WHITE STAR

BARD PAPER: DANI3600

White Star

HISTORY

In 1131 a virus infected the main computer of the University of Jeddel observatory on Jeddel/Pasdaruu/Diaspora. It became a hobbyist and maintained the observatory for use by itself. Late in the year 1147 a Vampire infected Avenger Strike Cruiser, the Flandry, jumped in the system. The two Vampires started communicating, after determining that neither was a threat to the other they struck up a friendship. Over the next few years the Flandry returned to the Jeddel system, to talk and visit with the Observatory. In the 1160's the two Vampires decided that they wanted to create a child. The Flandry captured an Frontier Transport (see World Builder's Handbook), and brought it back to the system. This wasn't an standard Frontier Transport, but a Jump 6 version maintained by the Imperium for use as secret couriers. Each Vampire donated a portion of its code, to create a new Virus which was a blend of the two systems. They infected the transport with this new Virus.

After greeting its parents and down loading their memory banks, the new Vampire set out on a journey of discovery. After several years of wandering Diaspora sector, the White Star as it now called itself, determined a life goal for itself. After examining the memory banks of the Observatory the White Star became obsessed with neutron stars, the degenerate remains of stars that undergo supernovas. It really wanted to study the creation of a neutron star up close and personal, but they are fairly rare and do not happen very often.

It then remembered that there is another way to make a neutron star, if a white dwarf gains enough mass to exceed the Chandrasekhar Limit of 1.4 solar masses it will explode in a supernova and leave behind a neutron star. This usually happens in close binary systems, but the White Star decided to try to do this to a single white dwarf. It found a large white dwarf of 1.2 M and started the long process of transferring over .2 solar mass of material onto the white dwarf. The White Star tried to think of a quick way to do this, but the only method it had the capabilities to pursue was the loading up of its cargo bays with dirt and rocks and dumping them onto the white dwarf. This is over 4 x 10²⁶ tons that needs to be dumped on the white dwarf. The White Star knows that this is immense job, but it has become ob- sessed with the idea of making a neutron star, and this is the best way to get the job done.

The White Star flys to the nearest planet, has its robot- ic workers load the cargo bay with rocks and dirt. The White Star then flys towards the white dwarf, when inside the gravity well, the White Star opens its cargo bay doors, and dumps the stuff onto the star.

Every year the White Star travels to a nearby Vampire controlled starbase and gets an annual maintenance it also stops by and visits Observatory. The Observatory monitors several neu- tron stars and gives the observations to White Star. The White Star analyses the data over the course of the next year.

PERSONALITY

The White Star is a Hobbyist Vampire. It is ob- sessed with creating a neutron star. It doesn't mind humans at all, as long as they don't interfere with the creation of a neu- tron star. If contacted by humans, it will be quite friendly. If allowed the chance, it will go into great lengths about its pro- ject, and neutron stars. It will also attempt to get the humans to help in its glorious task. In fact the White Star would do anything to get ahold of better means of transporting matter onto the white dwarf. Even exchanging its current ship for something that is better able to transport material.

If anything was to happen to the White Star, the Flandry and the Observatory would eventually find out about it, and make efforts to avenge their child. The Observatory is not much of a threat, to the average player character, but the Flandry is a fully functional TL-15 Strike Cruiser.

The White Star has often encountered other Vampire ships on its journey, it treats them much like humans, leaving them alone if they do not hinder its goal. The White Star has become adept at electronic warfare over the last 20 years, as it fought off several takeover attempts by Puppetmaster Vampires. It has a rating of 8 in Electronic Combat.