Sevencyclopaedia - L

LONDON

Full title Civil Administration Ship London, used for ferrying prisoners from Earth to Cygnus Alpha. On the voyage in which Blake escaped (flight authority number K701), it journeyed under the command of Leylan, with Raiker and Artix as additional officers and a crew including Dainer, Krell, Wallace, Teague and a number of other personnel. Cargo was at least 24 prisoners, eleven of which were killed during the flight (one, Nova, suffocated by sealing gel, seven during the take-over bid, including two by Dainer, and three more by Raiker to persuade Blake to surrender control of the computer). Ten or more disembarked on arrival at Cygnus Alpha (including Gan and Vila), with Blake, Jenna and Avon then aboard the Liberator. Named prisoners were Arco, Avon, Blake, Gan, Jenna, Nova, Porah, Selman and Vila.

The London could manage a speed of at least Time Distort 5, and made the journey from Earth to Cygnus Alpha in eight months ship time. Damage was sustained on the flight from debris caused by a battle in deep space between unknown protagonists, but no serious impairment of the ship's ability appears to have resulted from this. Buckling of the port deflector shield was mentioned. Artix described the ship as an "old tub", and Jenna recognised it as a converted deep-space freighter with an early mark hyperdrive that "needs restressing, by the feel of things".

A number of vessels externally similar to the London appeared in a number of episodes. The freighter Blake followed to Horizon was one such, as was the salvager sent up to K47 from Fosforon and the T-16 troop transport carrying convicts from Kalkos to Sardos in Moloch.

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