Worldship Praxis

INTRODUCTION THE GREAT WORLD SHIP Praxis slips through the darkness between the stars, carrying its cargo of humans and Earth life forms on its multi-century journey in a great circuit of the neighboring stars. Most of the people aboard spend the bulk of the journey sleeping in hibernation pods, trusting the Alpha Crew led by the near-immortal Tech Director Jack Sadow to keep them safe from relativistic space rocks, alien life forms, and the million and one other dangers in the great darkness. For one hundred sixty-four years, the 800 miles long by 100 miles wide World Ship has been traveling, visiting first Epsilon Eridani, then Tau Ceti, traveling at slightly more than one-tenth the speed of light. For about 110 years of the voyage, Jack has been awake and on guard against any danger to the ship and crew. The ship carries a fleet of defensive and colony ships and is heralded by nanotech assemblers, sent ahead to begin construction of colonies at each suitable candidate planet encountered. The great ship itself maintains constant velocity throughout its voyage, launching colony Arc ships and high-speed defensive Torch-Ships along its course as needed.