IDF
26-07-2007, 04:18
OOC: I've done FT before, but I'd like to restart as all of my good story lines dried out
IC:
San Francisco Fleet Yard, in orbit of Primus III
The inhabitants of Primus had been exploring the stars for centuries, the last one had been done with warp capabilities. Zephram Cochrane's contributions were great, but the warp 5 barrier had not been broken by a Priman vessel. The Primans were outgunned by most species they encountered. While they remained peaceful, not every group encountered shared their willingness to coexist.
The Interstellar Defense Fleet (known to most simply as IDF or Starfleet by those in it) needed faster and more heavily armed ships to carry out deep space exploration missions. The warp 3 class vessels used for the last thirty years had been pushed to the breaking point. A new class had to be launched.
Admiral Archer had spent the last two decades as head of the Design Bureau. He had labored hard for a warp 5 engine and the ship which would carry it.
He finally had his design. Unfortunately, he would not live to see its launch, but his son Jonathon would come to be the first Commanding Officer of what would be the pathfinder for a new Starfleet.
The observation lounge at the top of the decade old San Francisco Yards was filled with dignitaries. It was a day to be celebrated. The launch of the ISS Enterprise NX-1, the first of the so called NX-class. The ship had been constructed over seven years of what was largely trial and error in her design.
She was now complete and ready for her launch. Starfleet officers, media personnel, and politicians lined the windows to see a bottle of champaign crash into the gleaming white duranium hull. The crowd cheered as this naval tradition was completed.
Speeches were read and the crew boarded the ship through umbilical links to the port airlocks. She only had a crew of 85, but they were crammed into the 7 deck vessel. She was 225 meters long, but much of that length was her dual nacelles, which stuck out from a pair of pylons at her stern.
The bulk of the ship's 80,000 metric tons remained in her saucer section, which was packed with crew quarters, storage, her matter/anti-matter reactor, and the bulk of the equipment needed to fly the ship at her design speed of warp factor 5.2.
Captain Archer was the last man to board the ship. He quickly took the turboshaft to the bridge. Her XO wasn't a Priman. She was a Vulcan who had been assigned as both a liason and as a guide to the Primans, who were of course newcomers in the galaxy. Her CMO was a Denobulan, who was well rounded in new medical techniques. The rest of her command crew was made up of humans from Primus III.
Archer was greeted by the crew on the bridge. He walked around the bridge. The controls were all flat paneled touch screens. One object stuck out. It was the dedication plaque placed during the ceremony. He examined the plaque
Enterprise
Starship Registry NX-01
Captain Jonathan Archer, Commanding Officer 2151
Sub-Commander T'Pol, Executive Officer 2151
Commander Charles Tucker, Chief Engineering Officer 2151
...to boldly go where no man has gone before
The beautiful plaque was made of bronze and was just to the left of the turboshaft. Archer eventually found his seat. Tucker reported that all systems were up and functioning. The Enterprise was about to go on her shakedown cruise.
"Take her out, Mr. Mayweather... straight and steady," ordered Archer. The blue lit impulse engines came to life and the vessel moved out with minimal power until she was well clear of the San Francisco Yards. "Ahead 1/4 impulse power."
The vessel accelerated as plasma shot out of the pair of engines at her stern. She was quickly moving out of site of the dignitaries who had been there to witness her launch. Archer was slow to test the impulse power drive. He wanted to try various maneuvers during the shakedown before engaging warp drive. He quickly increased his impulse speed until he was at a speed of .5c at full impulse.
"Mr. Tucker, power up the warp engines," ordered Archer. "Mr. Mayweather, increase to warp." The vessel could of course jump to warp, but it was considered better for new engines to accelerated to warp speed.
Mayweather adjusted the engine controls as both the port and starboard warp engines were now drawing power off of the mains. They began to provide thrust as the vessel pushed to .6c. The helmsman reported the speed as the vessel accelerated. "We are now at warp .7 sir. We are at .8, .9..." The vessel had seemed to almost jump as the inertial dampeners fought to keep up. "Warp 1," reported a calm Mayweather. "Warp 2, Warp 3, Warp 4." Her acceleration slowed.
The vessel topped out at warp factor 4.65. This was a good measure below her design speed, but Tucker and the engineers at the San Francisco Yards had a large amount of work ahead of them in order to get the ship to perform to her maximum potential. Either way, the new vessel had already set a Terran speed record. Archer began ordering various maneuvers at warp speed to put the vessel's hull through stressful motions. She responded well.
IC:
San Francisco Fleet Yard, in orbit of Primus III
The inhabitants of Primus had been exploring the stars for centuries, the last one had been done with warp capabilities. Zephram Cochrane's contributions were great, but the warp 5 barrier had not been broken by a Priman vessel. The Primans were outgunned by most species they encountered. While they remained peaceful, not every group encountered shared their willingness to coexist.
The Interstellar Defense Fleet (known to most simply as IDF or Starfleet by those in it) needed faster and more heavily armed ships to carry out deep space exploration missions. The warp 3 class vessels used for the last thirty years had been pushed to the breaking point. A new class had to be launched.
Admiral Archer had spent the last two decades as head of the Design Bureau. He had labored hard for a warp 5 engine and the ship which would carry it.
He finally had his design. Unfortunately, he would not live to see its launch, but his son Jonathon would come to be the first Commanding Officer of what would be the pathfinder for a new Starfleet.
The observation lounge at the top of the decade old San Francisco Yards was filled with dignitaries. It was a day to be celebrated. The launch of the ISS Enterprise NX-1, the first of the so called NX-class. The ship had been constructed over seven years of what was largely trial and error in her design.
She was now complete and ready for her launch. Starfleet officers, media personnel, and politicians lined the windows to see a bottle of champaign crash into the gleaming white duranium hull. The crowd cheered as this naval tradition was completed.
Speeches were read and the crew boarded the ship through umbilical links to the port airlocks. She only had a crew of 85, but they were crammed into the 7 deck vessel. She was 225 meters long, but much of that length was her dual nacelles, which stuck out from a pair of pylons at her stern.
The bulk of the ship's 80,000 metric tons remained in her saucer section, which was packed with crew quarters, storage, her matter/anti-matter reactor, and the bulk of the equipment needed to fly the ship at her design speed of warp factor 5.2.
Captain Archer was the last man to board the ship. He quickly took the turboshaft to the bridge. Her XO wasn't a Priman. She was a Vulcan who had been assigned as both a liason and as a guide to the Primans, who were of course newcomers in the galaxy. Her CMO was a Denobulan, who was well rounded in new medical techniques. The rest of her command crew was made up of humans from Primus III.
Archer was greeted by the crew on the bridge. He walked around the bridge. The controls were all flat paneled touch screens. One object stuck out. It was the dedication plaque placed during the ceremony. He examined the plaque
Enterprise
Starship Registry NX-01
Captain Jonathan Archer, Commanding Officer 2151
Sub-Commander T'Pol, Executive Officer 2151
Commander Charles Tucker, Chief Engineering Officer 2151
...to boldly go where no man has gone before
The beautiful plaque was made of bronze and was just to the left of the turboshaft. Archer eventually found his seat. Tucker reported that all systems were up and functioning. The Enterprise was about to go on her shakedown cruise.
"Take her out, Mr. Mayweather... straight and steady," ordered Archer. The blue lit impulse engines came to life and the vessel moved out with minimal power until she was well clear of the San Francisco Yards. "Ahead 1/4 impulse power."
The vessel accelerated as plasma shot out of the pair of engines at her stern. She was quickly moving out of site of the dignitaries who had been there to witness her launch. Archer was slow to test the impulse power drive. He wanted to try various maneuvers during the shakedown before engaging warp drive. He quickly increased his impulse speed until he was at a speed of .5c at full impulse.
"Mr. Tucker, power up the warp engines," ordered Archer. "Mr. Mayweather, increase to warp." The vessel could of course jump to warp, but it was considered better for new engines to accelerated to warp speed.
Mayweather adjusted the engine controls as both the port and starboard warp engines were now drawing power off of the mains. They began to provide thrust as the vessel pushed to .6c. The helmsman reported the speed as the vessel accelerated. "We are now at warp .7 sir. We are at .8, .9..." The vessel had seemed to almost jump as the inertial dampeners fought to keep up. "Warp 1," reported a calm Mayweather. "Warp 2, Warp 3, Warp 4." Her acceleration slowed.
The vessel topped out at warp factor 4.65. This was a good measure below her design speed, but Tucker and the engineers at the San Francisco Yards had a large amount of work ahead of them in order to get the ship to perform to her maximum potential. Either way, the new vessel had already set a Terran speed record. Archer began ordering various maneuvers at warp speed to put the vessel's hull through stressful motions. She responded well.