A new threat to data security by Drake Interplanetary SUBJECT: DRAKE HERALD DATA STATUS: URGENT Attention Team,
Attached to this dispatch are the final specifications and 3D holo-model of what you have worked all these long months to accomplish! Our Herald prototype will now enter the construction and testing phase, with a planned Q2 2945 rollout for the first sales units.
On the surface, the Herald represents a significant advance in interstellar data transfer… but as we Drake team members know, its long-term implications for data interception, stream interruption and even outright piracy are enormous. I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished, and now I can’t wait to see this baby fly!
- Becke Linns Senior Spacecraft Designer Drake Interplanetary
Please consider the environment before holographing this dispatch.
Technical details
Knowledge is power, and one of the most valuable commodities is pure information: the 1s and 0s behind everything from UEC ledgers to Citizenship ratings. Whether it’s colonists struggling to stay in contact with the UEE’s central worlds or criminals trading in illicit data, there will always be a need to securely move data. The Drake Herald, a small, armored ship, is designed to fit that need and safely get that information from Point A to Point B. Featuring a powerful central engine (for high speed transit and generating the power needed for effective data encryption/containment), advanced encryption software and an armored computer core, the Herald is unique among personal spacecraft in that it is designed to be easily ‘cleaned’ when in danger of capture. The Herald includes an array of heavy duty internal options for data protection, including redundant power subsystems and EMP shielding, and a high-powered broadcast array for data transmission.
Considered by some to be ‘so ugly it’s beautiful,’ the asymmetrical Herald looks almost like the company’s take on a Vanduul design. The Herald is a true pilot ship, at its core consisting of little more than a seat, bunk, advanced electronics and two huge engines. Drake Heralds are sold for the purpose of sensitive data transmission, but the modularity of their supporting hardpoints will allow a significant number of other purposes. While Heralds can keep pace with the fastest racers, their maneuverability is lower… but the right pilot with dedicated modifications might be able to take home some prize credits!
Known specifications
The following specifications come from an anonymous source among Drake Interplanetary’s top executives :
LENGTH 23m BEAM 15.5m HEIGHT 9.5m NULL-CARGO MASS 18000 Kg CARGO CAPACITY 0 SCU MAX CREW 2 persons MAX POWER PLANT 3 FACTORY POWER PLANT ACOM StarHeart III (2) MAX ENGINE (PRIMARY THRUSTER) 2x TR3 FACTORY ENGINE Coming Soon MANEUVERING THRUSTERS 8x TR1 FACTORY MANEUVERING THRUSTERS Drake Trireme Ina P MAX SHIELD 3 SHIELD Gorgon AllStop (2) CLASS-2 2x S1 Distortion Cannon, 1x S1 Laser Cannon Authorities recommend caution regarding the unreliable source of these specifications.
Additional Equipment The Drake Herald comes equipped with advanced encryption software, an armored computer core, a redundant power subsystem, EMP shielding and a high-power broadcast array.
The Drake Herald is offered as a limited-time concept sale, which will end on November 10th. Concept is the first step in developing a Star Citizen ship, and the craft will not yet appear in your Hangar or in Arena Commander. Those who back for a ship during a concept sale will receive Lifetime Insurance and a pair of ship-related in-game flair items (a Hangar poster and a starship model.)
Remember: we are offering this pledge ship to help fund Star Citizen’s development. All of these ships will be available for in-game credits in the final universe, and they are not required to start the game. Additionally, all decorative ‘flare’ items will also be available to acquire in the finished game world. The goal is to make additional ships available that give players a different experience rather than a particular advantage when the persistent universe launches.