Story 1: The Phoenix from the Scrapyard

Template:Short description Template:Infobox book

SS Scavenger DX-1017: The Phoenix from the Scrapyard is the **first story** in the *SS Scavenger Universe*, detailing Captain **Elan Drex** assembling a starship from salvage, installing an experimental **Phase Drive**, and stumbling into a fraught “first contact” with **phase-borne intelligences** while evading **Tonan** interference. The ending points directly into the humanitarian arc of The Healing Stars, which functions as its immediate continuation. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Timeline position

Official placement: **Story #1** in the *SS Scavenger Universe* timeline. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Overview

After reuniting with engineer **Vek Tollin**, Drex acquires surplus Phase Drive components and splices two wrecks into the **SS Scavenger (DX-1017)**. Their first contract at **Nevek** (Ross 882) exposes a buried Alliance phase project, a Tonan ambush, and “echo” entities that sense the Drive’s harmonics. The crew improvise counter-harmonics (“silencing the bell”), fend off a Tonan lancer, salvage key research, and return to **Prose** to formalize **Scavenger Base**—culminating in a high-level briefing on **Kastan** and deployment of spiral shielding that nullifies a **Tonan Phase Disruptor**. The final pages launch the medical relief mission of The Healing Stars. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Structure

The manuscript is arranged in acts with named chapters. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Act I – Sparks from Ashes

Ch 1 – The Tavern on Prose: Drex recruits Vek; the “ship with a soul” idea begins.
Ch 2 – The Scrapyard: Phase Core ring revealed; plan to graft scout hull to freighter frame.
Ch 3 – Building Dreams: Auction buys; garage pod; partial lease on a derelict station → future **Scavenger Base**.
Ch 4 – Tinwing & the Registry: The **Tinwing** shuttle refit; registry **DX-1017** confirmed.
Ch 5 – Mission: Nevek (Ross 882): First op; the “Venture Rose” decoy; Tonan contact.

Act II – Echo Fields

Ch 6 – Behind the Shadow of Nevek: Boarding a hidden derelict; recovery of **Dr. Ilan Meras** (Alliance Phase Division).
Ch 7 – Echoes of the Drive: Meras explains “ringing the bell” draws phase-borne beings.
Ch 8 – The Bell and the Silence: Kessa’s harmonic work; Vek dampens resonance leakage; base anomalies.
Ch 9 – The Salvage Mission: Nevek facility salvage; betrayal in logs; phase-marked warning discovered.
Ch 10 – The Long Way Home: Echo-induced dreams; **Jalen Locke** inspires spiral “radio-era” cancellation fix.

Act III – The Deal and the Disruptor

Ch 11 – Home at Last: Bartered Alliance data; Scavenger Base automated; station paid off.
Ch 12 – Moonlight on Deck: Discovery of a smuggled **Tonan Phase Disruptor** among crates.
Ch 13 – The Council on Kastan: Alliance briefing; Scavenger’s **spiral shielding** counters the disruptor.
Ch 14 – The Quiet Before: Thorium reactor gifted to Base; **Barnard 3** emergency → sets up The Healing Stars.

Synopsis

Drex*, disillusioned ex-Alliance captain, and *Vek* rebuild a ship around a surplus **Phase Drive**. Their first mission draws Tonan fire and reveals that the Drive’s harmonics act like a *beacon* to **phase intelligences**. With **Kessa** translating patterns as language, the crew learns to damp, then tune, harmonics—avoiding harm and earning wary non-hostile contact. Salvage at **Nevek** exposes a traitor who courted Tonans with phase indices. Back on **Prose**, Alliance leaders learn Scavenger’s **counter-harmonic shielding** blocks the disruptor’s cognitive scramble. The story closes as the crew reconfigure for a medical relief run to **Barnard 3**, continued in The Healing Stars. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Major characters

Character	Role / Dept.	Notes
Elan Drex	Captain	Ex-Alliance; vision for a civilian rescue/salvage ship with a “soul.”
Vek Tollin	Chief Engineer	Phase Core integrator; designs resonance dampening.
Kessa	Navigation / Harmonics	Half-Prosian; leads pattern-language approach to phase contact.
Jalen Locke	Navigation	Vintage-tech thinker; inspires spiral cancellation (“old radio” trick).
Trask	Defense Officer	Deck guns & tactical ops at Nevek engagement.
Dr. Ilan Meras	Alliance Science	Survivor of Echo Field Project; whistleblower on “ringing the bell.”
Nurse Eva Smith	Medical	Cryo-thaw and stabilization of Meras.
Mouse Kazin	Chief Rigger	EVA and salvage operations at Nevek facility.

Vessels & technology

**SS Scavenger (DX-1017)** – Hybrid hull (scout + freighter), experimental **Phase Drive** integration.
**Tinwing** – Rebuilt shuttle used for recon/boarding.
**Phase Drive** – Spacetime phase resonance with harmonic “leakage” that attracts phase-bound entities; later tuned/dampened.
**Spiral Counter-Harmonics** – Magnetic wrap nullifying echo bleed and blocking **Tonan Phase Disruptor** effects.
**Scavenger Base** – Derelict station restored; receives **Thorium reactor** and automation upgrades.
**Tonan Phase Disruptor** – Cognitive scramble weapon; countered by Scavenger’s shielding. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Locations

**Prose / Prosiana** – Home setting; recruitment, scrapyards, alliance contact.
**Nevek (Ross 882)** – Derelict site, hidden lab, Tonan ambush.
**Kastan (moon)** – Alliance council/briefing where shielding is shared.
**Barnard 3** – Destination for the ensuing medical relief mission in The Healing Stars. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

Themes

**Rebirth from ruin** – “Two wrecks → one living ship” frames the phoenix motif.
**Ethics of innovation** – Power vs. responsibility in deploying phase tech.
**Listening before speaking** – Treating phase intelligences as patterned minds, not monsters.
**Found-family professionalism** – Civilian crew as capable as fleets, without the politics.

Continuity & canon notes

This story is **canon Story #1** and directly **continues into** The Healing Stars (same crew and mission thread).
Establishes **Scavenger Base** as the franchise’s home hub and the alliance relationship terms.
Introduces the **spiral shielding** that becomes standard (“Scavenger-Frequency Tuning”) in later entries. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

Appearances

SS Scavenger DX-1017: The Phoenix from the Scrapyard (primary)
The Healing Stars (direct continuation; novella-sized arc) :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}