Generation Ship

Kind: Biologically crewed Voidship designed to survive multi-generational interstellar transit. Discovered/invented: First launched 119 A.L. from Aerth. Based on: Post-Fidon sublight propulsion.

Summary

The biological counterpart to the artificially crewed voidships. A generation ship’s premise is that humans can make the trip if they have children on the way and the children have children. The first launches happen in 119 A.L. The Timeline’s only named generation ship, The Enanga, fails catastrophically in 392 A.L. when its entire biological crew dies in transit for reasons only its onboard AI knows. This failure contrasts sharply with The Hand That Draws Itself, an artificially crewed voidship that had successfully reached LDH39 a century earlier.

Effects / capabilities

• Long-range sublight colonization capability for biological humans.

Limitations / dangers

• Demonstrated fatal to crew at least once (The Enanga, 392 A.L.). Cause unknown.

Appearances

• Ch. 02 — Timeline of The 500 Year Climb: First launches 119 A.L.; Enanga loss 392 A.L.

Related

• Voidship (parent category)
• The Enanga — named generation ship, failed mission.
• The Hand That Draws Itself — the artificially crewed foil.

Open questions

• Did any generation ships succeed? The Timeline only names one, and it failed.