I might have mentioned that things are coming together for my colleagues and I over at Grim5Next. After a few weeks, our story is really coming together. First drafts are coming in, ideas are germinating and being shared, and visuals are being made! Which brings me to the latest installments in the Anthology news cycle, after much time spent with my Windows Paint application, I have finally been able to prepare some cross sections of the ships in our story.
As already noted, we decided that for the purposes of our story, we wanted ships that could provide for crews during a long, sub-light journey through outer space. At the same time, they needed extensive cryo-facilities to ensure that thousands of colonists could be kept alive and preserved for the day when they would arrive at a new world. So basically, it would have to be a cross between a sleeper ship and a generation ship. This is what we came up with for a profile shot:
Note the segmented layout and extended middle section. This layout places the control module at the front with the bridge, navigation and whatnot, while the engine compartment, storage and shuttle bays are located at the rear. The middle section, which is an O’Neil Cylinder, is the habitation module, which rotates to provide artificial gravity. Here is where the crew sleep, eat, enjoy their leisure time, and ensure that they don’t suffer from the effects of muscular atrophy or osteoporosis.
And now, for the first time, here’s a peek at what it looks like inside. Each section was done separately to give it a maximum level of detail and ignite our collective imaginations. When complete, I hope to include them in the book to help our reader’s visualize what the interior layout of the ships would look like. Thus far, I’ve finished work on the aft and habitation sections, with the front end to follow soon. I was hoping to have them all done for today’s little unveiling, but man these things take time to generate!
Stories by Williams 
Wow. Impressive detail… well done. A question the cryo-units are in the middle section which is rotating. Do you think its a bit of a waste to have the sleepers in the artificial gravity. If they were moved to the rear section there’d be way more room for the people who are awake to have gravity… more recreation area, more living area, more everything. Perhaps even a farm for animals and wildlife (cows, chickens, pigs, sheep, fish, etc) Can only eat so much synthetic food after all. 🙂
They have a farm, it’s the part labelled pasturage. Zoom, man, zoom 😉 And we already got those blocks that are still open. The rear section I have storage and engineering and landing bays in, so room is not at a premium.
Another perspective on the cryo units is that someone probably has to check on those units periodically. That person, a medic perhaps, would be more comfortable performing those duties in Earth-like gravity than floating about.
Not to mention I figured it would be good to keep the settlers bodies in a section where there’s gravity. Even if they are frozen, it’s got to have some benefits.
A good point. Perhaps even gravity could be increased over time to slightly higher levels in order to prepare the settlers for their destination’s specific needs.
I hadn’t even considered that there would be pasturage and an arboretum. You’ve thought of everything. You’ve an great job.
(Blush) Well, I don’t know about… yes!
This is awesome! Well thought out, great detail – it’s really coming together!
Join us… join us… join us…!