The year is 2400

     The year is 2400.  To mark the beginning of the 25th century, Starfleet
launches its newest flagship:  the Omega-class USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-E.  The
previous Enterprise - the Galaxy-class NCC-1701-D - had a long and illustrious
career, and the 1701-E is expected to follow in the footsteps of that ship and
its other ancestor vessels.
     The newest Enterprise belongs to the Omega class.  Originally titled the
USS Omega (NCC-80000), the ship underwent several design changes during
construction (similar to the history of the USS Constitution, which eventually
became the first Enterprise to bear the hull registry NCC-1701) and became the
newest Enterprise.  The 1701-E is twice the size of the 1701-D, and
incorporates several revolutionary designs.  Its engine system is the first to
successfully employ trilithium crystals, which extends the vessel's range
enormously.
     Trilithium has paved the way for the invention of the Megawarp Drive,
which improves upon the previous Ultrawarp (sometimes referred to as Superwarp)
drive by raising the given warp factor to the sixth, as opposed to the fifth,
power.  Thanks to megawarp drive, the United Federation of Planets has
colonized several planets in the Andromeda galaxy and in the Magellanic Clouds;
on one such extragalactic mission, the USS James T. Kirk even discovered a ship
long presumed destroyed:  the Alaska-class USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-C.  An away
team discovered that the NCC-1701-C was in perfect working order; all engines,
life support, and other shipboard systems were functioning normally.  However,
there was no sign of the vessel's crew; oddly enough, there was no sign of a
struggle anywhere aboard, nor were any of the lifepods missing.  The fate of
the 1701-C's crew remains a mystery to this day.
     Besides the megawarp drive, the 1701-E features several other new designs.
There are four warp drive nacelles; each of these is actually a pair of two
nacelles, one primary and one for backup.  An expanded and improved Sickbay
occupies nearly half of a deck, almost directly in the center of the primary
hull - one of the best-protected areas of the ship (auxiliary control and the
ship's nursery are located nearby).  Weapon systems have also been updated; due
in part to the new trilithium technology, photon torpedo and phaser systems
have available power far superior to that of any previous vessel.  In addition
to numerous standard phaser banks, the 1701-E has two "continuous-loop" phaser
banks:  one on either side of the primary hull.  There are four photon torpedo
tubes on the connecting dorsal (two on the front, two in back) and one near
each warp nacelle.  Transporter systems are state-of-the-art, due to the
successful application of subspace transporter technology (first discovered by
the crew of the NCC-1701-D), which increases safe beaming range immeasurably.
Transporter malfunctions are almost impossible; at the first sign of trouble,
the ship's computer aborts any beaming in progress.  The ship's cargo decks
employ a variation of this new transporter technology, which enables some types
of cargo to be "stored" as data and recalled when transfer is complete.  Sensor
systems are also improved; instead of employing 'sensors' only at select
points, the entire hull of the 1701-E is essentially one big sensor.  Triple
shielding has made the newest Enterprise almost invulnerable to enemy vessels,
as long as sufficient energy is available to power the shields.

Now on to the crew:

Commanding the NCC-1701-E is Captain Worf, the first Klingon to command a
Starfleet vessel.  Worf's previous assignment was on the 1701-D, where he
served first as Security Chief and then, after Jean-Luc Picard retired and
William Riker assumed command, as First Officer.  Captain Worf was instrumental
in the negotiations which resulted in the dissolution of the renegade Imperial
Klingon States and their annexation into the Federation Grand Alliance.

First officer is Commander Andrew Riker.  A tall, imposing, dark-haired Terran,
he is under constant pressure to live up to the reputation of his father,
William Riker, who served on the previous Enterprise.  Andrew received the
Starfleet Medal of Honor when he rescued Captain Worf from capture by the
Romulans.

Manning the improved Sickbay is Chief Medical Officer Hardath Ch'iak, an
Andorian.  Dr. Ch'iak is surprisingly easy-going for an Andorian, which is
fortunate given all the "gee, his skin matches the uniform" jokes circulating
among the crew.

At the science station is Commander Alan Scott, a native of Earth.  The tall,
blonde-haired Scott is also in the ship's chain of command, which is unusual
for a science officer, but not terribly surprising; Alan's parents were both
veteran Starfleet officers (his father, David, commanded the USS McAuliffe,
while his mother, Andrea, was Surgeon-General of Starfleet).

At helm is an officer with one of the longest service records in Starfleet
history:  the android Commander Data.  Mr. Data is actually sixty-two years
"old," yet he shows no sign of physical or mental aging; he is still as
efficient an officer as during his career on the 1701-D.  Controversy rages
over whether Mr. Data should be given an opportunity to command a vessel; so
far, though, he wishes not to command, but to remain with the Enterprise as
long as he is able to do so.

Lt. Commander Sera Davai, a Betazoid, serves as Ship's Counselor and
Communications Officer.  Prior to her assignment on board the Enterprise, she
was stationed on Angel One, where her diplomatic talents helped secure equal
rights for men on that planet.

Chief Engineer is Lt. Cmdr. Kavin Luraa, a red-skinned native of Vardin XI, in
the Andromeda Galaxy.  Mr. Luraa is one of the first Starfleet officers to come
from outside the Milky Way.

Lieutenant John Parsons, an Englishman, serves as Navigator and Weapons/Defense
Officer.  Lt. Parsons, in addition to his career in Starfleet, is an
accomplished musician.


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