Tuesday, February 8, 2011

128.

§ Propulsion. X's maximum acceleration is 0.02g, or 0.1962 m/s², using an unknown form of reactionless drive, which seems to operate by generating a field around X that negates the inertia of the mass that it captures. Whatever the nature of its engineering, X could freely control its velocity, rotation and heading.

§ Power. X can refuel by absorbing energy and material en masse directly from a star. When traveling between stars, virtually all of its systems and mechanics are shut down, and it effectively becomes a dead relic; its temperature reaches nearly absolute zero. Whether it can merely store energy or generate it, most likely via nuclear fusion like the suns it siphons, is unknown. The most likely source of both Xs power and propulsion seems to be the Horns.

§ Defense. Passive. X's hull, except around the Cylindrical Sea and the North Pole , is at least 2 km thick, completely solid (according to seismic tests), and composed of an unidentified alloy that could withstand direct radiation from Sol up to a radius of 5 million km. X could also activate a "cocoon" of perfectly reflective material, in which it passed nearly adjacent to the sun unharmed. The cocoon also is able to negate the effect of a nuclear weapon which was fired at it in X II

§ Offense. X has displayed zero hostile capability of any kind, although its size makes it a defensive threat.

Identify X.

3 comments:

Siddarth Pai said...

Rama the Spacecraft from Arthur C Clarke's book, Rendevous with Rama

appuchin said...

rama from rendezvous with rama by arthur c clarke

Unknown said...

Rama (spacecraft) from Rendezvous with Rama