Post by tewha7 on Jul 28, 2016 4:00:10 GMT
This is intended to be a live document. Feedback is welcomed, and I'll probably be adjusting it.
Note: This is not a role played ship. The intent here is to create a single ship that came from the 23rd century to serve as a common backstory. If you want to play a 23rd century toon and can fit within this, you're welcome to add your toon's name. That does not preclude an event session one day, if there's interest and enough people involved. I'd love to see exactly how they got to present day.
USS Melbourne (NCC-506)
Saladin class
The USS Melbourne was the last ship constructed as the first major order of Saladin class ships in 2240[1]. She ended up with most of the less capable parts of that run and did not pass her final tests. Repairs to bring her up to specification were too extensive at the time, so Starfleet planned to turn it into a place where Federation citizens could see what the inside of a starship looked like. Please stay behind the rope at all times.
After more than a decade idle the balance of the equation had changed. Detailed proposals for finishing the interior, ensuring the safety of the tourists and removing all classified technology showed the work as much harder than had been initially thought. (Space is not especially forgiving, even if a ship has no warp drive.) If a museum was desired it would have more economic sense to scuttle the Melbourne and construct a mock starship for exhibition purposes. Meanwhile, now that Starfleet had more experience with this class the cost to repair the ship was less than tenth what had previously been estimated. The decision was made to prepare the Melbourne for service.
The Melbourne would turn out a unique subtype of Saladin. As no Saladin ships were being constructed, there was a shortage of some of the interior fittings. Instead, extra Constitution interior modules were constructed and used. The computer core was a test of a new design that would be used in future Constitution ships (and would later be installed onto the Enterprise prior to 2266[2]). The reconstructed ship passed the minimum standard for the class, but barely met the performance of the first run Saladin ships in several categories (and these ships had been refit since).
However, the Melbourne exceeded all existing Saladin class ships (in any run) in computational power including sensors. She was deemed uniquely suited for scientifically difficult operations where neither full performance of a Saladin nor the crew or firepower of a Constitution was not necessary. These parameters turned out to be very broad. Even with the Melbourne in service, Constitution class ships were frequently assigned where the Melbourne would have been sufficient as there was only one Melbourne.
Service
The Melbourne lacked the range of the Constitution class, and was able to operate with only minor work for three years at a time before requiring a few months of dry dock. Despite its less than ideal origins, the ship was successfully active from 2254-2270 (counting dry dock time)[3].
Loss
A few months into 2271 she disappeared without a trace.
Cheated Fate
Had she not disappeared, her mission area would have placed her near V'Ger's path a few years later. She would have likely beat Enterprise to V'Ger, and probably not been effective at dealing with the threat.
Had she (and Earth) survived that encounter, she would very likely have been decommissioned or been put through an extensive refit following her return. Other Saladin ships had already been upgraded, but the Melbourne would be a special caste due to her construction. Starfleet had been considering options for her future when she disappeared.
In the Interim
A future Excelsior-class USS Melbourne is offered to Riker and subsequently destroyed at Wolf 359 in 2366. The name was re-used, with the justification that it was a way of honoring the lost crew of many years previous.
Present Day
The Melbourne made it to the future, but due to extensive damage and outdated technology the ship was scuttled. Some of her crew survived, not including the captain. They were updated for the present day via specialized training. Starfleet has done this before and the requirements are understood.[4]
1-This is 5 years before Memory Alpha's accepted launch of the Enterprise, 2245.
2-Memory Alpha describes Star Trek and Kirk's five year mission as 2265-2270. The second pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before, was set in 2265; the rest of season 1 was set in 2266.
3-There are a variety of estimates for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but they're all after 2270. Memory Alpha just says "the 2270s."
4-That is to say, they were retrained prior to Agent of Yesterday's release. They have gaps in their knowledge, but they're considered reasonable candidates for duties where they can be monitored and guided.
Here's where things get horribly incomplete, at least for now. There are lots of unknowns here. My general thinking is to have Captain and 25-50% of the crew dead in the events bringing the ship forward in time. That's enough that there's no chance of the crew sticking together, and nobody to stupidly dig in their heels for it.
Ship's crew
Positions are open for the taking. Any position not listed is open, too. In the worst case, we'll have to find a reason for you to be out of position when whatever happened happened. But that could be as easy as the mess hall or the head.
Player characters in orange.
Note: This is not a role played ship. The intent here is to create a single ship that came from the 23rd century to serve as a common backstory. If you want to play a 23rd century toon and can fit within this, you're welcome to add your toon's name. That does not preclude an event session one day, if there's interest and enough people involved. I'd love to see exactly how they got to present day.
USS Melbourne (NCC-506)
Saladin class
The USS Melbourne was the last ship constructed as the first major order of Saladin class ships in 2240[1]. She ended up with most of the less capable parts of that run and did not pass her final tests. Repairs to bring her up to specification were too extensive at the time, so Starfleet planned to turn it into a place where Federation citizens could see what the inside of a starship looked like. Please stay behind the rope at all times.
After more than a decade idle the balance of the equation had changed. Detailed proposals for finishing the interior, ensuring the safety of the tourists and removing all classified technology showed the work as much harder than had been initially thought. (Space is not especially forgiving, even if a ship has no warp drive.) If a museum was desired it would have more economic sense to scuttle the Melbourne and construct a mock starship for exhibition purposes. Meanwhile, now that Starfleet had more experience with this class the cost to repair the ship was less than tenth what had previously been estimated. The decision was made to prepare the Melbourne for service.
The Melbourne would turn out a unique subtype of Saladin. As no Saladin ships were being constructed, there was a shortage of some of the interior fittings. Instead, extra Constitution interior modules were constructed and used. The computer core was a test of a new design that would be used in future Constitution ships (and would later be installed onto the Enterprise prior to 2266[2]). The reconstructed ship passed the minimum standard for the class, but barely met the performance of the first run Saladin ships in several categories (and these ships had been refit since).
However, the Melbourne exceeded all existing Saladin class ships (in any run) in computational power including sensors. She was deemed uniquely suited for scientifically difficult operations where neither full performance of a Saladin nor the crew or firepower of a Constitution was not necessary. These parameters turned out to be very broad. Even with the Melbourne in service, Constitution class ships were frequently assigned where the Melbourne would have been sufficient as there was only one Melbourne.
Service
The Melbourne lacked the range of the Constitution class, and was able to operate with only minor work for three years at a time before requiring a few months of dry dock. Despite its less than ideal origins, the ship was successfully active from 2254-2270 (counting dry dock time)[3].
Loss
A few months into 2271 she disappeared without a trace.
Cheated Fate
Had she not disappeared, her mission area would have placed her near V'Ger's path a few years later. She would have likely beat Enterprise to V'Ger, and probably not been effective at dealing with the threat.
Had she (and Earth) survived that encounter, she would very likely have been decommissioned or been put through an extensive refit following her return. Other Saladin ships had already been upgraded, but the Melbourne would be a special caste due to her construction. Starfleet had been considering options for her future when she disappeared.
In the Interim
A future Excelsior-class USS Melbourne is offered to Riker and subsequently destroyed at Wolf 359 in 2366. The name was re-used, with the justification that it was a way of honoring the lost crew of many years previous.
Present Day
The Melbourne made it to the future, but due to extensive damage and outdated technology the ship was scuttled. Some of her crew survived, not including the captain. They were updated for the present day via specialized training. Starfleet has done this before and the requirements are understood.[4]
1-This is 5 years before Memory Alpha's accepted launch of the Enterprise, 2245.
2-Memory Alpha describes Star Trek and Kirk's five year mission as 2265-2270. The second pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before, was set in 2265; the rest of season 1 was set in 2266.
3-There are a variety of estimates for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but they're all after 2270. Memory Alpha just says "the 2270s."
4-That is to say, they were retrained prior to Agent of Yesterday's release. They have gaps in their knowledge, but they're considered reasonable candidates for duties where they can be monitored and guided.
Here's where things get horribly incomplete, at least for now. There are lots of unknowns here. My general thinking is to have Captain and 25-50% of the crew dead in the events bringing the ship forward in time. That's enough that there's no chance of the crew sticking together, and nobody to stupidly dig in their heels for it.
Ship's crew
Positions are open for the taking. Any position not listed is open, too. In the worst case, we'll have to find a reason for you to be out of position when whatever happened happened. But that could be as easy as the mess hall or the head.
Player characters in orange.
- Captain: Franklin "Teddy" Theodore Wilson, male human from Toledo, OH. NPC. Died on final mission. He's kind of a Kirk figure: smart and competent but arrogant and prideful. He's a little more sizzle and a little less steak than Kirk. The crew very naturally call him "captain" to his face or "the captain" to each other, rather than his name.
- First officer: Nothing established. Would prefer to keep him a dead NPC, but if you have a good idea don't be shy. Currently leaning towards human male. Might be the science officer as well, but if you wnat a character that was just the science officer that's fine too.
- Chief Engineer: male human from Russia, Lt. Commander, Dimitri Leonovich Ivanov
- 1st shift Helmsman: female Vulcan from Vulcan, Lt. T'Rari
- 1st shift Navigator: Taken
- 1st shift Communications: female Vulcan from Sochya, Lt. JG Arel
- Chief Medical Officer: Nothing established, but a t least a Lt. Commander
- 2nd shift Doctor: female Andorian, Lt. Commander Rilil Ovrom
- Mission specialist in transport: Crewman Sarah Herring
- Other rolls: Not established. But I'm as eager to mark down botanists as first officers.