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Great Ship
Precious Mental
A talented stardrive mechanic is kidnapped and hauled across light-years, ending up inside a derelict alien ship. The mission is to recover the treasure that must be somewhere on board. But where? The crew is untrustworthy, and the ancient creature at the helm might be insane. And the mechanic isn't a real mechanic, but instead Pamir is a criminal with just enough skills to maybe, maybe save the day.
"Pamir discovered an elaborate star chart waiting for him. The galaxy was stuffed inside a digital bottle, the nearest million suns translated into human terms and human clocks. At the center was the Kajjas ship -- a long dumbbell-shaped body with a severely battered shield at one end, the pulse engine and drained fuel tanks behind. Its hull was slathered with black veneers and stealth poxes and what looked like the remnants of scaffolding. The captains never spotted this relic; too many light-years lay between their telescopes and this cold wisp of nothing. Even the Great Ship was too distant to deserve any size -- the core of a jovian world rendered as a simple golden vector. Sixty years had been invested reaching the Kajjas vessel, and home was receding every moment. Hypothetical courses waited to be studied. Pamir gave them enough of a glance to understand the timetables, and then he seasoned the quiet with a few rich curses."
Robert Reed has written quite a lot about the Great Ship and its immortal crew. Novels in the series include MARROW, THE WELL OF STARS, and THE MEMORY OF SKY.
"Pamir discovered an elaborate star chart waiting for him. The galaxy was stuffed inside a digital bottle, the nearest million suns translated into human terms and human clocks. At the center was the Kajjas ship -- a long dumbbell-shaped body with a severely battered shield at one end, the pulse engine and drained fuel tanks behind. Its hull was slathered with black veneers and stealth poxes and what looked like the remnants of scaffolding. The captains never spotted this relic; too many light-years lay between their telescopes and this cold wisp of nothing. Even the Great Ship was too distant to deserve any size -- the core of a jovian world rendered as a simple golden vector. Sixty years had been invested reaching the Kajjas vessel, and home was receding every moment. Hypothetical courses waited to be studied. Pamir gave them enough of a glance to understand the timetables, and then he seasoned the quiet with a few rich curses."
Robert Reed has written quite a lot about the Great Ship and its immortal crew. Novels in the series include MARROW, THE WELL OF STARS, and THE MEMORY OF SKY.
99 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 3, 2018
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 15, 2025
The story started well: a nice introduction, a nice background explanation, but couldn't get the momentum long enough, quickly becoming dull.
Also, I'm not a fan a those "thousands of years old" characters, nor aliens that don't behave very alien. The issue with the very old characters is that people in their 30s, behave/think different than those in their 20s or 40s. Evey decade has a common trait, roughly speaking. But Pamir, who is several thousands years old sounds more like a single guy in his mid 30s than whatever a thousands years old sounds (I don't know how such person sounds, but it's the author's job to write such character, not mine!). Tailor, a several millions years old alien, sounds very similar to an old crazy uncle.
The ending didn't bring a closure, at least for me, to Tailor's conspiracy theory. Maybe in another Great Ship story?
Also, I'm not a fan a those "thousands of years old" characters, nor aliens that don't behave very alien. The issue with the very old characters is that people in their 30s, behave/think different than those in their 20s or 40s. Evey decade has a common trait, roughly speaking. But Pamir, who is several thousands years old sounds more like a single guy in his mid 30s than whatever a thousands years old sounds (I don't know how such person sounds, but it's the author's job to write such character, not mine!). Tailor, a several millions years old alien, sounds very similar to an old crazy uncle.
The ending didn't bring a closure, at least for me, to Tailor's conspiracy theory. Maybe in another Great Ship story?
December 1, 2024
I'm slowing working my way through Reed's Great Ship stories. I'm still quite fascinated by the endless, immortal ship making its way across so much space, with near-immortal captains and aliens being polite--and politely violent--on occasion.
Seriously, I'm always so much more thrilled with the concepts than the actual storytelling, but I don't have any real complaints. It's simply short and interesting as hell.
Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.
Arctunn.com
Seriously, I'm always so much more thrilled with the concepts than the actual storytelling, but I don't have any real complaints. It's simply short and interesting as hell.
Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.
Arctunn.com
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews