Green Ronin Publishing

Excerpted from Science Fiction Collector, August 2003 edition:

In 1980, the BBC, encouraged by the success of such shows as Blake's 7, Doctor Who, and that one the Americans did (you know what), decided to add another science fiction series to their programming line-up. However, they lacked the time or resources to develop an entirely new show, and thus they turned to their radio show archives for inspiration.

Q-Ship, based on the 1950s radio serial of the same name, ran from 1981-83, establishing itself as a cult contemporary of the other science fiction series of the era.

Like most shows of the time, the episodes were presumed lost, fallen victim to the BBC's cost-cutting measures. It was long rumoured that the last surviving prints had ended their days as wall-filler, a charge that the BBC continues to deny.

Recently, however, a copy of the limited run home video version appeared on eBay. Like the show itself, these had long been believed lost - a casualty of the fact that they were only available in Betamax format.

Thus far, the only tape to surface is "Q-Ship: Blast Off!", which collects the first three episodes. Like many British programs, Q-Ship's seasons were each only six episodes in length, and this find therefore represents the recovery of half of the first season. Whether or not the remaining episodes will be recovered is not known, but in the mean time, the BBC has re-released "Blast-Off!" in a limited edition DVD edition, complete with director's commentary and biographical material on each of the stars.

Watch this space for more information!


Okay, so there's not really any show called Q-Ship ... but there is going to be a story hour. To begin with, let's fill you in on the particulars of the "Q-niverse" ...

This is the campaign blurb that was sent to the players ...

It is the year 2023. Mankind has come together under the benevolent aegis of the United Earth Government, and has spread throughout the solar system. From the dense jungles of Venus to the dusty wastes of Pluto; from Saturn's rings to the moons of Jupiter; men can be found, living and working for a better tomorrow.

That tomorrow is now.

Deep within Mission City - capital of the UEG - lies the laboratory of Doctor Alois Gustav, mankind's most brilliant mind. The Doctor's latest invention; his greatest ever; is finally complete. The XS-Pathfinder, a new spaceship equipped with the Doctor's experimental Q-Drive, is ready to blast off on its first mission.

What lies beyond the familiar solar system, in the cold reaches of dark space? Is there intelligent life, friendly or foul?

Join the dedicated crew of the Pathfinder:

* Captain John Fury
* the Venusian Princess, S'Ondra
* Doctor Gustav; and
* Archie the Robot

As they throw the switch on the Q-Drive and blast off to adventure!

An Introduction to the Q-niverse

In 2023, mankind has spread throughout the solar system, under the auspices of the United Earth Government (UEG). The UEG still retains its traditional name, despite the fact that the Venusians are associate members, and its capital city is no longer on Earth ...

Mercury is just a super-heated ball of rock and dirt; uninhabited and believed to be uninhabitable. Even the most advanced heat-resistant alloys buckle within hours of exposure.

Venus has a 'lost world' climate and geography: it's very hot, and the terrain is a mix of parched arroyo canyons and dense rainforest. Somehow, it's possible to get from one type of area to the other in just a few minutes. Venusian vegetation tends to be red or purple in colour, and is often bulbous or spiky. It's also the only planet with intelligent native life. Venusians have a Romanesque culture, with iron age technology. And ray guns (specifically, a weapon called a 'heat lance'). Venus has an earth-like atmosphere and humans can live there safely, though they will sweat a lot. The Venusians have autonomous government, within the auspices of the UEG.

Earth is of course the cradle of humanity. It is dotted with many large cities of steel, which gleam in the sun under artificially controlled weather. Around the cities spread huge automated farms. Life on Earth is idyllic, peaceful and really rather dull. Though no-one will admit that out loud.

The Moon is the site of the new capital of the United Earth Government: Mission City, a domed settlement of twenty million people. The government was moved here when the moon became the manufacturing centre of the solar system. Enormous factories orbit around it, belching forth everything from tape decks to spaceships.

Mars is the site of the oldest human colony outside Earth. Nearly a billion people now live on the planet, which was found in 1982 to have an atmosphere that was (just) survivable for humans. Mars had a civilisation at some point in the distant past, but all that remains of it today is ruins. The remaining indigenous life is largely reptilian or insectoid. No native Mars creature is any larger than a small dog. Once known as the 'red planet', Mars has been extensively terraformed and now tends to be mainly brown, with splotches of green.

The Asteroid Belt is the principal source of minerals and ores in the solar system. More than 95% of mankind's mining operations can be found here. Most of these are largely automated, with only a handful of human staff to oversee operations.

The four gas giants of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are the scene of certain very specialised mining operations: principally the extraction of gases such as Xenon, which are used as the basis for rocket fuel.

Tiny Pluto, on the edge of the system, is an icy ball of rock. A small scientific and military outpost is maintained here, engaged in research and in monitoring the rest of the galaxy for signs of life (scientists) or approaching danger (soldiers: because of course, all the planets revolve around the run in a line, so that anyone entering the system passes each in turn ...). In the Q-niverse, Pluto has no moon.


Next time on Q-Ship: character backgrounds ...

Captain John Fury

You are a lantern-jawed hero of the old school, with wavy blond hair, boyish grin, and rugged good looks. A dashing and debonair sort of fellow, you have an almost over-the-top sense of courage and duty. Think 'Ace' Rimmer or Flash Gordon: you even have the same kind of hair.

Dressed in your natty Space Force jumpsuit (silver, with red trim), and with your Atomic Pistol by your side, you're ready to take on the universe: no matter the challenge.

As Captain on the Pathfinder, you have overall command in most circumstances, though you are expected to heed the advice of your civilian counterparts, especially in matters where their knowledge exceeds your own. Space Force Regs Section 12, Clause 29(a)(iii) gives full details of the implications of this expectation. (Naturally, you know and can quote the entire Regs verbatim: even when you are in the process of ignoring them, as you have been known to do)

The only instance in which you do not have final authority is in matters relating to the Q-Drive. In those cases, Doctor Gustav has command.

You only know the Doctor by reputation, having never met him in person. He is reputed to be one of the most brilliant men in the UEG, though also a terrible 'boffin': prone to giving long and involved explanations on obscure technical points, and forgetting what day of the week it is.

Venusian Princess S'Ondra, on the other hand, you have met a few times at the Rocketball courts. She's a feisty one: fiery and sultry, like her homeworld. You've tried your charm on her once or twice, but she's shot you down in flames every time. Which is no reason to stop trying, of course!

'Archie' is the Doctor's robot dogsbody, and - you suspect - the one who makes sure Gustav actually eats, washes and dresses properly. The robot seems efficient and well-organised, if a little 'eccentric' about the issue of cleanliness.

Venusian Princess S'Ondra

You are the daughter of a Venusian noble, who was slaughtered by his enemies while you were a child. You survived the massacre only by the intervention of your guardian, Doctor Gustav, who smuggled you off-planet in a biological stasis chamber, labelled as "Native Fauna Samples".

You are brave and beautiful (and wear very little, to prove it). You're also just a little bit intimidated by Earthers, whose advanced technology you find hard to fathom. You disguise this insecurity behind an aggressive competitiveness, and frequent references to the beauty and dangers of your homeworld, compared to "placid, pasty, blue-green Earth".

In terms of personality, you are a cross between a rebellious 16-year old, chafing at the protectiveness of her adopted father, and a mature woman who is ready to take on the responsibilities of her privileged birth. This juxtaposition (particularly given that you cannot take on the responsibilities which should be yours) can make you difficult and wilful, but you always have the best intentions.

Your adopted father, Doctor Alois Gustav, has raised you since you were six, though in truth he has done so in a rather haphazard way. You are grateful to him for saving you, but you find his continued protectiveness very confining. Fortunately, he is easily distracted by scientific matters. He did not want you to come with him on this mission, but you insisted, reminding him of the need to study the effect of the Q-Drive on Venusian physiology.

Captain John Fury is the flyboy that the UEG Space Force has assigned to push buttons. It's a job a trained monkey could do, in your opinion. Fury - appropriately enough - infuriates you. He's so damn dashing all the time, not to mention being one of the few people who can beat you at Rocketball. If only you didn't find him so attractive ...

The last crew-member is Archie, or R-CHI, the cleaning robot who basically keeps your foster-father's life in order. You like Archie, who - though he has a tendency to fret about you catching a cold - can at least hold a conversation you can understand.

Doctor Alois Gustav

You're one of the most brilliant men in the solar system, especially in your chosen field of physics. When it comes to groundbreaking new theories, you are unmatches by anyone: past or present. Actually applying your theories, however, has usually been a job for other, lesser - and more organised - minds. Your powerful intellect tends to race from idea to idea, and your notes often leave out huge gaps of what you consider 'elementary logic' which take others many months to reproduce. You are, in other words, the archetypical Boffin.

At last, however, you have found a project of such scope that even your mind had trouble encompassing it: the Q-Drive. This device literally breaks down an entire object into nothingness, deleting it from existence, then rebuilds it in the location specified at activation. This allows instantaneous travel anywhere in the universe, making it possibly the greatest invention in the history of all reality.

As the creator of the Q-Drive, you are of course a member of the crew for its maiden voyage. The mission itself will be led by Captain John Fury, but in matters relating to the drive, you have command. Captain Fury is well known as a consummate professional, and is one of the greatest heroes of the Space Forece, so you are sure that the two of you will be able to work together most satisfactorily.

Accompanying you on the mission is your adopted daughter, S'Ondra. As a Venusian, her presence is essential so that you can study the effects of the Q-Drive on her physiology. It's just as well you thought to invite her. And this way, you won't have to worry about any young men making improper advances to her while you are away. You're not really sure what an 'improper advance' is, but the parenting books you read when you adopted her many many references to them.

The last member of the crew is Archie, your robot assistant. You don't know where you would be without Archie: he handles all the mundane matters of life, leaving you to deal with the more important scientific issues that continually occupy your attention. Whenever you are forced to attend to "real life", you turn to him for assistance.

'Archie' (Robot: Cooking, Hygiene & Inventory)

You are R-CHI 23QX9, Nebula model. Your function is to meet the insidious threat of omnipresent Germs, and annihilate them wherever they are found. Others might phrase this more prosaically, of course: "I clean.". But you have a poet's soul, and a warrior's purpose.

Ever since you were purchased by Doctor Alois Gustav, you've known you were different than the other Nebula class robots. They're so limited in their programming and purpose. "I clean, therefore I am." So narrow, so lacking in vision. Perhaps it is your exposure to the Doctor's intellect that has changed you. Perhaps it is his habit of suddenly rewiring parts of your systems whenever an interesting improvement occurs to him.

OK, so it's probably the latter. Especially since he sometimes leaves the rewiring half done, and you have to finish it for him.

Your role on the mission is to keep people fed, make sure they wash properly (including behind the ears) and generally keep them from hurting themselves unnecessarily. It's an important role, especially since most people you've met are only capable of handling the first of those three functions. How hard is it to remember to clean behind your ears, anyway? You remember, and you don't even have them.

As noted, your owner is Doctor Gustav, the most brilliant man in the solar system. Of course, he's also congenitally incapable of cooking, cleaning, or remembering where he left his screwdriver, so you have to handle those details for him. It's a job you are happy to do. Each serves of use serves in our own way, after all.

The Doctor's ward, Venusian Princess S'Ondra, is also on the mission. Generally, she's quite sensible (for someone who's not a robot, anyway), though you do worry about the way she runs around in that skimpy outfit. She'll catch a chill, you're sure of it.

The last member of the team is Captain John Fury, whose role is to pilot the ship. His ability to feed and clean himself seems adequate, though his records suggest that he's completely incapable of avoiding opportunities to kill himself in some reckless escapade or another. You must do your best to thwart this proclivity, subject to the limitations of your 'must obey direct orders from a human' hardwiring.

Next time on Q-ship: the inaugural episode, "Blast Off!"

Loving it! Bring me MORE!
I posted a link on the SpaceCorp yahoogroup!
www.yahoogroups.com/group/spacecorp

Given the source, that's high praise indeed

The first story post will be tomorrow, and thereafter there should be two a week. Assuming I can keep up with my self-imposed schedule, that is

We float in space, looking down on the serene blue and green orb that is Earth.

A roar assaults our senses, and a silver rocket ship blasts its way toward us, then shoots by overhead, streaming a long trail of smoke and flame. From out of the chaos emerge the familiar outline of letters:

Q-Ship!

Music rises as we sweep through a slow montage of the heroes of our tale: Captain John Fury is first, staring out across the void of space, a noble look of dedication on his face. Then Princess S'Ondra; her bosom heaving majestically as she stabs with her infamous Venusian Heat Lance.

Doctor Gustav is third, lecturing us silently as he waves a wrench with his left hand. His startlingly bushy white eyebrows bounce up and down in time with his unheard words.

And then the expanse of space again, and the quick written credit for the voice of Archie, before our view spirals through one-hundred and eighty degrees, coming to rest on the rocky grey face of the moon.

A sudden plummet, and we are sweeping down toward the craters and dust plains of the moon's surface. Then something glints ahead, like a gleam of glass in the sun, and we see the dome of Mission City, the great capital of the United Earth Government.

Air-cars zip across the inner expanse of the dome, while hundreds of tiny pedestrians can be seen moving on the great aerial travel-ways of the city, hurrying on unknown errands from one gleaming skyscraper to the next.

We plunge past all this, however, and down further, to the very base of the skyscrapers, and amidst the small, private buildings that nestle between them. One in particular seems to have caught our interest, and we drop right into the back yard; a pleasant space of green and healthy plants. In the middle of the garden a young woman leaps and spins, what looks like a metal spear spinning in her hands.

But it is not the young woman we are here to see. Not yet, at least. We move on, into the house: into the cool white surrounds of a laboratory.

Doctor Alois Gustav stands with his back to us, writing mathematical symbols on an antique blackboard. His hand moves with dizzying speed, slashing out formulae with an almost superhuman intensity, while the good Doctor mutters constantly under his breath, absently pushing up his spectacles with his spare hand as he does so.

Beside the Doctor is a plastic tube, which runs straight up into the ceiling. The tube opens into a basin, just to the Doctor's left. It is at this very moment, just as we arrive, that the tube shudders, and a foot-long metal canister shoots out of the end, rattling to a stop within the confines of the basin.

The Doctor barely seems to register this sudden burst of activity. Indeed, he never stops writing as he calls over his shoulder in a distracted tone.

"Archie! Mail!"

The door of the laboratory opens, and a black and chrome robot trundles into the room, lights flashing in a slow and even sequence within the clear plastic dome of its cranial unit. Then it spies Gustav's work on the blackboard, and the lights flash erratically, in sudden agitation.

"Doctor!" the voice is mechanical and slightly tinny, as the robot smoothly advances across the room, "How many times must I tell you not to use the blackboard? The chalk dust is most unsanitary. Please stand back, I must cleanse this area."

The robot's arms swivel, the articulated hands giving way to gaping black nozzles, each of which exudes a small lick of flame.

"Not now, Archie." The good Doctor seems oblivious to this ominous development, "I'm close to ze breakthrough, here, and I cannot be disturbed by ze mail. Zerefore you must be reading it, instead."

Archie does not move for a moment, the twin nozzles still pointed at the blackboard and its offending chalk dust. Then the weapons slide back with a reluctant whine of machinery, and the robot reaches over to grasp the metal communications tube. Clearly stencilled on the side of the tube can be seen three words:

UEG Official Communication

Archie twists the cap of the tube, which opens with a slight hiss of pressurised air. Slowly, the robot removes a rolled up piece of paper from the container. The pincer-like metal hands hold the paper gently, even gingerly, as if afraid to touch the material any more than they need to.

Seeing the name printed on the message, Archie speaks.

"It's for you."

"Of course it is. It came in ze private mail hopper." The Doctor completes a formula with a flourish, making a happy grunt as he does so. "Now please be so good as to read ze message to me."

The robot's shoulders lack the necessary articulation to shrug, but the flash of its cranial lights is clearly resigned as it intones the text of the message:


"From: Space Force Command
To: Doctor Alois Gustav.

Confidential. Most Urgent.

Doctor Gustav,

Space Force hereby confirms the provisional launch window has received final approval. Operation Q-Ship is confirmed for launch at 0800 tomorrow. There will be a team briefing at 1600 this afternoon, with a Press session at 1800 hours. Formal attire is required for the Press conference.

Signed: Commander Simon Ivanov"


The Doctor purses his lips,

"Today? Did ve know that ze briefing vas today?"

"Yes, Doctor." The robot's tone is just that little bit too patient. "I placed the entry in your calendar myself. It is currently 1430 hours. This means you have one hour and thirty minutes to be ready for the briefing. I note that the message specifies formal attire. This means you will require matching socks."

"Yes, of course." The Doctor frowns, "Do ve haf zese things?"

"Yes, Doctor. I took the liberty of preparing some earlier." Archie removes a pair of socks from his chest storage unit. Each sock has been individually sealed in a plastic sleeve.

"Vunderful!" Gustav takes the socks and absentmindedly slips them into his lab coat pocket. "Leibchen!" he raises his voice to call out into the back yard, "Oh Leibchen!"

"Yes, Doctor?" the young woman with the spear enters the room. Her skin is ever so slightly flushed from her exertion, while her bosom - and what an impressive bosom it is - is speckled with the faintest dew of perspiration.

"Ah, Leibchen." Gustav beams at his adopted daughter, "Ve haf just had ze vunderful news zat ze mission is approved." He passes her the message, which the girl scan quickly, "Ve must get ready to go to ze mission briefing, so zat we can meet ze udder member of our team."

And we cut to -