The Mercury is a merchant ship expensively but internally redesigned to enable it to catch warships that attempt to catch it. Van Rijn is both owner and captain with one captain as his mate and two others as engineers. Formidable indeed.
In "Hiding Place"
The Hebe G.B. is van Rijn's yacht, armed and with ultrapowered engines, uncommonly sensitive detectors and a crew experienced in overhauling.
In "Lodestar"
The Gaiian/Dewfall is an Ythrian ship contracted to carry van Rijn and Coya Conyon. It has a viewport, because Ythrians need ample outlook, and a flying hold, because they need to fly.
Three spaceships with different purposes.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And that need Ythrians have for space, to fly in, points to the difficulties they have with both space ships and adapting to other planets. That need for ROOM much have Ythrian ships more costly than humans would find desirable, hence slowing and limiting the Ythrian entry into space. And extra-Ythrian planets needed to have gravities which would not prevent Ythrians from flying.
I have wondered if Terra, with a gravity a fourth again as heavy as Ythri's, would be too much for Ythrians to fly on. Maybe not, but with some difficulty. But, I'm sure Imhotep, with a gravity 30 percent heavier than Earth's, was too much for them to fly in.
Ythrians COULD crew space ships and colonize other planets, but more slowly and with greater difficulty than many other races.
Ad astra! Sean
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