The research vessel Curiosity in a deep-space hangar, searchlights lit — UEA *Curiosity* · Kappa-5 outpost hangar, before launch

Vessel file · UEA registry

MARK 3 ZODIAC CLASSThe
Curiosity

Ninety-five metres of medium-range research hull, twenty-five years old at launch, with a laboratory where her forward magazine would have been if she had ever had one. Three decks. Six people. Eight thousand light years. Every room below is drawn from the novels.

PLAN VIEW · DECK TWO · COMMAND 95 M × 38 M · BOW TO PORT

Compartment views

The command deck of the Curiosity, looking forward — Command deck · Deck Two. Captain's chair centre, Ops/Comm to port, science mirrored to starboard.

The docking bay of the Curiosity with the two-man shuttle pod — Docking bay · Deck Three. The two-man pod on its clamps, ladder to the deck above.

The mess and lounge of the Curiosity — Mess & lounge · Deck Two, aft. The only soft room aboard.

The medical bay of the Curiosity — Medical bay · Deck One, aft. Refurbished immediately before launch.

Master schematic

Detailed top-down schematic of the Curiosity — Yard schematic, all compartments overlaid on a single sheet.

Longitudinal section

Painted cutaway of the Curiosity showing all three decks — Cut along the centreline, bow to port. Habitation above, command amidships, hold and drive below.

Reference views

Orthographic side, plan and front views of the Curiosity — Side, plan and bow elevations. The deck plans above are traced from the plan view.

95 MLENGTH

03DECKS

25 YRSAGE AT LAUNCH

00WEAPONS

ALCTOROIDAL WARP DRIVE

Compartment index

Every compartment on the interactive plan above, written out — three decks, ninety-five metres, six people. The descriptions and the quoted lines are drawn from the novels, so this doubles as a reference while you read.

Deck One · Habitation

Observation: Forward window panes above the bridge. One of them cracks.
She looked forward to see a small crack forming in one of the forward observation window panes.
Cabin A: Two single beds.
Cabin B: Two bunk beds — four berths.
Cabin C: Two single beds.
Cabin D: Two bunk beds. Colin Truman sleeps here.
he'd rolled out of the small bunk in the crew quarters.
Captain's Cabin: The one larger room, with a double bed. Starzek's.
one larger room with a double bed for the captain.
Crew Head: Washroom and sanitation.
Medical Bay: Newly refurbished before launch — about the only part of her that is.
Dr Yori Kita stood in the middle of Curiosity's newly refurbished medical bay.
Science Lab: Compact but well equipped. Where the signal gets taken apart.
Curiosity's science lab was compact, but well-equipped.

Deck Two · Command

Command Deck: The thumbnail-shaped bridge — its forward wall follows the curve of the bow, a single band of darkened glass. Captain's chair centre, Ops/Comm to port, the science station mirrored to starboard.
Jennifer Starzek entered the thumbnail-shaped bridge of the starship Curiosity.
Fabrication Shop: 3D printers and machine tools, running on UEA blueprints and an unlimited credit allowance.
Blueprints were fed into the machines and the necessary parts were printed from raw materials.
Mess & Lounge: The aft section, down the ladder from the cabins. The only soft room aboard: booth seating, tables, and the one place six people who did not choose each other have to sit together.
he'd rolled out of the small bunk in the crew quarters up on deck one and climbed the ladder down to the aft section of deck two to eat breakfast.
Galley: Feeds six people for the length of the crossing.

Deck Three · Hold & Docking

Forward Hold: Under the bridge, following the curve of the bow. Shelving, crates, consumables.
Storage Bay: Various storage bays.
Reactor Core: Twenty-five years old and holding up surprisingly well.
Curiosity's reactor core is holding up surprisingly well.
Alc Drive: The toroidal ring. Negative mass, generating the warp field that carries her past lightspeed.
That was the Alc drive which contained negative mass and generated the toroidal warp field.
Docking Bay: Home of the two-man shuttle pod, right at the stern.
the docking bay for the ship's two-man shuttle pod.