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Chapter 6- Science
6.1 Starships
A starship is any interstellar,
faster-than-light capable space vessels. This broad classification covers
everything from small corporate ships to giant superfreighters and a
wide variety of military vessels.
Smaller, auxilliary and
in-system vessels which are not warp capable are referred to by the
general classifications 'craft' and 'spaceships.' Craft
are generally auxilliary craft, like the numerous types of shuttles,
which are carried aboard starships. Spaceships are generally
larger sublight vessels.
A comprehensive guide to
the technologies employed on known starships from a variety of worlds
throughout the explored portions of the galaxy is included in
appendix M. This appendix contains
a lot of detail. The technology section below includes a brief
summary of the most common technology encountered.
Star
Fleet Ship Types
Most vessels used in ASR
are under Star Fleet registry and fall into the following classifications.
These classifications, strictly speaking, can encompass all hull types
in the Federation. However, many civilian vessels like corporate
transports and the largest superfreighters are not in Star Fleet service
and would not use the same classification system.
6.1.1- Warships
BB
- The battleships is the ultimare combat vessel in service with Starfleet.
No starship is more regal or more romanticized than the heavily armed
and armored dreadnoughts. Boasting an impressive combination of
speed, stability, and endurance, no other class of ship can endure longer
when the situation goes bad.
CV
- Shuttle carriers see limited use in the Starfleet. They are
more generally used by Starfleet for local support and emergency rescue
missions when the ability to land large numbers of shuttlecraft can
be an asset. However, when a large area of space needs to be patrolled
and less sophisticated marauders or pirates contained the large number
of fighters or Runabouts that a CV can carry often prove invaluable.
CBC
- Large tactical command ships are large cruisers which use their additional
space to carry special advanced equipment that can be used to coordinate
and track operations of a large number of starships, including shuttlecarrier
flight groups if needed. They typically carry less armament than
a battlecruiser, trading firepower for computer gear, sensor arrays,
and other equipment needed to orchestrate large scale fleet operations
or planetary landing missions.
BC
- The battlecruisers are the steel fist within Starfleets velvet glove.
When force is called for, these fast, well armored, and agile ships
(for their size at least and definitely relative to BB's) are ready
to answer the call.
CA
and CL - There are two main types of cruiser
- heavy and light. This does not refer to weight (though most
CA's are larger than CL's) but to the size and power of the weapons
arrays. Light cruisers typically have a greater power to mass
ratio than other cruisers and, hence, are genrally more maneuverable
and faster on acceleration even if top speeds of the large, heavy, and
light cruisers are generally similar.
DD
- Destroyer are small, fast, and and highly maneuverable. They
are flexible starships capable of carrying out multiple types of missions.
While not having the range or endurance for extended solo missions of
cruisers, they are nonetheless a invaluable part of the fleet.
Many different types of ships, some with specific modifications for
certain types of mission fall under the classification of DD.
Long range destroyers are DD's which have been configured to carry additional
provisions, supplies, and fuel stores for missions to distant regions.
FF
- Frigates evolved from small destroyers modified for escort duty are
specially designed and outfitted for convoy defence. They are,
usually, smaller than destroyers.
FR
- Radar picket ships are used extensively in patrols. Though they
clearly no longer use the radar detection systems of their wet navy
counterparts of old, the formal designation has remained. Picket
ships substitute advanced high resolution long range sensor equipment
for weaponry. These ships are intended to be the first early warning
line in case of invasion. In peacetime their sensors can provide
data to planetary or ship-based command centers that can be invaluable
in coordinating ship traffic. They carry nominal defensive armament,
but in a fight these ships are as good as a coffin.
FL
- Corevettes are small, fast, lightly armed ships. They are often
referred to as "light frigates." They are typically used for in-system
defence and typically have only limited warp capability.
6.1.2- Other Vessels
LA - Assault Ship (Landing ship, assault)
LS - Assault Transport Ship (Landing ship)
LC - Landing Craft
PT - Patrol vessel
LA
- Assault ships which carry troops, vehicles, equipment, supplies, attack
shuttles, and dropships used in invasions or large-scale Marine actions.
Their secondary role is in-atmosphere air supremacy with their attack
shuttles.
LS
- Assault ships which do not carry attack shuttles for atmospheric combat
are classified under this designartion.
LC
- Landing craft include a number of modified shuttles including Marine
troop and vehicle dropships. When transporter use is not appropraite,
LC's carry troops and vehicles from ships to planet.
PT
- light system patrol craft, smaller than FL, capable of being docked
in ships of DD-size or larger (and possibly in FF series).
6.1.3- Auxilliaries
AT - Warp tug
AK - Cargo ship
AH - Hospital ship
AT
- Warp tugs are used to take damaged starships under low warp
tow to repair facilities. These vessels are constructed to allow
high warp velocity towing than would be possible using other starships.
AK
- Cargo ships are used for general purpose cargo transport and resupply.
AH
- Hospital ships provide mobile, highly advanced, sickbay facilities
comparable to many starbases and exceeding those of all other ship types.
6.1.4- Support
FD - Free-floating spacedock
IX - Unclassified Miscellaneous
YC - Cargo Space Barge
YR - Repair Space Barge
YT - Sublight Tug
YU - Utility Craft
Barges are not self-propelled,
requiring a YT or other means of propulsion. They are commonly
used in-system as less expensive means of transporting equipment and
cargo than full-fledged ships, while providing significantly more carrying
capacity than various smaller craft.
6.2 Technology
Starships moving faster
than the speeds of light, transporters that can move matter over large
distances, artificial gravity on starships, super-powerful computer
systems, and anti-matter reactors are all a part of the Star Trek universe.
However, as with most science fiction writing, it is the characters
that live in this advanced technological universe that are important,
not the technology itself. But, when one does use technology in
their writing, it is nice to have some references which help one to
stay consistent. Below is a summary of some of the more common
technologies in use in ASR.
6.2.1 Personal Equipment
Some of the most widely
used devices in Star Fleet are the ones that we can carry with us.
These devices are readily available.
Vacuum suits have largely replaced
the bulkier environmental suits. Most ships still carry at least
a few environmental suits for passengers without vacuum suits.
All personnel, including civilians, remaining onboard for an extended
stay are required to have a fitted vacuum suit constructed.
During combat operations
it is normal for all members of a starship's complement to wear light
duty vacuum suits in case of decompression and atmosphere loss.
While forcefields and emergency doors can usually seal off sections
of a ship and prevent the loss of large ammounts of atmosphere, failures
in these systems can result in substantial depressurization that would
kill unprotected personnel. Since such failures are not uncommon
when a ship has been substantially damaged in combat, all personnel
on starships, military and civilian alike, are expected to wear vacuum
suits whenever combat is likely. Suits are normally kept with
a crew member at their duty station.
Vacuum suits are custom
fitted to an individual. This allows them to fit precisely and
to have sensors imbedded in the suit which conveys sensation through
the suit to allow the wearer the tactical sensation necessary to perform
any task needed while still wearing the suit. The tactical sensation
is so accute that a medical officer can perform surgery on an injured
crewman in a bubble-pack operating pod in zero atmosphere while wearing
a vaccum suit.
Vacuum suits consist of
a ruberized fabric suit with a built in oxygen scrubber which allows
the user to survive for 36 hours without other life support. The
suit has a large, clear helmet. Naval issue light duty suits are
black. Naval issue heavy duty suits have a 72 hour life-support
capacity and are more resistant to damage. However, they have
reduced tactal senation. They are used in operations where a more
resistant suit is needed and the reduced tactal sensation is acceptable.
Either type of suit can be patched with special quick seal patches that
are always stored in pockets on the suit.
Medical kits are the basic first aid
kit carried by medical officers on away missions. They are able
to provide much greater services than a modern first aid kit, but are
still no replacement for a fully equipped hospital or sickbay.
A medical kit contains an utosutures, dermal regenerator, hypospray,
and a neural stimulator. This equipment will function on most
known carbon-based life forms, though certain drugs for the hypospray
needed for more exotic life forms may not be part of a standard kit.
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Autosutures are
used to seal ruptured blood vessels, mend broken bones, and close
wounds. An autosuture is a general-use portable version of a
series of more specialized instruments use in sickbays and hospitals,
the vascular regenerator and bone knitter. As such, it is principally
used to stabilize a patient for transport.
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Dermal regenerators
is a simpler version of the autosuture that is useful for healing
small wounds and removing scars.
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Hyposprays are
the basic drug delivery system used in Star Fleet. They are
capably of injecting drugs directly into the blood stream through
the skin and light clothing. A hypospray may carry up to 5 different
drug ampules. A touch pad selects the type of medication and
dosage to be delivered. A hypospray normally carries one ampule
each of a broad spectrum stimulant, tranquilizer, pain killer, tri-ox
compound (used to oxegenate blood for high altitudes, thin atmosphere,
or for patients with breathing difficulty), and an anti-toxin.
Other drugs are often carried in the medical kit including antiradiation
and antibiotic medicines. Drug that better target certain species
may also be carried when conditions warrant.
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Neural stimulators
are used to stabilize a patient's nervous system for transport.
They are capable of increasing or decreasing nervous system activity
in order to supress pain or seizures, to awaken an unconscious or
comatose patient, or to temporarily support brain function in cases
of severe head trauma.
The
PADD, Personal Access Data Device,
is one of the most common tools in the Federation. It is widely
used by both Star Fleet personnel and civilians. Although often
looked at as little more than a note pad, a PADD is actually a small,
portable computer with a touch-screen interface and isolinear data storage
modules. It is able to perform virtually all of the tasks of a
modern personal computer; however, its small size and lack of verbal
interface does somewhat limit its utility. It is cabable of interfacing
with a variety of computer data networks or even act as a combadge.
The communication range of a PADD is approximately 500 km without the
support of an external network or up to 40,000 km transmission distance
with the help of a signal booster such as an orbitting starship.
The
personal communicator in current use
by Star Fleet takes the form of a communications badge (combadge) in
the shape of the Star Fleet emblem. On away missions it functions
as a line-of-sight communications device with a range of up to 500 km.
With the assistance of a monitoring starship, it has a range of 40,000
km. Strong planetary magnetic fields or radiation may interfere
with the function of the combadge or any other communications device
not specially calibrated for existing conditions. Aboard starships
and starbases, communicators are keyed to individual crew members and
also serve to monitor the location and vital signs of the crew members.
Tricorders are compact sensor ing,
computing, and data communications devices. They incorporate a
variety of minature sensors which have been found to be most useful
aboard ship and on away missions. Additionally, tricorders may
be specifically configured for particular missions as needed.
A standard tricorder is 8.5 x 12 x 3 cm and has a mass of 353 grams
and mounts 235 mechanical, electromagnetic, and subspace devices.
Many of the sensors, 115, are clustered in the front of the device and
are direction sensitive. The other 120 sensors are omnidirectional.
A tricorder may be activated with either the touch-sensitive control
panel or by voice.
The
medical tricorder consists of a standard
tricorder with a specialized medical peripheral added. The peripherial
is one of a number of dedicated auxilliary components which may be used
with the standard tricorder to add special sensors and analysis routines.
The most common
personal weapons used in Star Fleet
are phasers of type I and II. These are detailed in the marine
equipment guide, appendix G.
A number of species use phaser weapons or distuptor weapons. While
disruptors are not able to be tuned as precisely as phasers, they offer
the same general range of use and may be set to stun as well as thermal
and kill settings.
6.2.2 Twenty Fifth Century Federation Medicine
In 2369, the United Fedeation
of Planets made a landmark decision with remarkable implications for
the field of medicing. It admitted the planet Gefion to the Federation.
Gefion, a Terran colony, had refused to give up the study of genetic
engineering as Earth herself had virtually abandoned in the wake of
the Eugenics Wars. In so doing, the Federation made a quantum
leap in certain areas of medical technology overnight. While Gefion
staunchly opposed the use of genetic engineering to create the "perfect
human," they accepted use of genetic engineering to eliminate genetically-influenced
diseases and to extend the natural life-span of humans. The true
impact of this revolutionary change in previous Federation policy has
just begun to be felt as those who received the first generational anti-aging
treatments are not entering the last decades of their life, but rather
the sixth and seventh decades of a two or three century life span.
Now, modern medical science
has greatly extended life spans and improved quality of life.
Most diseases, including such things as cancer, have long been cured.
Broken bones may be healed in a matter of seconds. Regenerative
therapies, also inspired by the research of Gefion, have even been developed.
While these techniques are still imperfect and do not work on parts
of the population, they have allowed the human body to regenerate damaged
organs and even nerves cells. For those that do not respond to
regenerative therapies or for organs too badly damaged, biogenetic organ
replacements allow remarkable recoveries from injury and make transplant
rejection extremely rare. Electronic nerve replacements are also
possible. Within the last 45 year, anti-aging treatments have
been developed for a number of races, including humans, that slow the
aging process. Average human life expectancy is approximately
220 years. Ultimate human life-span has been increased to nearly
300 years. All of these technologies have resulted in an a greatly
improved quality of life.
6.3 Galaxy
The Milky Way Galaxy is
a spiral galaxy 100,000 light-years in diameter and 6,000 light-years
thick. In the more than two and a half centuries since its founding,
the United Federation of Planets has grown to cover a sphere of influence
stretching more than 10,000 light-years along its longest axis.
Formally known as the Treaty Expansion Teritory, this region of space
has been negotiated with the neighbors of the Federation. This
vast region of space is dotted with member worlds, colonies, starbases,
and scientific outposts. It also contains non-aligned worlds and
many systems which have not been fully explored.
The galaxy is divided into
four quadrants. The bulk of the Federation is in the Alpha Quadrant.
The Cardassian Union and Klingon Empire are both within the Alpha Quadrant.
The Ferengi Alliance operated primarily within the Alpha Quadrant as
does the Orion Syndicate which originated in the Alpha Quadrant near
the border of Federation and Klingon space. The far coreward reaches
of the Alpha Quadrant, along the most distant Federation frontier, are
home to the Dalridan Alliance and the Sidhe Imperium.
The Beta Quadrant is home
to a relatively small part of the Federation. However, the Federation
borders a number of interstellar powers in that quadrant including the
Romulan Star Empire, Gorn Confederacy, Gorn Hegemony, Tholian Holdfast,
and Echen F'Don. It is also theorized that Sidhe Imperium space
extends into the coreward reaches of the Beta Quadrant.
Relatively little is know
about the Gamma Quadrant. Any direct exploration of the quadrant
would need to take a lengthy detour around Dalriadan and Sidhe space.
Limited exploration of the quadrant has been made through the Bajoran
and Herod II wormholes. The Bajoran wormhole is and aritificial
wormhole created by an advanced race known to and revered by the Bajorn
people as the "Prophets." One terminus of this wormhole is in the Bajor
system on the border of Federation and Cardassian space. The other
end of the wormhole is within the borders of the Dominion in the Gamma
Quadrant. The Herod II wormhole also appears to be both artificial
in origin and stable, though its origins are not known. It connects
a point in the Herod System along the border of Romulan and Federation
space with a point in the Gamma Quadrant just outside the border of
Dominion Space. The Gamma-quadrant terminus of the Herod II wormhole
is just over 200 light-years from the Gamma-quadrant terminus of the
Bajoran wormhole, or a harrowing 39-day trip, largely through Dominion
controlled space, at warp 9.6.
The last quadrant of the
Milky Way Galaxy is the Delta Quadrant, original home to the Borg.
Relatively little is known about the Delta Quadrant. The Barzan
wormhole opens erratically into the Delta Quadrant, but this natural
wormhole is too unpredicatable for manned exploration of the quadrant.
An astropolitical map of
the Milky way can be found in
appendix N. A zoomed in view which focuses on the most explored
portions of the Federation can be found in
appendix O.
6.3.1- Stellar Classes
A selection
of star types. Sol, around which Terra orbits, is a class G star as
are many stars in systems with class M planets.
This following
information is courtesy of
Starfleet Sciences.
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Binary- A Binary star sytem is two stars
formed at the same time and orbiting around a point mid-way
between them. Many star systems are binary systems.
-
Dwarf- There are four types of
'dwarf' stars:
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Black Dwarf is a star
that has burnt out and collapsed. It emits no radiation and
can be smaller than a planet.
-
Brown Dwarf is a star that
hasn't quite initiated nuclear reactions within it. Can also
be classed as a planet: A, T or S class.
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Red Dwarf is a star that
is small, dim and long lived. Most stars in a typical galaxy
are Red Dwarfs.
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White Dwarf is a star that
is similar in size to a gas super/ultra-giant size planet
and occasionally initiates nuclear reactions within it. Sometimes
these stars 'regenerate' in to more normal stars.
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Lazurus- A lazurus is a star that
has gone supernova, then forms another star and goes supernova
again.
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Neutron- A star that has completed
burning and then often explodes leaving the remnants of the
core. Typically spectral type B or O.
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Nova- A star quickly becomes extremely
bright, thousands of times its normal brightness. For
additional information see Supernova below.
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Population- Population stars can
be classed as follows:
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Population I are the bright
blue stars, mainly young stars, in the disk or spiral arm
of a galaxy.
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Population II stars are red
older stars than are found in the central bulge of galaxies.
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Other Population types described
various much more specific types of stars.
For additional information
see:
General Information: Galaxy Structure
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Red Giant- When the main hydrogen
in the star is exhausted the star can collapse in and then the
very central core hydrogen is rapidly burnt. The star then expands
large amounts, sometimes engulfing orbiting planets.
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Run Away- Star with significantly
different velocities to nearby stars.
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Spectral- Normal stars, classed
as either O, B, A, F, G, K or M. Each class has different properties:
|
Class |
Colour |
Temp(K) |
Mass(Solar Masses) |
Radius(Solar Radii) |
Luminosity(sol) |
|
O
|
violet-white
|
30k to 50k
|
10 to 30
|
2.5 to 3
|
1k to 100k
|
|
B
|
blue-white
|
10k to 30k
|
3 to 5
|
2 to 3.5
|
100 to 1k
|
|
A
|
white
|
7.5k to 10k
|
2 to 3
|
1.5 to 2
|
50 to 100
|
|
F
|
yellow-white
|
6k to 7.5k
|
1 to 2
|
1 to 1.5
|
1 to 50
|
|
G
|
yellow
|
4.5k to 6k
|
.8 to 1
|
.8 to 1
|
0.1 to 1
|
|
K
|
orange
|
3.5k to 4.5k
|
.5 to .8
|
.5 to .8
|
.01 to .1
|
|
M
|
red
|
2k to 3.5k
|
.02 to .5
|
.01 to .5
|
.00001 to .01
|
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Supernova- When a star effectively
explodes, often forming an expanding nebula. There is little
trace of the star left over. For additional information
see Nova above.
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T Tauri- T Tauri are undeveloped
stars and will become stars. They are the beginnings of stars.
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Variables- A variable star's brightness,
or luminosity, changes over long periods of time due to the
star expanding and contracting.
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Blue Variables are large
unstable stars with short life spans.
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Cepheid Variables are variables
with a more rapid variation in luminosity, often used to calculate
distances.
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6.3.2- Planetary Classes
Like stars, planets also
come in many types, classified by size, location in relation to the
star they orbit, water and elemental composition, etc.
This following information
is courtesy of
Starfleet Sciences.
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A Class- Class A Planets are Gas Super Giants. 300 to 1000
times the size of Earth, and located in their Suns Cold Zone they
are hot and have a high gravity. The high gravity means a dense, mainly
Hydrogen, atmosphere is maintained.
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B Class- This type of large planet is a Gas Giant. Class B
Planets are located in the Suns Cold Zone and are about 10 to 100
times the size of Earth. Due to their high gravity, much of the Hyrdrogen
hasn't excaped the planet, and consequently a thick Hydrogen atmosphere
surrounds the planet.
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C Class- Class C Planets are the same size as Earth. They are
located in the Suns Habitable Zone, but have little water in vapour
form, or no water at all. Class C Planets have high quantities of
Carbon Dioxide gas as well. They were once Class F planets.
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D Class- These planets are located in the Suns Habitable Zone,
and are very newly formed planets. They have molten surfaces, and
still have rich Hydrogen atmospheres. They are about the size of Earth,
and they will eventually cool to become Class E Planets.
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E Class- Class E Planets are the same size as Earth. They are
recently formed, having been Class D, with a very thin crust. They
will cool to Class F, and they still have Hydrogen left in the atmosphere.
-
F Class- Class F Planets are the same size as Earth, and are
older than Class E, but slightly younger than Earth (Class M). Located
in the Suns Habitable Zone, these planets can cool to Class C, M or
N and still have small amounts of toxic gasses.
-
G Class- Located in the Suns Hot Zone, Class G Planets have
a very hot surface and strong gravity. The hot surface means the atmosphere
is composed of metal vapours, and can not escape due to the strong
gravity.
-
H Class- Smaller than earth (about 1 to 1/10 the size of Earth),
Class H Planets are newly formed, with Hydrogen atmospheres . They
are located in the Suns Cold Zone, and will cool to Class L Planets.
-
I Class- Tiny planets, 1/100 the size of Earth or less, Class
I Planets are generally lifeless. They have no atmosphere due to the
low gravity, and consequently are very cratered.
-
J Class- These small (1/10 of Earth) size planets are located
in the suns Hot Zone. Because of their low gravity, they have no atmosphere
but they have very hot surfaces. They have few chemically active gasses.
-
K Class- Although small (1/10 Earth), Class K Planets, located
in the Suns Habitable Zone, do have water despite their weak atmosphere.
-
L Class- Cooled from Class H, Class L Planets are slightly
smaller than Earth at 1 to 1/10 the size of Earth and are located
in the Suns Cold Zone. Because of this, they have cooled and have
frozen atmospheres.
-
M Class (Terra)- M Class Planets, having cooled from Class
F, are the size same as Earth with a stable crust. They have various
gases in the atmosphere (Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide and others),
as well large quantities of water. If the water level increases they
become Class N. Class M Planets are located in the Suns Habitable
Zone.
-
N Class- Class N Planets are very similar to M except more
than 90% of the surface is covered in water. They have a range of
gases in the atmosphere (Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide and others),
having cooled from being Class F. Class N Planets are located in the
Stars Habitable Zone.
-
S Class- Gas Ultra Giants, approximately 10,000 times the size
of Earth and located in the Suns Cold Zone are extreamly hot and radiate
light. They have thick atmoshpheres due to huge gravity, and if they
become slightly larger may initiate Fusion inside and become a star.
For additional information see:
Star Classes,
Star Structure
-
T Class- Class T Planets are Gas Super Giants, about 3,000
times the size of Earth. They are located in the Suns Cold Zone, and
have a thick atmosphere. Water is present on Class T Planets.
6.4 Aliens
Alien races in ASR are cataloged
by the United Federation of Planets Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UFPESCO). UFPESCO is a specialized agency of the
United Federation of Planets. It aims to contribute to the peace
and security of the Federation by promoting collaboration among the
different Federation cultures and civilizations through education, science
and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the
rule of law and for the sentient rights and fundamental freedoms which
are affirmed for the peoples and races of the Federation, without distinction
of species, race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United
Federation of Planets.
More information can be
found through the
UFPESCO homepage.
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