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Not only is silence a beautiful noise, it is also the most unavoidable and loudest noise in the universe...
Second of all, if the Intrepid class is a scout, why would it need to have top of the line phasers anyway?
Third of all, type has more to do with size than power. A modern Type III rifle is probably quite a bit more powerful than a Type IV or V cannon from TOS days.
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"Oh, it's an anti-anti-WTO song. It's essentially a pro-Starbucks song. I saw this picture of a guy sticking his foot through a plate-glass window in a Starbucks in Seattle, and he was wearing a Nike. Man, couldn't you just change your shoes?"
--
M. Doughty
Type 8 phasers aren't wimpy or anything. They have been specified for the E-B and for the Prometheus of "Message in a Bottle" fame, and seem to be full-fledged capital ship weapons. They sound like the most logical choice for the Intrepids as well, given how these are so similar in size to the Prometheii.
I'd probably classify the Intrepid as a light cruiser. We already know "heavy cruiser" in the TNG timeframe is something in the ballpark of the Ambassador class, and "frigate" is a New Orleans style vessel, so the Intrepid would fit between those if sheer mass or volume is the defining criterium. She's also a size-mate to the Constellations, which are still called "cruisers" (possibly light cruisers if we could hear the exact designation) in the TNG timeframe. Finally, wasn't the near-identical Prometheus considered a cruiser of some sort as well?
She also seems to have multipurpose equipment aboard, suggesting she is not a specialized vessel like a courier or a minelayer or a reconaissance ship.
Timo Saloniemi
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"The things hollow--it goes on forever--and--oh my God!--it's full of stars!" -David Bowman's last transmission back to Earth, 2001: A Space Odyssey
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"Oh, it's an anti-anti-WTO song. It's essentially a pro-Starbucks song. I saw this picture of a guy sticking his foot through a plate-glass window in a Starbucks in Seattle, and he was wearing a Nike. Man, couldn't you just change your shoes?"
--
M. Doughty
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"The search and the arrest provided several hours of entertainment in the neighborhood."
-"Worm Suspect Arrested", Wired News
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If you want to get your soul to heaven,
trust in me.
Don't judge or question.
You are broken now,
but faith can heal you.
Just do everything I tell you to do.
Deaf and blind and dumb and born to follow.
Let me lay my holy hand upon you.
-Tool, "Opiate"
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