Spacer Tattoos Freighted with Meaning (d10)

from Mothership - The Hive-mind discord channel

d10 Result

1

"HOLD FAST"
Usually in Gothic capitals - tattooed one letter per knuckle or toe. Limited by tradition to those that work 'outdoors' and best applied involuntarily (but affectionately) to anyone who's worked as a rigger for more then a couple of voyages. Having this tattoo without the various calluses and discolorations associated with regular vac suit use is likely to result in the loss of two finger (making the tattoo "OLD FAT") if one frequents portside bars.

2

"S9L"
Usually inked on the upper shoulder, this spelling of Sol replaces the letter o with the number 9 after Pluto was reintroduced as a planet again. This tat is common among spacers born in the Sol system, the home world. The tat is earned with membership into the Sol Spacers Union.

3

“CARPE NOCTEM”
Honorary tattoo bestowed on teamsters who have done 1+ years in voyage with no docking and no hyperspace jumps

4

A Nebula on the upper part of the chest. Depending on the colour it symbolises how the first long haul went. Purple means it went smooth, while black means loses of life on the trip. If a person has a Nebula with a Zodiac sign inside of it, it means they are a pirate.

5

An empty, five point star on the back of the spacer's primary hand. Indicates participation in a manned voyage to an unvisited system (spacers argue incessantly over whether the first manned voyage to a system previously scouted by unmanned probes counts). Surrounding the star with a circle indicates participation in the first manned voyage to an unvisited system that contained a life-bearing world. Very rarely, the space between the star and circle will be filled in, meaning that the life-bearing world was settled by colonists (again, spacers argue over the details - do outposts such as research stations count, or should it only apply to permanent colonies?).

6

The Dutchman
A neck tattoo of a square rigged sailing ship with ragged sales and a grim aspect. It is a reserved for spacers who have become separated from their vessel or station and were successfully rescued. Sometimes a number of skulls on the sail or peering from the vessels rails is added to indicate the number of days the spacer was lost. Crewmates may apply this tattoo as a punishment when they feel that the lost spacer's accident endangered them, though many are proud to have the Dutchman on their necks as a symbol of unusual luck

7

Bells on Chains
Descended from old Russian prison tattoos, a bell on a chain tattoo represents time served as a debt prisoner in service of a creditor (usually a corporation, bank, or occasionally a political organization) that the spacer was indebted to. Each link in the chain represents a year of service. Each bell is tattooed in a manner such that it encompasses the creditor's brand/tattoo that all debt prisoners are adorned with. A crack in the bell represents a prisoner who managed to escape their service; this is seen as an honor among laborers, but as a target for bounty hunters.

8

Our Lady of the Wanderers - A young woman in an EVA suit wearing a crown of stars and standing on a crescent moon, often holding a suited infant and accompanied by the text MATER DEI ASTRONAUTAM EST. Signifies that the bearer has survived a catastrophic incident by a margin so slim that it might as well be divine providence

9

Our Father of the Long Haulers - A short young man in a EVA suit holding a star. Signifies that the person was born in Space and has endured the stigma and trauma being a Spacer.

10

Picture of a spacer in an flight suit with a helmet, holding a wooden plank on his shoulder, with a silhouette of a vessel behind them. Signifies that spacer is a "Plank Owner" for that vessel. Usually has a vessel name and launch date underneath. Only given to original crew members who took part on the maiden voyage of a vessel.