Spacer Ace

A slang term for the elite cruiser pilots of the era before computerised navigation, the best of the best in spacer culture. The Aces were able to calculate slingshot paths through normal space and even discontinuous transits by intuition, making them geniuses of the first order.

Unfortunately, this talent has now been lost. However, there are some (especially among the spacerpunk subculture) who wear uniforms inspired by old images of these brave souls, and use "Ace" as a term of respect among themselves. Many of these new-generation Aces have badges on their left sleeve indicating significant piloting achievements (such as completing a cargo transfer without decelerating, making successful long jumps, or beating a time record for a known discontinuity)

It should be noted, however, that most images of Aces, and the word itself, actually originate from the <date>2012</date> film One Giant Leap: A Soliloquy.