On 28May2019 1023, Richard Aiken wrote:

> Yeah. This fits with what I'm now imagining for the Naval and Scout
> Service ships, particularly the smaller ones, like the Type S. It
> would really bring home to players that line from the CT ship
> description for the Type S: "The ship can carry three passengers (up
> to seven passengers double occupancy) in non-commercial service
> only."
>
> In other words, "No. You can't vacate a 'stateroom' and rent it out
> to regular Middle Passenger customers. You *can* rent out one or two
> of your otherwise-empty crew bunks - for whatever the traffic will
> bear - so long as you're willing to live cheek-by-jowl with a couple
> of total strangers - possible hijackers - for a week or so."

For what it's worth, here's a text description I wrote up of a ship the
PCs in my campaign had, that was small and somewhat cramped, but
designed and built at a high Tech Level (TL11 in GURPS 4e terms,
Traveller TL14, give or take) omitting the technical details.:

Description

Princess Matilda is a streamlined cone 30 metres tall, plus a couple
more when sitting on her three landing legs (these are retracted in
normal flight operations). Her hull is of bonded superdense armour,
hardened to better resist highly penetrating weapons (GURPS calls this
'hardened diamonoid' armour). The actual armour shell is about 5mm
thick, though the overall hull thickness is rather more, counting paint,
stealth surfacing, strip optics and antennas, armour, jump grid, wiring
and piping, thermal and radiation shielding, and so on.

The stern section consists of engineering, a 'plug' three decks high,
surrounded by fuel tanks (that are actually part of the central hull in
terms of access and sealing). Two 'hot' reactionless thrusters are
wrapped around the 5-parsec range jump drive, and sitting on top of them
is the toroidal gravitic fusion reactor. Sitting in the centre of the
torus is the engineering station. At the very rear of the vessel,
central to her stern, is an airlock. When she's grounded it is 2m above
the tarmac, and once open a ladder can be extended for access. This
airlock leads to a narrow maintenance space that goes to the engineering
station, via a floor panel. There is no equipment or suit locker by this
airlock, as it is not intended for routine use. It's also the only easy
way into the ship if she's been powered down in an area with no port
facilities (assuming the mid-level airlock's ladder is stowed).

Forward and around engineering is the central section, containing fuel
tanks wrapping around the engineering 'core' Above these is the small
cargo bay, rated for 30 tons mass, with an exterior hatch approximately
3m square in the hull. As this she was intended for VIP couriering and
espionage missions cargo handling facilities are minimal. Beside the
cargo hatch is a personnel airlock that enters into the cargo bay, and a
small locker for a couple of soft or one 'hard' suit. This airlock has a
ladder (the ship's specifications refer to this as an 'extensible
staircase', but it's very steep and narrow) that extends to
ground-level. The central access shaft extends through the cargo bay
from engineering in the floor the forward section overhead, further
constraining the bay's ability to carry large cargo.

The forward section starts with another fuel tank, upon and within which
sits the habitats (in two decks) with life support systems, five
state-rooms, a small common room, and the only mounted weapon - a 3MJ
improved rapid-fire laser in a turret mount suitable for light
anti-missile defence and possibly frightening armed merchants. This
weapon has no facility for local control, and must be managed from one
of the three control couches (pilot, 'observer', or engineer) or by the
computer. When not in use the laser is retracted into a streamlined
fairing, but not concealed. In the case of Princess Matilda one of the
staterooms wasn't installed and instead 5 tons of steerage cargo space
was left available, into which a heavily armoured safe was installed
(with access controlled by both keypad and biometric lock, and no
control over it by the central computer). Next up is the control room,
and around and above it the internal components of the over-sized sensor
array (the external aerials coat much of the ship's hull, and are in
streamlined domes, or retract when not in use), with the ship's main
airlock opening into it. If the ship was equipped with the optional pair
of remote internal maintenance drones (commonly called 'cans' after
their appearance), one would be docked here, in a station inside the
sensor system. The 'lock has the ship's locker beside it, with space for
several suits, toolboxes, emergency and survival gear, and so on and
opens on the opposite side of the ship from the cargo hatch and lower
lock and thus  faces the same side as the gun turret below it.

The 'control room' is in fact two rooms, one at each end of the central
access shaft. The upper is the control room proper, where the pilot
sits, with one additional acceleration couch for an observer (this seat
has a computer terminal that by default has no access to flight or
engineering controls, but which does have access to sensor and comms
feeds, and can access and run applications, etc.) and which can be given
more access by the pilot or engineer (or by the ship's computer on
orders from someone authorised to give such an order). The pilot's
control couch is semi-recessed into the compartment wall, roughly
opposite the main lock, and one swings into and out of it using an
overhead grab bar. When in operation the pilot is surrounded by 3D holo
displays, virtual and actual control panels and sticks, and so on. The
'observer' couch is similarly mounted, a little behind the pilot, and
has no useful direct view of the pilot's displays due to intervening
wall and equipment. Both seats have a ready view of the access shaft's
entrance in the centre of the compartment's floor, and to the airlock.

The lower is the engineering station, and is slightly offset from the
access shaft, so when you step off the ladder you can simply step
sideways and swing into it. The space right under the shaft is the
'physical' component of the engineer's station - aside from the access
ladder and the couch the walls are covered in access panels, small parts
bins, and cabinets for tools (enough to allow maintenance and basic
repair of any of the ship's systems). The floor also has access panels,
one of which leads to the aft airlock. The second 'can' station is down
a crawlspace behind one of these panels. For those of a mystical bent,
this is the ship's 'heart', whilst the pilot's station forward is the
'brain'

The central access shaft extends from the forward pilot's control
room/main 'lock workroom all the way aft/down to the engineer's. There
is a manually controlled hatch in each deck. In normal operations these
are latched open, except for those between sections (i.e. between
engineering and the centre section, and between the centre and forward
sections), which are closed, but not locked. Only the section hatches
have locks built in, and they can only be locked from the engineering
and forward sections. All hatches can be 'barred' from either side with
the use of a steel bar or similar object. A small motorised platform can
be rigged in the shaft to move people and light objects between decks
with some minimal comfort and dignity, but normally crew use the ladder,
and in flight it's common to put the shaft into zero-G, especially when
moving equipment between decks. The shaft is a metre in diameter, the
hatches 80cm.

Note that the narrow nature of the central access shaft makes moving
between decks in rigid armour or space suits, and especially powered
armour, quite tricky. Staging for suit operations is best done right
beside the lock to be used, which is not always terribly convenient as
the main equipment lockers are by the forward, main, lock, but the cargo
lock is the one with the most open area around it.

The ship has always been properly maintained and kept scrupulously clean
and polished, with no missing wall panels or maintenance hatches, but
even when the current owners found her she didn't have a 'new' ship'
smell, and had just enough wear on latches and catches to show she'd
seen at least some actual flight time.

There's a subtle feeling when aboard of being confined, more than the
normal feeling you'd get in a spaceship. This is probably a combination
of some really aggressive air purity standards - unless there's
something wrong recirculated air smells of nothing, the ship's Solomani
origins showing in subtly (and meaninglessly) different dimensions for
compartment doors and overhead heights that serve to constantly remind
one of their presence, and thus that they are in a small can floating in
a vast vacuum, and the 'compact' nature of all the ship's fittings. Not
good if one is a claustrophobe. While the living spaces are not cramped,
they are certainly not over-large and whilst the fittings are a marvel
of TL11 (Traveller TL14) multi-functional design, ergonomics, and high
space efficiency, the fact that they are serves to remind one of how
little space there really is as is much as they help maximise the
utility of that space. The ship's control couches with their
semi-enclosed nature and the way the displays wrap around the users also
lend power to this sensation, settling into one can feel like getting
into a cocoon or a coffin, depending on one's predisposition, as do the
bunks, effectively recessed into the cabin walls as they are, with
acceleration/crash webbing ready to be pulled over their exits.

The paint colouring in the living areas, like the exterior, can be
altered. The default (which it reverts to when there's no power) is
light tan and cream. Default lighting in the living areas is fairly
bright (and matches Sol's spectrum as at Earth's sea level with Earth's
atmosphere exactly - more Solomani pointless differentiation, like the
exactly one Terran G grav plate default), but can be altered from really
bright (a sunlight summer's day), to nothing, and from direct overhead
to indirect. Naturally the staterooms have individualised controls. The
cargo area is a non-programmable high-wear light gray on the walls and
overhead, and a darker gray on the floor. Both the bridge and
engineering have the same floor colour as the cargo bay, but the walls
and overhead are almost black in the engineering space. Default lighting
in all these areas is dim, with patches of bright light by the locks.
The lighting is adjustable in these spaces as well, of course.

Flooring in work areas is a smooth, hard metallic composite, very hard
wearing, but not at all quiet to work on, and prone to becoming slippery
with liquid spills. In the living areas it's a different composite that
has enough give to muffle footsteps, dropped cups, and so on, and is
designed give good grip even when wet (it is, of course, non-absorbent
and stain-proof). It feels quite good to bare feet.

The cabins are compact, with a multi-function 'fresher in one corner,
with an extrudable chair nearby at which one can do one's face (ask for
a mirror on the wall), work at a terminal (ask for screen and virtual
keyboard), or write (extrudable desk), etc. The rest of the cabin is
dominated by the bunks and storage cabinets. Under the bottom bunk are
drawers for gear, and likewise over the top bunk. Inside the bunk spaces
there are displays on each end and on the overhead, which can be
configured to show whatever the owner wishes. There are small recesses
the ends and side-wall for small personal effects one might want to have
access to while stuck in one's bunk for a long period (toiletries,
medication, book chips, snacks, and whathaveyou), or to store right by
you when you sleep (the contents of one's pocket's, one's sidearm,
etc.). Naturally they can be secured against sudden manoeuvres. A couple
also have simple button-combination locks (thumb-print locks are all
very well and good until you need to open them whilst in a vacc suit) to
deter casual pilferage. There is a set of webbing that can be pulled
over the exit from each bunk to stop a user being thrown out by a sudden
jolt, as well as belts with which to strap them into bed (not to
restrain, however - they are safety belts). The bunks are long and wide
enough for comfort, and have sufficient overhead space as well, but
again, can feel confining. There is, of course, a set of environmental
and light controls by the (lockable, but the computer and bridge can
override these) door, as well as a pair of rescue bubbles. While the
pilot and engineer can over-ride the locks and environmental controls,
the ship's computer currently can only unlock the doors, as part of the
Virus-proofing she received. Also by the door is a tall locker/wardrobe.
Using this to store spacesuits or armour means that any other clothes in
there will pretty soon become crumpled and contaminated by whatever gunk
is on those suits.

The ship has cameras mounted on her surface that provide visual coverage
of her entire hull surface in visual and IR ranges. These cameras are
mounted towards the nose and around the rim of her stern, so the view of
the central hull is a bit distant, and they don't have much zoom -
they're there to spot hull damage and supervise spacewalks on the hull.

Internal cameras cover the standard access ways and work areas,
including airlocks and workstations. The common room is also fully
covered, while the cargo bay's coverage is theoretically 'full' but in
practice has blind spots due to cargo blocking the view of the few
cameras. Audio is provided via the intercom system, the mics of which
can be turned on from the controls (by each door and airlock) or
remotely by the computer. By default, intercom mics are off, but set so
loud noises (shouting, gunfire, explosions, etc.) will alert the
computer, which will then listen and determine whether warn the crew or
not. Audio and visual surveillance of staterooms is possible via the
'webcams' of the stateroom terminals and door control/comm systems, but
it can only be turned on by authorised personnel, and they must give a
sufficient reason, and it will be logged in the ship's uneditable voyage
log. Also, unless the reason given allows it, the stateroom's occupants
will be informed by the ship's computer at the earliest opportunity.
'Sufficient' reasons include belief that the occupant(s) are engaging in
sabotage or hijacking of the ship, that they are suffering a medical
emergency, and similar reasons. The computer's expert system may demand
evidence of these claims, and will record such evidence in the logs.
Currently the Captain and whoever is logged as 'officer of the watch'
(i.e. as in command) have authorisation. The ship's engineering office
could probably get it if he felt the desire to, and as engineering
officer has the power if the reason is related to the ship's safe
physical functioning (e.g. the door won't open and there's evidence of a
dangerous fault accessible only from inside a stateroom). So, an officer
of the watch can play peeping tom, but it will be logged, flagged for
the captain's attention, and the victim will be told by the tattle-tale
computer as well.

Anti-Virus measures added:

In order to protect against remote Virus infection Matilda had her
communications suite detached from the rest of her electronics, and it
is now managed via a dedicated terminal set up by the 'Observer's' seat.
It cannot be connected to the rest of the ship without making new cable
connections between the comms system and the rest of the ship's systems.

The ship's sensors could not be fully separated from the rest of the
electronics, because without them the automated docking system,
collision avoidance, and so on would not function. However, the links to
the more sensitive sensors have restricted bandwidth and monitors that
will cut them if they detect data packets that look like Virus seed data
moving through the connections.

Whilst the computer can still monitor almost all of the ship's systems,
it now cannot control most of them. A side effect of this is that
control of a given system can no longer be dynamically shifted from one
station to another, especially from the cockpit to engineering or vice
versa. Thus it now requires two crew to perform a jump, as a single
person cannot move from the pilot's station to engineering fast enough
to both set a correct entry vector and activate the drive in a timely
manner.

--
Rupert Boleyn <xxxxxx@gmail.com>
Chief Assistant to the Assistant Chief