Built at the turn of the twenty-first century, by Earth reckoning, the colony ships were deep-space vessels designed and built with long-term exploration in mind. Assembled in orbit, more like cities than ships, the intention was to send humans out towards the Andromeda Galaxy and towards the centre of the Milky Way. The ships were entire colonies, with a biosphere supplying food and oxygen. Below the main working decks are the living quarters aligned like streets, with parks, and crossings everything you’d expect in a small town or city. The ships sum up the whole of human curiosity and the species resolve to explore space even at speeds that would involve the voyages taking millennia.
The original ships were called Pilgrim One and Two, each of which started off with over six thousand willing volunteers, most of which were young married couples who would give birth to the next generation and train them to crew the ships. They were presumed lost because once faster than light drives were developed, and subsequently slipstream, scout vessels could not find sight or sound of either vessel.
ADDENDUM:
Recent reports suggest that one of the vessels returned to the Sol system a short time after the Human Extinction Event; however due to the on-going galactic turmoil, the Space Corps has been unable to assign a scout to investigate the rumour.
