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Sophont Ships |
Terragen space swarms with a multitude of different kinds of sophont space vessels, engaged in an equally large range of tasks and activities. From interstellar cargo and passenger vessels linking those worlds outside of the various wormhole networks, to warships of all kinds, a vast range of in-system and trans-Nexus vessels, and those sophont ships who expand the boundaries of Terragens space or who travel merely for the sake of travel. These vary in size from entities smaller than a baseline human, such as certain types of Starhand, that blur the line between space vessel and space-going vec but which can still be fully-functional starships, up to the vast Empire and Civilisation Ships that are more mobile worlds than space vessels. In terms of technology sophont ships vary from ones that would not have been out of place in the Interplanetary Period, with barely sophont minds, up to the products of the most advanced transapientech, almost Archailects in their own right. The one thing that links them all is that space is their native environment, and they are all as at home in it as fish are in the sea.
In addition to the distinctions mentioned above, the environments in which they are intended to operate also divide sophont ships. Cryogenic Hider ships are very different from those engaged in Starlifting operations. Relativistic interstellar ships are another breed altogether, and often look down on other types of sophont ships are mere 'paddlers', limited to the 'shallow waters' around stars, while they travel the deeps of space. Needless to say many of the 'paddlers' do not agree with this designation.
Another distinction lies in how dependant on external support a given sophont ship is. Many can extract fuel and raw materials from naturally occurring matter in space, and reproduce and maintain themselves by such means. Others, often considered less 'free' by those not of this type, while they consider themselves 'thoroughbreds', are dependant on outside agencies for fuel and raw materials.
A further distinction often made is that between sophont ships and 'mere' space-going vecs. However, this distinction is one that is so blurred as to mainly be a political rather than a functional one.
Freegems - Former Diamond Belt sophont starship clade
