Facilities on Cloudbase

[Marion]

In our fan-fiction we all, occaisionally, need to refer to a place or a facility, for which there may only be the slightest (or no) authority. I have a Bistro in one story .
A certain amount of 'entertaining' goes on in the officer's quarters (in several stories) so what kind of accomodation do the Spectrum elite have?
Presumably they can at least, make a coffee or tea? So does that imply a water supply? A sink? Perhaps a microwave/toaster for the days they don't want to eat in the canteens?
There must also be a dining table/ arrangement... a sofa/futon/ recliner - for those intimate moments ... after all they can't leap onto the bed every time... can they? Besides they have to have something comfortable to sit on.
Anyone have any ideas? I'd be fascinated to hear what everyone imagines life on Cloudbase is like...

[chrisbishop]

Well, I personally thought that, considering that it is a (floating) carrrier, and that space probably has to be restricted (but then again we're talking here about the high-ranked officers onboard) each of those officers quarters must be consisting of something aking to a very small loft, with:

- a sleeping area, where the bed, and drawers (probably underneath the bed) are, and with a small closet (with a sliding panel as a door, to save space).

- a living area, where whatever personal furniture the officer has (sofa, armchair, small table, whatever) would be - of course, in a limited quantity. There would be a place somewhere for a working desk and a computer (this being the late 21st Century, the said computer would take up even less space than ours do, comparatively to the HUGE monsters of the 60s...), and some electronics (like TV, radio...) could well be built into the walls.

- of course, a small en-suite (thank you, Marion, for explaining what that word means!) would be added to those livings facilities...

Marion and I discussed today of the possibility of having a small toaster/microwave combo (very late 21rst Century), as well as a water distributor (hot and cold), coffee maker (except in the case of Blue who would be better off drinking instant) and maybe even a small icebox/fridge to put inside whatever frozen dinner they would take at the Spectramart (no beer - regulations forbid that... and re-heat it later on, when they don't feel like eating at the officers' canteen. Of course, any of these would have to take the less space as possible, so it's probable that it would have to be built into walls, or something...

[hazel]

I always imagined the living quarters to be fairly basic, even for the senior officers.
For everyone: somewhere to sleep and keep clothes, with an en-suite shower and toilet, and a small breakfast bar for that vital early-morning coffee. I also imagined a (very) small sitting area which would also serve as the entrance to quarters.
For the senior staff, there would be some extras, such as a bit more room than the lower ranks, the breakfast bar would be expanded to a small kitchenette with fridge and microwave. Bedroom slightly bigger too, (to accommodate a larger bed... )

[Marion]

That's okay! They would all need large beds- they are all VERY tall!
I think I go along with most of that... rank has its privileges - after all.

[chrisbishop]

Groans...

Girls, you both are TOO romantic...

[Mary]

I've been asked to opine on this subject, since I'm supposedly the "authority" on all things military...

I tend to think along the lines of naval vessels when thinking of Cloudbase, especially since the CinC is a Navy man. That being said, officers' accomodations on naval ships are very compact and very convertible, e.g. one chair and a sofa that converts to a bed during off-duty, and a work desk (with, yes, a very small computing device) that could also convert to a small eating area. Since the Spectrum senior staff's permanent quarters are onboard, their accomodations are surely more "luxurious" than your average naval officer. Maybe they have a small undercabinet "cube" fridge, maybe not, and maybe some small built-in appliances such as a coffee maker. But I doubt the officers would have anything other than basic stuff here, for reasons of fire safety. And certainly any electrical items that aren't built-in would have to be either Spectrum-issue or subject to previous approval for the same reason. Eating in one's quarters may not necessarily be frowned upon, but it most likely isn't encouraged either. They probably just take food back from the Officers' Mess, already prepared and ready to eat.

Although ensuite (i.e. bathroom) facilities aren't the norm on naval ships, I think we could make special allowances for them here since the officers play a much more significant role than ship's complement.

That's for the captains. I think we'd all agree that White would have much more spacious quarters so there's really not much else to say. As for Lt. Green, as head of Communications and White's right-hand man I think he would merit a private cabin, whereas the other lieutenants assigned to Cloudbase would probably have to double up (as is usually the case with junior officers everywhere). Green's accomodations wouldn't be as plush as his superiors' but they'll definitely be a step above his subordinates'. Said junior lieutenants probably make reports to Green so he'd need the extra working space anyway.

[Marion]

I think I'd agree that for non-commissioned ranks etc, the accomodation would be far less spacious - and I can see the logic of a naval tie-in, of course. But - even though I am terrible at spacial matters - I would have thought Cloudbase was bigger than any ship or submarine? Also - these people are there for the duration, this is in effect their home, so I would hope their quarters wouldn't be too cramped and basic .
There is an art to communal living - but there must be a time when every one believes that 'hell is other people' and wants a bit of privacy? Quite apart from romantic assignations
I tend to imagine the officers have a proper bed... a small armchair/table/desk/ built in wardrobes/ basic kitchen facilities/ bookcase - or storage for personal items/ and an en-suite. (It would rather put the kibosh on 'romantic' encounters in the shower, if it has to happen down in the communal bathroom )
Of course, they might have to walk sideways to negotiate the room due to all the furniture, and there wouldn't be room to swing a cat... but...
The lucky ones might even have a window

[chrisbishop]

Personally, I would prefer NOT to have a window. Cracks, air leakages, decompression... NASTY things all that!

How about the Angels? Are they part of the senior staff, and do they have the same kind of facilities than the Captains and/or Lt. Green?

[Marion]

I imagine they would have to have 'superior' quarters... with space for their off duty clothes (even Destiny's revolting collection ) and for Symphony's hair salon... (Can she really like playing hairdressers?)
They do have the Amber Room to lounge about in and they must spend most of their time on duty... So maybe their quarters don't have quite as much seating furniture as the Captains' quarters? That would leave more room for wardrobes etc...

[Clya Brown]

I'll drop a copy of this little tale in from the Spectrum | Financial Matters thread because it could just conceivably be relevant. This is a true story:

<<When a friend of ours joined the Royal Air Force many years ago, he told us of his astonishment when entering his accommodation for the first time at discovering that the furnishings supplied by and at the expense of the RAF included a card table, but not a fridge. Upen querying this with his commanding officer, he was stiffly informed that a card table was supplied because officers play cards, but that a fridge wasn't considered necessary because officers eat fresh meat every day.>>

I wonder what sort of ludicrous traditions manage to survive the transition to Cloudbase in the mid-21st century? Coming to think of it, a bed could just conceivably be one of them: remember the Room of Sleep? Obviously it's some form of communal sleeping facility, but I rather imagine it's some futuristic means of inducing accelerated rest - perhaps that's how the five Angels manage to work shifts that logic dictates ought to require a minimum of six people. I can't believe that it completely replaces more traditional sleeping facilities, unless alternative arrangements are made for the, er... other uses to which beds tend to get put. (Like doubling up as a semi-permanent open-air wardrobe and dirty clothes bin in the case of the male officers, and things like that. Why - what did you think I meant?)

[Marion]

Oh yeah, I had forgotten the Room of Sleep.... (that does sound so portentious, doesn't it?) I tend to imagine that is used for exceptional circumstances, where they are too busy to get normal shut-eye... but maybe they do use it all the time - rather stifles your 'social' life though....
I wonder if they still put bromide in the hot drinks?

[Carrie]

I'd like to think that the senior personnel do have some sort of reasonable level of facilities in their private quarters..something akin to the lines of the senior officers on the first Enterprise perhaps...although the colour scheme could be a little cheerier. Surely 2068 technology can come up with ways of creating a livable area in the minimum amount of space, which proper regard to Feng Shui principles of course; beds that go into the walls and double up as desk/seating areas. Having their own shower cubicle is a little luxury they should be afforded..However due to the limited water supply they would have to have a pre-set amount of water...so no dawdling! I wonder if they get a water refuelling every so often in the sky...and I think I may be repeating a thread in a previous forum? As for in-room eating facilities. Hmm..would the guys even WANT to do any cooking????? Seems like the canteen and a quiet word in the chef's ear would suit them better! Or perhaps the Breville sandwich toaster might even make a comeback from the cupboard under the stairs!

[Marion]

Sandwich toasters? oh my, the epitome of high-class living
I am not sure anyone would want to set about creating a dinner party type-dinner - even with a copy of Delia's cookbook in hand - but I feel sure that there might be occasions when a little something from the Spectramart cook-chill cabinet might be preferable to a canteen dinner for two...
Water rationing.... a whole new problem . Recycling and on-board water processing must be the norm... with the odd water tanker flown up from Glenn Field to top up the tanks? It would be a perfect argument for drinking beer - 'We ran out of water, Colonel, and we suddenly got very thirsty...'
BTW - if weight is a problem - it would seem to me that having a swimming pool on board would be a bit of a problem as - correct me if I'm wrong - I believe water weighs a lot....
You know, I wonder if Gerry Anderson REALLY gave this matter his full attention at the time?
It's lucky we are here to sort it out for him, isn't it?

[Kambei]

Here's a little thought, Cloudbase cruises at 40,000 ft. Above the cloud level. Clouds are water vapour. Does cloudbase have some means of sucking up clouds and purifying/processing the water?

[Scarlet Lady]

Now there's a clever idea! It would certainly make a big difference!