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Hermes ISO
 Image from Steve Bowers | |
| Hermes; A peripatetic Moon-brain ship, seen near the Trifid Nebula | |
Apparently named after the Greek god of travel, communication and commerce, Hermes is something of a mystery for the clients it serves. Technically Hermes is appears to be a small moon brain studded with four advanced conversion drives placed to enable propulsion in any direction. The surface seems to be able to manifest magmatter coverings or other forms of advanced armor in a matter of seconds for purposes of defence or shielding, which combined with the rest of its shielding allows it to attain velocities unimaginable in modosophont vessels. Despite having been documented as having been attacked by other vessels on at least three different occasions, Hermes has never revealed any dedicated weaponry, instead having either used its impressive acceleration to evade its attacker, or simply used the drive exhaust as a weapon if evasion was impossible.
Usually the ship will enter a system with a compliment of passengers, unload them and then broadcast that it is available to transport passengers elsewhere. The ship requires no payment, and no logical system has been found from which it chooses which passengers to pick up, though it has been commented that it always seems to choose an "interesting" destination.
Passengers enter and exit through an airlock on the side of the ship and often comment on the impressive size and furnishing of the interior rooms, and the affability and charm of their host. However, though most passengers swear that the rooms are real, certain telltale devices seem to indicate that the passengers shift into virch as soon as they pass through the airlock. Given the size and capabilities of the ship, it is believed that Hermes is a high transapient being, however it has never given any evidence as to its origin, intentions or final goals. As a result it is the subject of multiple conspiracy theories, like the theory that it is a Diamondbelter vessel which disintegrates the originals and drops of spy-clones at the destination.
A major endeavor of Hermes was the 8834 at. evacuation of three hundred sixty five thousand modosophonts and three po from several threatened systems before the Gehenna wavefront hit them. He is also rumored to at one time having helped a Caretaker God relocate an entire ecosystem, though the evidence of this case is not indisputable. In the course of his hundreds of travels, he is has also several times diverted course for the purpose of chasing of pirates, bandits, and at a single occasion a local warlord's fleet of seventy hightech dedicated war vessels. Though the first documented sighting of Hermes in his current form is from 5123 at., a few historians have gathered accounts of a transapient entity active during the Version War who may have been the same being .
Hermes was last seen on the outer fringe of MPA space.
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Development Notes
Text by Thorbørn Steen
Initially published on 14 May 2007.
Initially published on 14 May 2007.
