Starfleet Design Bureau

[Sayle]

[X] Field-Focused Bussard Injectors (+Complexity [A -> B+], +Warp Maximum) [Prototype]

The new injectors slowly take shape. First is the shell over the collector, made of a permeable material that atomic particles are able to pass through with an extra pull from the electromagnetic fields emitted by the new collector. Then comes the particle filter, which diverts any heavy elements away from the central collection point and channels them out the exhaust vents at the edges and away from the nacelles entirely. Here the incoming hydrogen is diverted into a collection of spherical tanks as needed to control the total energy entering the warp plasma, which can then be stored as extra fuel or pushed back up to the particle filter for disposal when at impulse speeds. Last is the particle accelerators, which use waste energy leaked from the warp plasma at high injector throughputs to recycle the energy into the incoming hydrogen for an extra punch at high warp factors.

On paper it certainly seems an elegant system, but there are multiple assemblies and control systems at work that will need real-world testing to confirm their effectiveness. Next up is the injector and control system for the main warp plasma, which presents a dilemma. The standard system used so far for United Earth and most member species is the plasma vent, which provides exhaust channels and hatches for energetic plasma to escape the system. This allows the engines to run with powered warp plasma at sub-warp energies in the nacelles at all times, as any unexpected external energy inputs can be instantly and harmlessly mitigated by regulating the overall plasma energies with venting from the nacelles.

The alternative being suggested is instead a ring of confinement coils just below the skin of the nacelle and enveloping the smaller warp coils. This would compress the warp plasma down and enable higher temperatures - and therefore higher performance from the nacelles themselves, which would be subjected to a denser particle field on the internal surface of the warp coil. The remainder of the coil would be protected in a low-density regime that would preserve long-term performance.

The disadvantage of this is that even with the warp plasma further from the external surfaces of the nacelle that the loss of energy-shock protection will prohibit a continual presence of energised warp plasma in the nacelles for safety reasons. With the existing plasma kept 'cold' risks should be minimal, but realistically speaking it means that a charge time of ten to twelve seconds will be needed to make the transition to warp speeds. It also means that any energy surges at warp speeds will induce uncontrolled speed variations or cause system failures. But in exchange for these unlikely but possible downsides, the ship's efficient cruise speeds could be enhanced by up to half a warp factor.

[ ] Plasma Vents (-Complexity [B+ -> A], Standard)
[ ] Compressor Rings (+Cruise) [Prototype] [One Success Roll: Speed Increase (+0.1 - +0.6)]

Yoyodyne Type-3 Nacelle Assembly
Bussard Collectors -> Injector Assembly -> Warp Coils -> Intercoolers -> Nacelle Length -> Field Stabilizer

Complexity: B+



Two Hour Moratorium, Please

 

[StriderInCosmos]

Chapter 3: Pieces of a Greater Puzzle

Andor, Stardate 911.8, Earth Date 2176

Sub-director Mosi Sukuda of Yoyodyne Corporation's Andor Propulsion Laboratory watched a sunrise on a cold world, the rays of sunlight gleaming over the icy peaks of Andor's most extensive mountain range and sending rainbows out of the prisms that they struck. It was a sight that continued to take her breath away.

There was a chime at the door, and she found herself pulled away from the fantastical sight as she stood to go to the door. "Come in."

The door to her apartment opened, and a Vulcan man was at the threshold. "Good morning, Sub-director," he said.

"Good morning, Reton," Mosi replied as the man entered. "Do you need some breakfast?"

"I have already eaten, Sub-director." Reton, her connection to the scientists and engineers of the current project. "Your concern is appreciated. However, There has been a… complication."

Mosi frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"It is a situation that would be better explained at the main lab. Will you be ready to accompany me soon?" Reton said, glancing over at the room where her daughter was still likely sleeping.

"Give me a moment to call Mizu's babysitter," Mosi said. One call to Tythe later, and the two were on their way.

"So," Mosi said, "before we get to the lab, how is your family doing?"

"My father is currently serving as an escort to one of the Curiosity-class survey ships undergoing joint training to acclimate Vulcan crewmembers to working on Federation starships. And my aunt is, of course, doing well in her current station, now that the adjustment period has largely passed."

Mosi nodded. It was no surprise that the new Ambassador T'Pol would take so easily to the position of head ambassador of Vulcan. Some small talk later, though, the two of them entered the technically packed, somewhat sprawling complex of labs that the human staff of Yoyodyne had taken to calling 'The Apple'.

"Alright," Mosi said as they came to a nearby console, "what's going on with the Type-3 project? Did one of the prototypes do something?"

"Most of the prototypes have been written off as dead ends of development," Reton said. "The current prototype that has the most promise compared to the standard Bussard ramscoop configuration is a field-focussed injector made to directly enrich warp plasma, theoretically decreasing the mass of any given nacelle by at least 4 percent and raising the maximum warp ceiling by as much as 20 percent."

"Okay," Mosi said slowly, frowning slightly. "So, how did it fail?"

"That is, perhaps, the most interesting part of the current quandary," Reton replied as he opened a video of the small testbed that what was likely the prototype in question gliding through a closed test course before its nacelles glowed more and more brightly before promptly exploding. "It is not that there is, in all technicality, a failure. In fact, the field-focussed injectors seem to be performing their duties too well, overloading current EPS conduit designs."

Mosi's brow rose for a moment. "I'm guessing lowering the power settings isn't an option then?" she asked with a slight grimace.

"Indeed. Lowering them to acceptable power increases puts them behind the current generation of collectors, rendering any new design redundant." Reton replied.

Mosi sighed quietly. "Any proposed solutions so far?"

Reton was silent for a moment, as if considering something uncertain. "There are two engineers who are conducting… experiments outside the purview of the current project. I have been close to reprimanding them several times for their lack of focus, but in this instance… they may perhaps hold the solution that we seek."

Mosi's brow arched slightly. "Are they here at the moment?"

"They should be."

"Lead on then, Reton."

It wasn't terribly hard to find the station that the pair was using, as there was no small amount of mess that surrounded the two engineers at the moment, somewhat ordered in that way that Mosi could tell that the pair had some system of cataloging but little beyond that. And she could tell that one of the pair was a Tellarite from the argument that they were clearly walking into the middle of.

"Don't be so stone-headed. We have to try another bonding agent at this point. This stuff's been failing constantly since we've started putting the components together."

"Not yet, Hund. Even if this particular mixture doesn't fully work, we know we're on the right track. It isn't even affecting the graphene that much."

"That much?" Hund said incredulously as Mosi and Reton turned a corner to see the two men standing over a table that held an EPS testing station that had clearly been added on to. "We're seeing drops of up to 23.7 percent from projections! Even if it's a general improvement, we…"

The two men noticed Mosi and Reton standing and waiting for them, their argument stumbling to a halt. "Oh. Uh, hello, Sub-director." the other man, a human, said in an accent that she vaguely knew. "I hope we weren't… too loud."

"I think we can forgive you if you're willing to explain what has you so spirited," Mosi said. "Please though, remind me of who you are before you get into what's on your table."

"Well," the human said, "I'm Alastair Scott. This is Hund Januklun. We've been working here since the beginning of the Type-3 nacelle project."

"Alright," Mosi said, stepping forward to look at the project, "so what has you two in such a passionate row?"

"Well, ma'am," Hund began, "as I'm sure you're aware, there's a power intake issue with the current injectors that overloads current EPS conduits. We've been tinkering with potential new designs for at least the length it takes to get to a power regulator. Mr. Scott here…"

"I've been working on a combination of a graphene sleeve bonded with a lurandium-duranium alloy outer shell using a nano-emulsion mixture of graphene and halzine tritandadiene," Alastair said, gesturing to what was likely an example of such a conduit. "It's certainly promising, but we are running into complications. As I'm sure you just heard."

Mosi studied the component with a keen eye. This wasn't fully her field of expertise, but time spent in Starfleet had made her familiar enough with electro-plasma systems. This one had a slight blue-green sheen, likely thanks to the lurandium within the alloy. "What kind of outputs are you seeing from this design?" she asked.

"Currently," Hund said, "we've managed to safely reach 1.127 terajoules of equivalent power before having to scale back."

Mosi stood, regarding the two men with a rather shocked expression. "That much?" she said somewhat incredulously.

Reton, who had regarded the whole affair silently for a moment, stepped forward. "And why have you not brought such advancements forward? This current system, even with its faults, would ensure the ongoing success of the Type-3 project."

"We wanted to make sure that it was performing as well as it theoretically could without exploding in someone's face," Alastair said firmly before pausing for a moment. "As it has threatened to several times as we've pushed the limits."

"Well," Mosi said, "we'll make sure that everyone else gets a look at your work so they can help you out with that. This could help us power starships far in advance of what we already have, let alone make the Type-3 work. I commend you for making it this far just on your own."

Alastair and Hund nodded. "Thank you, ma'am. It was getting somewhat tedious to get the matter replicator to produce the alloy for this."

"I'd bet," Mosi replied.

. . .

Several months, and a bottle of champagne, later, Mosi sat in her office with Alastair. "It's been a pleasure to get to know you and see you work here," she said to the man she'd been paying close attention to for the last while. "Earth will be lucky to have you."

"Thank you, miss," Alastair said. "I have to admit, as much as I'll miss Andor's views, it'll be nice to be able to be home in Scotland again while I work."

"Scotland," Mosi said quietly. It was silent for a moment as she mused on the home she'd come from that was now so far away.

"Where are you from?" Alastair asked softly.

"Kenya," Mosi replied. "It's been so long since I've visited. Seen the forests that are growing again."

"Well," Alastair said with a slight smile, "maybe I can go and visit. Take a few pictures, get to meet the family of the director who's helped me get as far as I have, and congratulate them on having produced such a fine woman."

Mosi chuckled. "You'll have to make a stop by Japan too. It's beautiful in the spring when the cherry blossoms fall."

Alastair frowned, then his eyes widened. "Ah, that's right. "You're Rear Admiral Sukuda's wife. I had an uncle who served with him on Thunderchild during the Romulan War. Lieutenant-Commander Crowley."

Mosi nodded slowly. "That's right. Crowley was our chief MAKO officer for the fleet. He could be a real hardass, but he was a fine man."

"I'll be sure to tell him his Rear Admiral said that." Alastair chuckled.

It was silent again. "How's the wee lass holding up, having him be so absent?" he asked.

"As well as she can." Mosi smiled slightly. "He calls as often as he can. Records stories that Mizu listens to as she falls asleep."

"Ah, good," Alastair said with a slight smile. "I hope he comes home safe. I've got a son waiting for me on Earth."

He stood, Mosi standing with him. "So, I'd better not keep Roy waiting. Hopefully, I'll see you again someday, ma'am."

"You and me both."

. . .

"And that's how my granddad helped make this ship's nacelles possible, lass." Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott said as he closed the panels on the EPS conduit in the hall aboard the Enterprise. "It just goes to show that no part of these fine boats is too small, too unimportant. So treat her right, and every part of her will sing."

Ensign Hohlenk, a distant niece of the other man that her engineering chief had spoken so highly and sometimes so humorously of, smiled slightly. "I'm sure Uncle Hund will appreciate when I call and tell him."

 

[Sayle]

[X] Plasma Vents (-Complexity [B+ -> A], Standard)

Keeping with the tried and true plasma vents leaves the nacelles with the classic blue glow, but more importantly preserves their safety margins and responsiveness. The next step is the warp coils themselves, and this is where your presence gives Yoyodyne an advantage they would otherwise not have had access to. As a part of Starfleet you have access to currently classified efforts and military laboratories, and one of those projects involves a polyferride alloy with a very high temperature tolerance. While the manufacturing process is time and resource-intensive, using a polyferride matrix as the base material for the coils would increase their tolerance to high-energy regimes. Adding a polyferride sheath around the exterior surface of the coils would also allow more efficient temperature regulation.

The standard coils, on the other hand, are entirely reliable. Given that hundreds of these nacelles are likely to be manufactured over the next decades for all sorts of starships, even small cost increases add up over time. The polyferride alloy is not a small cost increase, given the expense involved in setting up the production facilities and the energy-intensive manufacturing process. That said, you shouldn't overlook the advantages involved in higher warp capacities, as it lets a ship choose its time of engagement versus a slower vessel and respond more rapidly to nearby emergencies.

[ ] Standard Warp Coils
[ ] Polyferride Alloy (+1 Cost) [Prototype] (One Success Roll: Maximum Warp Increase [0.1 - 0.4])

Yoyodyne Type-3 Nacelle Assembly
Bussard Collectors -> Injector Assembly -> Warp Coils -> Intercoolers -> Nacelle Length -> Field Stabilizer

Cost: 4
Complexity: A

Current Base Cruise: Warp 4.8 (+0)
Current Base Maximum: Warp 6.8 (+0.1 - +0.2)



Two Hour Moratorium, Please

 

[Sayle]

[X] Polyferride Alloy (+Cost) [Prototype] (One Success Roll: Maximum Warp Increase)

The new polyferride coils should be more capable of handling extreme temperatures now, with the exterior sheathing adding an extra layer of stability to the assembly's ability to regulate thermal variances. Only the field test will tell how much the maximum warp speeds will increase for the attached ship, but there will be at least some increase. Which brings you to a more novel idea that needs to be considered.

Practically every generation of warp engine has included intercoolers, usually in the form of a solid state material with a clearly predictable thermal performance. The goal is to keep the exterior of the warp coils as "cold" as possible, as a coil approaching its maximum thermal load begins to experience micro-quench events where the subspace fields invert and damage the surrounding material. The end result of this process is a single disastrous quench event which obliterates the warp field, the associated coils, and often the nacelle housing them.

However, Yoyodyne is proposing the use of an active coolant system instead of the usual solid-state solution. By using gaseous cryonitrium and responsive pump systems, the temperature of the coils can be actively managed. While at maximum warp the temperature becomes essentially uniform within the nacelle, at lower velocities inconsistencies in the warp plasma can produce irregularities in the individual coils' performance that subtract from the effectiveness of the warp field. Theoretically speaking the use of active coolant might contribute to a more efficient warp field at lower speeds.

But if this new coolant might work, how about even more of it? By including more thermal dissipation and running the coolant through exterior 'handles' outside the main body of the nacelle, the ability of the system to manage temperature fluctuations at higher energies would be increased. The disadvantage is the added material would drive up costs, while the new intercooler technology will certainly be an engineering challenge in its own right.

[ ] Standard Intercoolers
[ ] Cryonitrium Intercoolers (+Complexity [A -> B+], +Cruise) (One Success Roll: Cruise Increase [0.1 - 0.2]
[ ] External Intercoolers (+Complexity [A -> B+]/+1 Cost, +Cruise) (One Success Roll: Cruise Increase [0.2 - 0.4]

Yoyodyne Type-3 Nacelle Assembly
Bussard Collectors -> Injector Assembly -> Warp Coils -> Intercoolers -> Nacelle Length -> Field Stabilizer

Cost: 5
Complexity: A

Current Base Cruise: Warp 4.8 (+0)
Current Base Maximum: Warp 6.8 (+0.2 - +0.6)



Two Hour Moratorium, Please

 

[Sayle]

[X] External Intercoolers (+Complexity [A -> B+]/+1 Cost, +Cruise) (One Success Roll: Cruise Increase [0.2 - 0.4]

The intercooler piping is carefully installed, the gaseous cryonetrium designed to circulate through the solid intercoolers that separate the primary warp coils from each other. With the temperature monitors and responsive injectors linked together, it should be possible to tamp down thermal variances across the nacelles. The coolant is only capable of reducing temperatures rather than adjusting it upwards, so the overall energy of the nacelle drops slightly as a result. But the homogenization of the warp coil output more than makes up for that, the subspace fields acting in harmony to increase the overall spatial warp generated by the engines.

The final section of the intercoolers will be the external piping, which in combination with radiators and thermal diverters will keep the coolant as cold as possible before recirculating it back to the primary assembly. Every degree counts when you want to be able to rapidly pass temperature from one area to another. But those pipes cannot be installed until you conclude one of the most vital design configurations: the length of the nacelle.

Standard lengths are standard for a reason, providing the ideal efficiencies. The maximum output of the warp core neatly dovetails with the maximum capacity of the warp coils, resulting in a minimal capacity overhead. There is no reason to make a shorter nacelle. But there is one to potentially make a longer one. As the internal volume of the plasma expands, the maximum temperature attainable by the warp core drops, reducing maximum speed. But the addition of more warp coils allows for a more stable warp field and reduced load across the individual coils. Maximum speed decreases while the efficient cruise rises.

The effect is not entirely equal: the speed losses from the decreasing plasma temperature are greater than the speed gains from an increased cruise. Even mounting the nacelles for a sprint configuration cannot completely offset this reduction, but increased strategic speed has plenty of advocates. The question is if, given the current state of the design, the decision is worth the downsides.

[ ] Standard Length
[ ] Extended Length (-0.6 Maximum Warp, +0.4 Cruise)

Yoyodyne Type-3 Nacelle Assembly
Bussard Collectors -> Injector Assembly -> Warp Coils -> Intercoolers -> Nacelle Length -> Field Stabilizer

Cost: 6
Complexity: B+

Current Base Cruise: Warp 4.8 (+0.2 - 0.4)
Current Base Maximum: Warp 6.8 (+0.2 - +0.6)



Two Hour Moratorium, Please

 

[Sayle]

[X] Standard Length

The nacelles are coming out…not exactly sleek, by any means. As the necessary technologies are refined it may be possible to reduce the forward assembly before the warp coils, but that will be for the next generation once more advancements have been made. While the increased strategic range provided the extended configuration would no doubt be helpful, the looming spectre of the Klingons in particular causes some worry. Given their generally more advanced weapons and abundance of warships, the ability to potentially outrun an attacker or at least decide the terms of an engagement might be the difference between salvation and destruction. With that in mind the shorter nacelles are eventually favoured, and the teams get to work on including the intercooler fins and pipes along the dorsal surfaces.

Which leaves only one internal element: the warp stabiliser. In the Sagarmatha this took the form of a centrally placed modulator assembly, but smaller variants have been installed at the rear of nacelles for some time now. The difference is the technology has now miniaturised enough to do more than simply manage warp field fluctuations. The standard application has always been to smooth out the warp field, reducing spatial turbulence and increasing efficiency. But it is possible to concentrate those efforts at the bow, essentially creating an artificial imbalance that will push the ship forward at greater speeds.

The technical tolerances for this would be much more demanding, as the stabilisers will need to project their effect to the front of the ship specifically, focusing almost entirely on that area. But the increases in maximum velocity might be worth it. Whatever decision is made, the Type-3 will be entering production shortly, and you'll have to make the decision as to what kind of ship you want to create to carry it.

[ ] Reinforcing Stabiliser (+0.1 Cruise)
[ ] Asymmetric Stabiliser (+0.2 Maximum Warp) (+Complexity [B+ -> C])

Yoyodyne Type-3 Nacelle Assembly
Bussard Collectors -> Injector Assembly -> Warp Coils -> Intercoolers -> Nacelle Length -> Field Stabilizer

Cost: 6
Complexity: B+

Current Base Cruise: Warp 4.8 (+0.2 - 0.4)
Current Base Maximum: Warp 6.8 (+0.2 - +0.6)



Two Hour Moratorium, Please

 

[Sayle]

[X] Reinforcing Stabiliser (+0.1 Cruise)

While the nacelle is now technically finished, it will be some time before it gets any real-world testing. That said, you can still conduct some basic tests with static warp shells to evaluate their performance and get a good sense for any notable improvements in the many, many metrics which judge the effectiveness of a warp field. Some number crunching later versus the results expected from the Type-2, and you have a decent estimate. By your guess, the nacelle should be able to support a minimum cruise of Warp 5.2 and a maximum velocity of Warp 7.2. Compared to its predecessor that comes out to nearly twenty percent more speed in both standard and sprint regimes, which is nothing to sneer at. It's also surprisingly simple to manufacture compared to its performance improvements, and will pose no problems in mass production. It was considered entirely possible at Yoyodyne that the Type-3 might have to be preserved for the largest vessels while a derivative went into general service, an expense in both time and resources they did not look forward to potentially having to undertake.

Now the question is what ship will be the first to mount the new nacelles. As it happens, you have a few options to choose from. First is a design competition tendered by Tellar, Benzar, and Denobula. They are interested in standardising their designs for an in-system enforcer, one capable of basic police and inspection actions. The increasing traffic and intra-Federation commerce means that their current designs are beginning to reach parity with well-equipped merchant and smuggler ships, and planetside incidents can rapidly escalate into spaceborne escapes that their current roster aren't capable of interdicting. The main requirement is that the design should be cheap with a basic tactical armament, designed for use by non-military personnel with standard training.

The second is a request from Starfleet for a militarised light cruiser. Increasing incursions into Federation space by militaristic species are becoming an issue, with the Kzinti and Klingons becoming particularly regular offenders. While the Cygnus is hardly defenceless, a dedicated cruiser which can be more cheaply produced with a narrow tactical focus would be useful for rounding out Starfleet's capabilities. Whether that means building small and agile or durable and fierce is a question for the bureau.

[ ] Project Protector (Police Cutter)
[ ] Project Ares (Light Cruiser)

Yoyodyne Type-3 Nacelle Assembly
Bussard Collectors -> Injector Assembly -> Warp Coils -> Intercoolers -> Nacelle Length -> Field Stabilizer

Cost: 6
Complexity: B+

Improved Base Cruise: Warp 5.2 (+0.4)
Improved Base Maximum: Warp 7.2 (+0.4)



Two Hour Moratorium, Please

 

[Fouredged Sword]

The math checks out.


View: https://youtu.be/LHFNncfSS_Y?si=Uba0Ovz31Tv6C2Mv&t=38

Click to shrink...

Then by math it be done.

I present, the Biblically Accurate Type 3 Warp Nacelle.

 

[Sayle]

[X] Project Protector (Police Cutter)

The design competition would be an excellent first outing for the Type-3. Somewhat cynically, it isn't a Starfleet ship that needs to straddle the fine line between sophistication and durability - it just needs to work. More optimistically, spreading manufacturing across the member worlds and going some way towards standardizing parts will be to your advantage. If you win the competition and keep occasionally providing designs to the member fleets you may be able to slowly establish secondary industrial bases.

The competition itself will be judged based on three metrics: cost, tactical ability, and utility. The top-scoring design in each category will gain three points, while the bottom-scoring design will gain one. Each included utility function is worth one point, for a maximum of five. In the event of a tie, the design with the lowest cost will win. The cost is self-explanatory, folding both civilian and military spending into one metric. The tactical ability will be rated based on the main armament, which cannot include torpedoes. Utilities being sought are shuttles, transporters, tractor beams, and cargo.

But before settling on a design of your own, it's a good idea to take a look at the competition. The Tellarites are working on a fast, nimble interceptor of around sixty thousand tons equipped with a forward phaser and a pair of docking hatches to port and starboard. Internally it promises to have a small brig for arrestees and a cargo bay for storing contraband. Very much a small rapid-response ship designed around regular inspections. Internally it is capable of warp 6, which is labeled as enough to outpace most civilian ships.

The Denobulans have gone slightly larger, running with eighty thousand tons capable of warp 6.8 and equipped with a pair of forward phasers. Designed more around chase-and-detain roles, it has an included forward tractor beam and a single-shuttle launch bay for independent boarding operations. It is designed to hold ships in place while other vessels arrive to take the crew into custody and deal with the cargo.

The Benzarites are not competing themselves, having instead provided funding. At present the expected scores are as follows:

[First Place] Tellar: 3 (Cost)+2 (Tactical)+2 (Utility) = 7 Points (Cost Lead)
[Second Place] Denobula: 2 (Cost)+3 (Tactical)+2 (Utility) = 7 Points
[Third Place] United Earth: No Submission

While taking First Place doesn't necessarily guarantee the design will be picked for production, the others would face an uphill battle in the procurement committees which will make the final decision. There are already rumbles that the Denobulans are altering their messaging to steal the prize afterwards, pushing hard on their superior tactical and warp capabilities for only a marginal cost increase. The Tellarites probably won't rule their way over local producers, but getting Benzar on their side would present them with two out of three: and there's nobody saying that Andoria and United Earth won't license or commission Denobulan shipbuilding for a superior product.

So the question is what strategy the Design Bureau is going to take. Is it possible to win outright against the Tellarite submission with a single-phaser design that provides more utility or even less mass? The Type-3 immediately knocks off twenty thousand tons with even a single nacelle, after all, leaving you with little to work with for the primary hull. Or can you surpass the Denobulan design and beat them at their own game, producing such a nakedly superior starship that everybody will want the Protector Design starship anyway? In either case, cost will probably be the determining factor. You want to stay as close to that line as possible so you can present whatever it is you decide on in the most fiscally responsible light.

[ ] United Earth can win this design competition outright.
[ ] United Earth will win after the fact with a superior product.

Two Hour Moratorium, Please

 

[Sayle]

[X] United Earth can win this design competition outright.

Having resolved to take first place in the competition, your teams get to work with an analysis of the competing design groups and their objectives. The Design Bureau has a substantially higher staff that includes other member species from their own programs, so your main advantage will be that for a small project like this your bottleneck will be actual build speed rather than the theoreticals. Which is just as well, since the competition closes in two years.

After some number crunching, the reports are in. There is no possible way to beat the Tellarites on cost with a single Type-3 nacelle without compromising on quality. While their internal warp engines use a different morphology, they have used a similarly cut-down configuration to save on costs, and theirs is less expensive than yours. Cost is the tiebreaker for the competition, and Tellar clearly went all-in on that category.

So you turn your attention to the Denobulan bid. Here the Type-3 nacelle actually gives you an advantage, as your warp propulsion system can deliver the same performance at 75% of the cost. The reality is that warp coils and plasma containment systems are the most expensive parts of the ship by weight bar the warp core, and hull materials have always been the cheapest part of the process. There are excited murmurs when the team works out that you can hit 120,000 tons - twice the mass of the Tellarite submission! - and still take second place on cost from the Denobulans.

Bright eyes turn to the weapons - can you beat on cost and tactical ratings? Two phasers in the forward quadrant would meet the maximum EPS power draw for your current weapons-grade interlocks, so no point putting more there. There is some thought given to adding an aft phaser, but some discussion solidifies the concern that its minimal benefit to a ship expected to be approaching a target will be highlighted by the judges, effectively blowing much of the budget you can put towards more mass. More worrisome is that keeping weapons the same while increasing the mass reduces maneuverability and will keep the Denobulans ahead on score if you don't add extra engines: which you can't without slipping to third place on cost. It's a delicate balance, to be sure.

Most of the bureau writes first place on tactical off as a dead end, but a smaller team approaches an Andorian satellite group that liaises with Starfleet Tactical and comes back with news that while the Type-2 phaser is still some time away that preliminary work is being done to integrate Andorian cooling designs into the more compact and streamlined United Earth emitters. Currently the prototype is the two systems put together, not a seamless fusion of the two as the Type-2 is aiming for, but the informal code is the Type-1B and it has obvious performance improvements. And given it is just two finished components put together, there's no reason you can't do the same.

The specifications are promising, but the bulky cooling apparatus is why the Federation passed on implementing the Andorian cooling-cycle as the standard for the fleet. The added cost is notable, and a rival proposal begins to emerge to challenge the one-twenty-thousand tonners. Two "Type-1B" phasers would put out more firepower than the Denobulan design, offsetting maneuverability losses and allowing Earth to swing the first place in the Tactical category even with a higher mass. The downside is that the maximum weight to keep that lead in Tactical (and Cost, as it happens, the Andorian cooling assembly adding complexity) would be one hundred thousand tons. Is an extra point worth losing twenty thousand tons of mass and the associated internal space? The phasers would take up a bit more space, too, which might cramp other systems.

On paper the Type-1Bs might be worth it in terms of winning the competition, but there are naysayers who suggest that even if Earth takes the point for first place that it means sacrificing real-world capabilities that the extra tonnage could have afforded the ship. On the other hand the decreased maneuverability and greater build times accrued by that extra mass could be viewed disfavourably by the procurement boards. On the other hand, you don't have to use all that extra mass. It's just a safety margin, and isn't over one hundred thousand already a little extravagant? On the other other other hand, everybody has access to the Type-1 phasers, so surely those would be favoured for maintenance and replaceability in the field? Eventually a decision has to be made though: is winning the tactical category worth the associated costs?

[ ] Stick to the Type-1 Phasers. [120,000 Ton Max] [Tactical: Second Place]
[ ] Use the Type-1B Phasers [Bespoke] [100,000 Ton Max] [Tactical: First Place]

Type-1	Mass	Cost (Tiebreak)	Tactical	Utility	Total
Tellar	60000	3	1	2	6
Denobula	80000	1	3	2	6
Earth	120000	2	2		4

Type-1B	Mass	Cost (Tiebreak)	Tactical	Utility	Total
Tellar	60000	3	1	2	6
Denobula	80000	1	2	2	5
Earth	100000	2	3		5

Two Hour Moratorium, Please