Derelict Graveyard: Difference between revisions

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[[File:~~abandoned_shipyard_5851~~.jpg|frame]]

[[File:abandoned shipyard 5851.jpg|frame]]

An area (could be an abandoned harbor, a Lagrange point or the bottom of an ocean) which contains a number of craft (space, sea or otherwise) in varying states of disrepair. It might be just a few sunken ships lying near each other on the ocean floor, it might be a giant conglomeration of space derelicts rammed together in horrible ways over thousands of years. The crews of all these vessels long ago died or abandoned their ships... probably.

Of course, all sorts of important [[Plot Coupon|plot-related things]] could be hidden in such a place - [[Pirate]] [[Pirate Booty|gold]], the lost plans to a [[Forgotten Superweapon]], spare parts for the heroes' own badly damaged ship, an unexplainable [[Distress Call]] ~~-- and~~ there is no end to the possibilities of having mutant enemies or [[Durable Deathtrap|ancient security systems]] that get between the heroes and their goal.

Of course, all sorts of important [[Plot Coupon|plot-related things]] could be hidden in such a place - [[Pirate]] [[Pirate Booty|gold]], the lost plans to a [[Forgotten Superweapon]], spare parts for the heroes' own badly damaged ship, an unexplainable [[Distress Call]]—and there is no end to the possibilities of having mutant enemies or [[Durable Deathtrap|ancient security systems]] that get between the heroes and their goal.

Between the idea of exploring tumbling derelicts crammed with ancient technology, apparently dead hulks suddenly coming to life, a hidden base made of ancient battleships linked together, the explorers running into weird indigenous creatures or the mutant cannibal descendants of the original crews, the kind of dread powers that can gather all these vessels together in the first place, and simply the whole idea of abandoned, empty derelicts, the [[Derelict Graveyard]] is ''insanely'' [[Rule of Cool|cool]].

Between the idea of exploring tumbling derelicts crammed with ancient technology, apparently dead hulks suddenly coming to life, a hidden base made of ancient battleships linked together, the explorers running into weird indigenous creatures or the mutant cannibal descendants of the original crews, the kind of dread powers that can gather all these vessels together in the first place, and simply the whole idea of abandoned, empty derelicts, the '''Derelict Graveyard''' is ''insanely'' [[Rule of Cool|cool]].

Compare: [[Ghost Ship]]. See Also: [[The Bermuda Triangle]], [[Saharan Shipwreck]].

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* Old [[World War One]] transports that were left abandoned form the production headquarters for one group of drug dealers, in [[Tom Clancy]]'s ''Without Remorse'', a [[Prequel]] in the [[Jack Ryan]] series.

** "Bronco", in ''Clear and Present Danger'', speculates that the [http://www.amarcexperience.com/AMARCDescription.asp Boneyard] in Arizona is where the a captured druggie DC-7B will eventually be dumped, given that one more old aircraft in storage there won't be particularly noteworthy.

* The [[Redwall]] book ''The Bellmaker'' has a [[Derelict Graveyard]] of old wooden ships, which the heroes cannibalize for parts.

* The [[Redwall]] book ''The Bellmaker'' has a Derelict Graveyard of old wooden ships, which the heroes cannibalize for parts.

* The Nartec city in'' [[Animorphs]]'' #36 is built from wrecks recovered from the seabed.

* [[Andre Norton]]'s novels contain several:

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* Star Trek's ''Dominion War'' series placed one of these in the Badlands.

* In the ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek the Original Series]]'' novel ''The Final Nexus'', dimension-traveling aliens created quarantine areas for any ships infected by a mysterious insanity, long long ago. No cure was ever found, and by Kirk's time the quarantine zones are filled with massive graveyards. (One ship vaguely resembles a Borg cube! Probably a coincidence.)

** The previous novel, ''Chain of Attack'', actually outclasses it, ~~though--the~~ derelicts there include lifeless ''planets'' throughout a huge sector of space.

** The previous novel, ''Chain of Attack'', actually outclasses it, though—the derelicts there include lifeless ''planets'' throughout a huge sector of space.

* In the ''[[Starfleet Corps of Engineers]]'' series, we've got the Sargasso Sector, named for the Sargasso Sea on Earth. It's a junkyard of abandoned ships floating around a collection of black holes and quasars. The protagonists are assigned to clear a path through it to allow a convoy access - one of the series' more notable cases of [[Space Is an Ocean]].

** Finally, to show how much ''[[Star Trek]]'' likes this one, there's the Rashanar battle site in [[Star Trek: A Time to...]], a collection of wrecked ships destroyed during the Dominion War.

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** Which you can if your pilot is [[Handicapped Badass|Joker]].

** There's also Korlus, the shipbreaking planet where Grunt is recruited.

* The Sirius star system in ''Sol-Feace'' has several ship ~~components -- including~~ a large sheet of ~~fuselage -- that~~ come careening towards the player's starship, all of which can be shot back and redirected with opposing fire.

* The Sirius star system in ''Sol-Feace'' has several ship components—including a large sheet of fuselage—that come careening towards the player's starship, all of which can be shot back and redirected with opposing fire.

* ''[[Prehistoric Isle|Prehistoric Isle in 1930]]'' features this in the second part of the underwater level, showing all the ships that have gone missing in the Bermuda Triangle.

* Seventh story mission in ''[[Jaws Unleashed]]'' has you chasing some divers into a lagoon filled with partially and completely sunken ships.

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== Real Life ==

* As well as numerous fictional depictions as a [[Derelict Graveyard]], the [[Bermuda Triangle]] and in particular the Sargasso Sea have real-world reputations for being perilous areas littered with the wrecks of ages.

* As well as numerous fictional depictions as a Derelict Graveyard, the [[Bermuda Triangle]] and in particular the Sargasso Sea have real-world reputations for being perilous areas littered with the wrecks of ages.

** Although apparently the only reason the Bermuda Triangle accumulates shipwrecks is because so many shipping lanes pass through it. Statistically, it's actually safer than the rest of the ocean.

** Subverted with quiet, methodical, bludgeoning research by [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Bermuda_Triangle#Larry_Kusche Larry Kusche in ''The Bermuda Triangle Mystery: Solved''] where he discovers that while there are genuine mysteries most disappearances either happened well outside the Bermuda Triangle, occurred during a time of bad weather, the start of the search was delayed, had a number of plausible explanations, wreckage was found, the vessel never existed and/or [[Did Not Do the Research|it was reported missing but eventually got home safely]]!