The Mark Twain was the very first stepping vehicle to have been constructed, and lends its name to the twain class of vehicles as a whole. It was constructed by the transEarth institute and named after the author of Life on the Mississippi. Lobsang and Joshua Valienté used it to travel more than 2,000,000 steps out over the course of The Journey, further than any human had travelled before. It was heavily damaged after falling into The Gap, and after being brought back to the Datum by Joshua and Sally Linsay, it is presumed to have been dismantled for parts.
Appearance[]
The Mark Twain had an aluminium airframe, and its envelope was covered with chesspiece-knight transEarth logos.[1] It was powered by solar-cell film covering the envelope, and propelled by fans which were able to swivel and tilt.[2] The gondola was made of polished wood, shaped like the hull of a wooden ship, and dotted with portholes.[1] On the inside were many identical staterooms, a wheelhouse, an observation deck, a saloon deck and kitchen, and a grand hall that could be used as a cinema.[3] On each deck there was also a blue door leading to Lobsang’s personal quarters, including a laboratory, workshop, and a fabrication plant to service Lobsang’s ambulant units.[2] The Mark Twain’s own earthometers had enough digits to count up into the millions.[4]
The Long Earth[]
In 2030, it was aboard this ship that Lobsang and Joshua Valienté (later joined by Sally Linsay) sailed during their journey across the Long Earth.[5]
Notable crew members[]
Lobsang
Joshua Valienté
Shi-Mi
Sally Linsay