STSF Seiben

Do let me know how you're liking it. After some time with Vista and putting up with my computer constantly crapping out on me, I too am deeply considering getting a Mac when my current PC kicks the bucket. I went to the Apple Store today, and had a look at some, and boy, am I tempted. (and I managed to find the Right-Click pretty quick too :) )

02 November. With the Challenger berthed next to Georgetown, preparations are made for dinner aboard the latter at 1930. Whilst Captain Zareh and his crew prepares, on the Challenger, the crew debates what to do next when Captain Rok'Tun, gives Seiben some 'friendly' information, regarding to the location of the previous fleet. Not wanting to leave Georgetown on its own, the USS Columbia as been ordered to investigate these claims. TBS: 30 - 60 minutes 110208.txt

"Saying Goodbye" A joint log by Hans Seiben & Ayumu Kasuga The Republic slowed to an eventual stop, as the stars that surrounded it stopped streaking to become their individual solid forms. A typical scene for the crew of the ship, much to the extent where most people didn't even give it a second glance. But, for Hans Seiben, this stop over would be different. For one thing, he wasn't the one actually performing the stop, as he usually did at helm. Instead, he was in his quarters emptying out his drawers. He was never really too good at packing. Folding his clothes small enough to fit in his suitcases proved to be a more difficult endeavour than he had realised. Having amassed alot of extra clothes and other assorted stuff over the past few years, meant that there was less room in his suitcases for everything. It was even an effort trying to find the darned things, buried in the bottom of his closet, dirty with dust due the fact that hadn't actually used it in over five years. Seiben felt a wave of nostalgia come about him. The last time was packing all of his stuff like this, was when the fresh young ensign straight out of academy was packing what little he had to his first assignment. Time seemed to have flown in that time, and with it more stuff to put in his suitcases. Oh, alot has happened since then. Shopping trips to space stations, star bases and the various worlds they've visited (before they were tossed in the local jail, or were summarily driven out the planet -- or both). An accumulation of those trips, showed just how compulsive a shopper Hans was. "Sod it" breathed Hans in a sigh of frustration. "I'll just replicate a bigger suitcase" he said, and did. He was just about finished packing when he heard a familiar chime at his door. "I'm just about finished packing, but enter" he said, expecting it to be Will or one of his cronies waiting to escourt him off the ship. Instead, it was the familiar face of Ensign Kasuga, who was taking a curious look around the room. "It must be nice. Your room looks so big" Hans, who was now leaning heavily on the smaller suitcase with all his weight, glanced over at the young ensign as he managed to secure the latches shut. "Oh, it's not much bigger than the quarters you get. It only looks big because it's so empty" Ayumu said something, which might have been "oh", and looked about the room. Hans wasn't sure what she was looking at, and didn't bother to ask. "Well, thanks for coming to see me off" he finally replied as he extended the handle up to maximum length. "I still can't believe that this is it" "Yeah, you've been here along time. This was your first assignment, right?" asked Ayumu. Hans nodded. "Yeah, like yourself, I started here as an ensign and rose the ranks to Commander. I can't believe it's been that long" he said as he wheeled both his suitcases towards the door. "Yeah..." replied Ayumu. "I sure hope I could do a good job. There's so much buttons and stuff I have to remember. It can be hard sometimes" Hans shrugged as he wheeled the suitcases down the corridor towards the turbo lift. "Don't worry about it, ensign. There may be alot of buttons on the consoles, but it's easy to remember what everything does" "When it doubt, just go ahead and press it. If the console beeps angrilly at you, then it's the wrong button and you'll need to try another one" continued Hans. "But, I think you got flying the ship down pat, and you're a good shot in Tactical. I'm sure you won't have any problems.. just a bit of friendly advice though;" warned Hans. "Mind those wormholes, and if all possible, try to avoid away missions. It's much better being the bridge than in some dank, dark jail cell or muddy grassy field" he frowned, recalling the mission he had just returned from. The pair left the turbolift and entered Transporter Room 1. There, the Transporter Chief helped get Hans' luggage on the transporter pad. Hans smiled. "Well, this really is it. I was half expecting Mr. Robinson to drive me off with a phaser or something" Ayumu frowned. "They didn't really tell me too much about your leaving. What will you be doing next?" she asked. "Well.." started Hans "after I beam over to Camelot Station, I'll catch a charter flight through the wormhole back to the Alpha Quadrant, where I'll need back to Earth. Actually, I'm taking Commander Ryan's place in Starfleet Academy as head flight instructor" Ayumu looked up. "He's leaving? I kind of liked him. He taught me slowly so I could remember" she said, recalling her old academy days. "I don't know about that, but I'm just covering for him whilst he takes care of some emergency that came up. After that, I don't know what I'll do. Probably enroll in Command school, or take another assignment. Who knows?" he smiled. "I hope I can see you again..." replied Ayumu. To that, Hans shrugged. "It's a small universe, so perhaps you just might. But, either way. I'm sure that you'll go far in your endeavours. I've taught you everything I know, and you now know as much about the Republic as I do." Small universe? If the universe is 4.6 billion light years, that's an awfully wide margin to consider 'small'. I'd hate to think what he considers large. Ayumu thought to herself as she stared at Seiben blankly. Her eyes glazed over for aa second, before she brushed her thoughts aside. "Back to San Francisco, eh? A new sushi restaurant opened near the Presidio. It's very good" she smiled. Hans smiled awkwardly. "Uhh, thanks Ensign. I'll be sure to give it a try. But anyway... goodluck in alpha shift. And congratulations on making the big shift so quickly" Ayumu smiled. "Goodluck to you too, sir. I was going to be a teacher too, but it was too hard and I didn't like it" Hans smiled "Oh. Well, ensign. This is goodbye, I guess. As of now, you are officially the Chief Tactical and Helm Officer of the ship. Do be sure to give the crew my best" he said. Ayumu looked over at Hans. "Okay. Give my best to Commander Ryan and the sea slugs at the beach" Hans nodded. "I'll do that. Take care of yourself" Hans nodded at the transporter chief, who has been waiting rather patiently to beam the Commander over to Camelot Station. Ayumu stepped off the pad and waved goodbye. Smiling. Hans waved back as the transporter chief activated the transport, dematerialising off the Republic for the final time.

Good bye to Seiben who will be leaving the Republic. (But not quite...)

A friendly reminder that Daylight Savings time ends this weekend for most of North America. Remember to set your clocks back an hour on Saturday night. Otherwise, if you're not affected by DST, please remember that sims start an hour earlier than usual.

26 October: With the Klingon Empire on the brink of a civil war, Starfleet has summoned the assistance of Ambassador Curzon Dax to help ease things down a bit. Bringing him, is the USS Georgetown, captained by Captain Zareh. Arriving in time to stop another diplomatic incident, in the form of another Federation ship on sensors (Georgetown), Ambassador Dax sets the ball in motion to provide an end to the internal struggle. Meanwhile, Haskins calls home, and Dr. Juno makes his decision about his future onboard the Challenger known to Captain Seiben. TBS: 2 hours

19 October Cardinal is now dead, and on the bridge, the Captain, Commander, Kimiko and Mr. Haskins discuss what Cardinal said about 'finding the third' shortly before he died. What could that possibly mean? Meanwhile, Drs. Juno and Gidgidonni continue to discuss morales and ethics, as tensions on the surface continue to heat up... TBS = 1 hour. 10192008.txt

UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS EXCELSIOR REFIT CLASS VESSEL SPECIFICATIONS CLASS SPECIFICATIONS Vessel type: Explorer/ Counter Cloak Heavy Cruiser Unit Run: USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B, USS Challenger, NCC-2457 among others. 101 units to be built in total Commissioned: 2293 - present Dimensions: Length: 467 m Beam: 185 m Height: 100 m Mass: 2,350,000 metric tons Cargo Capacity: 35,200 metric tons Crew: 750, maximum evacuation limit rated at 9800. Decks: 28 in total Armament: 12 x Type VIII phaser banks, total output 20,500 Terra Watts 4 x 2nd class photon torpedo tubes, with 150 total rounds Defense Systems: Standard shield system, total capacity 1,296,000 Tera Joules Standard Duranium Double hull. Standard level Structural Integrity Field Performance (TNG Scale): Normal Cruise : Warp 6.0 Maximum Cruise : Warp 8.6 Maximum Rated : Warp 9.0 for 12 hours. Refit Cycle Minor : 2 year Standard : 6 years Major : 18 years Diplomatic Capability: Grade V Expected Hull Life: 100 years DECK LAYOUT (NOTE: Challenger deck layout slightly modified from that of standard layout to accommodate Marine Corps) Deck 1: Captain’s Ready Room, Main Bridge, Briefing Room Deck 2: Junior and Senior Officers Quarters, VIP/Guest Quarters Deck 3: Officers Quarters, VIP/Officer's Mess Deck 4: NCO Quarters, Enlisted Crew Mess, Galley Deck 5: Main Phaser and Fire Control, Auxiliary Control Room and Support, Impulse Engines and Engineering Support Deck 6: Primary Life Support Systems, Primary Computer Core Control, Cargo Bay 1 & 2, Recreation Rooms 1 and 2 Deck 7: Computer Core, Sickbay, Chief Medical Officer's Office, Primary Science Labs, Counselor's Office Deck 8: Computer Core, Junior Officers and Crew Quarters, Main Lounge, Secondary Science Labs, Fusion Power Generators 1 and 2 Deck 9: Interconnecting Dorsal/Intermix Shaft/Turbolifts, Forward Torpedo Bay Control, Forward Torpedo Bay Magazine, Armoury, Holding Cells, Chief Tactical Officer's Office Deck 10: Transporter Room 1, Interconnecting Dorsal/Intermix, Shaft/Turbolifts, Forward Torpedo Launchers, Shuttlebay Hangar and Maintenance Sections Deck 11: Upper Engineering Support Area, Machine Shop, Primary Maintenance Support Centre, Shuttlebay, Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Deuterium Storage Tanks Deck 12: Main Engineering, Primary Systems Support Compartment, Living Quarters, Shuttle Bay, Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Fusion Power Generators 3 and 4 Deck 13: Living Quarters, Primary Shuttle Maintenance Hangar, Main Deflector Auxiliary Systems, Emergency Batteries / Fusion Power Generators 5 and 6, Aft Phaser and Torpedo Weapon Control, Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Emergency Transporter Rooms 1 and 2 Deck 14: Secondary Deflector Control, Living Quarters, Stellar Cartography, Cargo Bay 1, Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Engineering Section Impulse Engine Control and Support Centre, Engineering Section Impulse Engines, Enlisted Personnel Living Quarters Deck 15: Recreation Deck/Zero-G Gymnasium, Crew Lounge, Deuterium Storage,Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Engineering Section Impulse Engines, Nacelle Power Transfer Assembly, Nacelle Personnel Transfer Conduit, Primary and Emergency Deflector Dish Graviton Polarity Generators, Subspace field distortion generators, Enlisted Personnel Living Quarters Deck 16: Tertiary Multipurpose Laboratories, Transporter Room 2, Emergency Transporter Room 3-4, Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Cargo Bay 3 - Primary Cargo Bay, Cargo Bay 2, Cargo Bay 4, Cargo Transporters 2, 3 and 4. Deck 17: Waste Recycling, Environmental Control, Emergency Batteries, Brig, Secondary Computer Core, Anti-matter Generators, Gravimetric Polaron Generators, Secondary Shield Generators, Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly Deck 18: Anti-matter Injectors, Warp Core - M/ARA Reaction Assembly, Emergency Gravimetric Polaron Generators, Tractor Beam Generator, fore and aft Tractor Beam assemblies Deck 19: Marine Command Centre, Marine Barracks, Bunker Rooms, Drill Area, Marine Armoury, Marine Shooting Range Deck 20: Forward Torpedo Launchers One & Two, Tractor Beam Emitters, Living Quarters, Cargo Bay, Marine Barracks, Bunker Rooms Deck 21: Docking Ports, Deflector Control, Library, Hydroponics Bay, Antimatter Tanks Deck 22: Crew Quarters, Transporter Room, Parts Storage, Secondary Computer Core, Deck 23: Emergency Batteries, Secondary Antimatter & Deuterium storage, Crew Quarters Deck 24: Crew Quarters, Industrial Replicators, Phaser Control, Tractor Beam Control, Aft Torpedo Launcher Two, Deck 25: Brig, Ship's Quartermaster's Office, Exobiology Lab, Research Labs, Deck 26: Emergency Batteries, Shuttlebay, Shuttle Storage & Maintenance Deck 27: Auxiliary Power Control, Power Relay Junction Network System, Warp Core Ejection Systems Deck 28: Power Relay Junction Network System, Tractor Beam Emitter, Warp Core Ejection Systems MAIN BRIDGE General Overview: Primary operational control of the Excelsior Class is provided by the Main Bridge, located at the top of the primary hull. It is located on Deck 1. The Main Bridge directly supervises all primary mission operations (with the exception of the Flight bay and assorted craft) and coordinates all departmental activities. The Main Bridge is a highly restricted area; only Beta-Two security clearance personnel (Officers with the Rank of Ensign or Higher) and authorised bridge personnel are allowed on the bridge. All bridge officers have access to a small armoury on the bridge that carries type II phasers. The Main Bridge is an ejectable module, allowing for a wider variety in mission parameters. Layout: The central area of the Main Bridge provides seating and information displays for the Captain and two other officers. The Captain’s Chair is raised from the rest of the Bridge Officers, to that of the surrounding level which includes Tactical and Operations. The two Officer seats are equipped with fully programmable consoles for a variety of uses. Directly fore and to the right of the command area is the Flight Control Officer, who faces the main viewer. The FCO is equipped with a console that proceeds around at a 45 degree angle. Directly fore and to the Captain's left is the Operations manager's console. Identical in size and design to the Helm station, the Operations console is one of the most sensitive consoles to access on the bridge, due to the wide variety of information available there. At the very front of the bridge chamber is a large viewscreen. This main viewer performs all the standard duties expected of it. However, the viewscreen is not always activated like most other Starships. It is a full Holographic display, that can be activated upon request. When the screen is not active, the screen remains dark. Aft and to starboard of the command area is an elevated platform on which is located the tactical/security control station (comprised of two consoles, one for tactical, and one for security, located directly behind tactical and along the back of the bridge area). These consoles are to the starboard side of the Captain’s Chair, no longer in the direct middle. Against the port side walls of the main bridge are the consoles for Science and others that are programmable for a multitude of functions. There are two Science consoles with Science 2 being a fully programmable multi-mission Console. Science I, which is the primary science console. Science I has priority links to Conn, Ops, Computers, and Tactical. Science II is the ASO's (Assistant Science Officer's) console, which can be used by any personnel. Science II has access to all science, navigational, sensor, and communications systems. Science II can be configured to operate in tandem with Science I, although security links and all other non-science data is withheld from Science II. Science II usually works independently of Science I. Against the aft wall of the main bridge is the large engineering console. This has a smaller cutaway diagram of the starship, which displays all engineering-relevant data and shows warp fields and engine output. This console also has priority links to the computers, the WPS (Warp Propulsion System), the IPS (Impulse Propulsion System), navigation, SIF, and IDF. Although usually unattended, the Chief Engineer can bring this console to full Enable mode by entering voice codes and undergoing a retinal scan. Also located on the platform, against the aft wall of the bridge, is a large master systems display monitor, similar to the one in main engineering. All relative ship information (such as damage, power distribution, etc.) is displayed on the cutaway image of the starship. This monitor can be used to direct ship operations and can be configured for limited flight control if necessary. Also located in the Bridge Engineering is the Engineering II console, which is fully programmable to run any Secondary Console function, including Sciences, Medical, Operations, Limited Helm control, or Security. This console, as does every console on the bridge, also has the hand-input sub-console for use in setting the auto-Destruct of starship. The auto-destruct sequence follows Standard Starfleet security procedures which can be accessed via any secured Memory Alpha ODN connection. There are two turbolifts on the bridge that can handle normal transit around the starship. There is also an emergency ladder that connects the bridge to Deck three. There is also one door, on the aft platform of the bridge, that leads to the Conference Room, which is directly aft of the Main Bridge. Other connected rooms to the Main Bridge include the Captain's Ready Room. There are no escape pods connected to the bridge. Pods are located on all decks below Deck three. Each pod can support two people for 4 hours in space, and has a maximum speed of half impulse. Two pods are reserved for the top four officers in the chain of command on the starship, because they are the last four to leave the ship. These are located on Deck two. As the number of experienced Captains dwindles in Starfleet, the notion of a Captain going down with his ship has been abolished. If the ship is abandoned, the top four officers in the chain of command will wait until everyone else is off the ship, opt to arm the auto-Destruct (not always necessary, but there if needed), and then leave in the two escape pods. MAIN ENGINEERING Located on Deck 12, Main Engineering is the ‘heart’ of the ship, comparable to the bridge as ‘brain’. It has access to almost all systems aboard the starship, and manages repairs, power flow, and general maintenance. Entrance to Main Engineering is provided by two large blast doors that can be closed for internal or external security reasons. Just inside of that is an observation area where technicians monitor various systems of the ship. Also in that area, is a floor-mounted situational display similar to the Master Systems Display found on the Bridge. Affectionately referred to as the 'pool table' the Chief Engineer can use the display to more easily get a broad view of the situation with just a glance. Farther in from the observation area is the warp core and main control systems. Circular in shape, the room was designed to be small but exceedingly functional to save space inside the ship. Usable consoles are mounted on every piece of ‘real estate’ around the circumference of the room and provide primary control access for the engineers and technicians. Off to the starboard side of Main Engineering is the Chief Engineer’s Office, which is equipped with a diagnostics table, assembly and repair equipment, a small replicator, and a personal use console with built-in private viewscreen. In the centre of Main Engineering is the Matter/Anti-Matter Assembly (M/ARA). This is where primary power for the ship is generated inside the Matter/Anti-Matter Reaction Chamber (M/ARC). This system is checked on a regular basis due to its importance to the ship. Access to the warp core is restricted, with a front port to get to the Dilithium matrix as well as an over side port for access to the warp plasma conduits. A second tier rings the second level of Main Engineering. A small single-person elevator, as well as a ladder on the opposite end, provides access to this catwalk. Access to the Jefferies Tubes is provided in various places on both the First and Second Tier of Main Engineering. Typical crew compliment in Main Engineering consists of twenty engineers and thirty technicians of various grades. During Red or Yellow Alert, that number is increased. CREW QUARTERS General Overview: All crew and officers' (except for the Commanding officer's and Executive Officer's, which are located on deck 2) crew quarters are located on decks 3, 4, 8, 13-15 and 22-24. Individuals assigned to the Excelsior Class starships for periods over six months are permitted to reconfigure their quarters within hardware, volume, and mass limits. Individuals assigned for shorter periods are generally restricted to standard quarters configuration. Crew Quarters: Standard Living Quarters are provided for both Starfleet Non-Commissioned Officers and Ensigns These persons are expected to share their room with another crew mate due to space restrictions aboard the starship After six months, crew members are permitted to bring family aboard the ship and a slightly larger room is allocated to them. Two NCO's or two Ensigns are assigned to a suite. Accommodations include 2 bedrooms with standard beds, connected by a living/work area. A washroom with ultrasonic shower is located off of each bedroom. A food replicator and a personal holographic viewer are located in the living area. Small pets are allowed to NCO's. Enlisted crew members share quarters with up to 4 others. Accommodations include 2 bedrooms with twin beds, connected by a living/work area. A washroom with ultrasonic shower is located off of each bedroom. A food replicator and a personal holographic viewer are located in the living area. Pets are not allowed to enlisted crew. Crewmen can request that their living quarters be combined to create a single larger dwelling. Officers' Quarters: Starfleet personnel from the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade up to Commander are given one set of quarters to themselves. In addition, department heads and their assistants are granted such privileges as well, in an effort to provide a private environment to perform off-duty work. After six months, officers are permitted to bring family aboard the ship and a slightly larger room is allocated to them. Members of the Captain's Senior Staff can have these restrictions waved with the Captain's permission. These accommodations typically include a small bathroom, a bedroom (with standard bed), a living/work area, a food replicator, an ultrasonic shower, personal holographic viewer, and provisions for pets. Officers may request that their living quarters be combined to form one large dwelling. Executive Quarters: The Captain and Executive Officer of the Excelsior Class starship both have special quarters, located on Deck 2. They are located on a higher deck because these two people must be closer to the bridge in the event of an Alert situation. These quarters are much more luxurious than any others on the ship, with the exception of the VIP/Diplomatic Guest quarters. Both the Executive Officer's and the Captain's quarters are larger than standard Officers Quarters, and this space generally has the following accommodations: a bedroom (with a nice, fluffy bed), living/work area, bathroom, food replicator, ultrasonic shower, old-fashioned water shower, personal holographic viewer, provisions for pets, and even a null-grav sleeping chamber. VIP/Diplomatic Guest Quarters: The Excelsior Class is a symbol of UFP authority, a tool in dealing with other races. Starfleet intends to use most of its starships in a diplomatic role, with the Excelsior Class being no exception. The need to transport or accommodate Very Important Persons, diplomats, or ambassadors may arise, to which the Excelsior Class may respond. These quarters are located on Deck 3. These quarters include a bedroom, spacious living/work area, personal viewscreen, ultrasonic shower, bathtub/water shower, provisions for pets, food replicator, and a null-grav sleeping chamber. These quarters can be immediately converted to class H, K, L, N, and N2 environments. AUXILIARY SPACE CRAFT Flight (Shuttle) bay: General Overview: Located at the dorsal bow of the ship, the Flight bay module has replaced the shuttlebay module that is in previous Classes Starships. This Flight bay contains the latest in Starfleet shuttle and runabout designs. The Flight bay is controlled by a space/air-traffic control room, known as "Flight Ops". This is located against the forward wall of the Flight bay, next to the exit for the turbolift. The Flight bay contains the following: Eight Type III shuttle craft Seven warp sleds Six fighter craft Four work bees TYPE III SHUTTLE SPECIFICATIONS (Above: Type III exterior and interior) Type: Shuttle craft Mass: 9.45 metric tons Dimensions: Length: 8.93 m Beam: 3.4 m Height: 2.96 m Decks: 1 Performance: Max Impulse Speed: 0.4 x c Atmospheric Cruise: Mach 6 Atmospheric Maximum: Mach 15 Crew: 1, plus up to 6 passengers Armament: 1 x Type IV phaser bank, total output 100 TeraWatts Defense Systems: Standard shield system, total capacity 2,700 TeraJoules Light Monotanium Single hull. Low level Structural Integrity Field In stock: 8 total: 2457/1 - Smith 2457/2 - Scobee 2457/3 - Onizuka 2457/4 - McAuliffe 2457/5 - McNair 2457/6 - Jarvis 2457/7 - Resnik 2457/8 - Greene TYPE III SHUTTLE HISTORY The original requirement called for the Type 2 to be fully warp capable, as was its predecessor, but here the project ran into difficulties. The new Miranda / Constitution designs had introduced, among many other things, a completely new nacelle design. This had suffered from considerable difficulties when introduced; getting the engines into the proper balance tended to be very difficult, requiring prolonged computer modelling and simulation for each individual vessel. Use of the engines when not properly balanced tended to generate wormhole-like phenomena, as encountered by the USS Enterprise on her first warp flight after completing her refit in 2271. Although these difficulties where eventually solved for the larger ships, the miniaturizing of the nacelle design for use on board the Type 2 compounded the problem. The first three Type 2 shuttle prototypes produced where all lost to wormhole effects; fortunately all three where flown unmanned and no loss of life was incurred. Great efforts where made to try and correct this difficulty, but by 2274 the design was still unworkable and Starfleet dropped the entire project. However, the need for a shuttlecraft still existed and so by 2276 the Type 2 had been reborn as the Type 3. Starfleet decided that the miniaturization of the warp drive was a lost cause, and modified the design so as to limit the shuttle to impulse flight only. After this development proceeded remarkably smoothly, but Starfleets understandable caution led to a rather prolonged testing programme; the first prototype was successsfully flown in 2278, and the first production test model was delivered late in 2279. Series production began in 2280, with the first units arriving at their starships in June of that year. After a successful first year in service, Starfleet stepped up production of the Type 3 and began to deliver them fleetwide in large numbers. The type quickly became a very common sight in Starship shuttle bays. The Challenger shuttlecraft are named for the seven astronauts who perished in the space shutle Challenger explosion and mission commander on Earth in the 20th century. WARP SLED SPECIFICATIONS Type: Long range Shuttlecraft Mass: 1780 metric tons Dimensions: Length: 55m Beam: 12 m Height: 14 m Decks: 1 Performance (TOS Scale) Normal Cruise : 6 Maximum Cruise : 6.2 Maximum Rated : 6.5 for 8 hours. Crew: 1, plus 10 passengers (shuttlepod variant), other variants are crewed by 1 or 2 personnel Armament No beam weapons Defense Systems Light Monotanium Single hull. Low level Structural Integrity Field In stock 4 shuttle variants(plus one six-person unit), 1 cargo variant, 1 sensor pod variant plus 1 VIP unit (Vera Cruz) designated for the Captain's use. WARP SLED HISTORY Although supply and support vessels have never had the glamour of the big Explorers, their role is at least as important to the day-to-day functioning of an organization like Starfleet as any other class. The Vulcan Warp Sled is a classic example of this; these handy little ships where in Starfleet service for over a century, in numbers which at their peak rivalled any other single class in service. Although they received little fanfare during their time, the warp sleds importance to starfleet can hardly be overstated. The Warp Sled was one of the first shuttlecraft-sized vessels with a true interstellar capability. Although several previous shuttles did have warp capability, these where generally confined to specific routes between neighbouring systems - they tended to be either too slow or two short ranged for general use. The Warp Sled was capable of holding Warp 6 for up to two months on internal fuel alone, and was unique among shuttle craft in that it could conduct in-flight refuelling from standard tanker craft. This allowed it to operate almost indefinitely - on one occasion a warp sled made a flight lasting one hundred and fifty six days. Another major advantage of the warp sled over previous designs was its flexibility; the sled itself consisted of a pair of warp nacelles, matter/antimatter reactor assembly and fuel supply mounted onto a large docking platform. A wide variety of pods was developed for attachment to this platform - the most common was a twelve person shuttle pod which was intended for relatively short duration flights. A six person unit with small bunk spaces was also available, as well as a single occupant VIP unit. Other variants included a cargo pod, a sensor pod which allowed the sled to be used as a long range remote controlled sensor probe, a medical evac unit with space for four patients and an attendant and a search and rescue pod designed to locate and retrieve ships lifeboats. WORK BEE SPECIFICATIONS Type: Repair pod Mass: 1.68 metric tons Dimensions: Length: 2.7 m Beam : 1.2 m Height : 2.7 m Decks : 1 Performance Max Impulse Speed : 0.01 x c Atmospheric Cruise (Mach) : 2 Atmospheric Max (Mach) : 5 Crew: 1 Armament: None Defense Systems Light Duranium/Tritanium Single hull. Low level Structural Integrity Field In stock: 4 WORKBEE HISTORY One of the most useful and long lasting designs in Starfleet history, the work bee was first fielded in the late 2260's in order to replace several previous craft of similar type. A major feature of the work bee is the highly modular nature of the design. A central cockpit module has space for a single operator. This cockpit can be connected to a variety of sleds or other attachments. The bee does not have an artificial gravity system, with many crewmembers reporting that they prefer this zero gee working environment. The cockpit module can be used with the door removed, the operator wearing a pressure suit. The modularity made the initial work bee design somewhat more complex and difficult to produce, but Starfleet was betting that it would prove its worth in the long run - and so it has proved. The work bee is simplicity itself to maintain; minor parts can be swapped out literally in seconds, while major systems such as the micro-fusion power core can be replaced in under ten minutes, and even the hull itself can be broken up into four sections. This has given these bees one of the highest servicability ratings in Starfleet history, with an average availability of 99.97%. The modular approach has also made the work bee extremely easy to upgrade - all updated systems have been designed to fit the same physical requirements, so it is literally a matter of pulling an old component out and putting the improved one in place. No component swap requires more than three persons, and typically the total maintanence work required by the bees is so low that a three person crew can perform all routine maintanence on a group of fifteen bees. The upgrade program for the work bees has been generally limited to gradual imporvements rather than large leaps. Over their hundred year history virtually every part of the bees have been replaced many times over. The original design had a duotronic flight computer, an electro-optical passive scanner, and a hull constructed of carbon fibre plated with foamed aluminium alloys - a very old material which nevertheless met the strength and and density requirements. The life support systems have been replaced several times as older systems reach the end of their operational life, or as newer safety standards come into force. Some have compared this rolling refit program to the proverbial thirty year old axe which has had four new heads and six new handles! The work bee can carry out a multitude of tasks; there are two manipulator waldoes which can be tipped with a wide variety of tools for all kinds of construction and maintanence work on Starships and space stations. At the rear of the hull are standardized grapple points which can be used to attach various configurations of cargo containers, or alternately can be fitted with a tractor beam unit which can be used to tow small craft such as shuttles - a task the work bee would normally undertake only in emergencies. Some thought was given to designing drop tanks with extra fuel and life support supplies to extend the range of the bee severalfold, but although this was perfectly feasible there was never any real need for such an improvement and it was abandoned before serious development work was authorized. FIGHTER CRAFT Type: Fighter craft Mass: 23 metric tons Dimensions Length: 12 m Beam: 11.6 m Height: 4 m Decks: 1 Peformance (TOS Scale): Normal Cruise: Warp 2 Maximum Cruise: Warp 3.5 Maximum Rated: Warp 4.5 for 6 hours Crew: 1 Armament: 3 x Phaser bank, total output 1,200 TeraWatts 2 x Micro photon torpedo tube with 10 rounds Defense Systems Standard shield system Light Duranium/Tritanium Single hull. Low level Structural Integrity Field In Stock: 6 EXCELSIOR CLASS HISTORY The history of the Excelsior class tends to consist of extremes. Initially fitted with a Transwarp drive and proclaimed "the great experiment", the ship had an ignoble start when its engines failed when it was called into action to prevent the theft of the USS Enterprise. Although this was due to deliberate sabotage, it transpired that the Excelsior had been saved from a major disaster; engineers working to correct the damage discovered a series of flaws in the Transwarp drive which, had it been used, would have caused a nacelle implosion which would have destroyed the ship. The Excelsior spent nearly a full year in Spacedock while engineering specialists struggled to repair the problem. Re-launched early in 2286, the ship met with little more success. Although the fatal flaw of the Transwarp drive was repaired, the system was subject to major problems and over the next year it never completed a successful test, much to the embarrassment of Captain Styles and his crew. Finally Starfleet canceled the Transwarp project altogether, and for a short time the Excelsior faced decommissioning. There was nothing wrong with the basic engineering of the space frame however, and in all other areas the Excelsior class was still the most advanced ship in Starfleet, and indeed the entire Quadrant, by a considerable margin. In light of this Starfleet rapidly decided to fit the Excelsior class with a more conventional propulsion system. She returned to Spacedock for the third time in 2287 to have her hull converted to run with a standard Warp drive. This process went remarkably smoothly, and by the end of the year the Excelsior was in space again. From here the history of the ship leapt from one extreme to the other; from being a costly and embarrassing failure, the Excelsior rapidly built a reputation for outstanding performance and a solid reliability few other designs have matched. The Excelsior herself was assigned to Captain Sulu in 2290 and conducted extensive scientific, exploratory and diplomatic missions under his distinguished command. Today the ships of the Excelsior class continue in service, having undergone many refits and upgrades. REFIT HISTORY The first major subgroup of the Excelsior class, the Enterprise-B subtype was designed for greater burst speed and maneuverability than the standard Excelsior and carried a much more elaborate electronics fit. The intention was to counter the new generation of cloak capable vessels being deployed by the Klingon empire; Starfleet was especially worried about developments which might permit Klingon vessels to fire whilst still cloaked, and it was these in particular that the new type was designed to counter. Wake homing torpedoes were fitted as standard, while plasma detector systems allowed the new ship to locate almost any existing vessel through its cloak. The advanced sensors of the Enterprise-B were also able to engage vessels firing from cloak by automatically locking phasers onto the origin of the weapons fire and almost instantly laying down a pattern of fire on the immediate area before the enemy vessel could change its position. Specifications information obtained from http://www.ditl.org and http://techspecs.acalltoduty.com/excelsior.html Images obtained from http://www.uss-miranda.com, http://www.kairos2.com/sf_spaceships.jpg, http://www.ditl.org and www.ucip.org

12 October With less than an hour to live, Dr. Gigigdonni makes the decision to revive "Cardinal" and hear what he has to say. This is done much to the objections of Doctors Juno and Harris, who want nothing to do with the procedure. With the Captain, XO and Kimiko in attendance, Haskins and Dr. Giggigdonni awaken their Klingon insider. Vague as ever, the Klingon informs them to 'find the third' before succumbing to the poison. What this may mean, is still yet to be known.... TBS: 8 hours. 101208.txt

Sorry it's late, had a bit of internet trouble, in addition to ongoing renovations at my place. 05 October: "Cardinal" is dying, and finding a cure is virtually impossible in the short time he has left to live. Dr. Juno and Mr. Haskins clash (literally) on whether to let "Cardinal" die in peace and honour, or to revive him to get him to tell Starfleet all that he knows before he dies. Haskins later takes up the matter with Captain Seiben while Baaylo and Doug recover in sickbay. 100508.txt

28 September Things are looking poor as Cardinal's health continues to deteriorate. Dr. Juno does his best to treat him, but can't make him better. A Klingon doctor is brought in from the surface, and there is not much he can do. It's theorised that he was poisoned by an anti-coagulant agent of which there does not seem to be a cure for. With slightly less than 24 hours to live at most, a decision must be made on what to do next. Meanwhile, the ship sustains more damage when a grenade goes off near sickbay, but injures Commander Ba'alyo and Doug. TBS: 3 hours 092808.txt

21 September, 2008 Tensions are high on the Challenger as the ship is under attack by a large group of Klingon warriors who boarded the ship, slipping through the shields. Dr. Juno treats Cardinal from injuries he sustained, asserting his authority in sickbay in giving Haskins das boot. Security is guarding all entrances to sickbay. Meanwhile, deck 15 section 2 is flooded with gas to knock out the intruders. Predictably, some manage to slip into the jeffries tubes before the decks were flooded. The remaining have split up on three decks, and Security, accompanied by Commander Ba'alyo and Doug moved in to intercept. There were sadly too late in stoping one of the Klingons setting up an explosive charge on one of the Challenger's bulkheads. TBS = 0 092208.txt

Happy Birthday!

14 September, 2294 "Cardinal" recovers in Sickbay and is checked over by Dr. Juno. Captain Seiben and Mr. Haskins organise an interview with our esteemed guest to see how much help he can give us. Tensions escalate as rebel Klingon forces launch a surprise attack on the Challenger, and despite our best efforts, managed to beam a small team on board. Security and Marine forces move in to deal with our intruders. TBS = 5 minutes. 091508.txt

Could be worse.

07 September, 2294 Captain Seiben and Lt. Poldara meet with two Klingons part of the group that captured the away team, with less than stunning results. "Cardinal" recovers in Sickbay, while Dr. Harris continues to tend to the Klingon people in the medical triage. A Federation cargo ship, the USS Yule; part of the original fleet sent to Kronos has been found in space. Its computer records have all been cleaned and has signs of battle damage inside. The USS Columbia continues to check it out. Challenger also welcomes its new Executive Officer, Commander Ba'alyo who just arrived from a Klingon bird of prey. Dr. Gigidonni remains in the custody of the Klingons. TBS: 1 hour. 090808.txt

31 August, 2294: A daring rescue attempt led by Ensign Lessard is under way to rescue members of the away team who have been captured by rebel Klingon scientists working in a secret lab below the medical facility and assisted by some Klingon warriors provided by General Tar'Mok. Meanwhile, Lt. Poldara and Dr. Gigidonni continue to try to reason with their captors who have been largely unresponsive to their pleas. However, they do agree to release all but the doctor. On the Challenger, Mr. Haskins and MCapt Kimiko bicker to each other over their rescue of "Cardinal" while Kas and Savros collect particles. TBS: 30 minutes 083108.txt

We'll also probably meet for Challenger as well. Depending on how many people show up, we'll either continue our plot or do something unofficial.

24 August, 2294: Rescue attempts for the Away Team and "Cardinal" go into full swing. Led by Ensign Lessard and Dr. Juno, the team has departed Challenger's shuttle bay set to try to rescue our away team, who haven't responded in a few hours and is presumed captured. Kimiko and Haskins embark in a mission of their own to rescue the Klingon insider to the Federation "Cardinal" from the Klingon authorities that captured him. On the Challenger, Lieutenants. Kas and Savros start their mission to transport particles and radioactive matter from the Klingon atmosphere after the return of Columbia and the rest of the fleet. Meanwhile, the aforementioned away team play a rousing game of 20 questions to entertain themselves whilst in the custody of their Klingon captors. TBS: 3 hours. (I can now post all of the sim, which includes transcripts after 12:00 where it would previously get cut off). 080824.txt

Happy Birthday, Dakkie. :D

"Too much on my plate" Star date: 10808.26 "Ensign Lessard's team has just left the shuttle bay" replied the backup Communications officer. Nodding his acknowledgement, Seiben could do nothing now, but to wait for them to be rescued. As a former Security officer, Seiben would be amongst the first to respond to situations like these. Letting his subordinates take control of tense situations like these still made him uncomfortable. However much the Captain wanted to lead the rescue, Starfleet protocol and policies prevented this. Gone now are the days of Captain Kirk taking on evil aliens with his bare hands. The security officer in him agreed to the decision, but he could see why Kirk was so insistent on leading those missions. But then, perhaps Captain Kirk was better suited in dealing with multiple emergencies. In addition to away team, it also seemed that the Federation's Klingon insider has been captured as well. Seiben didn't need to be told how essential it was for them to rescue him too, before the Klingons kill him. Which team would Kirk lead? Seiben wished he could ask him that. Regardless, it went without saying that he had faith in his crew's abilities and was sure both rescues would be carried out successfully. Before he had think more deeply on the subject, the Communications officer interrupted once again to tell him that Columbia and the rest of the fleet returned. As of on cue, moments later were subsequently hailed. Expecting to hear from Captain Saylek or one of the other fleet captains, Seiben was somewhat surprised to see the ridgy face of General Tar'Mok. "Ah General. How can I help you?" asked the captain. "Captain. I noticed that your crew here on the planet failed to report back to their guides. Is something the matter?" replied Tar'Mok. Seiben sighed. There was no way he could get out of this. "Unfortunately, yes" said Seiben. "It seems that my crew has gotten lost in the medical centre. We haven't been able to contact them in a few hours" Tar'Mok reflected upon this. "Perhaps your crew was kidnapped or captured" replied Tar'Mok straight forwardly. "I'm sorry to say that not everyone on Quo'noS agrees with our plans and there are some individuals that do not act on behalf of the government" Seiben nodded again. "We shall assist your in retrieving your lost crewmen" offered the General. "Uhh.. thanks General" said Seiben. General Tar'Mok grunted. "We noticed one of your shuttles headed for the planet. I shall send some of my men to assist your team getting them back" Seiben smiled nervously, hoping Tar'Mok didn't catch this. "Thanks General. I appreciate it" Tar'Mok didn't seem to and nodded back. "Next time though" he added, "tell your crew not to wander from the path"

Welcome to the team, Sorehl! :D

17 August, 2294: Poldara, Harris and Wright are detained by the Klingons and placed in a make-shift brig after being caught infiltrating a secret laboratory beneath the triage centre and try to stir up a conversation with their captors. Meanwhile, Haskins along with cardboard Kimiko try to track down "Cardinal" and bring him back to the Challenger. On the Challenger, Captain Seiben waits anxiously to hear back from the Away Team while Savros and Kas work on projects of their own... TBS is 30 minutes. 081708.txt

I saw that awhile ago too. Turns out he couldn't sell it, so I'm not sure what happened to it. And yeah.. a part of me would love to to that, but... how does he sleep? There's no bedroom in there. :)

New updated specifications on Word and PDF format also available USS_Challenger_Specifications.doc USS_Challenger_Specifications.pdf