For a while now, Cosmic Flipper Tours has been something of an economic marvel, taking people across the galaxy in safety and comfort. Today, Commander Altsain is proud to announce that she has joined the big league and Cosmic Flipper Tours is now Cosmic Flipper Spaceways – a move heralded by the Queen of the Stars, a massive Beluga-class liner.

Now joining the other Cosmic Flipper vessels, the Queen of the Stars had her own role to play in the fleet.

Cosmic Flipper (Dolphin-class): Conducting long-ranged sightseeing tours across the core systems and beyond.

Princess Fufu (Orca-class): Short-haul, hyper-fast luxury transport.

Queen of the Stars (Beluga-class): Bulk passenger transportation.

The Queen of the Stars began her career shipping passengers from Ito Orbital in Rhea to Wholer Horizons in LQ Hydrae. However, while she was making money from the enterprise, something was just not sitting right with the commander.

You see, Cosmic Flipper Tours had never been about the money (although it was exceedingly good at creating it). The original Cosmic Flipper had been about the best in sightseeing. The Princess Fufu had been about the best in (very fast) transportation.

Both epitomised the motto of Cosmic Flipper Tours: Across the galaxy in safety and comfort.

Cosmic Flipper Spaceways was in danger of becoming too… commercial. It had started courting the idea of economy cabins, and that simply would not do.

So, the commander cancelled her current charters, and flew the Queen of the Stars back to the shipyards at Shinrarta Dehzra with all speed. Once there, the economy cabins were stripped out, and replaced with business class cabins – business class would now be the absolute minimum passengers engaging the services of Cosmic Flipper Spaceways could expect.

With additional first and luxury class cabins already installed, the Queen of the Stars could barely get 60 passengers within her massive hull – but those 60 passengers would be treated to the best space travel could offer, bar none.

Top 1% of all liners? The Cosmic Flipper ships are in the top 1% of the top 1%.

And passengers knew this. Cosmic Flipper had become a byword for safety and comfort and, upon returning to Rhea, the Queen of the Stars had every cabin booked for a trip to LQ Hydrae within minutes. Once that trip had been completed, more passengers were clamouring for a cabin, and Commander Altsain found she could now be very choosy about whom she let on board.

So, the Queen of the Stars looks like a real success story, though her expense means profitability will be many voyages away. The commander would like to bring her back to to the hangar at some point in the near future for some well-chosen upgrades (the commander wonders just how fast a Beluga can go) but, for now, more passengers await the delights and luxuries that can be found within the Queen of the Stars.

So, will that be it for Cosmic Flipper Spaceways? Maybe not. Commander Altsain has a dream…

She dreams of a truly long-ranged passenger ship, a mighty vessel that can carry half a dozen charters at once to Colonia and beyond, one capable of conducting the sightseeing tour to end all sightseeing tours.

Watch this space for more details. Cosmic Flipper Spaceways will truly carry you across the galaxy in safety and comfort.