[Spaceship Zero] Q-Ship (actually updated 19 May 2007)

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" ...


Compiled Script Books
These are pdf versions of each 'episode' of Q-Ship, available for download to read off-line:
"Blast Off!" (Season 1, Episode 1)
"Space Tomb" (Season 1, Episode 2)
"The Targ Totality" (Season 1, Episode 3)

Last Episode: "Total Escape"
First post is on this page.

Current Episode: "Venusian Christmas Carol"
First post is on this page.

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.

I love, love, love this!

Lordy, I just wish I had played in it instead of just reading it.

As I kid I had a book called "Tom Corbett: Space Cadet" It was pure 1950's sci-fi, and I read it because in a lake cabin, you read whatever is there. Reading this has made me nostalgic for the '50's camp, the silver uniforms, the phalic ships and the science which ends up being nothing more than shiney tv knobs and osciliscopes.

More, please!

Hey, hit us with all the character backgrounds at once, and start storyin'!

Great stuff, Capellan. But your first post confused me . . . did this show ever exist or is that your fictional out-of-game inspiration for the fictional game?

And what system were/are you running?

(contact) said:

Great stuff, Capellan. But your first post confused me . . . did this show ever exist or is that your fictional out-of-game inspiration for the fictional game?

And what system were/are you running?

Click to expand...

May I? The system is Green Ronin's Spaceship Zero, a wonderful non-d20 Ennie-winning game lets you create a 1950 sci-fi radio show. Only it's a TV show, like Lost in Space or Blake 7 or Red Dwarf. The game itself is written as if it is a licensed property for a long-gone TV show, although the show isn't real... and this story hour takes the same approach.

Any game where you can play a super-intelligent space monkey or an alien slave girl (a hero gets bonuses to hit when she's clinging to his leg adoringly, just like in the illustrations!) is okay with me.

Walks into thread to find posts from (contact), KidCthulhu and Piratecat.

Picks jaw up off ground.

Posts, expressing his shock and pleasure.

Confirms Piratecat's response to (contact), and concurs wholeheartedly on the subjects of super-intelligent space monkeys and alien slave girls. Promises to provide at least the latter in this story hour.

Hurries off to GM, with a further promise to post more soon.