I am a good builder, and if that sounds like bragging, well… that’s because it is.

Simply look at my resume: modified CEIs, transporters, satellites, the nanites probe to the Main Asteroid Belt, the Ascension…, and so many other things. Now, I did not say that I was original; some of the best designs I utilized were… borrowed from others, and I am OK with it.

In most of the cases, I took a basic design and improved upon it until it was so different, the idea originator couldn't recognize the item I built. As I’m not steered by the philosophy of the lowest bidder, I tend to over-engineer everything, and then multiply that over-engineering by orders of magnitude. That is one of the reasons why the Ascension has such a thick and sturdy hull; it is way over what is essential for residing in outer space. There is nothing that will hurt my baby… I mean the City-ship (disregard that baby thing).

I like the simplicity of certain shapes, as is the discus, hence the transporters and the Ascension’s appearance. If I would have to build the same things now, the sphere would win the shape contest; it offers far superior structural integrity and space utilization. Nevertheless, by now, people are used to our crafts being in a familiar shape, and I do not want to step on any toes. Despite that, some projects in the future will undoubtedly be spherical.

I know that many would want cool looking spaceships, shaped like an arrow, having multiple turrets and engines separated from the main body. The ones that look like they come out of the movies. I am one of those individuals who have taken a firm stand that aesthetic considerations in a design should be secondary to function. Therefore—the sphere it is. If some of you who read these logs do not like it—build your own stuff, and don't complain to me. My grandpa did say that opinions were like fecal exits—everyone's got one.

Anyway, what I wanted to say is that I am a good builder, but sometimes my creations tend to fall behind the technological and environmental needs of our little space project. To clarify—I was not at fault; it was the circumstances of the times. I am talking about transporters, those utilitarian crafts that are like space taxis which everyone in the S.U. was beginning to take for granted. The original ones were adequate for the task, except they were meant to operate in Earth’s atmosphere, not in outer space. That, I will emphasize again, was not my fault, but at the time I started building them, we were planet-bound and in a bit of a rush. Therefore, they worked great for what they were intended to do, but not so well above the atmosphere.

Transporters could go there and Michael tried it out a few times, however, there was an itsy-bitsy problem with having a limited amount of air to breathe. Unfortunately, by the faulty design, humans tend to die when deprived of oxygen, which is not the optimal outcome for people living in space. I had to make a few modifications to the basic blueprint of the transporters for them to continue their usefulness. Surprisingly, that prototype sub I built for the dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench was a great starting point in the design of Transporters Mark2.

When I say a few modifications, I mean the old transporters needed to be scrapped and new ones built from scratch. It was far easier than modifying the old. Excluding their power generators and Gravity-drives, almost everything else had to be completely rebuilt to the new specs. All the transporters needed to be refitted with stronger shields, and now I had Resistanium to use for the hull, which would make them even stronger… if somewhat shiny.

The new metal alloy was given its name for self-explanatory reasons. Like steel, it was made by mixing different types of metals and minerals under a specific condition. On the other hand, if you were me, you could cheat and use the nanites to recreate that specific molecular structure and get the finished product much quicker.

There is also one extra feature all transporters now have, directly influenced by that time when Michael and the others had to take off from Earth when… when dad died. I often wondered if that time lost on the trip back would have made a difference… even if logically I know it wouldn't. In case that time ever became a factor again in saving someone’s life, I built portable AutoDocs and installed them everywhere I could.

There are dozens on-board the Ascension in different locations and levels, and there was one on every transporter in use.

It was placed in a cubbyhole in the floor, so it wouldn’t take up much space, which was one of the reasons for the interior redesign of the transporters. One could not see it, as it was seamlessly integrated into the machinery beneath the floor.

That version of the AutoDoc looked like a closed cylinder that had most of the tech as the regular-sized units, sans a few unnecessary functions. Yet, it required an additional power source because I could not see a way to pack that in. I solved this by installing a smaller fusion reactor that was tied into the transporters’ energy systems. Also, there were backup batteries that could make the machine work in a pinch, but it’s a bit dicey to rely only on them; still, multiple redundancies are always dear to my heart.

It was fully enclosed since the sterile energy field was one more thing that went into that extra, unneeded parts bin. The final product was, if not beautiful, highly functional. I have plans to place the lite models in individual apartments all over the Ascension in case of an emergency when a trip to the hospital would take too long.

As I mentioned, this new version of the transporters, when seen from outside, is a bit different from the Mark1. The holo emitters would still be able to camouflage the entire craft, but without them, they are not so black anymore, more of the polished silver color. Which is OK, I guess… a more SF inspired look increases their wow factor.

Miniaturization was the key, especially for oxygen production. I didn't want them to carry pressurized canisters around, not when they could carry enough water that could simultaneously also be used as a fuel, and a source of oxygen. Carbon dioxide scrubbers I copied from NASA (I paid a fee for using their design). Everything was built underneath the floor, and the water reservoirs were in the hull. With the holo display technology, windows were not required, and in any case, they lessen the entire structural stability of the craft.

The engines were upgraded up to take full advantage of the lack of friction in space, so there was a considerable increase in speed. Not even close to the Excalibur, but these are not spaceships intended for a prolonged flight, they are convenient vehicles to fly to and around Earth.

Don’t get me wrong, there was still space for improvements, and I fully intend to do so when some new development is discovered. Transporters have a bright future, and I envision them as cars that people will regularly use when they need to travel.

Some of you may have noticed that one thing was lacking in all these crafts I built—weapons. It was not an oversight or some idea about not bringing weapons into space. That was actually a thing; there were protesters in several cities, which were accusing us of exactly that. We were mostly innocent, except for the Hammers. I’m overlooking them on purpose since they are simple kinetic weapons; an ordinary rock could be considered as one if thrown from a great enough height.

The reason was—there was no need for them—not really. The Excalibur and transporters could achieve such speeds that any weapon systems would seem superfluous, and they all have energy screens which could deflect most conventional weapons. If someone throws a nuke at one, most weapons would be useless. The only sure way to defuse one, is an empty transporter on an intercept course and a ramming maneuver. Now, they did use a nuclear warhead on us while we were leaving Earth, so I wouldn’t put it past some crazies to try again. I have a few strategies in place if such an attack occurs, and a swift retaliatory response that would neutralize the threat in an expedient manner.

There was simply nothing to endanger transporters in such a way as to justify arming them at this point. Well, I did have a few designs that could be produced if there was ever a need, but for now, personal weapons took care of any situation Michael and the others encountered. Besides, if the problem was just too big, then the Hammers are great for getting someone’s attention… and for utterly destroying them.

If I can think of a few more design upgrades, I’ll throw them in too. In my heart, I am a highly skilled builder, and proud of it.