You eventually decide that the integrated sensor pallets are too attractive an option to leave on the table for a science vessel. The resulting lines are quite smooth, providing plenty of surface area for phasers and some kind of custom installation on the flattened ventral hull.
The secondary hull comes next. The first option is to continue with the ovoid theme, using an ultra-wide deflector for maximum warp performance. Smoothing the back of the saucer section into the secondary hull would require moving the impulse engines to the far aft, however, and while off-axis thrusters would solve manoeuvrability it would never have the powerful acceleration of other starships. All told the design would be quite compact.
The second option is to use a more traditionally sharp divide between the primary and secondary hulls on the aft facing. This would allow you to mount an impulse engine dead-center, although a smaller deflector would require a more powerful model to compensate or be taken as a necessary tradeoff. Increasing the length of the engineering hull would also provide more internal space.
The lengthened secondary hull looks somewhat incongruous with the primary, but there's a sort of utilitarian beauty to it. The only thing left for the main spaceframe is the nacelles. The first option is the new variable-geometry coils, which are designed to deploy upwards and adjust their physical space by millimeters during warp travel, optimising the subspace field. In combination with the new injection systems for the warp core, it shouldn't have any problem with producing the velocities the Intrepid needs.
The second option is a pair of ventrally displaced nacelles, where they drop below the primary hull and to the same level as the main deflector. These traditionally long nacelles would be able to produce the same performance as the variable geometry nacelles, but with a simplified warp core and lower maximum cruise speed. Its shortcomings would need the new prototype deflector to make acceptable performance targets.
The final option is to use a pair of forward-swept nacelles in the traditional Starfleet position. But to power the new coils would require a larger warp core, though it promises to improve both maximum cruise and maximum warp speeds. Like the second option it would require the prototype deflector to function effectively.
The new nacelles are certainly a departure from the latest orthodoxy. Starting with the Renaissance class, short but extremely efficient nacelles were the latest style, but with the advancements in technology and plasma generation there is space for an extension of the warp coil assembly back towards the traditional long nacelles of yesteryear. The warp core required to power them is quite substantial, spanning twelve decks and a multi-tiered main engineering space to properly manage it. Hopefully it will live up to its promises.
For sublight manoeuvring you install half of an Avidyne-Type 8, the same central engine used on the Galaxy-class. While the explorer had two secondary engines to provide extra thrust, even your downsized installation on the Intrepid is capable of moving one and a half million tons, and given the ship is likely to be sub-million in mass you don't anticipate any problems there.
With the main structure of the ship decided on you need to make decisions regarding the tactical systems. The new Type-6 torpedoes are a given, but the phasers are more of an open question. The large sensor palette positioned above the secondary deflector means you cannot create a unified phaser strip around the entire saucer, which means breaking the array into two strips to port and starboard.
The first option is clear and straightforward: the Type-X phaser emitters have a proven track record of effectiveness on the Galaxy-class and beyond. The second option is the new Type-XII undergoing testing by Starfleet tactical. They promise more rapid firing sequences and greater particle density, but whether the system will conform to the promised parameters is an open question. Regardless of what you choose, you have decided on four main arrays on the saucer, a main array on the ventral engineering section, and at least four minor arrays on the secondary hull to cover the aft firing arcs.
It's a hard decision to make: while the Type-12 phasers are new and promise substantial energy throughput increases, the Type-10s are still satisfactory even on ships intended to face combat. Caution eventually wins the day and a number of phaser strips are installed along the hull. The Intrepid will be weakest in her rear quarter, but the long strips along the primary hull can shoot surprisingly far to aft thanks to the gentle slope and elongated form of the saucer section.
With the tactical systems decided you move on to internal matters. The primary issue is the computing system. While the main core will be using tried-and-tested isolinear technology, the control interfaces and analysis nodes have another option. Bio-neural gelpacks are capable of fuzzy logic and outright faster than isolinear chips at parallel computations, which would allow increased responsiveness and greater data throughput. They are also only tested in a laboratory setting.
But the computing subnodes aside, as far as you can see there are three more areas that could be enhanced with auxiliary and internal systems.
In the first area in the forward hull you could fit a number of science labs or install a deployable aeroshuttle designed for analysis and carrying survey teams onto planetary surfaces. The labs are likely to be more useful, but the shuttle provides a diverse utility.
In the second at the ventral saucer you could fit either a large cargo bay and extra-large industrial replicator or a set of science labs. Long-range capabilities and storage would help the mission during extended forays into deep space, while the science labs are more universally applicable.
In the third area in the engineering section you think you can squeeze in a secondary computer core to enhance the Intrepid's analytical abilities or another set of antimatter pods to increase operational range.
The bioneural gelpacks are strange to handle, an almost squishy mix of neurological tissue and technological filaments suspended in a blue gel. The idea is that they will more efficiently handle the computational load of the associated system, an especially useful trait for a science vessel. Time will tell if they live up to the hype. You move on towards the larger discrete modules that need constructing.
In the forward hull you install another set of science labs, ideally positioned to process the data from the lateral and main sensor palettes. The ventral space in the saucer section is used for another large cargo bay and an attached industrial replicator. Being able to manufacture replacement parts is standard on any medium-range starship, but an especially large replicator will allow fabrication of larger components that would otherwise require a Starbase. Finally, two extra-large antimatter pods are installed to act as bulk storage. The extra range will no doubt be welcome.
With the ship now spaceworthy you can begin the testing of the Intrepid's unproven systems. The first is the deflector, looking comparatively small compared to the bulk of the secondary hull. Fortunately this proves to be no issue, the anti-proton charged dish performing well enough that it compensates for the increased mass and profile of the ship.
The deflector functions nominally.
Next is the warp drive, setting a course for the edge of the solar system. You begin the warp-power test carefully, and as the flow remains steady you increase it to maximum input. The new coil assembly performs spectacularly, the integrated field control units in the nacelles adjusting the subspace field deflection on the fly. Then there is an enormous crashing sound as the Intrepid craters out of warp, half of the port nacelle cover turning into shrapnel as the coils fracture with immense force. The prototype is forced to call for a tug back to spacedock, an ignominious end to a seemingly triumphant first outing.
Analysis of the aftermath confirms a catastrophic warp coil rupture was responsible, a single emitter failing and then cascading to the entire port nacelle. It is determined after several weeks of full-scale testing that the polyferride alloy in the new warp coil design undergoes a subspace phase shift at ultra-high temperatures, causing an asynchronous depolarisation event. The flaw is systemic to the entire system and cannot be corrected. While the performance of the warp drive is fantastic up to Warp 9.9, above that point it will inevitably undergo violent disassembly.
The warp drive operates better than expected, supporting an increased cruise speed of warp 8.6. Substantial design flaws limit the maximum safe warp speed to 9.9 instead of the predicted 9.975, half of the expected velocity.
Finally, the bioneural gelpacks are fed a complicated mix of computational analyses and sensor readings from the more non-euclidean anomalies on record. Not only do they crunch the raw data in record time, but they tease out new details from the information and present some interesting spatial models. The fuzzy-logic and speed tests are more than met by this kind of performance from the system.
The bioneural gelpacks surpass all expectations, enhancing the Intrepid's scientific capabilities.
The only thing remaining is a name before sending the ship off for certification.
[ ] USS Intrepid. The project name encapsulates the design perfectly well.
[ ] USS Endeavour. Exploration can sometimes be challenging, but the rewards are worth the effort.
[ ] USS Voyager. These ships will be some of the furthest from Federation space, making discoveries to their name.
[X] USS Endeavour. Exploration can sometimes be challenging, but the rewards are worth the effort.
Endeavour-class Mission Certification
The Endeavour design specification is for a long range science ship capable of exploratory duty.
It is the judgement of this report that the Endeavour meets these requirements. Details follow.
The Endeavour has a long operational range at a cruise of Warp 8.6 with a maximum speed of Warp 9.9. As such the Endeavour is certified to operate four years from the nearest refuelling depot at standard cruise. Crew lodgings are noted to be standard and the Endeavour has a forward lounge and two holodecks for recreational purposes. Standard complement of 160 crew.
The Endeavour is equipped with a Type-7 shield matrix, nine Type-10 phaser strips, and rapid-fire photon launchers forward and aft. It utilizes the Type-6 torpedo standard. Its weapon systems are acceptable per the new anti-Borg tactical framework.
The Endeavour is equipped with a downsized Type-8 impulse thruster, mounted along the midline at the aft of the primary hull. It shows high acceleration for its mass and acceptable manoeuvrability.
The Endeavour is equipped with a secondary deflector dish with integrated scanners. Her isolinear computer system is capable of standard computation and data storage, supported by subnodes with bioneural gelpacks. The Endeavour has an extremely sophisticated set of forward and lateral sensor palettes and laboratory facilities for onboard analysis and research.
The Endeavour has a shuttle bay and a standard complement of four Type-8 shuttles and four Class-2 shuttles. The Endeavour is equipped with two large cargo bays and a large industrial replicator. The Endeavour is therefore certified to carry out medium to high-capacity bulk cargo deliveries and repair missions.
The Endeavour has a standard sickbay with sixteen biobeds and a basic surgical suite. It is also equipped with the experimental Emergency Medical Hologram program. It is not equipped to act as a hospital ship or emergency relief. It has two transporter rooms and is capable of 36 transports per minute under optimal conditions.
The Endeavour utilises a number of novel technologies that are expected to become standard in the next decade. The primary shortcoming is the requirement for the manufacture of the flawed nacelle coils, which is expected to be corrected in the event of a second tranche.
In concordance with the findings of this review and in consultation with Starfleet Command, Supervisor Utopia Planitia authorises one (1) production run of eight vessels, further orders to be reviewed after a performance analysis in five years.
Endeavour-class Science Ship [2369]
Ease of Manufacture: B-
Tactical Score: B+
Scientific Score: A
Comfort Score: B
Warp 8.6/9.9
I watched some of the holonovels that came out between Voyager being confirmed alive and the start of regular contact with Starfleet Command - Harry Kim cut together a short compilation. Almost all of them showed the first days as a controlled panic on the verge of going out of control. Harry particularly liked the one where the Maquis crew were all still wearing their normal clothes rather than uniforms. So did I, for that matter. Aside from the lack of uniform and that the author had clearly never spent a day in Starfleet it actually came closest to the reality. The first days were not panic - we don't panic. We solve problems, and that's what it really was. You start with the first problem and get to work, and eventually you find a way home.
Voyager's displacement into the Delta Quadrant caused enormous casualties, but we were fortunate to be able to unify with Chakotay's Maquis and carry on with a crew complement that was only mildly understrength. We were also fortunate to have advantages that any other Starfleet ship wouldn't have been able to use. Voyager had the Emergency Medical Hologram, and the Doctor proved a vital service to the crew over his tenure. She also had the fastest cruise speed in the fleet, which meant a fifty-year journey rather seventy-five. That twenty-five year difference was the distance between hope and possibility, and it kept morale strong when it might have flagged otherwise.
More significantly, Voyager was designed for long excursions. She had eight years of antimatter stored before we would need to resupply, and while spaceborne civilizations were not as common in the Delta Quadrant as they were at home we still ran into enough industrial infrastructure that we could barter for the antimatter we needed to top up the tanks without worrying about it. Our engineering replicator was also large enough to manufacture entire EPS junctions in one go, rather than having to limp along on incremental repairs.
Last but not least, Voyager was smart. She could see furthest and clearest, charting the path forward to Federation Space with enough clarity that we were able to build in minor diversions to local planets and points of interest days in advance of having to make a decision. Even before Stellar Cartography was enhanced with Borg technology it was a vital tool on our journey home. But the ship could do nothing without her crew, and you could have put us all in a fleet of runabouts and I firmly believe we would have found a way.
With the Endeavour-class out of your hands, focus is turning towards your final project. The other teams have also completed the Akira and Prometheus projects, although the latter is slated for some delays while prototype technologies are finalised. The Borg have not materialised, and while Starfleet is still keeping a wary eye out there is less focus on every ship pushing the tactical cutting-edge. That said, Project Sovereign is going to be a challenge.
The mission brief is simple: build an explorer-sized ship capable of fighting the Borg and contending with potential threats to the Federation. Threading the needle of making a ship capable of that high demand with one that can actually be produced in scales of more than a couple a year is going to be what determines if the Sovereign will have a legacy beyond the next few decades.
The first decision to make is the saucer section. The first option is to follow in the footsteps of the Ushaan, scaling up the design to a larger footprint but keeping the dual aft engines and upward-step design of the elevated command decks. This would provide space for a saucer-based shuttlebay and the Ushaan's ventral torpedo launcher.
The second option is to aim for more mass, using a broader hull with an Endeavour-style rising dome and driven by a new centerline-mounted impulse thrust assembly. Two off-axis shuttle bays could use the rear of the saucer while increasing the already substantial radius of the phaser arrays by shifting it closer to the outer edge of the saucer would offset any firepower losses from ditching the extra launcher, setting a new record for phaser strip length in the bargain.
The main saucer is colossal in its own right, containing 13 decks and a beam of almost three hundred meters. The gentle slope of the hull is interrupted by cut-outs allowing lateral exposure of a single deck in much the same as the Endeavour-class, with a forward lounge situated with a view towards the bow of the main saucer. It isn't quite the largest ever built, with that honour still belonging to the Galaxy-class, but it is certainly very substantial. The ship gently rises at the sides to a central spine, which then curves down towards the rear of the saucer. But that's only the first part. The second is the secondary hull, which is what will define the shape of the rest of the ship.
The first option is to build a secondary hull with the deflector directly below the center of the saucer, broadening the engineering section into a wider profile. It would add a chunk of mass but provide plenty of room for auxiliary systems.
The second option is a more traditional secondary hull, though still transitioning smoothly from the saucer section with the deflector below the rear third of the primary hull. The thinner profile would provide fewer internal spaces but would increase warp efficiency.
You eventually decide that the savings in warp efficiency and resulting velocity increases are worth cutting back the secondary hull to a more conservative form-factor. The secondary hull slopes down the dorsal surface to a small shuttlebay at the far aft, while below the primary hull it sweeps back towards the deflector. But what deflector?
The first option is a standard anti-proton charged deflector. The Endeavour pioneered the technology and you will have no problem installing it here on the Sovereign. The second option is an ultra-wide deflector, which stretches the dish as wide as possible in order to conserve vertical space. This would give you the opportunity to mount an extra torpedo launcher below the main dish as well as the standard arrangement, but attempting to modify the anti-proton dish in this manner could be touch-and-go.
[ ] Standard Deflector
[ ] Ultrawide Deflector (Prototype)
The ultrawide deflector is an interesting piece of the technology, but quite distinct from the elongated deflector dishes used in the Galaxy-class. This is effectively the same kind of technology as a standard dish, simply stretched with extra support and interpretation equipment to compensate for the distended shape, but at these power levels there's always the risk of some unforeseen complication. But it freed up the space for two forward torpedo launchers, which will provide a notable tactical improvement in the forward arc.
But you're not done yet. The nacelles will almost certainly be the largest ever produced, but what kind of nacelle is the real question. Scaling up the Endeavour-type would hopefully work given that Yoyodyne has reformulated the coil alloys to overcome the defects in the previous design. Allegedly without introducing new problems, or so they say. But there is a second option.
By introducing differently sized warp coils in the main sequence, the warp field could be generated with an already-existing preference to the kind of spatial deformation that would otherwise have to be produced by the field regulators. This would allow higher cruise and maximum speeds, and you can even take advantage of the sturdier nacelle struts by installing a pair of impulse thrusters there.
