Morpheus Unbound  |  GURPS  |  Vehicles and Robots

World

Floating through the depths of space is a giant, intelligent space craft known as World.  Sometime in the distant past, World was a colony ship for a civilization of people.  Over time, some colonists left and others came on board.  However, they became isolated from the rest of their civilization and all colonists died.  Since that time, World has wandered the vacuum of space in search of an intelligent species to be the host for.

World's shape is primarily that of a cylinder - 15 miles long and 4 miles in diameter.  It has six large superstructures, attached in two equidistant circles.  The interior layout is circular, with artificial gravity generating a "down" toward the ships outer skin and "up" toward the central axis of the ship.

The entire vehicle is composed of "living metal" and can alter it's interior layout over time.  It has thousands of robots to act as servants and "limbs" for the vessel, some of the robots are the size of complete space craft and these are used to gather raw materials from other celestial bodies.  Cyberswarms patrol the interior keeping things clean and in good repair or repelling intruders.  Hundreds of concealed and retractable weapon emplacements and turrets cover the exterior providing defense and tools.

World contains an entire city, including hospitals, churches, homes, businesses, entertainment facilities, whatever.

One way to use World would be as a chance encounter in a Space Opera style campaign.  Perhaps the Player Characters miscalculate a hyperspace jump and end up thousands of light years off course.  Lost in the vastness of uncharted space, they chance across World.  World is completely unfamiliar with these new life forms, and carefully scans the ship and its occupants, all the while appearing inviting to the curious.  Once aboard, World would study their language and customs, and perhaps adapt it's internal structure and environment to meet the needs and desires of the visitors.  Perhaps World is so lonely that it won't let the visitors leave - after all it was built to be the home of intelligent beings.  Crafty PCs could convince World to become a colony ship for their own home world.