Tripping the Rift: Ships: Jupiter 42

The Jupiter 42 is the fastest spaceship in the galaxy and the vessel of our favourite dysfunctional crew (Chode et al in case that needed clarification). It’s an extra large transport ship with all the comforts a crew could want, and an AI with all the problems a crew wouldn’t want. If you were to see the Jupiter 42 on the road it would be a RV (Recreational Vehicle).

A family would be using it on their cross country trip. It would have all the comforts of home: bed, shower, toilet, kitchen and living area. And like home it would have all the typical family bullshit too: sibling arguments, boredom and general homicidal feelings amongst the family members. The Jupiter 42 has it all.

A holodeck, bridge, spacious crew quarters, shuttle bay, masterbatorium, pub, medical bay as well as all the cargo and hiding places you’d expect on a smuggling ship. The ship is four decks and bloody huge for a crew of five people. But this is to allow the writers to have a lot of freedom for future episodes. Despite its large size the ship can be operated almost entirely by a robotic engineer and its capable AI. Or at least semi-capable AI.

The Jupiter 42 is operated by a hypochondriac computer program called Bob. Bob often likes to slack off and generally be a pain in Chode’s ass. If it were up to him the Jupiter 42 would be permanently parked on a very peaceful and serene planet.The Jupiter 42 is surprisingly well armed. It features photon torpedoes, and a thermo nuclear weapon. But these are used as only a last resort because usually the ship just out manoeuvres its enemy fire and then escapes at warp speed as soon as it can.

Originally the ship was to be called the Free Enterprise, like the ship form the computer short(s). But the legal department at Cinegroup didn’t want to risk the lawsuit, forcing the creative staff to come up with another name. They decided on Jupiter 42. Which is a play on the Jupiter 2 from Lost in Space, and possibly 42 from Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.

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Tripping the Rift reviews are © 2005 Ryan Bechtel.
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Tripping the Rift names, characters and everything else associated with the series are the property of CineGroup.