Low Berth Rack

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A Low Berth Rack is a high technology device used to transport passengers in cryogenic sleep.

Description (Specifications)[edit]

Interior fittings: Deck plans typically show various furnishings and fittings which appear within the ship. [2] Furniture hinders movement and may, in some instances, blocks sighting and weapon fire as well. [3]

  • ”Low Passage” is a type of accommodation. Broad categories of accommodations are Cryo Berth, Chill Berth, and Warm Berth.
  • Miscellaneous: Low berths are stacked (...usually) three high. They are coffin-sized containers, with readouts monitoring the vital signs of transportees mounted at convenient locations. Double stacked and standing (...slightly inclined) are also available but rarer. Standing berths have extra restraints and are used primarily orbit to orbit to avoid atmospheric turbulence injuries. [5]
  • Low Berth Racks are inherently dangerous and mortality rates are statistically high even if the odds are relatively low compared to other interstellar dangers. Extended stays are more dangerous but less so than repeated freezing/thawing. They come in a vast variety of sizes, makes, models, and types. Many are dedicated units for cheap interstellar travel, while others are specialized for emergency medical use. At TL-12 onwards, the Cryo Capsule can be separated from the freeze/thaw mechanism and moved as a stretcher for short periods. The use of the Frozen Watch is another application of this technology. [6] [7]
  • Some societies in Charted Space have used them as sophont time capsules, living their finite lives over centuries or even millennia. The legend of Giirkha Girgi has inspired some to becomes Winkles as part of Timer Clubs. In some societies, those wishing to get away from undesirable situations may use low berths to let these pass, such as the unemployed, athletes in the off season, criminals wishing to run out statutes of limitations, etc. [8] [9]

Image Repository[edit]

No information yet available.

Low Berth Variants And Alternatives Table[edit]

Low Berth Variants and Alternatives
Type 1. TL 2. Max Time 3. Medic Required 4. Recovery Time 5. Operating Cost 6. Conscious 7. Space 8. Aging 9. Side effects
Steerage Berth TL:1-3+ 7-SOC weeks Yes None Cr2,000.0 Yes 1.0 Ton x2 Mental disorders, physical diseases, etc.
Hypothermic Berth TL:7-9+ TL-7 weeks Yes 3 hours Cr200.0 Semi 0.5 Ton 1/2 Death, Heart issues, Confusion, etc.
Near-Cryogenic Berth TL:7-9+ indefinite Yes 6 hours+ Cr2000.0 No 1 Ton 1/60 Death, Heart issues, Confusion, etc.
Cryogenic Berth TL:7-9+ Indefinite Yes 40 minutes Cr100.0 No 0.5 Ton No Aging Death, frost bite, etc.
Emergency Low Berth TL:7-9+ TL-7 weeks Yes 3 hours Cr400.0 No 0.5 Ton No Aging Death, Heart issues, Confusion, etc.
Fast Drug Berth TL:10-12+ Aging limit No Minutes Cr3,133.0 Yes 1.0 Ton 1/60 Drug withdrawal, diseases, lifting injuries, etc.
Early Stasis Berth TL:13-15+ Indefinite Yes 20 minutes Cr100.0 No 0.5 Ton No Aging Death, frost bite, etc.
Stasis Berth TL:19-21+ Indefinite Yes 20 minutes Cr0.0 No 0.5 Ton No Aging None

Low Berth Explication[edit]

Low Berth Explication
Type Tech Level Remarks
Steerage Berth TL:1-3+ This is not a cold sleep device (listed here as an alternative to cold sleep). Bunks normally stacked 3-4 high with shared fresher and small common area. No change to aging from steerage (...unless psychosis increases aging). Side effects include mental disorders (claustrophobia, PSTD, anxiety, depression, etc), physical injuries thus related, diseases. Due to the high risk of diseases and plague ships many ports will not allow Steerage Passengers, some may quarantine ships and passengers upon arrival and thus effect ship schedule. Illegal in the Imperium. [10]
Hypothermic Berth TL:7-9+ Also known as a Chill Berth. Induced hypothermia (body temp between 5C and 30C for humans) reduces heart rate and oxygen use primarily for surgical purposes. Primary method of suspended animation used in AutoDocs. Requires closer monitoring than CryoBerths. Learning programs or audio entertainment can be used by the occupant. Slows aging by half or more at lower temperatures, lower temperatures reduces the effectiveness of learning programs. Side effects include death, heart issues, confusion, and higher risk of pneumonia. Confusion normally clears in 1-6 days, arrhythmias, pneumonia, low platelet counts, and low white count can be treated through normal medicine. [11] [12]
Near-Cryogenic Berth TL:7-9+ In an attempt to reduce aging and improve survivability of long sleeps, one variant of the Hypothermic Berth was a Near-Cryogenic Berth (body temp between -5C and 5C for humans). The technologically is crude and requires the patient to wear a special suit, with many tubes connecting it to the container itself for the many sensors, but also for the various body fluids the container and the patient will exchange, including several catheters and probes. In particular, the blood of the patient is mixed in high ratio, or sometimes even completely replaced, with an artificial fluid whose function is similar to formaldehyde : preserving the body from decay. Other fluids which need to be controlled include oxygen (or other breathing gases), saline solution (to control body dehydration), excrements and so on. At the end of the cold sleep, the artificial preserving fluid is filtered out. No need to say, this is somehow traumatizing for the body, which explains why cold sleep is risky for the health of the patient.
Cryogenic Berth TL:7-9+ Also known as CryoBerth, Cryo Capsules, Cryo Coffins. Standard Low Berth in known space, uses extremely low temperatures to produce a state of suspended animation. Once frozen, the room can be brought to vacuum and the occupants can remain in suspended animation for hundreds or even thousands of years. No aging occurs in a CryoBerth. If more than a year is spent in suspended animation then it is best to have a full doctor available for the reanimation process, whereas during normal transportation process a trained medic is sufficient. No medical procedures can be preformed on a person in a CryoBerth. Side effects include death, frost bite to extremities, and neurological damage. Neurological damage normally heals in 1-6 weeks, Frost bite can be treated with regrowth or prosthetics. [13]
Emergency Low Berth TL:7-9+ Cryogenic Berth, Early Stasis Berth, or Stasis Berth for 4 people with single mechanism and master control, with activation button inside and outside so master occupant can activate. All occupants suffer the same fate.[14][15]
Fast Drug Berth TL:10-12+ This is not a cold sleep device (listed here as an alternative to cold sleep). Same as the steerage berth with the passengers under Fast Drug to prevent psychological side effects. Up till TL12, the passenger will be under the influence of the drug for 60 days, after TL12 the antidote is available and the the effects can be stopped at end of passage. Cost drops for long passages, the base of Cr2,900 is for the drugs required (60 days or fraction thereof) and Cr233 per week life support. While Fast Drug slows the metabolism of the passenger, it may not affect germs in the air, thus still having possibility of becoming a plague ship with the resulting port restrictions. Muscle strain and bone injuries are possible, as holding/lifting anything will be 60 times longer than expected and fast drug does not increase endurance.[16]
Early Stasis Berth TL:13-15+ Similar to Cryogenic Berth except uses gravitic, sonic, and damper technology to reduce the body temperature from the core out, but still uses extremely low temperatures to maintain suspended animation. Becomes the Standard Low Berth upon availability. No aging occurs in an Early Stasis Berth. No medical procedures can be preformed on a person in an Early Stasis Berth. Side effects are the same as Cryogenic Berths but at a decreased level. [17] [18]
Stasis Berth TL:19-21+ Damper theory developed to the point of being able to reduce the action of all molecules. No aging occurs in a Stasis Berth. No medical procedures can be preformed on a person in a Stasis Berth. Extremely low chance of death. [19]

Low Berth Revival Process[edit]

The exact details of the revival process depend upon the exact cryogenic technology used, its TL sophistication, and other details.

  • However, as a rough rule, civilian low passage berths take about 30 to 40 minutes for the revival process to work.
  • Emergency Low Berths take twice as long to revive.
  • Military grade berths take about 15 to 20 minutes for the revival process, with dressing and getting to station approximately 40 minutes.[20]

History & Background (Dossier)[edit]

Unfortunately, the low passage system involves some intrinsic dangers to the passenger, and he runs some risk of not surviving the voyage.

  • A certified medic is required to be present during revival.
  • Refunds or civil liability if a low passenger fails to survive the trip are not allowed.

The Low Lottery[edit]

The Low Lottery: It is customary for the captain to contribute Cr10 out of each low passage towards a lottery. Each low passenger randomly guesses the number of low passengers who will survive the trip. If the winner does not himself survive, the captain receives the money. The ship's steward administers the lottery. [21]

Expected Low Berth Development Sequence[edit]

COLD SLEEP DEVICES & RELATED TECHNOLOGIES:

COLD SLEEP ALTERNATIVES:

Cold Sleep Usage Outside the Third Imperium[edit]

The Big Nine and many minor races often have fairly uniform approaches to the use of this technology:

Charted Space Attitudes to Cold Sleep[22]
Society Polity Remarks
Aslan Aslan Hierate They use Steerage and Cryo Berths but a few use bunks and a meditative trance like state (...effects similar to a Fast Drug Berth).
Droyne Droyne Oytrip Yatroy They use bunks and psionic suspended animation.
Hiver Hive Federation They have a much higher mortality rate in Cryogenic and Chill Berths and therefore do not use them.
Solomani Solomani Confederation They use all forms of mass passage.
Sword Worlder Sword Worlds Confederation They prefer Chill Berths.
Imperial Sophonts Third Imperium Cryo Berths are standard and Steerage is outlawed due to Vilani influence. Fast Drug Berths have gotten limited approval but are highly monitored.
K'kree Two Thousand Worlds They are too claustrophobic for any type of tight packing transportation.
Vargr Vargr Extents They have no consensus or racial preference for any form of mass passage.
Vilani Ziru Sirka (subsumed) They are morally opposed to Steerage and thus prefer Cryo Berths
Zhodani Zhodani Consulate They use bunks and psionic suspended animation, but both Cryo and Chill Berths are sometimes available in the Consulate for non-psionics.

Other Races[edit]

Asym can use low berths with the same level of risk as Humans.

Bwap can use Human low berths provided they are adequately adjusted; this is an easy process for a knowledgeable engineer, taking only about an hour's work.

Denaar can't use Human-designed low berths and none have been designed especially for them. Denaar resist the idea of keeping their non-sapient young -- their replacement bodies -- in low passage instead of milling around in crowded staterooms or cargo bays. They universally feel that this is a cruel and unnatural treatment for the bodies-in-waiting.

Guy-Troy can't use Human-designed low berths. Those designed specifically for Guy-troy utilise a latent cell preservation process natural to their kind, and so are much safer than Human models. In fact, instances of death by Guy-troy in their own low berths is almost unheard of.

Hana Saka can't use Human-designed low berths and none have been designed for the race.

Hresh can't use low berths at all, and find the entire concept of such amusing. Being plants capable of prolonged existence in one place, they are happy to settle down in a stateroom or cargo bay for journeys of any length.

References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]

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  1. ↑ Gary L. Thomas. "Medical Digest - Suspended Animation." The Travellers' Digest 21 (1990): 40-45.
  2. ↑ Jordan Weisman. "Book 2." Adventure Class Ships Volume 1 (1982): 5.
  3. ↑ Jordan Weisman. "Book 2." Adventure Class Ships Volume 1 (1982): 6.
  4. ↑ Gary L. Thomas. "Medical Digest - Suspended Animation." The Travellers' Digest 21 (1990): 40-45.
  5. ↑ Jordan Weisman. "Book 2." Adventure Class Ships Volume 1 (1982): 6.
  6. ↑ Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
  7. ↑ Gary L. Thomas. "Medical Digest - Suspended Animation." The Travellers' Digest 21 (1990): 40-45.
  8. ↑ Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
  9. ↑ Gary L. Thomas. "Medical Digest - Suspended Animation." The Travellers' Digest 21 (1990): 42.
  10. ↑ Frank Chadwick, Dave Nilsen. Traveller: The New Era (Game Designers Workshop, 1993), 219.
  11. ↑ Gary L. Thomas. "Medical Digest - Suspended Animation." The Travellers' Digest 21 (1990): 40.
  12. ↑ Information provided to the library by CRHensley
  13. ↑ Information provided to the library by CRHensley
  14. ↑ Marc Miller, Frank Chadwick, John Harshman. "Book 5." High Guard (1980): 34.
  15. ↑ David Golden, Guy Garnett. "Book B." Fire, Fusion & Steel (1997): 78.
  16. ↑ Marc Miller. Starships (Game Designers Workshop, 1977), 44.
  17. ↑ David Golden, Guy Garnett. "Book B." Fire, Fusion & Steel (1997): 78.
  18. ↑ Gary L. Thomas. "Medical Digest - Suspended Animation." The Travellers' Digest 21 (1990): 40.
  19. ↑ Marc Miller. Referee's Companion (Game Designers Workshop, 1988), 28.
  20. ↑ Marc Miller, Frank Chadwick, John Harshman. "Book 5." High Guard (1980): 44.
  21. ↑ Marc Miller. Starships (Game Designers Workshop, 1977), 5.
  22. ↑ Gary L. Thomas. "Medical Digest - Suspended Animation." The Travellers' Digest 21 (1990): 43.
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