NovaCorp Shipyards' No-D1-2a

The Mersina Starship was designed to fill the demand made by the PNUgen Corporation for a new fleet of starships for general-purpose usage in the YSE and beyond. It is a small starship that isn't intended for a large crew. It is made to suite the needs of the PNUgen Corporation, while not splashing out on needless technology and expenses. The price of the unmodified NovaCorp Mersina is 200,000 KS. The cost of the conversion to the PNUgen variant is about 133,000 KS, so these ships run about 3 per million KS.

In late YE 27, PNUgen created an open contract, offering fifty million KS for the design of a new starship class that cold serve as the backbone of a new commerce fleet. NovaCorp was the first and only shipyard to come up with a design, and PNUgen approved. Construction began immediately, at a fast pace.

In a month, the first three Mersina types were shipped to Ketsurui Fleet Yards, Yamatai, where they were outfitted with the remainder of their systems. The production of the Mersina class was somewhat rushed because of PNUgen's perceived need to evacuate its personnel from the chaotic world of Ayenee Prime because of the threat of the rogue Qel'noran Industrial Sector, which had already destroyed a small PNUgen base on Ayenee (despite that base not being used by the Star Army).

• Organizations Using This Vessel: PNUgen Corporation
• Type: General Purpose
• Class: No-D1-2a “Mersina”
• Designer: NovaCorp Vehicles Division
• Manufacturer: NovaCorp, Ketsurui Fleet Yards
• Production: 3 PNUgen variants produced.

• Crew: A minimum of one operator. Standard crew is 9, one captain and four crew for each of two shifts.
• Pilots: 2
• Maximum Capacity: 325 (5 officers (including captain), 320 crew)
• Appearance: The Mersina Cruiser is a ship of flowing design, lacking in hard lines but consisting of many gentle curves. It is very streamline and what would be considered aero-dynamic, and is considerably wider than it is tall.

• Length: 300 meters
• Width: 100 meters
• Height: 50 meters
• Decks: Five decks
• Mass: 1,400,000 kg

• Speed (STL): 0.6 light speed using auxiliary engines.
• Speed (CDD): .20 to 300,000c using combined distortion system.
• Speed (Hyperspace Fold): ~55,897,786c (5LY/min)
• Speed (Aerial): Mach 10 with shielding. The ship has landing gear and full VTOL capability.
• Speed (Water): Can travel slowly undersea if need be.
• Range (Distance): Limited only by the lifespan of the vessel.
• Range (Support): The ships waste recycling systems means it only needs restock every ten years.
• Lifespan: The vessel is estimated to operate for at least 50 years of constant use.
• Refit Cycle: The vessel has been created so that sensors, weapons and the central computer system will be installed outside of NovaCorp. After this any advancements to ship design that NovaCorp comes up with will be offered to PNUgen.

Armory: In the center of the ship, next to the bridge and the place where the main computer will be, is the armory. It is protected by very thick Nerimium doors, and its walls are even thicker. Inside are stored all the ship's personnel weapons.

This ship's armory contains the following:

• 100 Rifles
• 400 Extra Battery Magazines for the rifles.
• 300 Pistols (Note: these do not count the ones issued to personnel)
• 600 Extra battery magazines for the pistols.

The Mersina's small bridge sits in the center of the ship, taking advantage of the fact that view screens and sensors means that it doesn’t need to be next to the hull. It is surrounded by and additional layer of Nerimium Armour, and has an independent oxygen recycling system, as well as being fully insulated. This means it can survive the destruction of the ship and last in the void of space for some time. It includes a large viewscreen at the front of the ship, with smaller windows opening up in the viewscreen as needed. In the center of the bridge there is the captain' chair, with inbuilt extendable screens, a console in the armrests and a headset that can create a virtual reality screen to analyze information and deal with problems. Around the rest of the bridge there is the weapons system (which won’t be fitted but is where it is suggested it should be), the Mission Operations console (navigation and research) and Communications. At the very front of the bridge there is the reclining pilot chair. This can be used normally, but it is recommended to be used in unison with a bio-neural interface, that will allow increased maneuverability and agility. There is an illuminative horseshoe along the ceiling. At the back of the bridge there is also a Coffee maker built into the back wall, which is also capable of mixing several energizing substances and hormones to give an extra kick.

Cargo Areas (2): These large rooms are put in the port and starboard of the bottom and second highest level, near to the shuttle area. They are designed to hold cargo, but can also be used as anything else.

Crew Quarters: The Mersina's rooms are Spartan with a submarine-like feel. They have two bunk beds, each room meaning to sleep four people each. There are two sets of chest of draws, meant to be divided between the occupants, and a single wardrobe. There is also two bed side tables on the floor for the bottom bunks, and two connected to the ceiling for the upper bunks. They do not have their own bathrooms. There is a flap that can come out of the bed side tables which can function as a writing surface, otherwise a pad connected to the main computer is suggested. There are 80 crew quarters on the Mersina class Starship.

Captain's Quarters: The captains room is larger and more comfortable than the usual crew quarters. It has a mahogany writing desk, chest of draws and wardrobe, a single bed, with silk sheets and a down mattress. The writing desk is connected to a bio-neural access port if needed or has a large panel that can be pulled out of the back which can be used to look through reports, technical readouts etc. The walls have pleasing, if not exuberant, paintings, and the floor is a comfortable carpet, in contrast to the thin carpet that dominates elsewhere. There is an unsuited bathroom, along with a bath (the only one on the ship), and pleasing tiles and so forth. The captains quarters are on the third floor.

Officers Quarters: The Officers Quarters come in-between the Crews and the Captain’s quarters in terms of luxury. They are smaller than the captains, while they still have the room to themselves. They have comfortable beds, but not down ones, and soft (but not silk) sheets. They have wooden desks (but not mahogany), and panels with bio-neural interfaces, and less ornate furniture. Their walls are of a pleasing color, but do not have any pictures on them unless the officer brought them herself. There is an en suite bathroom, but it only consists of a shower and a basin. There are 4 Officers Quarters in the Mersina.

Galley and Mess Hall: The Galley is the place where all the cooking takes place and where the three chefs work. It includes most of what a chef could need, including a wide range of spices (included at no extra cost). The Mess Hall is where all the crew eat. It is large enough to hold 65 of them, but overcrowding is rarely a problem due to shift hours and the crew being busy doing one thing or another. The mess hall is filled with cheap tables, the sort you’d expect find in a planetary mess hall.

Laboratories (4): These have been well placed, near the shuttle bays, so heavy equipment may be brought over quickly. PNUgen, after receiving the ship, has thoroughly outfitted the labs with the tools of its trade.

A few key things Laboratories on this ship include:

• Hemosynthesis/stasis tubes (often, there are bodies or parts there of floating in these).
• DNA sample storage cabinets
• Medical examination/surgery tables (2)
• Chemical storage room

Laundry Room: This is the room where the Crew take their laundry and have it cleaned. All the machines are automatic, and very quick. There are around ten machines in the room, but their short cycle time means that their isn’t much of a queue.

Lounge (5): The lounges are comfortable places, with thick sofas lining the walls, televisions screens connected to the opposite wall or ceiling. There are often recreational games, and games such as darts might be popular. It would be usual for one of the lounges to be set over for quite reading and studying, for those less active crew members.

Medical Bay: The ship contains a area for a decently equipped medical bay on the second deck. None of the equipment other than a few basic beds are going to be installed, and those are expected to be removed. NovaCorp is relying on the fact that PNUgen as a genetics corporation has medical knowledge above it’s own and therefore would like to equip it’s own Medical Bay. The Medical Bay is a rectangular room, with one entry leading to the central passage way for the second deck. There is going to be room for around five medical beds working upon the design of the common issue type.

Passageways: The passageways in the Mersina are Spartan, metal surfaces, with thin carpet, more for the friction it provides than anything else. Their was no reason as for as NovaCorp designers were concerned to make them attractive. Every twenty meters or so (depending on the length of the relevant deck) there is a console on the wall, that interacts with the central computer. On each of the six decks there is a central passage way, but with two smaller passage ways over onto the other side of the ship on the starboard and the other on the port. There are even smaller passages between the different passages. From the two minor passage ways there are four airlocks on each deck, two on each side. After every room which is connected there is a blast door that can be brought down, which are tough and airtight.

Power Armour Launch, Maintenance, Rearming and Storage Facility (2): These rooms are in the bottom deck of the ship and is connected to the outside by a complicated launching system. There are crevices lining the walls, each one surrounded by a plasti-steel screen, where each of the Power Armour suits are going to go. There are also several compartments where the relevant maintenance gear is. The ammunition and weapons for the Power Armour is in the central armory at the center of the ship.

Shuttle bays: The Mersina has two shuttle bays, one on each side of the ship, towards the center. The shuttle bays are large enough to accommodate eight shuttles. The shuttle bay doors are particularly well protected and made very strong and completely airtight. There is also a distinguishing forcefield that occurs whenever the bay door opens, making sure that only the shuttle and not the air or atmosphere of the ship are lost.

Shower block: On each of the decks there are two shower blocks for the crew to use, one male, one female. This is separate from the toilet rooms. There are ten showers in every block. The room is Spartan like most of the ship, with functionary showers, private not public, and basic basins.

Toilet Room: On each deck there are two Toilet Rooms, one male and one female, for the crew to use. As with the showers they are private and Spartan, not uncomfortable, just functionary.

Vehicle Storage: This room is on the very bottom and center of the ship and has space in it to store 3 BW-6B Main Battle Tanks. In the center of the room there is a square surrounded by yellow paint, the size of BW-6B Main Battle Tank. This is a cargo elevator system which is used to carry things such as cargo or the tanks down to the surface of an object once the ship has landed on it.

Wardroom: The Wardroom is quite an elaborate affair, with walnut side boards, a chandelier and a long mahogany table, with the Captain at the head. The cutlery is of silver and the china fancy. The food is several steps up from what their given the mess hall. It is here that the Captain and the eight officers can discuss the matters of the ship over a glass of fine wine (kept in a cabinet in the corner of the room).

Armor: The 2 foot thick hull of the ship is made of Nerimium. The frame of the ship is made up of perfect iron (link opens new window), interlaced with pieces of Nerimium.

Escape Pods (70): KFY Type Ke-XS-2600es escape pods, each able to hold up to five people, are located near living quarters and the bridge.

Graviton Beam Projector (12): This device creates a stream of gravitons which can be used to tow other spacecraft or shuttles. The projector is ineffective against ships using gravitonic shielding.

Rapid Launch Exits: The ship's exterior is equipped with two large rapid-launch doors, which are connected to the Power Armour launch, armament, equipment and maintenance rooms. The doors are forcefield-contained openings in the hull, behind large sliding blast doors. The bays make it possible for power armors to leap out into space and into combat at their convenience.

Total Internal Compartmentalization: The ship is sectioned off so that ruptures and fires in one section will not affect other sections. Airtight internal doors and emergency blast shutters further enable the ship to maintain air pressure in the event of small through large-scale decompression. The doors are non-automatic. These systems also make excellent anti-boarding defenses.

Life Support System: The ship has a very thorough recycling system, that means it only needs replenishing once every ten years.

Combined Field System: The Mersina Starship has an excellent combined field system. In effect, the CFS sustains a small “pocket universe” around the vessel by nesting electrogravitic and electrostatic fields. Gravity and time outside the shield bubble do not affect the objects inside, and objects inside the bubble are protected from both solid and beam weaponry, because the projectiles or beams pass through the curved space and around the ship. The combined field serves a number of purposes, including propulsion, defense, weaponry, and stealth; for this reason, it is almost always on.

Propulsion: The ship propels itself at speeds many times the speed of light by generating continuum distortions in the CFS and nesting them to create asymmetric peristaltic fields. The normal CDD speeds are augmented by working with the forward deflector (located on the underside of the ship). This allows the ship to travel thousands of times the speed of light. This gives Star Army ships the advantage of attacking at FTL speeds. The Mersina Starship uses a combined distortion drive capable of generating small wormholes, navigating the quantum slipstream, creating hyperspace fold points, and acting as sublight propulsion. Distortion-based systems allow the ship to stop or move nearly instantly because the ship has not moved.

Navigational and Friction shielding: This shield is also not meant to be used in defense, but to protect the ship from interstellar dust while traveling in space. At the speeds it goes at through space a piece of dust can rip a hole in a hull, so this shield protects it against this. In the atmosphere, it reduces the amount of friction acting upon the ship and thus allowing it to travel faster without as much power.

Bubble shield: This shield is in place until a better one is fitted by PNUgen through the commission of Ketsurui Fleet Yards. It creates a energy field around the ship like a giant bubble that is capable of taking five terawatts a second per meter. The shield is modulated.

Scalar Electrogravitic: This is a powerful ionized energy field that is useful against any penetrating target. The intense plasma heating will fuse and even vaporize metallic bodies. In addition, any missile encountering the shell is subjected to an extremely intense EMP arising everywhere inside its circuitry. EM shielding is of no use against the creation of energy throughout the space time of the circuits; such shielding only helps against energy flow through space in the conventional sense. Thus, the electronics of any mecha or missile encountering the shield are instantly duded, whether or not they are shielded against ordinary electromagnetic interference (EMI). Furthermore, explosive materials are exploded when such interference is encountered, and combustible materials are fiercely consumed or set afire. Ablative shielding suffers an interesting catastrophe: since energy does not try to flow into the shielding, but instead arises everywhere in it simultaneously, 'ablation' occurs everywhere throughout the ablative material, simply exploding it instantly. The first layer of defense can be relied upon to take out nearly 100% of all enemy missiles that have not been modified in someway to 'penetrate the envelope' (energy sheathing, phase-shifting methods seem to be most effective).

Reinforcement Shielding: As with most NovaCorp ships the Mersina comes with an extra shield generator which can project an extra 1.25 terawatt per second per meter shield to areas that are taking the most damage or have taken the most damage recently, reinforcing them.

Escort's Integrated Electronics System: The ship uses the Escort Integrated Electronics System (EIES).

Backup Computer: Although the ship is designed to be run on a high powered computer beyond the technological capabilities of NovaCorp, it is going to come with a back-up computer in case the primary one is damaged or the deal securing the use of the primary ones does not go through. The computer is not a brilliant system, but it is capable of running the ship, just not up to the full standard. The consoles do not work well when using this system, and response times are slow. The Bio-neural interfaces do not function.

Conformal PSC Device: See: Psionic Signal Controller

Ketsurui Fleet Yards/Phoenix Corporation Type 20 Energy Wave Projection Cannons (8): The Energy Wave Projection Cannon is the premier anti-warship weapon of the Nerimian Defense Initiative and Hushain Empires. Based loosely off hyperspace tap technology, the weapon is capable of generating incredible amounts of destructive energy and releasing it as a destructive blast that has been known to completely vaporize enemy vessels. The low-end of the weapon's power is measured in the mid-gigaton ranges (50-75 gigatons of destructive power) and it's high-end output generates in excess of 525 gigatons of power at peak levels. The weapons are placed in heavy turrets across the hull, with twelve turrets on the front firing arc, eight along the side firing arcs, and ten along the aft firing arc. Each turret has a 40-degree range of motion.

• Location: Turrets on the hull.
• Primary Purpose: Anti-Warship
• Secondary Purpose: Orbital Bombardment
• Damage: Serious damage potential against all varieties of warships. Damage can be reduced due to shielding technologies.
• Range: 1 AU+ (rarely effective at more than three light-seconds)
• Rate of Fire: One pulse every second.

Qel'noran Fleet Systems/Phoenix Corporation MVD-1 Mobile Turrets (40): Developed jointly-by the Qel'noran and Phoenix Arms, the MVD-1 is a heavy mobile turret system that is actually its own modular heavy weapons system designed to serve as heavy secondary weapons for the Mersina cruiser. When the mobile turrets are deployed, they move fully out of the ship (they use electromagnetic fields to move along the surface of the hull freely) and adjust their position to get the best angle of fire on a particular target. Each turret has its own miniature shield generator.

• Weapon: Phoenix Arms Type 16 Mega-Disruptor
• Primary Purpose: Anti-Starship
• Secondary Purpose: Orbital Bombardment
• Damage: The particles have a specific, disruptive effect against enemy shields. Against enemy armor, the energy is phased in such a way as to break down the molecular cohesion of a target. Delivers in excess of 80 gigatons of destructive energy.
• Range: 1 AU+ (rarely effective at more than three light-seconds)
• Rate of Fire: 100 shots/minute

• Weapon: Phoenix Arms Type 11 “Gatling Phasor”
• Primary Purpose: Anti-Starship
• Secondary Purpose: Orbital Bombardment
• Damage: The weapon's energy is phased in such a way that it can easily bypass enemy shielding and apply its damage to the hull. Delivers in excess of 500 megatons of destructive energy with each pulse.
• Range: 1 AU+ (rarely effective at more than three-light seconds)
• Rate of Fire: 60 shots/second.

Qel'noran Fleet Systems/Phoenix Corporation MVD-2 Mobile Turrets (80): Developed jointly by the Qel'noran and Phoenix Arms, the MVD-2 is a light mobile turret system that is actually its own modular weapons system designed to serve as a tertiary weapons system for the Mersina. When the mobile turrets are deployed, they move fully out of the ship (they use electromagnetic fields to move along the surface of the hull freely) and adjust their position to get the best angle of fire on a particular target. Each turret has its own miniature shield generator.

• Weapon: Nightflower Missile System
• Primary Purpose: Anti-starfighter/missile
• Secondary Purpose: Assault
• Warhead: Multiple-warhead transphasic aether or subspace detonator missiles (SDM)
• Damage: Moderate to heavy damage in a wide area-of-effect.
• Range: 100,000 miles delta-v
• Payload: 108 missiles/launcher

• Weapon: Type IX Phased Energy Pulse Cannon
• Primary Purpose: Anti-starfighter/missile
• Secondary Purpose: Assault
• Damage: Moderate to heavy against small targets.
• Range: 1,500,000 miles
• Rate of Fire: 4 shots/seconds.

• Ke-T4 "Fox" Combat Aeroshuttle (6, maximum capacity of 8)
• Ke-M3 Series "Kylie" Anti-Armor Power Armor (20)
• BW-6 Battle Tank (3)

Development thread: https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/threads/pnugen-starships.11485/

DOGA Art by Andrew added on 1/16/2021.