Main Bridge:
General Overview: Primary operational control of the Achilles Class is provided by the Main Bridge, located at the top of the primary hull. It is located on Deck 1. The Main Bridge directly supervises all primary mission operations and coordinates all departmental activities.
The Main Bridge is a highly restricted area; only Beta-Two security clearance personnel (Officers with the Rank of Ensign or Higher) and authorized bridge personnel are allowed on the bridge. All bridge officers carry a type II phaser.
The Main Bridge is an ejectable module, allowing for a wider variety in mission parameters. Therefore, the bridge configuration on any Achilles Class ship may be different.
Layout:
Ovoid layout typical of most Federation starships.
Rearmost, the Bridge is served by a large bank of consoles and data-readout screens. Centre of that area is the Master Systems Display. From the MSD, all of the crew can get a compressed view of the ship and major systems for on-the-fly analysis. Control consoles flank the MSD on either side, running everything from incoming sensor data, to communications and auxiliary systems control.
Starboard of the information centre, just past the starboard side turbolift, is the Chief Tactical Officer’s console. Behind the forward-facing console is a larger area, with bigger displays and additional control infrastructure. This area is maintained mostly for internal security and manned by the Chief Tactical Officer’s assistant or similar. In typical configuration, the Chief Tactical Officer is in primary control of external security and weapons systems with the sister console configured for more sensor work and management of internal security. Tactical console usage is extremely limited; only Beta-2 Tactical clearance personnel can use it, and the user must input special codes to even get access to the massive amounts of computer links that give tactical nearly limitless information at the ship’s disposal. For full access, the console’s security subsystem can run a battery of scans on the user, including thermal, biological, retinal, and vocal tests. If all of these are passed, full access to the ship’s offensive and defensive systems is made available.
Across from the tactical kiosk is the Operations Manager’s post. From there, he or she has access to and/or control over ship’s internal systems, power flow, sensor data, communications, and transporter control. As one of the most important positions at any one time, the Operations kiosk is always manned.
The two turbolifts on the bridge can handle normal transit around the ship. Also, an emergency ladder connects the bridge to Deck Two and Three. Forward of the upper ship operations areas are doorways on port and starboard sides of the bridge. To port, access to the briefing room is provided. Inside is a large table for seating a minimum of eight officers, as well as displays, and a large set of viewports for vista. Starboard access leads to the Captain’s Ready Room. As the captain’s personal office, many command decisions are made there instead of the bridge.
Directly forward of the command area and sunken down by two steps is the Conn. From this position, the Flight Control Officer serves as helmsman and navigator for the Intrepid class. The Conn has access to a wide array of ship systems, including Engineering data as the Chief of Helm often serves as a bridge liaison to Engineering.
To the right of the Conn sits the Chief Engineer. Though far better served in Main Engineering, the Engineer is often needed on the bridge to provide analysis and control ‘on site’, as it were. This location is manned by a single officer, with wraparound consoles and access to almost all ship controls. . Typical configuration keeps a scaled down version of the master systems display keyed to display problems visually, as well as dedicated screens showing the status of the warp drive and structural integrity systems.
Directly opposite sits the Chief Science Officer in a similar console. It has access to all science, navigational, sensor, and communications systems. It can be configured to operate in tandem with other consoles, although security links and all other non-science data are restricted to the main console.
Centre of the bridge is the command chairs – one each for the Captain and First Officer. The first officer’s chair is on the left, when facing forward, and includes screens for reviewing ship status reports on the fly. On the right, is the Captain’s chair. Both face the viewscreen directly behind the unified Helm.
Two escape pods are reserved for the top four officers in the chain of command on the vessel because they are the last four to leave the ship. These are located on behind the main bridge through an access way. As the number of experienced Captains dwindles in Starfleet, the notion of a Captain going down with his ship has been abolished. If the ship is abandoned, the top four officers in the chain of command will wait until everyone else is off the ship, opt to arm the auto-Destruct (not always necessary, but there if needed), and then leave in the two escape pods.
Physical Arrangement & Crew Support
A narrative section, this can be as descriptive or not as you want!
Propulsion and Power Generation
Advanced Propulsion Drive (APD-02), designed by Kuroden Drive Systems. This is an updated core from the one originally installed on the Avenger Class. The APD-02 utilises swirl technology similar to most modern warp cores. Further improvements over the APD-01 Plasma Transfer Conduit’s make the APD-02 even more energy efficient. The core is constructed from a central translucent aluminum and duranium reactor with dilithium articulation frame, four-lobed magnetic constriction segment columns, and matter and antimatter injectors.
The nacelles incorporate a highly efficient in-line impulse system, which accepts matter intake and heating within the nacelles and exhausts the heated gases through a space-time driver assembly in the nacelle aft cap.
The basic structure of the nacelles is similar to that of the remainder of the starship; however, the entire length of the nacelle housing is augmented with longitudinal stiffeners composed of cobalt cortenide to protect against high levels of warp-induced stress. Throughout the nacelle housing are triply redundant conduits for Structural Integrity Field (SIF) and Internal Dampening Field (IDF) systems. Each nacelle contains two pairs of four warp field coils, making a total of 32.
Advances in variable warp field geometry ensure that all ships of this class will not cause harmful subspace damage. The standard maximum warp speed of the Avenger Classis Warp 9.5, however, a speed of Warp 9.982 can be reached if power from the phaser capacitors is used, thus taking that system offline for at least six hours as it recharges. All regulation warp engine controls and procedures apply to Achilles Class vessels.
The Achilles Class’ main M/ARA is designed to be ejected as on larger starships. Panels on the ventral side of the vessel, can be jettisoned, allowing the core to be ejected. Total replacement of the M/ARA can be accomplished during a major overhaul at a Starfleet Drydock or Fleet Yard facility and requires the removal of various hull segments not normally accessible during normal operation modes.
The APD-02 core also includes the redesign of the TPG MKIII warp core ejection system. It is now powered by separate battery units arrayed around the core, guaranteeing successful core ejection event if all power is lost onboard the ship. Ejection can be both computer controlled and manual, with a built in auto ejection sequence initiated if certain parameters are reached or exceeded. This system can be overridden by the crew however.
The Achilles Class also incorporates the latest innovations into Quantum Slipstream drive technology requiring benamite crystals to work, though the drive can only be used for short ‘jumps’ otherwise the system becomes unstable. Also due to the rarity of, and difficulty in synthesizing, benamite crystals the Quantum Slipstream drive’s use is limited.
