Hope (ship)

Hope was a spaceship created by some of the last humans, intended to continue their species' legacy.

Features
The Hope was made of a series of spheres, each hundred of miles in circumference. Inside these spheres were artefacts from human history. The spheres were covered in engines and instruments which could be jettisoned in emergencies. The ship's defences were mostly automatic, though hull breaches had to be dealt with by the Guardians. The Guardians, who included Nart, Merik, Frica and Uri, were androids who looked like humans. (PROSE: Aliens and Predators)

History
The Hope was created at a time when humans were nearly extinct and had long forgotten the location of the Earth. When a signal believed to be from Earth was detected, Hope was created and filled with all the remnants of human culture. Within it was stored pureblood human DNA to seed Earth again. The Hope travelled for eighty years, menaced by the Other who wanted the DNA.

When the Second Doctor investigated the Hope, he attracted the Guardians' attention. They tried to kill him. When Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe Heriot destroyed the Guardians, the automatic self-destruction was activated. Though it could be delayed, the self-destruct could not be stopped. Seeing that there was no options, the last Guardian let the ship destroy itself, killing the Others who followed. (PROSE: Aliens and Predators)