SS Scavenger DX-1017
The SS Scavenger DX-1017 is the namesake vessel of the *Scavenger Universe* series. Built by Captain Elan Drex and engineer Vek Tollin from derelict ship components above Prose, the Scavenger first appeared in *Story 1: The Phoenix from the Scrapyard*. Powered by a rebuilt **Meras-type High-Frequency Phase Drive**, she became both a symbol of renewal and a testbed for Prosian–Alliance cooperation after the Tonan War.
Origins and Construction
Elan Drex, was forced into retirement after saving a world but losing a ship. Elan Drex and Vek Tollin put all their retirement savings into building a ship from reclaimed abandoned hulls and systems from Prosian orbital yards. With a handful of veterans who had served under Drex, they **hand-assembled** the ship—combining Alliance structural frames with Prosian resonance-tuned hull plating.
The registry **DX-1017** follows the **Prosian Registry System**:
- **D** – Cargo / Hauling class
- **X** – Experimental designation (no factory code)
- **1017** – Sequential Prosian Registry number
Initial Outfitting
The Scavenger included modular labs, salvage bays, and a medical wing capable of treating both Human and Prosian physiology. Her **Meras-type Phase Drive** demanded continual tuning to protect lifeforms within and the Phase Beings. Kessa Rin performed the first **Phase Life Protection calibration**, establishing standards later adopted across the fleet.
Role in “The Phoenix from the Scrapyard”
On her maiden voyage, the Scavenger discovered a trade corridor devastated by the Tonan Phase Weapon. The resonance pulses caused catastrophic neurological collapse in nearby populations. When conventional defenses failed, **Kessa Rin** and a team of rescued scientists built a **Counter-Phase Array** aboard the ship, producing an antiphase pulse that nullified the weapon’s field and ended the attack. The event defined the Scavenger as “the Phoenix that rose to heal.”
Overhaul by Dr. Meras
Prior to the Tonan Civil War, **Dr. Meras** personally refitted the Scavenger’s Phase Drive with **new crystalline field coils**. The overhaul increased phase-field stability and made the vessel **considerably faster**, allowing longer sustained travel through phase space. These coils became the prototype for the new generation of Phase Drives later manufactured at **Markasisa in Lerazan Province** on Prose.
Design and Specifications
- **Length:** 610 ft
- **Width:** ≈ 378 ft (1.61 ratio)
- **Height:** 250 ft (to observation tower tip)
- **Crew:** 84 officers and specialists
- **Power:** Dual-core fusion / gravitic hybrid
- **FTL System:** Meras-type High-Frequency Phase Drive (new-coil refit)
- **Sub-light:** Quad plasma impulse engines
- **Defensive Systems:** Resonance shields, Counter-Phase Emitter Array
- **Special Systems:** Short-range Transit Window for personnel transfer
Internal Layout
Nine principal decks (see SS_Scavenger_Interior_Deck_Reference_v5_withAppendices):
- **Deck A – Command:** Bridge, ready room, tactical center.
- **Decks B–C – Operations:** Phase Control Chamber, laboratories, communications.
- **Decks D–E – Habitat:** Crew quarters, mess, Prosian meditation chamber, infirmary.
- **Decks F–H – Engineering / Salvage:** Power core access, Counter-Phase Array.
- **Deck I – Observation Tower:** Panoramic dome for astronomical observation and ceremonial gatherings.
Crew
- **Captain Elan Drex** – Commanding officer and principal builder.
- **Vek Tollin** – Chief engineer and co-builder; specialist in Prosian gravitic architecture.
- **Kessa Rin** – Phase field scientist; developed Counter-Phase Array.
- **John Rin** – Engineer; field harmonic calibration.
- **Brennen Gillings** – Third Engineer; adaptive systems technician.
- **Terev Gillings** – Navigator; phase-lane analyst.
Symbolism
Its emblem, a silver phoenix rising from a spiral of light, symbolizes rebirth and responsibility: that knowledge must serve life. The ship’s motto *From wreckage, renewal* appears in Prosian glyphs and Alliance Standard beside the main airlock.
Later Missions
Following the Phoenix Incident, the Scavenger served in:
- **Altair 3 Humanitarian Mission** (*Story 2: The Water World*)
- **The Changeling Expedition** (*Story 3*)
- **The Tonan Civil War** (*Story 6*) – field deployment with Meras coil refit.
- **The Wanderer Encounters** (*Story 7*) – diplomatic operations.
Legacy
The Scavenger DX-1017 became the model for Alliance–Prosian cooperative vessels and the flagship of the future Scavenger Fleet. Its hybrid design and humanitarian record remain a touchstone of post-war unity. Centuries later, to “rise like the Scavenger” still means to rebuild hope from ruin.
Trivia
- **Registry Meaning:** D = Cargo/Hauling; X = Experimental; 1017 = Prosian Registry sequence number.
For fans of old Earth media, 1017 playfully mirrors 1701 from *Star Trek*.
- Dr. Meras’s signature is etched on the new coils: “May the Flow forgive our failures.”
- The original scrapyard marker plate is mounted inside Engineering as a memorial to the ship’s rebirth.