles are available on the Blue Max Studios blog(http://www.bluemaxstudios.blogspot.com) and in theDriveThruRPG Newsletter.

Perhaps the most useful function of a Vojagiin acampaign is a way to introduce non-Imperial Charactersto NuApes.

ADVENTURE SEEDSThe following are a few suggestions on how to

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incorporate a VojagiOrditer into an existing campaign:

- Another Mouth to Feed: The PCs acquire a Vojagisomehow through legitimate sale, gambling, or othermeans appropriate to your campaign from anespecially cruel NPC. What they did not realize at thetime was that the spacecraft came complete with its

NuApe crew. No matter how the PCs feel about NuApes,they will assume the PCs are as bad as their formermaster and will attempt to sabotage or otherwiseinterfere with the PC's agenda. This can even includearranging an accident that will ingure or kill the PCs.The PCs must somehow convince the NuApes that theyare not like the other humans the apes have met before,of suffer the consequences.- Back into Bondage: The PCs travel on a Vojagicrewed by free NuApes. This can either be a NuApe PCor an NPC that owns the rocket. The Vojagitravels to alocation that is under the control of the Siberian Empire,which does not recognize NuApe rights or freedoms, andofficials from the Imperial government attempt tocapture the NuApe crew. For added fun, have theImperials assume that the PCs are NuApe abolitionists(whether they are or not) and attempt to apprehendthem as well.- Mars Express: This scenario involves the PCs being on

Mars, but can be adapted to work on asteroid coloniesthat have signed the Martian Consensus. In thisscenario, the PCs are traveling aboard a Vojagiwhen theNuApe pilot is stuck ill with one of that race's manyhealth problems. The PC group must somehow eitherrevive the pilot or try to fly the rocket themselves,despite all the controls being optimized for simianphysiology. Depending on the tone of your campaign,this scenario can be made terrifying or hilarious, as onePC attempts to pilot with their hands while another

controls the keypads at station's feet, and the rest try towrestle a 380-kilo gorilla who isn't cooperating.

While the above adventure seeds are unique to theVojagiOrditer, this spacecraft is still a rocket. Many ofthe adventure seeds from our other products can beapplied the the Vojogiwith little or no modification.

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[email protected] free content for this product

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Craft: Imperial RKK Energya Vojagi 1 OrbiterType: Light OrbiterLength: 22.5 metersSkill: Spacecraft Operation: Vojagi OrbiterCrew: 2 (NuApes)Passengers: 4Cargo Capacity: 90 metric tonsSafety Threshold: 10Consumables: 42 crew daysFusion Power? YesAcceleration: 1gDelta V: 25Hull Strength: 2DDamage Range: 6Avionics: +2DWeapon Systems:

Three Weaponized L-DrivesFire Arc: AftFire Control: +1D

Damage: 3DCapacity: 3


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Battle Map:

One Inch = 1.5 Meters

Permission granted to reproduce forpersonal use


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Battle Map:


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Battle Map:


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for personal use

Ships of the Black Desert: The Vojagi-2 Orbiter

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