The Starship Enterprise is state-of-the-art. At 190 meters, 80,000 metric tons and a crew compliment of 87, she brandishes laser cannons and spatial torpedoes. Shuttlepods can hold a pilot and six passengers (note to producers: don't put all seven of your regular castmembers in one shuttlepod!), travel at sub-warp speeds and are used for away missions to planes, ships or space stations. Launched through bomb bay doors by a magnetic arm, the pods are released after being positioned below the ship.
The ship's galley is stocked with traditional foodstuffs, but features an early replicator called a protein re-sequencer that produces a limited range of items such as pasta or drinks. Meals are prepared by Captain Archer's hand-picked chef and served either in the Mess Hall or Archer's private mess, where frequent guests are Tucker and T'Pol.
Transporters are only for cargo, though throughout the first season the crew will refine the technology for bio-matter traffic. Without the bio-filters of the 24th century, any time crewmembers return to the ship with foreign agents along for the ride, they must apply decontaminating gel in the cramped Decon Chamber.
Away teams will carry phase pistols and communicators with primitive universal translators built-in. But Hoshi's linguistic skills will often be needed. The crew must use touch-panel intercoms to converse throughout the ship.
Without shields or forcefields, the Enterprise is equipped with polarized hull plating that leaves the ship vulnerable when retracted. There are no phaser banks, though Malcom Reed may "invent" this technology down the road. Enterprise does have retractable turrets that emerge from the hull to fire plasma-charged artillery.
Long-range communications are only possible at warp speed, so contacting Starfleet will be sparse.
Be aware that much of this information may have changed or may change as the series unfolds on screen. Many times, elements in a series bible never materialize for various reasons.
quote:The Starship Enterprise is state-of-the-art. At 190 meters, 80,000 metric tons and a crew compliment of 87...
Okay, about 40 meters shorter than people here were guessing. It definitely feels like a small ship with that tonnage, length, and crew complement.
quote:...she brandishes laser cannons and spatial torpedoes.
So far so good. Except that technically you can't see laser beams unless they are fired right at your eyes.
quote:[Shuttlepods are] launched through bomb bay doors by a magnetic arm, the pods are released after being positioned below the ship.
So the shuttle bay is actually under the ship like the Defiant? Pretty interesting. I also see that there is no mention of tractor beams for deploying and retreiving the shuttle pods.
quote:The ship's galley is stocked with traditional foodstuffs, but features an early replicator called a protein re-sequencer that produces a limited range of items such as pasta or drinks.
I like the idea of going back to the galley. The protein re-sequencer I'll worry about. Still, this sounds like a pretty happening mess hall since it will likely become the social center of the ship. I hope it's decorated better than the other mess halls we've seen.
quote:Without the bio-filters of the 24th century, any time crewmembers return to the ship with foreign agents along for the ride, they must apply decontaminating gel in the cramped Decon Chamber.
Sounds good. I wonder how the crew members get to the Decon Chamber from the transporter room, though.
quote:The crew must use touch-panel intercoms to converse throughout the ship.
Good. I always liked those intercoms on The Original Series. And, boy, they were everywhere. Every wall, every station, and almost every desk.
quote:Without shields or forcefields, the Enterprise is equipped with polarized hull plating that leaves the ship vulnerable when retracted.
Hmmm...
quote:There are no phaser banks, though Malcom Reed may "invent" this technology down the road.
I really don't like this. Hopefully this will be one of the things that doesn't carry over from the series bible.
quote:Long-range communications are only possible at warp speed, so contacting Starfleet will be sparse.
So subspace communication is only possible while the ship is in subspace? This could probably explain some of the subspace radio inconsistencies that cropped up with the Horizon.
Well, over all, I like a lot of the information presented. I know that it may not all get put in the show, but I really do like this direction with the technology limitations. The only things that concern me are the protein re-sequencer (open to misuse but not a real biggie) and the possiblity of phaser banks. Other than those, I like the sound of it all. Thanks, Mark!
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I know, it's kinda freaky, Wes. Are we cyberstalking each other or is it just coincidence? ::Twilight Zone music::
Registered: Mar 1999
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My guess is that the turrets come out of those doors on the upper side of the saucer. But I'll renew my objection to shining spot lights on your weapons systems.
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Um, and I do believe this is the second time you've incorrectly said "We've posted within three SECONDS of each other." That's supposed to be minutes. MINUTES, Wes1701E. 11:05 AND 11:07. Those are sure longggg seconds.
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Minutes, seconds, does it really even matter given that the universe is billions of years old? A minute and a second are nothing but an iota of a fraction of a drop in the bucket of time.
Registered: Mar 1999
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So Trek episodes could be 40 seconds long, and you wouldn't care? Hmm?
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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Young Liam, when one considers the antiquity of our dear mother Earth, an episode of Star Trek is but a fleeting second.
Registered: Mar 1999
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The laser thing is a bit iffy, though. We can explain away seeing phasers by justifying them as being fancy subspacey particle thingies. Though laser cannons do = cool.