Murphy Engineering Solutions
Thymiamata, est. 1885
The United States government has no capability on Mars for the construction of aerial flyers. This disadvantage has become greatly apparant recently with the Oenotrian war and the Brits' refusal to build flyers for other countries. This hinderance is slightly made up by the assignment of a unit from the Army Corps of Engineers to Thymiamata (known best for their conversion of a Swiftwood kite into a wooden steam gunboat, the Ranger) and in Murphy Engineering Solutions Inc.
Murphy Engineering Solutions Inc. is a small cloudship maintainance and repair service started by Mars emigre' Commander James Murphy (USN). It specializes in applying modern Earth technology and construction techniques to Martian cloudship design. They maintain a hangar and shop at Thymiamata with extensive carpentry tools, industrial cranes and a small forge and machine shop.
Although most of the company's business is involved with servicing and improving the native cloudships in Thymiamata (a service that wins the United States big points diplomatically), there is a second, secret function that they serve. Murphy Engineering Solutions have been called on by the Army Corps of Engineers at least a half dozen times concerning the retrofitting, and maintainance of the Ranger. Furthermore, several of Commander Murphy's small liftwood "experiments" have disappeared into the hands of the United States Army or Marines.
Murphy Engineering Solutions has only eight permanent employees; Commander Murphy, Duncan Fieldman, and six martians. Local craftsmen are hired on a temporary basis, or contracted for large jobs. This way, the company can rapidly build an expertise or trained work force for any job they are given.
Although Commander Murphy is the company's owner and President, most of the day to day operations lie in the hands of his assistant, Duncan Fieldman.
Space 1889 is a registered trademark of Frank Chadwick.