Cerberus Station

By popular request...
A Hangar 19 report

Model: Unknown starship
Price: not for sale
Mass: 220 tons
Cargo Space: 150 units
Equipment Space: 30 units
Armour: 80 mm
Shields: 60 kilovolts
Top Speed: 155 km/sec
Acceleration: Average
Turning Ability: Poor
Crew: 25 - 40
Standard equipment:
         1 alien gun turret
         8 alien micromissile tubes
         and space for 80 missiles
Maximum weaponry:
         Theoretical maximum of 3
         turrets and 5 guns

We're not quite sure what we have here... but you're welcome to take a closer look. Cerberus Entertainment Corporation organises regular tours of the Alien Ship (18cr for the one-hour tour).

As all visitors must be aware, Cerberus Station observes a strict code of neutrality. Consequently, we enjoy visits from a wide range of different races, most of whom come to trade peacefully.

One recent encounter with a ship-load of visitors, however, was punctuated by violence. The aliens turned out to be fugitives from their own people; at Cerberus Station they abandoned their own, distinctive ship and stole another visitor's Freight-Courier... destroying several sectors of the station in the process!

The aliens' ship was impounded, but they have never been traced. It's now gathering space-dust at docking bay six, where it continues to attract hundreds of visitors a week. Perhaps the most amazing feature of the ship is that its hull is largely made from a sintered mineral compound. To you and me, that means that it's made of stone. And you thought Emalgha technology was primitive!

Actually, this ship is far from primitive. It's made (grown?) from a single piece of cheap but immensely strong material, and it has a number of unique features. Neutrino-beam dating of the hull suggests that the ship has been in service for more than 65,000 years... which has led visitors to dub it the 'Rock of Ages'.

Flight tests of the alien ship have been conducted, but the ship's combat consoles remain incomprehensible. Moves are afoot to transport the ship to the orbital facility at Paaren, if and when the political situation allows.

Note the mottled hull of the ship, caused by differences in the reflectivity of crystalline facets on the hull surface.

Note the eight small holes at the bow; within each is a small missile tube. Unguided missiles seem to have been the aliens' main weapon system. (The canopy shown in the picture is of human manufacture, as the original force-field arrangement seemed unreliable - or at least unnerving!)

Note the large cargo bay doors, suggesting that this was primarily a cargo hauler.