USCSS Cronus

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The USCSS Cronus was a modified Heliades-class science ship which was built by Weyland Corp and owned by the company's successor entity, Weyland-Yutani Corporation.^[6]

History

Trip to 26 Draconis

Sent by Weyland-Yutani Corporation on classified data, the USCSS Cronus was launched in 2110 to locate samples of the Chemical Agent A0-3959X.91–15. In 2111 the Cronus eventually landed on LV-1113 in the 26 Draconis star system,^[7] where the crew found that the said chemical had somehow leaked on the planet causing mutations. The scientists brought back some samples to the ship and started to experiment with the substance, creating what they called the 26 Draconis strain.^[8]

Drifting in Space

Some scientific personnel were accidentally infected with Neomorph motes on 26 Draconis and brought them back to the Cronus. Later, crewmembers began convulsing and gave birth to Bloodbursters. Chaos took hold aboard the ship, which ended when a mutinous group of survivors ejected the ship's science module, the Cheiron, and escaped the planet. Knowing that some of them were infected by the mote, Doctor Daniel Cooper and other scientists developed a "cure" based on the strain to fight the motes, but the vaccine wasn't 100% safe and changed some into Abominations.

After the Cronus was overrun by Neomorphs and Abominations, five survivors managed to barricade themselves on the cryodeck, leaving the ship’s synthetic, Ava, to maintain the infested ship. The survivors then put themselves in stasis. Two days later, Cronus was caught in a micro-meteorite storm that damaged the ship's engines and comms array. Soon after, the navigation control and life support failed, which plunged the Cronus into a deep cold. As she was trying to leave the ship to repair the engines, Ava was attacked by an Abomination near the armory and sustained severe damage to her head.^[8][4].^[9] With no one left to repair the engines, Cronus was set to drift in space at sublight speeds for decades.^[8]

Leap in time

Seventy-two years later, Weyland-Yutani managed to locate the Cronus and sent a cargo ship, USCSS Montero, under a false run to Sutter's World to intercept it.^[10] However, before the Montero was diverted, a Colonial Marine Blackguard team located and boarded the Cronus to seize a sample of the Inoculation and bring it back to Fort Nebraska.^[11] After the Montero crew explored the ship, its mainframe came back online and its systems reactivated, awakening the last survivors.^[12] After some incidents, the survivors decided to evacuate the Cronus, but the Montero was then destroyed by Special Order 966. The survivors had no other choice but to repair the Cronus.^[13]

Repair and Destruction

As soon as the air scrubbers were cleaned and the comms array and engines repaired, the Cronus's MU/TH/UR computer system locked a course to Earth under the command of Special Order 966.^[13][14] At this point Lucas, an undercover android working for Lasalle Bionational, revealed himself and his plans to destroy the Cronus and prevent Weyland-Yutani from acquiring the 26 Draconis Strain.^[15] If he or Davis accomplish their goal, the Cronus will be destroyed.^[16]

Crew

• Albert Johns — Second Officer^[5]
• Nevin Lavigne — Third Officer^[7]
• Valerie Reid — Security Officer^[17]
• Aly Lugar — Chief Technician^[7]
• Liam Flynn — Medic^[17]
• Daniel Cooper — Chief Scientist ^[18]
• Lori Clayton — Corporate Liaison^[18]
• Ava 6 — Synthetic^[19]
• 23 others crewmembers (including the captain, pilots, scientists and security members)

Organisation

The ship is composed of four decks (Deck A, B, C and D):

• Deck A (Cryo Deck):
  • Main Airlock: This is the ship access to Deck A located on the ship's dorsal side connected to Junction 1.
  • Junctions 1 & 2 and Stairwell: These are shafts that run from Deck A to C. Junction 1 & 2 are opposite to each other.
  • MU/TH/UR 2000 Mainframe: Located just above the bridge, accessible from the Junction 1 only to persons with the correct command sequence or an emergency access keycard, this is the brain of the ship.
  • Air Scrubbers Shaft: Only accessible via maintenance shaft, the shaft contains big carbon filters that cleans the air from pollutants while the air scrubbers directly powered by the reactor, electrolyze the water at the bottom of the shaft in Deck C and provides oxygen to the ship.
  • Elevators: There are two elevators on each side to the ship that are the only way the the vehicle bay on Deck D.
  • Cryo Chambers: Three cryosleep chambers are located on Deck A with lockers in each chambers.
  • Examination Room: Located beyond the third Cryo chamber, this is the room where the crew is examinated after being in cryosleep.
  • Showers: Showers are located in corridors each side of the examination room.
  • EVA Storage: At the end of each corridors are located two rooms containing older versions of the IRC Mk.50 Compression Suit.
• Deck B (Main Deck):
  • Bridge: This is where the ship is controlled, composed of the command station and various other stations (sensor, two pilots and communication), the life support monitor and a holographic display table.
  • Vestibules: Two rooms adjacent to Junction 1 composed of the armory and the Eva storage, each vestibules are composed of two bays counting two Class-A escape pods.
    • Armory: The armory is composed of various pistols, shotguns, pulse-rifles, incinerators and probably some explosives.
    • EVA Storage: The room is equipped with red-armored EVA suits.
  • Mess Hall: Located on the starboard side this is where the crew eats, the room is composed of tables, seats and food storages.
  • Corporate Suite: Located on the port side this Corporate Executive Lori Clayton's wardroom. The room is very luxurious with a king-size bed, a couch, a wet bar and a closet with a hidden EEV espace pod located just behind that can only be accessed by Clayton.
  • Living Area: Composed on the Captain and the crew quarters, with the elevators at each side of the corridor, this is where the crew live and rest.
  • MedLab: The medical lab is where the crew is healed if needed, the room is equipped with various medikits, drugs and many surgical instruments. Two older-generation Pauling MedPods are located in the adjacent room.
  • Science Sector:
    • Science Lab 1 & 2: This is where the ship's scientific crew operates their experiences, the main lab have an enclosed decontamination area and deep-cold freezers.
    • Science Module: A Class D FTL Life that can be ejected if needed named the Cheiron, it is unknown what happens inside but it is likely the same as the two science labs.
• Deck C (Cargo Deck):
  • Airlock: North of Junction 1 is the Deck C airlock with an elevator attached to it that can lower the crew on the surface without passing by the Hangar Bay.
  • Storage Units: In these units are stored various supplies and tools, like bolt guns, cutting torchs, maintenance jacks and quinitricetyline drums. In addition to this, Lori Clayton manage to arrange a secret stash in one of these units that only her can open.
  • Cargo Bays: Two cargo bays are located each side of the ship. Bay 1 is where the food supplies is stocked while Bay 2 contains spare parts for vehicles.
  • Catwalk: The catwalk overlook the vehicle bay, a crane located on the celling that can transfert load from Deck C to Deck D.
  • Cargo Office: This is where the cargo crane is operated.
  • Coolant Tanks: Located at each side of Junction 2, the coolant tanks are here to keep the reactor from overloading and going critical. These are only accessible via service tunnels.
  • Reactor Relay Control: This is where the reactor is maintained.
  • Reactor: The reactor is the ship's power source.
• Deck D (Vehicle Bay):
  • Garage: This is where the ship's vehicles (like RTVs and ATVs) are stored.
  • Vehicle Bay: The vehicle bay can be lowered on ground and deploy an access ramp to allow vehicles to leave the ship. The garage door can be opened in space but needs to be decompressed before.
  • Airlocks: Two pairs of airlocks are located on each side of the garage to access an outer catwalk to allow in-space maintenance of engine pods.
  • Dispatch Office: This is where everything in the garage is decide.
  • Vehicle Parts Storage: This is where spare parts for vehicles are stored in the garage.
  • Equipment Shed: This is where various equipments and tools are stored in the garage.

Trivia

• The presence of the M41A Pulse Rifle in the armory is anachronistic — several sources state the weapon was first introduced in 2171, yet the Cronus was launched 2110, 61 years before this.
• The Cronus survivors bested Ripley's record of longest hypersleep by staying additional fifteen years in stasis, which makes seventy-two years. But as there was probably no one to record it, she might still hold the record.

Appearances

• Alien: The Roleplaying Game — Chariot of the Gods
• Alien: The Roleplaying Game — Destroyer of Worlds (mentioned only)
• Alien: The Roleplaying Game — Heart of Darkness (mentioned only)

Gallery

References