| Name |
Notes |
| Ablative Armour [1] |
Ablative armour was originally developed for the USS Defiant [1]; the Borg had proven their ability to penetrate Federation shields with ease during their encounter with the Enterprise at system J-25 [2], and the Defiant designers wanted the ship to have a degree of protection even if the shields should be overcome in the expected future encounters. [3]
The value of the armour was proven when the Defiant came up against Dominion forces. Like the Borg, the Dominion were able to penetrate Federation shielding systems relatively easily in the first years of hostility between the two powers [4], and the Defiant's ablative armour allowed the ship to withstand attacks that would have otherwise caused significant damage. [5]
Recently there has been a massive revolution in this technology with the appearance of the ablative armour generator. This device was given to the crew of the USS Voyager by a future version of Admiral Janeway, who travelled back in time to the ship in order to assist them in returning home from the Delta Quadrant. The generator involves a series of devices placed onto the hull of a vessel; when activated these replicate a layer of armour over the surface of the ship. The effectiveness of armour is considerable. The system Voyager employed was able to withstand a simultaneous attack by several Borg cubes. One of the most useful features of this system is that as it can be materialised and dematerialised as needed, even weapons systems can be covered over when they are not actually in use. This gives a much greater degree of coverage than any standard armour protection which must leave permanent apetures to operate such systems through. [6]
At time of writing Starfleet had had relatively little time to asses this technology, but it was simple to adapt it for use on Voyager without spacedock or any outside support [6], indicating that it should be reasonably easy for the remainder of Starfleet's ships to create ablative armour generators for themselves. This should multiply the hull strength of the fleet massively at a single stroke. |
| ACB [7] |
Annular Confinement Beam, a spatial matrix created by the primary energizing coils of a transporter system. The ACB controls the scanning and dematerialization process. [7] |
| Accelerometer [8] |
Instrument used to measure the magnitude and direction of a velocity change. [8] |
| Access terminal [9] |
Element of a Borg alcove which allows the drone to make a hard connection to the collective. [9] |
| ACNPF [10] |
Accelerated Critical Neural Pathway Formation, enhancement of human brain functions through genetic engineering. Illegal within the Federation, or at least Earth. [10] |
| Active scan navigation [11] |
Method of navigation by the use of active scanners as opposed to passive sensors. [11] |
| Adaptive heuristic matrix [12] |
Sophisticated computer architecture employed by Federation EMHs. [12] |
| Adaptive interface link [13] |
Computer connection used to exchange information between computer systems with no common operating system. [13] |
| Airlock [14] |
An area on board a ship or station which allows access to or from space. Airlocks generally have a pressurized door leading into the vehicle, and another leading to the exterior. Shuttle bays can be considered to be giant airlocks. [14] |
| Alternate timeline [15] |
A timeline which differs from the 'proper' one. Alternate timelines are often created by various forms of temporal technology. [15] |
| Ammonium sulfide [16] |
Chemical compound, poisonous to Humans. [16] |
| Analeptic radiation [17] |
Type of radiation which Dr. Phlox used to treat certain types of mutagenic pathogen. [17] |
| Androids |
In 2261 Dr. Roger Korby, the renowned Federation archaeologist, set off on an expedition to Exo III. Things did not go as planned, and a garbled message was received saying that Korby had been injured and was in danger of dying in the freezing environment on Exo III. He had located some nearby caves and was planning to try and take shelter there. Nothing more was heard from him. [18] Assessing his chances of survival as very low, the Federation did not dispatch a rescue mission; it was not until the USS Enterprise entered the area on a routine exploration mission five years later that any follow up was possible.
Captain Kirk beamed down to the cave formations Korby had located, and was amazed to find him not only alive, but thriving in an underground complex of alien manufacture, and accompanied by several assistants. Korby revealed that his assistants were in fact androids; an alien civilisation which had lived on Exo III in the distant past had developed the ability to create utterly lifelike androids to any physical design in a matter of seconds. Korby planned to introduce the technology to the Federation gradually so as to avoid social upheavals. When Captain Kirk declined to participate in this project, Korby built and android replica of him and attempted to hijack the Enterprise with it.
The duplication process involved placing the subject into one part of a large machine, with a partly-formed android body in another part. The machine would scan the subject and modify the android to match every exterior detail of him or her. Brain patterns, memories and abilities would then be duplicated. Korby even claimed that the process could be taken a step further - the actual personality of the subject could be transferred whole into the copy.
Fortunately, Kirk was able to implant a subconscious racial bias in his replacement during the duplication process; this uncharacteristic behaviour alerted Commander Spock to the change once the android was on board. Meanwhile on the surface Kirk was successful in provoking emotional responses from the other androids, awakening a dormant sense of self awareness in them. Their behaviour became erratic, and even violent. During one fracas, Korby himself was injured - and it was revealed that he too was an android. The original Korby had been too badly injured to live, and had transferred his entire personality into an android body. Korby was forced to admit that the android's behaviour demonstrated that they were not in fact the perfect beings he had believed them to be, and he destroyed himself and the remaining android. [18] |
| Androids |
In 2267 the Enterprise was hijacked by one of it's own crewmembers, a man who identified himself as Norman. Norman was an android, one of many which had been created on the planet "Mudd". The planet had been discovered by Harcourt Fenton Mudd, a Human trader who had had previous dealings with the Enterprise. Mudd had found highly advanced ancient technology on the planet which included machines which could build large numbers of androids quickly and easily. Determined to be of service to Mudd, the androids had refused to allow him to leave the planet. He had reached a compromise agreement where he would help them to kidnap other Humans to serve in return for his own freedom; however, once Kirk and his officers were on the planet the androids continued to allow Mudd to leave.
Kirk and his officers came to realise that the androids had difficulty dealing with any situation which they regarded as illogical. In such situations the androids would use an internal communications device to co-ordinate with a central link, the android Norman, in an attempt to resolve the problem. Kirk reasoned that if the Enterprise crew confronted many androids with illogical behaviour over a short space of time, Norman might be unable to cope with the overload. This proved to be the case, and Kirk and his crew were able to cause Norman to fail and collapse the whole android network.
In the aftermath, Kirk abandoned Mudd on the planet with a large number of androids fashioned to look like his wife - a woman Mudd detested intensely. [19] |
| Androids |
In 2269 The crew of the Starship Enterprise was infected by an alien plague. Seeking a cure, the ship went to Holberg 917G, a nearby Federation planet owned by a recluse named Mr. Brack. Kirk and his landing party immediately noticed various oddities regarding Brack, such as copies of ancient documents in his handwriting. Brack confessed that he was in fact Flint, a Human who through some random mutation had been born as an immortal being who never aged. Flint had lived for thousands of years on Earth; when Humanity spread out into space he followed.
Flint found maintaining relationships with other Humans difficult - from his point of view normal Humans aged and died very rapidly, and he was desperate for a more durable form of companionship. To this end he experimented with making an android companion; after several efforts he produced Rayna Kopek, a female android who would be able to live alongside Flint for as long as needed.
Unfortunately, Captain Kirk and Rayna began to develop an romantic interest in one another. This prompted extreme jealousy from Flint, who refused to provide the Enterprise with the cure for the plague. After considerable argument on the subject, Rayna herself began to suffer malfunctions because of the intense emotions she was beginning to experience. Her artificial brain was unable to cope with the situation, and finally broke down permanently.
In the aftermath, Flint agreed to provide the cure for the plague. Enterprise continued on her way, leaving him alone on his world. [20] |
| Androids |
Dr. Noonien Soong was one of the most controversial figures of the 2330s. A protégé of the great Dr. Ira Graves, he was a fierce proponent of the idea that not only was the positronic brain proposed in the fictional writings of Dr. Issac Asmiov in the 20th century a practical concept, but that it offered a great advantage over the isolinear and other computing technologies in use at the time. [21]
Soong's ideas were not well received; indeed, he became widely regarded as something of a joke in the Federation, gaining the nickname "often-wrong Soong". Humiliated by this treatment, Soong retired from public view and moved to the Omicron Theta colony along with his wife Juliana. [21]
On Omicron Theta Soong continued to work on a practical positronic brain, and finally began to make major strides in his work. He created a series of functional positronic brains of varying sophistication Unfortunately little is known about the details of his work because the colony was destroyed by the Crystalline entity in 2336. [22]
The earliest known example of a Soong type android is B-4. A prototype, B-4 had relatively little in the way of cognitive abilities - he functioned at the level of a Human child. Nevertheless, the creation of a practical positronic brain was an amazing accomplishment. [23]
Soong went on to create Lore. Lore was far more sophisticated and intelligent than B-4. Indeed, Lore's personality was indistinguishable from a normal Human, and he was at least the equal of a Human intellectually. Unfortunately, at some point Lore developed severe behavioural disorders. He began secretly communicating with the Crystalline entity, eventually leading it to the colony and prompting the attack which killed all the colonists. [22]
Soong's next creation was Data. Soong apparently felt that it had been a mistake to try and make an android with a completely Human personality, and with Data he deliberately introduced various limitations to set him somewhat apart; most notably, he programmed Data to be unable to use verbal contractions such as "we're" in place of "we are". It was apparently Soong's hope that a less Human-like android would be more acceptable to real Human beings. [22]
Physically, both B-4, Lore and Data are deliberately designed to appear non-Human. Although they are Humanoid in shape, all have distinctly golden skin and eyes. [24] The skin is remarkably similar to Human skin, complete with pores. [25] They are physically far more capable than Humans; many times stronger and faster [24], with no need to ingest food or water - though they do ingest semi-organic nutrient suspension in a silicone-based liquid medium from time to time in order to lubricate their biofunctions. [26] They were designed to be functional males in every way, including the ability to engage in sexual activity. [25] Data's brain has a memory of 800 quadrillion bits and a processing speed of 60 trillion operations per second. [27] All Soong androids are fitted with a series of small switches in their back which allow them to be shut down, either permanently or with reactivation after a desired period. [22] They are heavier than water, but are equipped with flotation devices which can be used in emergencies. [28]
Others have attempted to pursue Soong's work, most notably Commander Bruce Maddox. [29] Data himself produced a functional brain in 2366, but after a short period the brain malfunctioned and underwent total failure. [30]
It was believed that Soong had perished in the Omicron Theta attack, but in fact both he and his wife escaped the colony. [31] He continued with his work, finally perfecting the poistronic brain. When his wife was killed, Soong transferred her personality into a positronic brain and built an android body which was indistinguishable from her own. The transfer was so complete that not even Juliana realised what had happened. With Juliana Soong finally realised his dream - he created an android so perfect that it was able to operate as a full Human, living and working an entire lifetime without anybody knowing the truth. [32] |
| Androids |
The Enterprise visited a world in the Omicron Delta region in 2267; after some initial confusion it proved that the planet was a gigantic amusement park for an advanced alien species. The alien technology was capable of scanning the brain patterns of visitors and then constructing anything they desired in vast underground factories. The planet therefore allowed any fantasy to be lived out. The factories could produce both inanimate objects and Android-like recreations of Human beings. [33] |
| Androids |
In 2268 the Enterprise encountered the remnants of a tremendously advanced and powerful race in the form of three disembodied entities - Sargon, Thalassa and Henoch. The three requested that the Enterprise officers allow them to briefly inhabit their bodies, which would give them the time to construct android bodies which they could use thereafter. The technology involves was well ahead of Federation science at the time - enough so that the Enterprise's Chief Engineer could not even make sense of the basic operating principles. [34] The bodies were never completed or made functional. [34] |
| Androids |
Android form produced on earth, based on work by Bruce Maddox and Doctor Agnes Jurati of the Daystrom Institute. Unable to replicate the work of Dr Noonian Soong these androids did not have the sophistication of Data. A group of A500 androids working at the Utopia Planetia shipyards rebelled in 2385 causing the destruction of the facility and setting Mars alight. Mars is still burning to this day. [35] In 2399 Admiral Picard and his small team uncovered that the Zhat Vash, an off shoot of the Tal Shiar, were behind the attack on Mars in an attempt to cause the Federation to ban all work on synthetics. [36] |
| Androids |
Androids created by Bruce Maddox and Altan Inigo Soong on the planet they named Coppelius. [37] Although she didn't take a direct part in the creation of the androids, the work of Agnes Jurati was vital to the success of the project. [38] They were produced using a procedure called quantum neuronic cloning a process that takes a single neuron from a working positronic network and uses it to produce a twinned pair of androids. [35] The process is not cloning in the traditional biochemical sense allowing the physical characteristics of the resultant androids to be varied enormously. [39]
When Altan Soong discovered that Surtra had killed one of her own sisters, Saga, he used a remote deactivation device to disable Sutra. The device was similar to the system built into Soong type androids by his father Dr Noonien Soong, however Noonien's device was a physical switch mechanism located on the back of the android. [40] |
| Androids |
A name given to an android body into which a human mind could be uploaded. The human could then live out their life in the new body. Capable of living for as long as a typical android it was seen by Altan Inigo Soong as a method of extending his own life. [37] When Picard fell ill the Golem was used to house Picard. Its features were set to look like Picard did at the time of his death and it was adjusted to have a lifespan to match that which could be expected of a person of Picard's age. [40] |
| Androids |
Missing many animals from earth Bruce Maddox and Altan Inigo Soong created android versions for themselves, [37] including butterflys and a cat. [40] |
| Anionic energy [7] |
Form of energy comprising quantum-level particles. [7] |
| Anodyne relay [41] |
Power transfer device used aboard recent Federation starships such as the Intrepid class. [41] |
| Anti-back flow valve [42] |
Valve in the plasma vents of a Starship designed to prevent objects entering the system from the outside. [42] |
| Anti-time [43] |
A 24th century concept of time. Anti-time is to normal time as antimatter is to normal matter. [43] |
| Antichroniton [44] |
Antiparticle of the chroniton. [44] |
| Antigrav [45] |
Antigravity units which are used to carry heavy objects. [45] |
| Antigrav Units [45] |
The Federation has a long history with antigraity technology. Used aboard ship, antigravs have a large range of diverse functions; primarily, units of various kinds are used for the transport of cargo around ship. In the 2260s Starfleet issued general purpose antigrav units which could attach to heavy items, allowing them to float and so be easily dragged around. [45] By the 2270s "flat bed" units were in use which provided a platform to load cargo onto. [14] Similar units continue in use with Starfleet through the 2360s. [46] |
| Antigraviton [47] |
Antiparticle of the graviton. [47] |
| Antilepton interference [48] |
A form of interference used by the Cardassians to inhibit subspace radio. [48] |
| Antimatter [49] |
A form of matter in which the charge of the subatomic particles is reversed. Matter and antimatter mutually annihilate one another on contact, releasing large amounts of energy, and this process is used to power Federation Starships. [49] |
| Antimatter constrictor coils [50] |
Element of the warp drive system of an NX class starship. [50] |
| Antimatter containment [51] |
The magnetic fields used to hold the antimatter fuel of a Starship. [51] |
| Antimatter converter assembly [52] |
Component of the warp drive system on the original Constitution class Starships. [52] |
| Antimatter generator [53] |
Device which can convert matter into antimatter. The antimatter generator is not considered to be an efficient method of generating antimatter. [53] |
| Antimatter inducers [54] |
Element of the warp drive system of an NX class starship. In an alternate timeline Captain Archer devised an improvement to the antimatter inducers which allowed Enterprise to travel farther on less fuel. [54] |
| Antimatter injectors [55] |
Element of a warp drive system. Andorian antimatter injectors in use in the mid 22nd century used variable compression nozzles, a technology which NX class starships lacked. [55] |
| Antimatter junction [56] |
Element of the warp reactor of an NX class starship. Disconnecting the antimatter junction from the primary antimatter feed would prevent an antimatter cascade from jumping between the warp manifold and the reactor core itself. [56] |
| Antimatter pod [57] |
Device designed to store large quantities of antimatter for use as fuel in a Federation Starship. [57] |
| Antimatter relay [58] |
Element of the warp drive of an NX class starship. The linings of the relays were coated with a platinum-cobalt alloy. Stripping the coating from 200 relays was sufficient to yield half a litre of pure platinum. [58] |
| Antiproton [59] |
An elementary particle, the antimatter equivalent of a proton. [59] |
| Antithoron radiation [60] |
Energetic form of energy used to decontaminate a planetary crust prior to the extraction of polyferranide. [60] |
| Anyon [61] |
Anyons are particles which can be used to counter Chronitons. [61] |
| Anyon emitter [61] |
Device designed to emit anyons. [61] |
| Apeture ring [62] |
Element of a neutron microscope. The condenser lens was fitted to the aperture ring. [62] |
| Aquatic lab [63] |
Facility on Federation Starships used for the study of water dwelling life forms. [63] |
| Arboretum [63] |
Facility on Federation Starships used for the study of various flora. [63] |
| Argonite [10] |
Hazardous substanced. [10] |
| Arva nodes [64] |
Alien language term for a device equivalent to a Starfleet Bussard Collector. [64] |
| Assimilation [65] |
A Borg term describing the incorporation of other life forms into their collective. This is achieved by a combination of injecting the subject with nanoprobes and the surgical implantation of machine elements. A basic assimilation is effective within seconds. [65] |
| Astatine [66] |
Element capable of generating a duonetic field. [66] |
| Astral eddy [67] |
Phenomenon which occurs in the interfold between space and subspace. Astral eddys can generate massive discharges of plasmatic energy, generating temperature gradients of up to 9 million kelvin. [67] |
| Astrometrics [68] |
An area on board USS Voyager in which advanced long range sensors determine the location of many millions of stars simultaneously, allowing a great increase in mapping accuracy over conventional systems. [68] |
| Asymetric encryption circuits [42] |
Element of the computer control system of a Defiant class starship. There are two dozen 66-D isolinear chips in these circuits. [42] |
| Atavachron [69] |
Temporal portal created on the planet Sarpeidon to allow the population to escape the death of their sun. [69] |
| Atmosphere conditioning pumps [70] |
Element of the life support system of a Federation Starship. [70] |
| Atmospheric dissipation [71] |
Rare phenomenon in which plasmonic energy bursts burn off the atmosphere of a planet over days. Once it has begun, the process cannot be stopped. [71] |
| Atmospheric filter |
A large scale device for filtering the atmosphere of a planet to remove harmful toxins. [72] |
| Atmospheric recycling manifold [73] |
Part of the life support system of an NX class starship. It was located in junction 4-1-Alpha. [73] |
| Atmospheric system [74] |
An element of the life support system of a spacecraft which maintains the proper balance of gases in the air. [74] |
| Auto stabilisers [75] |
Element of the warp drive of an NX class starship. The auto stabilisers kept the warp field balanced; their function could be disrupted if the ship was operating in close proximity to other warp drive vessels. [75] |
| Auto-phaser interlock [76] |
Computer control system which assists in the targeting of phaser weapons. [76] |
| Autodestruct [77] |
A procedure built into Federation Starships which allows them to destroy themselves in order to prevent capture. [78] Some autodestruct modes detonate explosive devices within the ship, [79] while others bring all of the antimatter fuel into contact with matter simultaneously. This mode is more than sufficient to completely vaporize the largest vessels. [80] Most vessels require both the Captain and one or more senior officers to agree in order to engage the autodestruct feature. [79] |
| Autonomous holo-emitter [81] |
29th century device which allows a hologram to be projected outside the confines of a holodeck or other suitable equipped environment. [81] |
| Autonomous regeneration sequencer [82] |
Borg device which automatically replicates any circuitry which is removed by non-Borg methods. [82] |
| Autosequencer [83] |
Element of a transporter which controls the transport process. Failure of the autosequencer during transport can cause death to the subject. [83] |
| Autosuture [84] |
Handheld unit used to heal reasonably mild wounds to the skin. Autosutures can be used to close incisions, heal knife wounds, etc. [84] |
| Auxiliary control [19] |
Secondary command room on board a Constitution class Starship. [19] |
| Avidyne engines [85] |
A type of impulse engine installed in Constellation class Starships. [85] |
| Axionic chip [86] |
Type of computer device used in the Exocomps. [86] |
| Axis coil [87] |
System aboard Earth asteroid runners in the mid 22nd century. It was difficult to steer one of these ships if it had a bad axis coil. [87] |
| Baakonite [88] |
The metal which modern bat'leths are composed of. [88] |
| Badlands [89] |
Area of space near Bajor which contains large amounts of plasma. [89] |
| Baffle plate [41] |
A component of some spacecraft designs in service in the 2260s. A warped baffle plate will eventually give way, leading to the destruction of the craft. [41] |
| Baristatic filter [90] |
A device used for removing pollution from a planetary atmosphere. [90] |
| Barium [91] |
Element, atomic number 56. [91] |
| Baryon [92] |
Class of the heaviest particles. Include neutrons, protons and the heavier, unstable hyperons: the lambda, sigma, xi, and omega particles. [92] |
| Baryon sweep [92] |
Procedure designed to 'clean' Federation Starships. The procedure also destroys every living thing on board the ship. [92] |
| Battle bridge [93] |
A command centre on certain Federation Starships which is used to command the Engineering section whilst it is separated from the Saucer section. [93] |
| Battle section [93] |
The section of a Starship which contains the warp drive section, usually along with the majority of the weapons. Also known as the Stardrive section. [93] |
| Bearing [22] |
A vector which specifies the direction in which a specified object lies relative to the vessel. Bearing is given as two figures, specifying horizontal and vertical angles. [74] |
| Behavioral nodes [94] |
Programming artifacts created within Data's positronic net by his exposure to the D'Arsay archive. [94] |
| Bemonite [95] |
A metallic ore which inhibits transporter systems. [95] |
| Beritium [5] |
Metal; diamide-laced beritium is used in the construction of Bajoran earrings. [5] |
| Bersallis firestorms [96] |
Fierce fire-like effect which occurs every seven years on the planet Bersallis III. [96] |
| Berthold rays [97] |
Form of radiation which is deadly to living things. [97] |
| Beta matrix compositor [98] |
Major component of a Cardassian plasma distribution manifolds. The device cannot be replicated. [98] |
| Beta-tachyon [99] |
Form of particle which can only travel faster than light. [99] |
| Big Bang [100] |
The 'explosion' of energy which created the universe. [100] |
| Bilitrium [101] |
Crystalline substance which can be combined with an antimatter convertor to make a powerful explosive. [101] |
| Binary Pulsar [102] |
Stellar phenomenon; twin spinning pulsars orbiting their common centre of gravity. [102] |
| Bio-matter resequencer [103] |
System used on the NX class starship which was the first step in breaking down Human waste for recycling. [103] |
| Bio-reactor [104] |
Device which the Xindi use to synthesizing viral agents. [104] |
| Bio-toxin [105] |
Type of poison which could be used to create transgenic weapons. [105] |
| Biobed [14] |
A bed which has various medical sensing equipment built into it and a large screen to display the results. [14] |
| Biochips [9] |
A type of cybernetic implant used by the Borg. [9] |
| Biocontainment field [106] |
A type of field used in the containment of infectious material on board a Federation Starship. [106] |
| Biofilter [25] |
An element of the transporter system, the biofilter is capable of analysing the incoming pattern and removing any hazardous biological elements such as bacteria or viruses. [25] Biofilters are also used in Cardassian replicators. [107] |
| Biogenic field [108] |
Form of naturally ocurring energy. [108] |
| Bioimplant [66] |
Artifical implant which can replace a damaged organ in the body. [66] |
| Biomechanical maintenance program [83] |
Element of Data's programming which kept him in good health. [83] |
| Bioneural circuitry [109] |
Circuitry composed of synthetic cells within a gel pack. [109] |
| Bioneural energy [110] |
Electrical energy generated within a persons brain and nervous system. [110] |
| Bioneural gel pack [109] |
An element of modern Federation computer systems, these packs contain biological processing nodes which process information more efficiently than isolinear chips. [109] |
| Bioplast sheeting [111] |
Material used in the construction of Data. Data has 1.3 kg of bioplast sheeting in his body. [111] |
| Biopolar flow junction [42] |
A conduit branch within the plasma conduits of a Federation Starship. [42] |
| Bioship [112] |
A Starship made out of biological rather than technological materials. At least some Breen ships are biological, as are the warships of Species 8472. [112] |
| Biosignature [113] |
Signature detectable by medical systems which allows the species of an individual to be determined regardless of exterior appearence. [113] It is unclear whether the biosignature is some as yet unknown quantity or simply a combination of factors such as organ arrangement and function. |
| Biosynthetic gland [82] |
Borg implant which replaces the glands of an assimilated person. [82] |
| Biotemporal chamber [44] |
Medical device created in an alternate timeline which was potentially capable of extending the life of an Ocampan by up to a year. [44] |
| Bipolar torch [13] |
A powerful cutting tool used aboard Deep Space Nine. [13] |
| Bitanium [114] |
A metal compound used in Data's neural pathways. [114] |
| Bitrious filaments [115] |
Mineral trace which the Crystalline Entity leaves behind when it absorbs organic matter. [115] |
| Black cluster [116] |
Astronomical formation created nine billion years ago when hundreds of protostars collapsed simultaneously in close proximity to one another. The region is very dangerous for Starships. [116] |
| Black hole [117] |
A region of space containing a mass so dense that the escape velocity exceeds that of light. Many black holes are thought to contain a singularity, a point mass potentially of infinite density. The boundary beyond which the escape velocity of a black hole exceeds that of light is known as the Event Horizon. [117] |
| Blast Shutters [42] |
Physical shield device which can be closed over the windows of a small vessel to protect them. [42] |
| Blind beam-out [118] |
Emergency transporter technique in which everything within a specified area is beamed out, as opposed to locking onto specific patterns. [118] |
| Borg alcove [2] |
A slot in which a Borg drone regenerates while not being employed in useful work. Alcoves include a hard connection to the Borg collective. Each is designed for a specific drone. Borg alcoves consume thirty megawatts of power even when not in use. [2] |
| Borg Collective [65] |
The sum totality of the minds of all Borg Drones, linked together via an advanced subspace communications system. The Collective has an implacable determination to improve itself by adding useful biological and technological elements from other species via assimilation of their members. Borg Queens appear to act as a form of operating system for the Borg, co-ordinating their actions. [65] |
| Borg drone [2] |
Humanoid life form which incorporates technological elements in order to expand its abilities. There are many different varieties of Borg Drone, each equipped to perform a specific function, but most have an armoured exoskeleton covering the majority of their skin and one limb and one eye replaced with mechanical substitutes. Borg drones differ from most Cyborgs in that their minds are linked with and under the control of the Borg Collective. [2] |
| Borg implant [119] |
Any one of a number of devices placed into the Humanoid body by the Borg. Implants serve various functions, including synthesizing food for the biological components of the body, enhancing its strength and sensory capabilities, creating nanoprobes, etc. [119] |
| Borg organelle [82] |
Sub-cellular nanite which is introduced into the body during assimilation. They regulate cell functions in the drone. [82] |
| Boridium pellet [120] |
Substance implanted under the skin of a prisoner by the Romulans in order to allow the person to be tracked. [120] |
| Boridium power converter [86] |
Device used to power the internal functions of an Exocomp. [86] |
| Borocarbons [75] |
A substance which always results when Tetrazine is ignited by a plasma exhaust. [75] |
| Boronite [121] |
Material used in the fabrication of Vostigye alien space stations. It is the only raw material known which can be used to create Omega molecules. [121] |
| Brechtian cluster [115] |
Star cluster with two inhabited planets. [115] |
| Briar Patch [28] |
Region of space which has large numbers of anomalies and clouds of metreon gas. [28] |
| Bridge [122] |
The control centre of a Starship. The main bridge is usually located at the uppermost point of the Saucer section. [122] |
| Brig [77] |
Area of a Federation Starship in which prisoners are detained. [77] |
| Brizeen nitrate [123] |
Chemical substance used to enhance the growing potential of soil. [123] |
| Broad-spectrum warp field [124] |
A subspace bubble which is capable of interfering with the structure of a quantum fissure. Also known as an inverse warp field. [124] |
| Brown dwarf [125] |
Astronomical object which is larger than a gas giant, but lacks sufficient mass to become a star. [125] |
| Buffer [126] |
Device used by the Bynars to assist in the transfer of information fom one person to another. [126] |
| Bussard collectors [127] |
An element of the drive system of a Federation or other Starship. The Bussard collector allows the vessel to scoop gas - usually hydrogen - out of the interstellar medium, thus replenishing the onboard fuel supply. [127] |
| Bypass displacer [98] |
Element of Deep Space Nine's systems. In 2373 bypass displacers were one of the items which Chief O'Brien's team attempted to retrieve from Empok Nor. [98] |
| Cabrodine [128] |
A chemical explosive, often mixed with Infernite. [128] |
| Calculus [129] |
Branch of mathematics invented by Sir Issac Newton. [129] |
| Camouflage field [130] |
Device used by smugglers to generate false sensor readings. [130] |
| Canar [131] |
A crystal artefact used by the Haliians to focus their thoughts. [131] |
| Captain's yacht [28] |
A small interstellar vessel docked to the underside of the Saucer section of some Federation Starships. The yachts tend to be rarely used. [28] |
| Carbon reaction chamber [13] |
A containment vessel lined in carbon used in Cardassian fusion reactors [13] |
| Cargo bay [24] |
Large area within a Starship used to store cargo. Cargo bays can be accessed via both internal and external access doors, or via a cargo transporter. [24] |
| Cargo module [24] |
Any of various containers used to store or transport cargo. [24] |
| Cargo transporter [22] |
A transporter system [22] optimized for the transport of large non living objects to and from cargo bays. [53] |
| Celebium [132] |
Source of dangerous radiation. [132] |
| Cellular metamorphosis [133] |
Process by which a person can change their form to resemble another. [133] |
| Cellular peptides [134] |
Biochemical material which maintains cellular cohesion in the body. [134] |
| Cellular regeneration and entertainment machine [135] |
Device designed to keep the cells of a Humanoid body entertained and so keep them for dying off during the ageing process. Spending a sizeable fraction of each day in the machine would, possibly, result in immortality. The device used highly charged polaric particles. [135] |
| Cellular toxicity [136] |
Measurement of biological waste within a life form's cells. [136] |
| Cenotaph [118] |
Device used by the Vhnori to transport their dead to the next emanation. [118] |
| Central control complex [19] |
Device used by the android Norman to control the other androids on Mudd's planet. [19] |
| Chainsaw [137] |
Tool used for cutting wood. [137] |
| Chambers coil [138] |
Element of a subspace communications system. The chambers coil can overload the comm system, although this is detectable by other ships. [138] |
| Chamra vortex [139] |
Nebula in the Gamma Quadrant which contained millions of asteroids. [139] |
| Chlorinide [140] |
Corrosive liquid. [140] |
| Cholic acid [141] |
Substence which plays an important part in the digestive process of some Humanoids. [141] |
| Chromodynamic power module [142] |
Device used to power the Pralor automated personnel units. [142] |
| Chromodynamic shield [28] |
Energy shield which can block the effects of metaphasic radiation found in the Briar Patch. [28] |
| Chromoelectric force field [143] |
Energy shield which is used by the Entharans to protect target objects during weapons tests. [143] |
| Chromoelectric pulse [144] |
Energy discharge which can disrupt a coaxial warp drive. [144] |
| Chromolinguistics [106] |
A form of non verbal communication. [106] |
| Chrondite [145] |
A mineral compound found in the core of some asteroids. [145] |
| Chroniton [146] |
Particles associated with phasing / temporal technology. [146] |
| Chronometric data [147] |
Temporal measurements of the space time continum used in some forms of time travel. [147] |
| Chronometric particles [148] |
Temporal quanta related to chronitons. [148] |
| Circuit probe [149] |
Tool used in 2152 aboard Retellian cargo ships. [149] |
| Class D [138] |
A small rocky planetoid with an airless surface - essentially a great rock in space. [138] |
| Class H |
Generally extremely dry, class H planets are marginally habitable. [74] |
| Class J |
Class J planets are gas giants. [74] |
| Class K [19] |
Class K planets have gravity fields which are suitable for Humanoid life, but are otherwise uninhabitable. [19] |
| Class L [150] |
These are small rocky worlds with an oxygen-argon atmosphere. [150] |
| Class M [122] |
Federation term for a planet or planetoid which has environmental conditions very similar to those of Earth. There are estimated to be three million Class M planets in our galaxy. [122] |
| Class Y [151] |
Also known as a Demon class planet, these are the most inhospitable worlds known to the Federation. [151] |
| Cleaning Processor [152] |
Part fo a Starships solid waste re-cycling system which sterilizes and re-cycles clothing. [152] |
| Cloaking Device [153] |
Cloaking technology was first encountered by Humanity when the NX-01 begun its mission in 2151. Species which used cloaking devices included the Suliban [154], Xyrillians. [155] and Romulans. [156] The NX-01 herself managed to capture a Suliban Cell ship in the first days of her mission [154], and her crew were subsequently able to use the device during a rescue mission after Captain Archer and Lieutenant Reed were captured whilst visiting a pre-warp civilisation. [157]
In 2152 Archer was given information by Daniels which enabled him to penetrate the cloaking devices of the time using a pair of quantum beacons. Archer used the beacons to locate a Suliban stealth cruiser and obtain evidence that his ship had not in fact been responsible for the destruction of a Paraagan mining colony shortly before. [75] The quantum beacon technology made the cloaking devices of the time largely obsolete, and the technology fell into such disuse that by the mid 23rd century a practical cloaking device was considered a virtual impossibility as light would have to be bent around a cloaked object, something which was theoretically possible but would require an enormous amount of power. [153]
Nevertheless, the Romulan Empire was able to develop such a device and employ it on one of their warships 2266. The vessel crossed the Neutral Zone and attacked several Federation outposts with a high power plasma torpedo weapon, destroying them completely. Although the ship was able to cloak itself from sight at will, the Enterprise found that it was still visible to motion sensors - though these were not accurate enough to give more than a very general location, insufficient for a firing solution. Although the cloak was quite effective, it did have other drawbacks. The power drain was so great that the Romulan vessel was unable to use its own scanners effectively and could not fire any weapons whilst cloaked. The vessel also had relatively limited range due to the high fuel consumption. [153]
The Romulans apparently traded cloaking technology to the Klingons in exchange for warships. Certainly the Romulans began operating Klingon-designed vessels by 2268 [158], while the Klingons were known to employ cloaking technology at least as early as 2285. [79] The Klingons made at least one major innovation in cloaking technology in 2293, when they produced a Bird of Prey capable of firing torpedoes whilst cloaked. The prototype vessel battled the USS Enterprise and USS Excelsior in orbit of Khittomer; despite emitting large amounts of neutron radiation the ship was highly effective, but the Enterprise crew realized that the Bird of Prey could be tracked by following the plasma exhaust emitted by its engines and modified a photon torpedo to follow this trail. [159] The development was so effective that the Klingon development was rendered next to useless, and was never again an effective combatant.
In 2311 the Federation signed the Treaty of Algeron, which reaffirmed the Romulan Neutral Zone and forbade the Federation from developing or deploying any cloaking technology. [160]
Perhaps the most impressive example of cloaking technology was observed in 2364, when the supposedly mythical planet of Aldea was discovered by the Enterprise-D. The planet had been hidden for centuries behind a complicated light refracting mechanism which bent light around it in a similar manner to the Romulan cloaking device. [129]
The Minosians were also known to employ cloaking technology as part of their Echo Papa 607 weapons system. The Enterprise-D was forced to battle a cloaked drone weapon in orbit of the planet; it overcame the cloaking device by luring the drone into the atmosphere where the turbulence made it visible. [161]
Later in the same year the Romulan D'Deridex class Warbird was encountered for the first time when the Enterprise-D met one at the Neutral Zone. It was initially believed that the Enterprise sensor systems could detect the Warbird through its cloak, but it quickly became apparent that the Romulans had in fact deliberately allowed themselves to be detected in order to determine the Federation's intentions towards them. [162]
Subsequent encounters revealed that the improved cloaking device still suffered from limitations. The Romulan vessels remain unable to fire whilst cloaked, whilst advances in Federation sensor technology have made the invisibility of a Romulan Warbird less than assured. [163] Perhaps the most effective development was the Tachyon detection grid; created by Enterprise-D personnel in 2368, the system involves a network of vessels which send tachyon beams towards one another across a large area of space. Even a cloaked vessel will disturb one of these beams when crossing it, hence rendering it detectable. [164] Subspace listening posts and gravitic sensors are both a worry for Romulan commanders, and the Federation has deployed large numbers of these along its borders. [163]
In 2369 the Federation gained significant intelligence on the Warbird when a Starfleet officer masqueraded as a Romulan for a short time. She confirmed that the ship must keep a careful watch over its own electromagnetic missions whilst cloaked, and that the radiative emissions of the warp engines must be precisely balanced by means of nullifier cores. Even a small misalignment in one of these cores creates a polarized magnetic disturbance whenever the ship is in motion, something which can be detected by a Federation vessel. [163]
By the mid to late 24th century cloaking technology was widespread enough that even private citizens could obtain it on occasion, though usually such devices were inferior to the military models. In 2367 a confidence trickster masquerading as Ardra, a figure from Ventaxian mythology, used an inferior copy of a Romulan cloaking device to hide her ship from the Enterprise-D. The ship was eventually detected by a wavelength stretchout. [165] In 2370 Quark was able to obtain a handheld cloaking device suitable for a small transport ship, something which is highly illegal in Bajoran space. Although the device was in less than perfect condition, Natima Lang was able to use it to escape DS9 whilst evading Cardassian observation. [166]
Ironically, perhaps the greatest single advance in cloaking technology was made by the Federation. In 2358 the Starship Pegasus was believed destroyed after a mutiny by the crew. However, in 2370 Starfleet discovered that the Pegasus was still largely intact. Admiral Pressman, Captain of the ship at the time of its loss, attempted to recover some technology from the vessel using the Enterprise-D. It transpired that certain Federation officers had been illegally developing a Phase Cloak, a device which could change the structure of matter in order render it both invisible and able to pass through normal matter. A vessel equipped with such a device could hide within a planet or a star, completely immune from conventional attack. The crew had been so fearful of what they considered to be a dangerous device that they had mutinied rather than continue to operate it. [160]
In 2368 the Enterprise assisted a Romulan vessel in distress, and discovered that this vessel had also been attempting to test a phase cloak. The results had been disastrous, causing an accident that would have completely destroyed the ship if not for the assistance of the Starfleet vessel. [61] There has since been little sign of progress with this technology.
In 2371 the Romulans agreed to allow Starfleet the use of a single cloaking device on board the USS Defiant in order to facilitate that ship's missions against the Dominion, in return for all of Starfleet's information about the organization. [5] Although the original agreement was to only use the cloak in the Gamma Quadrant, Captain Sisko subsequently violated this rule on many occasions. [3]
In 2379 the Romulans fielded a new vessel, the Scimitar. An exceptionally powerful warship, the Scimitar was equipped with a new generation cloaking technology which rendered it completely invisible to the sensors of the Enterprise-E. The Scimitar was able to both use shields and fire whilst cloaked. The cloak also remained effective even through multiple weapon hits from phasers, photon and quantum torpedo hits and disruptors. This indicates that the balance of technology has again shifted in favour of the cloaking device, at least for the present. [23] There can be little doubt that this will inspire the Federation to begin working on a new generation of even more sophisticated sensor systems.
In the Mirror universe cloaking technology was also developed by the Suliban, and a Suliban cloaking device was also captured by the NX-01. Lieutenant Tucker was able to hook the cloaking device into the ship's power grid, allowing the ISS Enterprise to cloak itself and infiltrate Tholian space in 2155. [167] |
| Cloning [168] |
Whilst there is considerable variation in the biology of the various life forms encountered by the Federation, many of them are founded on surprisingly similar basic biology. In 2369 Professor Galen's work led to the discovery that this similarity was the result of a common origin from many of the species in the galaxy in the form of the Progenitors. The Progenitors seeded DNA codes onto many worlds, directing evolution to produce creatures somewhat similar to themselves. As a result, these species are all based on compatible DNA molecules. [168]
One of the properties of such lifeforms is that almost every cell in the body contains a DNA "map" of the entire body - so for example a single nerve cell contains instructions for making bones, fingers, skin, etc. With sufficient technology it is possible to take a single cell and force it to begin replicating itself, ultimately creating a physical copy of the original organism in a process known as cloning.
The present state of the technology forbids creating an absolutely perfect copy via cloning; there is always some small degree of error in the replication process, a phenomena known as replicative fading. In 2365 the Enterprise-D encountered the planet Mariposa, whose society had developed from a crashed spacecraft with only five surviving crew. The survivors had resorted to cloning to boost their numbers, and it had become their standard method of reproduction. Unfortunately by the time of the Enterpise's visit, the replicative fading effect had progressed to the point where the entire Mariposan society was facing imminent destruction. [169]
In the 2360s the Romulans embarked on a project to replace certain key Federation officer with clones, most notably Jean Luc Picard. The project was ultimately abandoned, though Picard's clone was indeed created. With the cancellation of the project he was sent to live in the slave mines on Remus. [23]
On Deep Space Nine, a criminal named Ibudan created and murdered a clone of himself as part of an attempt to frame Constable Odo for murder. He hoped that the lack of any other DNA at the crime scene would implicate the Changeling. The plan was unsuccessful, and Ibudan was charged with the murder. [170]
In 2369 the Klingon monks at the Boreth monastery created a clone of Kahless in an attempt to fool people into believing that the original Kahless had returned. The plot was uncovered, but Chancellor Gowron agreed to allow the clone to assume the symbolic title of Emperor as a unifying force within the Empire. [171]
Perhaps the most widespread use of cloning is amongst the Dominion; the Founders use cloning to produce all of their Vorta and Jem'Hadar servants. This is especially so in the case of the Jem'Hadar, where cloning can be used to produce vast numbers in a short period. [3] |
| Cluster NGC-321 [172] |
Star cluster, location of planets Eminiar VII and Vendikar. [172] |
| Co-axial Warp Core [144] |
On Stardate 51762 Voyager encountered Steth, an alien being who was testing a form of drive system based on a co-axial warp core. Starfleet engineers had dreamed about this system for years, but had never been able to make a working example. The system allows a vessel to 'fold' the very fabric of space, allowing a ship to travel instantaneously across large distances.
The ship Voyager encountered was in some difficulty, with the co-axial warp core threatening to explode - an event which would cause all space within one billion kilometres to collapse. Voyager was able to correct the problem by encasing the ship in a symmetric warp field to contain any instabilities in the core, a technique covered in Advanced subspace geometry.
The ships pilot, Steth, said he had jumped to Voyagers location from the Benthan system some twenty light years away. He asked for help in repairing the drive and Captain Janeway agreed. The problem lay in the co-axial induction drive, a unit which draws in subatomic particles and reconfigures their internal geometry in order to make space folding possible. Particle instabilities would overload the ships engines; after some investigation, Lieutenant Paris decided that they needed to dilute the particle stream as it entered the drive using a polaric modulator from one of Voyagers impulse engines. This would act in a manner similar to a 20th century automobile, providing a quick and easy solution to the problem.
With this modification the co-axial drive performed apparently flawlessly, and although Voyager suffered some problems due to Steth's antisocial actions while on board the ship, eventually the vessel proceeded on its way. [144] |
| Co-orbital satellites [125] |
Pair of objects whose orbits are very close to one another. On close approach, such objects can exchange orbits with one another [125] |
| Cobalt diselenide [173] |
A biochemical used in biological weapons. Deadly to Cardassians, it is harmless to other life forms. [173] |
| Cochrane [174] |
A measure of subspace field stress. A field of greater than 1 Cochrane is a warp field, allowing velocities greater than light to be attained. For a vessel in such flight, the Cochrane value of its warp field is equal to the velocity in multiples of the velocity of light. The unit was named after Zefram Cochrane, the inventor of Warp Drive. [174] |
| Cochrane distortion [175] |
Fluctuation of the phase of a subspace field generated by a Starship's warp drive. [175] |
| Cochrane equation [176] |
Equation governing warp flight. The equation was usually constant, but not in the Delphic Expanse. [176] |
| Coherent Graviton Pulse [177] |
Energy waves which can neutralise tetryon emissions. [177] |
| Coil Spanner [178] |
Tool used by Federation engineers. [178] |
| Coladriun flow [64] |
Alien term referring to the tenuous space matter collected by Arva nodes. [64] |
| Combadge [93] |
Federation device which is used by Starfleet as both a communicator and a uniform decoration. [93] |
| Combooth [179] |
Communication terminal used on Farius Prime. [179] |
| Comets [153] |
A comet is a celestial body found in large numbers in most solar systems. They are primarily made of frozen water, though many other elements and compounds are often present. Comets are believed to be amongst the oldest bodies associated with a given solar system, and thus analysis of them can provide valuable insights into conditions during the formation of the system.
By the mid 22nd century the Vulcans had researched hundreds of comets, and considered further investigation of them to be a waste of effort. When the NX-01 discovered a new and exceptionally large comet in 2151, a Vulcan ship observed their exploration of it, apparently not understanding the crew's motivations. In fact the comet proved to contain large quantities of Eisilium, a substance that Vulcan chemists had never been able to produce in any significant quantities and which the Vulcans had thus never been able to study. This marked one of the first occasions on which Earth science advanced beyond Vulcan science in any respect. [103]
When comets are heated by a sun the ice melts, causing a tail of dust and gas to vent into space. This is blown away from the sun by light pressure, forming a long tail. The many particles of the tail can obscure sensor function, allowing a ship to hide behind the tail of a comet effectively. On the other hand, passing through the tail of a comet can cause a visible disturbance in those particles, rendering even a cloaked vessel visible. These factors were important in the battle between the USS Enterprise and a Romulan Warbird in 2266. [153]
Rogue comets which were not associated with any one star system were also known. In 2370 the Enterprise-D investigated such a comet and found the large D'Arsay Archive hidden within it. [94]
In 2372, the USS Voyager found a comet in the Delta Quadrant in which a member of the Q Continuum had been imprisoned by his fellow Q. Voyager released the Q. [100] |
| Communication Devices [180] |
The Federation has used a variety of communications devices over the years. In the 2200s the typical device was a handheld unit; often with a flip open panel covering a set of controls. These devices had sufficient range to allow shore parties to talk to one another, or with the ship in orbit above. [181] Over time the Federation introduced smaller, sleeker handheld units. [33] These were a standard part of the equipment issued to shore parties. [33]
By the mid to late 24th century Starfleet had built communicators into the standard insignia of their uniforms; Starfleet personnel thus carried one around with them at all times. [93] The standard Starfleet 'combadge' issued in 2364 had a casing made of gold. [182] The underlying components were made of silicon, beryllium and carbon-seventy. [183] |
| Communicator [122] |
Any device which allows communication across large distances. As of the 24th century, personal communicators were contained within the Starfleet emblem worn on the uniform. This device was able to operate over ranges of at least several dozen light seconds. [122] |
| Computer core [184] |
One of the primary computer systems on board a Federation Starship. Most vessels carry at least two such cores. [184] |
| Computers |
Created by Dr Richard Daystrom in 2243, the Duotronic circuit was a revolutionary advance in computer power and speed. Such was the increase in performance possible with this technology that it formed the basis of much of the computing hardware of the time; every Federation Starship computer for eighty years was based on duotronics, and elements of this technology was also used in sensor technology. [185] Duotronics were eventually replaced by Isolinear optical chips in 2329. [186] |
| Computers |
Developed by Dr. Richard Daystrom in the 2260s, the multitronic computer offered an enormous increase in capability over the duotronic systems in use at the time. Dr Daystrom had developed a method of impressing brain engrams onto the computer's circuits, allowing it to think in the manner of a humanoid mind. The first multitronic system was the M-5, a computer designed to automate most of the functions of a Starship in order to reduce manning levels. The M-5 would be in total control of the ship, making all command decisions. [185]
The M-5 performed superbly in simulations, but when it was tested on board the USS Enterprise the computer rapidly became unstable. It began attacking targets at random, eventually inflicting heavy damage and casualties on a four ship Starfleet taskforce. Dr Daystrom was able to disable the M-5 by convincing it that its actions had been at odds with its basic programming to protect Human life. [185]
After M-5 Starfleet became very wary of using computers in this manner. Although Starships of the future would be able to be run under nearly total automation [79], Starship command decisions have never again been placed in the hands of a machine. |
| Computers |
The isolinear chip replaced the duotronic circuit in 2329, and remains a major component of Federation computer systems over forty five years later. [186] The major advance which came with isolinear chips was the combination of storage and processing power into a single totally integrated unit. Adding memory to a computer therefore automatically added more processing power, making upgrading a much easier task. Small numbers of isolinear storage units are used in both PADDs and tricorders, while large computer systems can mount hundreds or even thousands of chips, all running as parallel processor units, to give enormous storage and processing capacity. [187]
The main computer system of the Galaxy class Starship, as launched in the early 2360's, comprised three redundant computer cores. Each core was a ten story structure which had 2,048 dedicated storage modules containing 144 isolinear chips - a total of 294,912 chips per core. At 2.15 kiloquads per chip this gave a total storage capacity of 634,060.8 kiloquads per core, making the system one of the most powerful mobile computers in service. The Library Computer Access and Retrieval System user interface is widely used in Starfleet, and allows the core memory to be accessed at 4,600 kiloquads per second. Accessing the entire memory of a core can therefore be done in under 2.5 minutes. [188]
Other species also use isolinear technology - the Cardassians use rods rather than chips, but the operating principles are otherwise very similar to Starfleets technology. [189] Starfleet has gained considerable experience in the use of Cardassian computer systems since taking over the running of Deep Space Nine. [3]
One development common to several users of isolinear technology is the use of symmetrical (and therefore non propulsive) subspace field encasement. Jacketing a computer system in such a field allows the chips to run at faster than light speeds, greatly increasing processing speed. The original Galaxy class computer could speed up operations by up to 335% using this method. [187] |
| Computers |
Bioneural gel packs are a relatively new advance in Federation computing. The system is not a replacement for the isolinear computer system, but is rather an augmentation of it. By distributing gel packs throughout a Starship's computer system information can be organized more efficiently, speeding up response time. [109] Early use aboard the new Intrepid class starships proved reasonably successful, although the biological nature of the packs has led to problems such as infection. [190] The packs are now being used as standard aboard all new Starship designs, as well as some support craft. |
| Computers |
Developed by Dr. Noonian Soong, the positronic network is undoubtedly one of the most unique forms of computer ever fielded. [129] The system uses the decay of positrons to form a sophisticated neural network. First suggested in the fictional works of Issac Asimov in the 20th century, the positronic brain was long thought to be impossible but was finally realized by Soong in the 24th century. As far as is known, Soong created only two fully working positronic nets, for the androids Data and Lore [129], and one partially functioning network for the prototype android B-4. [23] Lore was judged unsuccessful after developing undesirable personality traits and dismantled; he was later re-assembled by Starfleet personnel, but his unstable personality led him into various criminal endeavours [129] and he was eventually disassembled again by Data. [191]
Data was thought for some years to be the only remaining Soong type Android, until B4 was discovered in 2379. [23] Data was originally activated in 2335, but his brain was shut down when he was left on Omicron Theta by Soong after the Crystalline Entity attacked. He was dsicovered by the Starship Tripoli two years later and reactivated. [129] At this time his personality was almost a complete blank, and he has devoted considerable effort to the development of social skills in order to integrate into Federation society - with a considerable degree of success. [24] Study of Data has revealed surprisingly few clues as to how Soong was able to create a working positronic network. It is known that Data's neural network has biological components, and this has allowed his behaviour to be affected by the Psi 2000 virus. [25] In 2364 Commander Maddox of the Daystrom Technological Institute proposed dismantling Data in order to learn more about his functioning, including Soong's method of resolving the problem of electron resistance across the filaments in Data's brain. However, Data objected to the procedure on the grounds that Maddox did not yet have sufficient knowledge to carry it out safely. As of 2364 Data had an ultimate storage capacity of 800 quadrillion bits and a processing speed of 60 trillion operations per second. [29]
An advancement in submicron matrix transfer technology in 2366 allowed Data to attempt to create a new positronic network, resulting in the android Lal. Lal's brain was in many ways superior to Data's, allowing her to experience emotions and overcome some of the program limitations imposed on Data by Soong. Unfortunately, Lal suffered system wide cascade failure and ceased operating after only two weeks. [30]
By 2371 positronic technology had advanced to the stage where implants could replace some of the functions of a damaged organic brain, although there are considerable ethical difficulties inherent in this type of procedure. [192] |
| Computers |
The Personal Access Display Device is one of the most widely used methods of accessing and manipulating information. Although the capabilities of the Padd are limited compared to the larger desktop units, their small size offers a convenience that larger units lack. Indeed, the effectiveness of the principle is shown by the fact that while they have been produced in a massive variety of sizes and shapes, virtually every major species has produced a design which shares the same basic features.
Padds are almost always handheld devices with a large surface area relative to their thickness. They include both memory and processing capacity, usually with some form of remote linkage to larger more capable systems. Almost all have a display screen which takes up 50% or more of the surface. This is usually touch sensitive, but is supplemented by a small number of physical controls.
Starfleet employs three standard model Padds; a 10.16 x 15.24 x 0.95 cm, a 20.32 x 25.41 x 0.95 cm, and a 22.86 x 30.48 x 1.27 cm model. Made from micromilled duranium, the units operate on sarium-krellide energy cells and have masses ranging from 113.39 to 340.19 grams. Dynamic resolution switching is employed by the nanopixel molecular matrix screen. Memory ranges from 15.3 kiloquads in the smallest to 97.5 kiloquads in the largest. All units contain a subspace transceiver assembly to allow connection with more powerful computers in order to send or receive data or share larger processing tasks.
Starfleet is currently evaluating Padds which will introduce bio-neural elements, speeding up response time in line with the performance gains in modern Starships. [193] |
| Condenser lens [62] |
Element of a neutron microscope. The condenser lens was fitted to the apeture ring. [62] |
| Conn [93] |
A station on the bridge of Federation Starships. Conn is responsible for piloting the vessel. [93] |
| Construction module [194] |
Remotely controlled robot used for construction in space. [194] |
| Containment breach [195] |
A failure of the magnetic fields of a Starship's antimatter fuel pods or warp core. A containment breach is considered certain if the containment fields fall below 15% of full capacity. [195] |
| Containment field [186] |
A forcefield used to isolate any substance from its surroundings. [186] |
| Control interface [196] |
User operated panel for inputting data into a computer system. Can include vocal, visual or other types of input. [196] |
| Controller [197] |
Sophisticated computer system in command of the Eymorg underground habitat. The central processor unit of the Controller was a biological brain. [197] |
| Corbomite [180] |
Imaginary substence created by Kirk as a bluff against a vessel of the First Federation. Corbomite was claimed to be able to redirect any attack back upon the attacker, rendering Federation Starships invulnerable. The ploy worked. [180] |
| Core matrix [198] |
Major component of the warp drive of a Dominion attack ship. [198] |
| Cormaline [109] |
Mineral substance. The Kazon Ogla mined it from the Ocampa home world. [109] |
| Corundium Alloy [13] |
A material used in the construction of an alien probe which came through the Bajoran wormhole. [13] |
| Cosmic string filament [195] |
Extremely thin filament composed of almost infinitely dense matter. Although such strings are no wider than a proton, they have a powerful gravitational field. They also emit a set of subspace frequencies. [195] |
| Cosmological Constant [26] |
A number which is the measure of the gravitational attraction of a given amount of mass. [26] |
| Covariant pulse [98] |
Pulse which can be emitted from the deflector system of the Cardassian Empok Nor and Terok Nor systems, if the field coils were modified. [98] |
| Cranial implant [199] |
A device inserted into the brain of operatives of the Obsidian Order. The implant was intended to make them invulnerable to pain. [199] |
| Cryonetrium [46] |
Substant which remains gaseous even when at a temperature close to absolute zero. [46] |
| Cryopod [149] |
A device capable of suspending life in an organic body for long periods by placing it into a suspended animation state involving very low temperatures. The Retellians used cryopods to transport living beings as cargo in the 2150s. [149] |
| Cryosatellite [162] |
Orbital storage system for dead bodies frozen as part of a cryonic project. [162] |
| Cryostasis [162] |
A method of preserving living things by freezing them. Cryostasis is in theory quite simple, and has been used by some societies as a method of artificial hibernation over long periods. There was a brief fad for it on 21st century Earth, with those near death being frozen in orbiting satellites so that they could be revived when cures for their medical conditions were possible. The Enterprise-D encountered such a satellite adrift in deep space in 2364, and succeeded in reviving three of the occupants. [162] |
| Cryostatic chamber [200] |
Device used to sterilize foods by reducing their temperature radically. [200] |
| Crystalline emiristol [201] |
A solid chemical rocket propellant, used in the Kataan system. [201] |
| Cultural database [108] |
A record of cultural information kept aboard Federation Starships. [108] |
| Custodian [129] |
Advanced computer system built by the residents of Aldea to care for them. [129] |
| Cyalodin [202] |
A poison used by Humans. [202] |
| Cyanoacrylates [203] |
A substance not normally carried aboard Galaxy class starships as of 2365. Certain cyanoacrylates can produce Eichner radiation. [203] |
| Cyonics [162] |
The practice of freezing those who have recently died in the hope that future medical advances will be able to revive them. [162] |
| D'Arsay Archive [94] |
In 2370 the USS Enterprise discovered a rogue comet which had originated within the D'Arsay system some 87 million years earlier. Soon after the find, strange artefacts began to appear on the Starship bearing symbols of an alien language. The crew quickly realized that some kind of alien computer program had been loaded into the main computer from within the comet. Captain Picard ordered the outer layer of the comet melted away; inside there lay a huge metallic object covered with the same symbols that had appeared on the ship.
The transformations continued; Lieutenant Commander Data, the ship's android officer, underwent changes to his positronic brain which drastically altered his personality. Large sections of the Enterprise were recreated in the form of the alien culture.
Captain Picard surmised that the archive was recreating personalities from its culture within Data. Picard was able to uncover the relationship between some of the characters and use this to convince the dominant personality - Masaka - to release its control of his officer and the ship. With the archive dormant, the ship's chief engineer was able to disable it permanently. The Enterprise proceeded on its way while Starfleet despatched an archaeological team to study the archive. [94] |
| Dampening field [59] |
A field which inhibits most forms of energy. Dampening fields can prevent weapons or communicators from working. [59] |
| Dark Matter [152] |
Matter which is undetectable to most forms of sensor and scanner. Striking dark matter can cause normal materials to briefly phase out of space. Dark matter is commonly found in certain types of nebula, [152] or in asteroid form. [204] |
| Data clip [205] |
A handheld information storage system used by the Kellerun. [205] |
| Data crystal [206] |
An advanced information storage system used by the Idanians. [206] |
| Data port [206] |
A socket implanted into a person to allow them to interface directly with a computer. [206] |
| Decompression chamber [70] |
A sealed chamber used to gradually alter atmospheric pressure over hours or days. [70] |
| Deflector shield [207] |
A force field projected around a space vessel or installation in order to protect it from attack. The effectiveness of shields varies greatly according to the type and frequency of weapon used. [207] |
| Dekyon [208] |
A class of particles which travel below light speed. [208] |
| Delta radiation [181] |
Form of highly hazardous radiation capable of causing severe disfigurement. [181] Delta radiation could be used to stabilise liquid Trellium-D, though it was not wholly successful at this task. [209] In the Mirror universe the warp core of the NX class starship emitted Delta radiation, and disfigurement was one of the hazards of being a Chief Engineer. [167] |
| Delta series radioisotopes [210] |
A set of radioactive isotopes which are considered highly toxic to Humans. [210] |
| Delta wave frequency [211] |
An energy pattern generated by bothan ships. [211] |
| Denevan crystals [212] |
Contraband material which cannot legally be sold or owned within the Federation. [212] |
| Dentarium [213] |
A metal alloy which is used in the construction fo Vulcan spacecraft. [213] |
| Desealer rod [214] |
Device which unlocks pulsatel lock seal. [214] |
| Deuridium [215] |
A substance capable of stabilising the cell structure of the Kobliad. Sources of deuridium were located in the Gamma Quadrant. [215] |
| Deuterium [186] |
An isotope of the element hydrogen which is formed of one proton and one neutron orbited by a single electron. [186] |
| Deuterium control conduit [216] |
A part of a Federation Starship's warp drive system. [216] |
| Deuterium injector [42] |
Element of a Starship's warp drive system. [42] |
| Deuterium pumps [73] |
Element of the drive system of an NX class starship. [73] |
| Diagnostic [203] |
Starfleet term for a variety of procedures used to determine the nature of a fault in any system. [203] |
| Diamagnetic dust [217] |
Substance to be found in the ring system of certain planets. [217] |
| Diamagnetic minerals [218] |
Naturally occurring substance found in igneous rock which can interfere with communications systems. [218] |
| Diamagnetic storm [219] |
Atmospheric storm which carried polaric energy. It was extremely dangerous to be caught in one. [219] |
| Diamide [5] |
A metallic substance sometimes used in the construction of Bajoran earrings. [5] |
| Diamond [220] |
A form of carbon crystal, diamonds were relatively rare and were thus considered to be valuable in many cultures. Humans considered diamonds to be valuable up until 2367, with a large deposit constituting 'an incredible fortune' [220], though Lithium crystals were worth three hundred times more than diamonds of equal weight. [221] However, during 2367 the ability to manufacture large quantities of gem stones became widespread - so easy did this become, in fact, that a Constitution class vessel could manufacture diamonds by the ton. This rendered them worthless. [220] |
| Diboridium core [107] |
A small power generator used by the Cardassians. [107] |
| Diburnium-osmium alloy [222] |
A metal used in the construction of artificial planets by the Kalandans. [222] |
| Dicosilium [223] |
A substance used to create reflective coils in a Krieger wave convertor. [223] |
| Dicyclic warp signature [224] |
Energy characteristic produced by Hirogen warp drive technology. [224] |
| Dielectric field [225] |
A semi polarized magnetic field which can be used to overcome some forms of atmospheric turbulence. [225] |
| Differential magnetometer [226] |
A scientific instrument used by the Federation. [226] |
| Dikironium [45] |
A gaseous substance. Certain life forms are composed partially of Dikironium. [45] |
| Dilithium chamber [227] |
Element of a Federation warp drive which contains the dilithium crystals. [227] |
| Dilithium crystal [228] |
An element of Federation warp drives located within the warp core. Dilithium crystals control and regulate the matter/antimatter reaction which powers the vessel. Crystals should ideally be very pure, and very carefully aligned within the reaction chamber. [228] |
| Dilithium hydroxls [149] |
Substance which could disable the warp drive of an NX class starship if it was mixed with ionized pyrosulfates and sent into the plasma vents. [149] |
| Dilithium matrix [50] |
Element of the warp drive system of an NX class starship. During start up of the reactor the output had to be confined to within 300 and 312 millicochranes to prevent fusion of the dilithium matrix, unless the spatial-compression index was greater than 5.62% or the ship was within two parsecs of a Class-C gravimetric field distortion. [50] |
| Dilithium sequencers [229] |
Element of the warp drive of an NX class starship. [229] |
| Dilithium vector calibrations [31] |
A routine maintanence performed on the dilithium crystals of a Federation Starship. High accelerations are not advisable immediately after this procedure is performed. [31] |
| Dimensional Shift [230] |
What is termed in the Federation as the Elway theorem has long been known as a potentially advanced transporter system. The Starfleet Academy astrophysics course has two hours on the theorem, which has amongst its spinoffs the adaptive transport also known as subspace transition rebounding transport or the dimensional shift. The theorem eventually proved to be inaccurate and all research was abandoned by the mid 23rd century. However, the dimensional shift idea did indeed work successfully and was adopted by the Ansata terrorist movement on the planet Rutia IV. Unfortunately for the terrorists, the process is inimical to living tissue; genetic damage results from each use of the technology with a cumulative effect which is invariably fatal. The Ansata kept using the system despite this, since the transport is untraceable by any standard method of detection.
When the Ansata kidnapped Dr. Beverly Crusher, the Enterprise-D crew became involved in the fight against them. Each person using the transport wears an armband containing a subspace field coil and an isolated power source. Use of the system results in a slight nuclear vibration which allowed the Enterprise crew to speculate that the dimensional shift was being used. They were subsequently able to locate the terrorist headquarters using an adaptive subspace echogram to trace the dimensional shifts. A joint Starfleet / Rutian force attacked the headquarters and rescued the Federation prisoners, killing the leader of the terrorists in the process. [230] |
| Directional sonic generator [231] |
Handheld device which emits sound in a narrow beam. [231] |
| Dispersion field [232] |
Field which prevents the use of a transporter within a given area. [232] |
| Displacement wave [109] |
A spatial phenomenon which involves a polarized magnetic variation. [109] |
| Distortion field [233] |
A phenomena which occasionally exists in a planetary atmosphere. A distortion field prevents the use of transporters or shuttlecraft. [233] |
| Docking port [14] |
An area on a vessels hull which allows it to physically link itself to any other object similarly equipped. [14] |
| Dolamide [234] |
Chemical energy source used in power generators or, when very pure, in weapons. [234] |
| Doppler compensator [74] |
An element of the transporters which compensates for the relative velocities of the system and the object being transported. [74] |
| Drag coefficient [235] |
A measurement of the frictional forces on a body travelling in a fluid relative to its speed. [235] |
| Drake equation [147] |
Theoretical equation proposed on 20th century Earth which attempts to estimate the number of civilizations in the galaxy. [147] |
| Drive coil assembly [236] |
An element of a Federation impulse engine. [236] |
| Drone [28] |
Small flying device which the Son'a used in order to implant the Ba'ku with isolinear tags in order to facilitate transport. [28] |
| Drones |
A semi-autonomous flight system which is able to perform a number of different tasks. One such system was designed by Adam Soong and used to project a Sunshield to protect his daughter from harmful solar rays. [237] In an alternate reality the Confederation of Earth used a larger version to raise a sunshield over the entire planet, offsetting the effects of global warming, without attempting to solve the root cause. [238]
Adam Soong attempted to use a militarized version to destroy the Europa mission launch vehicle, however, Rios and Raffi were able to use the drones to target each other, allowing the rocket to launch as scheduled. [239] |
| Dualitic convertor [11] |
Tool used by Starfleet engineering specialists. [11] |
| Duck blind [240] |
An observation post which is hidden behind a holographic projection that mimics natural surroundings. The federation employs Duck Blinds to observe primitive cultures without their knowledge. [240] |
| Duonetic field [66] |
A type of energy which inhibits the operation of many technological devices. [66] |
| Duotronics [185] |
A computer technology created by Dr. Richard Daystrom which formed the basis of all computers in the mid 23rd century. [185] |
| Duranium [181] |
Metal alloy used in the construction of Federation Starship hulls. [181] |
| Duratanium polyalloy [241] |
A metal composite used in Federation Starship hulls. [241] |
| Duridium alloy [242] |
A metal used in the construction of high quality throwing darts. [242] |
| Dutotronic probe [196] |
Tool used to regulate plasma flow. [196] |
| Dynametric array [231] |
Analytical tool used by Federation engineers. [231] |
| Dynamite [243] |
Chemical explosive. [243] |
| Dynoscanner [138] |
A scanner used to detect molecular activity. [138] |
| Dynospanner [244] |
A tool used by the Federation in the 2260s. In 2265 Cervantes Quinn falsely claimed that his cargo included dynospanners. [244] |
| Dyson Sphere [186] |
An artificial sphere built around a star in order to provide an extremely large living area and allow the stars radiated output to be collected and used. [186] |
| E-band emissions [245] |
Signals emitted by a collapsing protostar. [245] |
| E-Mail [147] |
20th century method of communicating information from one computer to another. [147] |
| Ear reciever [52] |
Device used by Starfleet to allow audio information to be heard in private. [52] |
| Echo displacement [246] |
Method of projecting false sensor readings using a Starships deflector. [246] |
| Eichner radiation [203] |
A type of radiation which can mutate plasma plague or accelerate its growth. In 2295 Doctor Susan Nuress used Eichner radiation to create new strains of plasma plague during an outbreak in the Oby System. Eichner radiation can be produced by produced by a subspace phase inverter and certain cyanoacrylates. [203] |
| Eisilium [103] |
An extremely rare mineral; until 2151 the Vulcans had never managed to study it in any detail. The NX-01 discovered large deposits of Eisilium on a comet in 2151. [103] |
| EJ7 interlock [128] |
Device used on Deep Space 9 to open high-security panels. [128] |
| Electro plasma conduit [135] |
Type of conduit used in the USS Defiant. [135] |
| Electro-dynamic probe [143] |
A tool used by Entharan arms dealers. The probe can be fitted with a mono-filament stimulator, allowing it to manipulate neuro-transmitter levels. [143] |
| Electroceramic [247] |
Material used as in the construction of Kazon spacecraft. [247] |
| Electrodynamic turbulence [225] |
Strong currents in the upper atmosphere of some planets. This type of turbulence is a severe hazard to aircraft. [225] |
| Electrophoretic activity [248] |
Slow movement of charged colloidal particles in a fluid under the influence of an electrical field. [248] |
| Element 247 [118] |
Un-named element discovered by USS Voyager. The element was the first stable trans-Uranic element discovered. [118] |
| Elgol-red [249] |
A Cardassian code system. [249] |
| EM base frequencies [65] |
Term which is used when measuring the electromagnetic wavelengths of a phaser beam. [65] |
| Emergency hand actuator [195] |
Backup system for opening a Starship door in the event of a system failure which renders the automatic opening system inopperative. Also known as a handle. [195] |
| Emergency manual monitor [185] |
Auxiliary control system on board Constitution class Starships. [185] |
| Emergency transporter armband [65] |
Device used for the remote activation of a transporter. [65] |
| EMH [109] |
Emergency Medical Hologram, an artificial person who is intended to serve as a supplement or replacement for a ships medical officer in an emergency. EMH's can only exist within holographic facilities such as a suitably equipped sickbay or a holodeck. [109] |
| Emitter stage [250] |
Element of a Federation phaser weapon. [250] |
| Engineering section [52] |
Typically, the part of a Federation Starship in which the fuel, power, propulsion and other major systems are located. [52] Some designs such as the Miranda and Akira have merged the engineering hull into the Saucer section. [148] |
| Engram transcriptor [251] |
System used by the Mari police force to record memories for later examination. [251] |
| EPS [13] |
Electro Plasma System, a network of conduits which allows plasma to be routed around a ship in order to power the major systems. [13] |
| EPS Manifold [252] |
A component of Starship engine systems. Damage to the EPS manifold caused engine power loss and shutdown. In 2153, Captain Archer expected to take down the main power system of a Borg assimilated Tarkalean ship by destroying its EPS manifold with a pair of photon torpedo hits. He was unable to do so as the NX-01 was incapacitated. However, he did beam into the ship close to the EPS manifold and destroy it with grenades. [252]
When the NX-01 was captured by Triannon fanatics, the crew sabotaged the EPS manifold to cause the ship to lose power. On the NX-01 the system was located in on Deck D, section J-15. [253]
In 2154 Captain Archer disabled the alternate timeline version of the NX-01 by beaming its EPS manifold off the ship during combat. [254] |
| EPS matrix converter [98] |
Element of Deep Space Nine's systems. [98] |
| EPS regulators [135] |
Element of Deep Space Nine's systems. If not calibrated properly they could interfere with the station's artificial gravity grid. [135] |
| EPS synchronizer [55] |
Element of the weapons systems of an NX class starship. If the synchroniser was not reset when connecting certain systems to the power grid, it could cause the person working on it to have their eyebrows singed. [55] |
| EPS taps [76] |
Component of a Federation EPS system which diverts plasma from the warp drive in order to power the onboard systems. [76] |
| Escape pod [148] |
Small capsule which is ejected from a Starship when it seems certain that it will be destroyed. Escape pods can generally carry several people. [148] Kirk was ejected from the USS Enterprise in 2258 and landed on the the ice planet Delta Vega [255] |
| Eugene's limit [53] |
A limit which applies to warp drive systems. According to Eugene's limit Warp 10 could not be achieved because this involved travelling at infinite velocity. The Federation long suspected that the barrier could be circumvented to allow warp factors above 10 to be reached, and attempted to do this with the Excelsior class Starship. The attempt failed, and the Federation has never achieved a practical transwarp drive. The shuttle Cochrane did achieve warp 10 in 2372, allowing it to occupy every point in the universe simultaneously, but practical difficulties kept the system from being developed. Several examples of alien transwarp drives have been observed. [53] |
| Event horizon [117] |
The region around a black hole at which the escape velocity reaches that of light. Certain types of singularity generate an event horizon in the form of an immensely powerful force field. [117] |
| Exatanium [144] |
Exotic metal alloy [144] |
| Exocomp [86] |
A small robot designed to analyse problems and replicate the tools required to fix them. [86] |
| Exocomps [86] |
Created by Dr. Farallon to assist in the Particle Fountain project on Tyrus VIIA, the exocomp is a small computerized autonomous repair unit. Each exocomp is equipped with an antigrav unit which allows it to move around under its own power, a computer which allows it to analyse and diagnose faults and produce repair strategies independent of outside control, and a replicator unit which allows it to produce a wide variety of tools with which to conduct repairs. [86]
The exocomps were highly successful in their initial service, but quickly developed what appeared to be erratic behaviour. When an exocomp refused to enter a work area shortly before it exploded, Lieutenant Commander Data theorized that the devices had developed sentience and were acting in their own interests. The first tests designed to prove this hypothesis failed, but subsequently Data discovered that this had been because the exocomps had outwitted the tests. [86]
Before he could communicate this information to the Enterprise-D crew, an accident at the particle fountain put Captain Picard and Lieutenant La Forge in danger from high radiation levels. Commander Riker attempted to sacrifice the exocomps to save the officers, but was prevented from doing so by Data. Data argued that since the exocomps were in fact sentient, they had the right to decide for themselves whether to sacrifice their lives. [86]
Riker agreed, and three exocomps were allowed to board the particle fountain under their own control. They were able to successfully rescue both officers, although one of the exocomps was tragically lost in the operation. [86]
After this striking demonstration of their sentience, Dr. Farallon agreed to allow the exocomps full autonomy in all future work on the project. [86] |
| Exogenic field [212] |
Enery field that can surround a planet and cause a time shift in sub-space radio signals passing through it. Interaction with active sensor scans can cause a quantum reaction leading to a surge of metreon radiation which can be hazardous to ships. [212] |
| Exoskeleton [74] |
Any skeleton which is on the outside rather than inside of the body. Insects have exoskeletons. Borg drones have an artificial exoskeleton attached to their skin. [74] |
| Explosive matrix [87] |
System of the Xindi planet destroying weapon. An explosion of sufficient yield within the explosive matrix would set off a chain reaction sufficient to destroy the whole weapon. [87] |
| Extraction pumps [105] |
Device used in the mining of deuterium. [105] |
| Feldomite [256] |
Mineral which is best avoided during mining operations. [256] |
| Fermat's last theorem [257] |
Mathmatical theorem which states that there is no integer solution to Xn + Yn = Zn for any value of n greater than 2. The theorem is notoriously difficult to proove. [257] |
| Ferroplasmic infusion [32] |
Procedure which involves injecting high energy plasma into a planetary core in order to liquify it. [32] |
| Field coil equations [258] |
Equations governing the behavious of elements of the warp drive of an NX class starship. [258] |
| Field diverters [92] |
Device used to shield a critical area of a Starship from the effects of a Baryon sweep. [92] |
| Field fluctuation [258] |
Problem which affected the warp field of the NX class starship at high speeds. Field fluctuation was one of the major factors limiting the ship's speed. [258] |
| Finoplak [111] |
A liquid solvent which can dissolve the fabrics used in Starfleet uniforms. [111] |
| Fire suppression system [169] |
System onboard a Starship which uses forcefields to extinguish fires by restricting their oxygen supply. [169] |
| Firing matrix [55] |
Part of the second prototype of the Xindi planet killing weapon. Activation of the firing matrix was one of the first steps in firing the weapon. [55] |
| Fistrium [259] |
Metal found on Melora IV. [259] |
| Flight recorder [77] |
System on board a Starship which records images from various areas on the ship. It is intended to allow reconstruction of the events leading up to an accident. [77] |
| Flow regulators [229] |
Element of the warp drive of an NX class starship. The flow regulators had to be locked down in order to disrupt the antimatter stream. [229] |
| Fluidic space [112] |
A parallel dimension occupied by Species 8472. The whole of fluidic space is filled with a fluid. [112] |
| Flux capacitance [142] |
A measure of the amount of energy flow. [142] |
| Flux coupler [98] |
Tool in use on Deep Space Nine during 2373. [98] |
| Flux generator [260] |
Engineering instrument. [260] |
| Flux spectrometer [208] |
A sensor used by Federation Starships. [208] |
| Food Slot [261] |
A food delivery system in use aboard starships in the 2260s. The food slots were located in various areas of the ship, and could deliver food from the kitchen in a matter of seconds. [261] |
| Food synthesizer [52] |
A system on board 23rd century Starships which creates food for the crew. [52] |
| Force Fields |
Forcefield technology is one of the most massively useful technological advances ever made. Initially prophesied by science fiction in the early 20th century, this is one of those technologies which has developed along almost lines almost identical to those forecast by those early "imagineers". The first forcefield technologies were developed during the mid 21st century by the team working under Doctor Cochrane as part of the warp flight project. Since these early pioneering days, forcefield technology has diversified to the point where there are literally thousands of different types of field, each with properties carefully designed to fulfil a specific range of functions. Below is a listing of some of the more common types of forcefield currently in use. |
| Force Fields |
The Inertial Damping field is one of several types of forcefield which makes space flight practical. Essentially, a modern inertial damping system is a network of variable symmetry force fields which serve to absorb the inertial forces involved in space flight;even interplanetary craft routinely accelerate at hundreds of gees, and without this protection a person within such a ship would experience an apparent weight equivalent to many tons.
Most damping systems operate under the direct control of the ships main computer systems, which allow it to anticipate the forces which will result from use of the engines. The degree of fine control which this allows is such that it is virtually impossible to tell from within that a vessel is accelerating at all, let alone to feel any discomfort.
However, when the forces on a vessel are generated by an external source - such as weapons fire for example - it is a slightly different story. In this case the system can only react rather than anticipate, and this leads to a small lag between the action and reaction. This is manifested by a certain leakage through the IDF field, resulting in a noticeable effect on the passengers. Ensuring that this effect remains within safe limits is one of the primary concerns of all Starship designers. [262] |
| Force Fields |
The structural integrity field (SIF) is another of the basic requirements for any modern spacecraft. This field is projected through the structure of a vessel,essentially turning the material into a cross between matter and forcefield. This increases the strength and rigidity by orders of magnitude, allowing the materials to withstand the stresses associated with both normal and combat operations.
The Structural Integrity Field of Starfleet vessels can also serve as a secondary backup to the ships main shielding system if required; when run at above normal capacity the system is capable of protecting a vessel from even multiple direct hits by heavy weapons. This makes the SIF a key component in the protection of a starship. [263] |
| Force Fields |
The shield system provides the modern Starship with its principle protection against both violent natural phenomena and enemy weapons fire. Most shield systems are composed of highly focused spatial distortions which contain an energetic graviton field. The shield itself is projected by a set of transmission networks located on the hull of the ship; when matter or energy strikes the shield, field energy is concentrated at that point to create an intense localized spatial distortion. [264]
The shape of the field can be varied at the discretion of the tactical officer - the most common configuration is a set of curved fields which interlock to form a large bubble over vessel [148], although some users prefer to make the shields closely match the ships hull. [23] In the former case shield burn-throughs are more likely, as the shield must enclose a somewhat greater volume. However, in the latter case those burn-throughs which do occur are much more damaging as they are directly adjacent to the hull. Most of the information on this subject is highly classified, but since even individual vessels are known to utilize both configurations, it appears that bubble shields are preferred under certain tactical situations, conformal shields under others. [74]
Shields are carefully tuned to create windows which allow matter and energy to pass through under certain specific circumstances - for example, visible light is allowed to pass through unhindered. This allows the crew of a vessel to see out whilst the shields are up - or more importantly, to use visible light sensor systems. This window renders the shields invisible to the naked eye under normal circumstances. Other windows exist to allow sensors and weapons to operate through the shields. [74]
Impacts on the shield cause Cerenkov radiation to be released, often perceived as a flash of colour which "lights up" the shield, rendering it briefly visible. To an observer it appears that the intruding object bounces off the shields - in fact the spatial distortion becomes so great that the path of the object is radically altered, and to an zero dimensional observer on the incoming object it appears that it is the starship which has suddenly changed location while his/her course is unchanged. [264]
For over a century after the invention of the shield it was impossible to use transporters to beam to or from a shielded location [220], but to an extent this limitation has now been circumvented. [265] In general sensor and weapon windows are insufficient to allow beaming; whilst technically there is nothing to prevent a ship opening a window in its own shields of sufficient size to allow transport, in practice such windows are almost always large enough to be detected and exploited by enemy vessels and it is far simpler just to drop the shields briefly altogether. The more modern Starfleet shield designs have now reached a point at which transporters can be operated via a large wide frequency window which is briefly opened over the hull emitters. This gives greater flexibility in using the transporter during high threat situations, but it remains a somewhat risky proposition - should an enemy score even a near miss on such a window the effects on the ship would be considerable. [266]
Beaming through an opponents shields is an altogether more difficult proposition, but this can be accomplished successfully if the transporter operator has a detailed knowledge of the shield configuration s/he is attempting to beam through. A notable example of this is the occasion when the USS Enterprise managed to beam a crew member on board the USS Phoenix whilst that vessel was engaged in unlawful operations within Cardassian space [267], or the Defiant's use of the transporter to board the Constitution class USS Enterprise whilst that ship was modulating its shields for sensor operation. [268] Such operations remain the exception rather than the rule, however - and against the unknown shield configuration of an enemy vessel, beam through remains impossible.
The most recent advance in shielding systems is the Regenerative shield. This system was employed by the Dominion in the planetary defence network around Chintaka. [269] The regenerative shield allows a portion of the enemy fire to be diverted through the shield generator to reinforce the shield layer - the amount of damage that a weapon impact does is thus greatly reduced. The effectiveness of the reinforcement depends on the shield generator design, but typically the effectiveness of a shield will be increased several fold by the addition of regenerative capacity. |
| Force Fields |
The Containment Field has become the standard method of confining objects and isolating them from their surroundings for a wide variety of purposes. Some of the main applications common on board the modern Starship are listed below :
Many medical applications of containment fields exist. Typically these are designed to contain samples such as viruses which cannot - usually - attempt to physically force their way out of a container. [106]
Engineering applications include the storage of material samples collected via transporter. This generally requires higher strengths, since the samples collected can include the likes of high temperature plasmas or highly radioactive materials. [270]
A step up from these levels of field are those used in the shuttle or cargo bays of a starship in order to contain the atmosphere whilst allowing vehicles to pass through relatively unhindered. [51] The atmospheric containment field of even a small cargo bay must hold against a force of over half a million Newtons, whilst the field used on the main hangar bay of a Galaxy class starship must withstand some two hundred and fifty times this. [271]
Probably the biggest use of the containment field on board a starship is in the field of security. These are generally used to block corridors [272], or keep prisoners contained within the brig whilst allowing visual checks on their condition to be made. [273]
Starships by their very nature must employ ultra strong fields in a few selected locations. Whilst these fields can be many times stronger than even the ships main shielding system, this is usually gained by generating the field over a very restricted volume and projecting it directly within the generator network itself. Such fields are used to contain the matter-antimatter reaction within the warp core and power transfer conduits which permeate a starship. |
| Force Fields |
A type of forcefield used in medical applications. Quarantine fields are designed to contain biological hazards to prevent their spreading to the rest of the ship. [274] |
| Forced plasma beam [275] |
Component of Borg or Ferengi handheld weapons. [275] |
| Fortanium [94] |
Material used in the construction of the D'Arsay archive. [94] |
| Four way shunt [42] |
Element of the computer control system of a Defiant class starship. A four way shunt can be found at the base of the master differential relay. [42] |
| Fourier series [32] |
Mathmatical system which cna define any periodic function as the sumation of a set of sine waves. [32] |
| Fractal encryption [148] |
Computer encryption technique which is virtually impossible to break, even with high level technology. [148] |
| Fullerenes [276] |
Shortened version of Buckminster Fullerine, a molecule of carbon with a spherical structure. [276] |
| Fusion manifold [277] |
Element of the impulse drive system of a Klingon Raptor class warship. If the pressure in the manifold was too low the impulse drive would not operate. [277] |
| Fusion overburn [258] |
Method of increasing the thrust in a shuttlepod impulse engine. [258] |
| Fusion reactor [13] |
Device which generates energy by forcing light elements to combine with one another. Starship Impulse Drives employ fusion reactors to create high temperature plasmas which are then sent through the driver coils, producing a propulsive and mass reducing effect. [13] |
| Gallicite [278] |
A very rare substance, Gallicite can be used to refit the warp coils of an intrepid class Starship; Voyager encountered a deposit of almost a kiloton of the material on Stardate 50537.2. [278] The Nezu operated Gallicite mines on one of their planets. [279] Gallicite deposits are also to be found on Vulcan in the region can release powerful energy discharges if metallic objects are brought near to them. [280] |
| Genesis Device [138] |
Created by a team under the leadership of Dr. Carol Marcus, the Genesis effect is a method of reorganizing the molecular structure of matter at a subatomic level with life generating results.
Dr. Marcus planned to carry out the project in three stages. Her team successfully achieved stage one within a laboratory prior to 2284. Stage two was planned to take place underground on a lifeless planetoid, and once the Federation granted approval the Regula asteroid was chosen. A space laboratory, Regula I, was orbited around the planetoid and a Starfleet engineering team spent ten months in spacesuits tunnelling out a test site. After a year of development work the team proceeded with the second phase test. The stunning potential of the device became clear; within the space of a day it hollowed out an underground cave several cubic kilometres in size. Lifeforms rapidly developed within the cave, creating an entire ecosystem from scratch. [138]
Starfleet assigned the USS Reliant to the project in order to find a test site for phase three of the project. Dr. Marcus planned to try the process on a planetary scale, and set out to build a torpedo-like Genesis device which would be launched at a lifeless moon or other body. The detonation would begin a chain reaction that would rapidly spread across the entire surface, turning a dead world into a living breathing planet capable of sustaining whatever life forms were deposited on it.
Unfortunately, the effect would 'overwrite' any existing life with the new matrix. Aware of the awesome weapons potential of this technology, Dr. Marcus was determined to prevent the test from killing so much as a single microbe. The Reliant was tasked with finding a completely lifeless planet for the stage three test.
Unfortunately, whilst investigating Ceti Alpha V the Reliant was captured by Khan Sing, marooned there by Captain Kirk many years earlier. Khan coerced the crew into revealing the existence of the Genesis project and immediately attempted to capture the device. He was ultimately successful in doing this, but Kirk and the Enterprise lured the Reliant into the Motarra nebula near Regula and crippled it there.
In a last attempt to destroy Kirk, Khan detonated the Genesis device within the nebula. The device performed beyond any previous expectations, completely destroying the nebula and using the matter to create a new planet entirely from scratch. As with the Genesis cave, lifeforms evolved on the planet within a matter of days. [138]
Amazingly, the Starfleet team led by Dr David Marcus - son of the project leader - which went to investigate the planet also discovered that the effect had also regenerated the body of Captain Spock, which had been fired onto the planet after his death. Like the stage two cave on Regula, the Genesis planet itself had a fully developed ecosystem on its surface. It also had an amazingly diverse surface, with every variety of land and weather known to Earth within a few hours walk.
Aware of the Genesis device's potential as a weapon, the Klingons were working to uncover its secrets almost as soon as Khan detonated it. They managed to obtain the original project proposal made by Dr. Marcus, and sent a Bird of Prey to the Genesis planet to capture the technology itself if possible. The ship destroyed the Grissom and captured the landing party led by Dr. Marcus. [79]
It had become clear during the investigation that there was something badly wrong with the planet. Dr. Marcus confessed that he had included protomatter in the device, an unstable substance that had been condemned by every ethical scientist and banned from use. Its presence in the matrix rendered the resulting planet unstable and caused it to ageing at a rapid pace.
Captain Kirk, acting in violation of orders, arrived at the planet only to see the Enterprise disabled and boarded by the Klingons. He destroyed the ship and managed to capture the Klingon vessel, escaping the Genesis planet as it tore itself apart. [79]
Despite almost a century of research, the Genesis device never proved fully successful. However, while it cannot create habitable planets it remains a highly effective weapon of mass destruction. Fortunately, the Federation has never employed such methods and the technology remains unused. |
| Genetic engineering [70] |
The modification of the genetic code of an organism. [70] Genetic engineering is illegal in the Federation, or at least on Earth. [10] |
| Gold [281] |
A metallic element, gold was considered to be very valuable in many cultures, including 20th century Earth. [282] Fort Knox in the US was widely known on the planet as a storage location for over fifty metric tons of Gold, valued at over nine trillion U.S. dollars. When the new world economy took shape in the late twenty second century the Gold became valueless and Fort Knox was turned into a museum. In 2365 some Ferengi attempted to steal the Gold from Fort Knox, though the attempt failed. [283]
Whilst Gold became worthless on Earth in the late 2100s, in 2266 it still retained some value amongst Humans on other Federation worlds, though Latinum crystals were worth thousands of times as much as the equivalent weight of Gold. [207] The planet Janus IV was a major source of Gold once the miners were able to access it thanks to the assistance of the Hortas living on the planet. [281]
By the year 2364 the Ferengi still considered Gold to be valuable. [182] In 2366 Daimon Goss offered a quantity of Gold to the Barzan as part of his bid to gain control of their wormhole. [284] However, by 2374 Gold had lost all value with the Ferengi and was considered worthless. [285] It still found use, however, as the Ferengi took to using Gold to suspend the highly valuable liquid latinum. Such 'Gold-pressed Latinum' was a standard currency amongst the Ferengi, as well as being widely used by other cultures. [285]
|
| Gravimetric waves [16] |
Effect associated with certain types of anomaly in the Delphic Expanse. [16] |
| Gravitic Calipers [244] |
A tool used by the Federation in the 2260s. In 2265 Cervantes Quinn falsely claimed that his cargo included gravitic calipers. [244] |
| Graviton Ellipse [204] |
Type of spatial anomaly, the first encountered by Humanity. Graviton ellipses are extremely old, and tend to contain large numbers of objects which have been scooped up into them over billions of years. [204] |
| Graviton Relay [286] |
Element of a Federation Starship. Graviton relays can make a small noise when a turbolift passes by them; Ensign Gilmore found the sound distressing as it reminded her of an interspatial fissure opened. [286] |
| Graviton stabiliser [287] |
Device used aboard Federation starships. A ship could not function without a graviton stabiliser. In 2375 the Defiant's stabiliser failed, forcing Nog to engage in various trades to acquire a new one. [287] |
| Gravity Boots [159] |
Gravity boots allow the user to work normally is zero or very low gravity situations. Pairs of gravity boots were used by the Federation conspirators to board and kill Chancellor Gorkon on board his flagship when the gravity had been taken out by photo torpedoes fired by a cloaked Bird of Prey. [159] |
| Gravity generator [154] |
Device which creates artificial gravity within a spacecraft or station. Federation gravity generators are immensely reliable, often functioning even in the event of total power failure. [154] |
| Guardian of Forever [288] |
More than a hundred years after its discovery, the Guardian of Forever remains an almost total mystery. Discovered by Captain Kirk in 2267, the Guardian was located on an uninhabited planet. It was roughly ring-shaped, approximately three metres in diameter. Sentient and apparently highly intelligent, the Guardian spoke in fairly ambiguous terms, claiming that its answers were being tailored to the level of Human understanding. It claimed to simultaneously be both a device and a life form and said it was "its own beginning", possibly indicating that it had somehow evolved by itself rather than having been constructed by others. Although it was located the middle of ruins which dated back one million years, the Guardian claimed that it had been awaiting a question since "before your sun burned hot in space", a span of some five billion years. It therefore seems that the city was built around the Guardian rather than vice versa.
The Guardian could show images of distant times and places, and was apparently designed to act as a portal which allowed travel to those locations. Several Enterprise crew members used the Guardian to travel to 1930s Earth and return safely.
Many questions remain concerning the Guardian, not least that of who might have built it. If its claim as to how long it had awaited a question is correct, it would pre-date even the Progenitors by at least a billion years, and may in fact be the oldest entity in our universe. Given its tendency to talk in riddles it seems unlikely that the Guardian will be more forthcoming about itself in the future. [288] |
| Hailing frequency [52] |
Any of various frequencies used for contacting spacecraft or facilities. [52] |
| Heading [52] |
Vector which determines the direction of travel of a ship relative to the centre of the galaxy. Heading comprises two numbers, the azimuth and elevation. [52] |
| Heisenberg compensator [289] |
An element of the transporter system. The Heisenberg Principle states that it is impossible to know both the location and momentum of a subatomic particle with perfect accuracy. Since this is a basic requirement for the function of the transporter, a Heisenberg compensator is necessary to allow the system to operate in spite of the principle. [289] |
| Hemostatic scan [290] |
Medical scan in use in 2153 on board the NX-01 Enterprise. [290] |
| Heuristic subprocessor [42] |
Element of the computer control system of a Defiant class starship. A heuristic subprocessor is located within the primary safties junction next to the rectilinear expansion module. [42] |
| Holodeck [122] |
A large room which is equipped with holographic projectors, replication technology, and forcefield generators. The holodeck can recreate millions of different environments with almost perfect fidelity, even including recreations of animals or people. Some forms of holomatter cannot leave the holodeck without loosing cohesion and dissolving into nothing. [122] |
| Holographic Technology |
Since the first primitive "virtual reality" systems were created in the 1990's, Humans have advanced hugely in their ability to recreate the sights and sounds of a real environments within an artificial setting. The early VR environments could by no means be called realistic, but by the mid twenty first century computers had advanced to the point where VR systems had gone into common use both in entertainment and many other more serious applications. VR technology was virtually abandoned in the aftermath of World War III, and no serious efforts to pursue simulated environments was made again until near the end of the twenty first century.
The major stumbling block to Virtual Reality as it existed at this time was physical - no matter how good the computer became at projecting images, sounds, and suchlike to the user, he or she was not actually in a real environment. Although body suits capable of simulating tactile impressions had come into use by 2120, these where never considered a serious substitute for actually handling real physical objects.
What was needed was a way to physically recreate an environment which the user could then interact with freely. This did not become possible until the invention of the replicator unit in 2315; based on transporter technology, the replicator allowed actual objects to be created in an instant and deleted as needed.
The first "holochambers" emerged in 2328; they used a small room equipped with a set of holographic projectors which could generate a realistic image of an outdoors scene onto the walls and ceiling. A replicator would then materialize objects within the room to go with the image - plants and trees, for example. The users where then free to pick up and use the objects without having to wear any kind of projection equipment themselves.
Early holochambers suffered from several limitations; a careless user could easily walk into a wall, for example, and if several users where in one chamber then they could only be as far away from each other as the size of the chamber allowed. The major limitation was in the creation of characters within the holochamber; although reasonably realistic images of people and animals could be projected, users could not physically touch these characters in any way.
More recent models have largely overcome these problems; a modern holochamber projects a forcefield across the floor of the chamber, and should a user walk towards the wall this field begins to act as a 'treadmill' to keep the person stationary; the computer automatically moves the replicated objects within the holochamber and adjusts the holographic projections to simulate the movement the user should experience. Replicated objects reaching the wall are dematerialized, while images of objects reaching the space within the chamber are replicated for real. [291]
The second hurdle was overcome by 'internal partitioning' of the chamber. Should two people enter a holochamber and walk in directly opposite directions, they would previously only be able to go so far before reaching the walls. While the 'treadmill' effect can convince a user that the environment is passing them, it cannot make the users continue to move further away from each other and so the illusion would be broken.
In modern holochambers, the computer would sense that this was about to happen and throw up an internal divide; halfway across the holochamber the computer would throw up a hologram showing each user an image of the other, continuing to move further away - essentially this process creates two miniature holochambers within one. Should the users head back towards each other the computer would reverse the process, merging the two into one again. A modern holochamber is capable of sub-dividing into many separate environments, allowing groups of people to wander around independently of each other.
Perhaps the most impressive advance in holochamber technology has been the advent of 'holomatter'. This is solid matter created within the holochamber energy grid and manipulated by highly articulated computer driven tractor beams; although early efforts where crude, modern holochambers can use holomatter to create and animate totally realistic characters within the chamber.
The basic mechanism behind the holochamber is the omni-directional holo-diode (OHD). The OHD is a small unit (several hundred million per square metre in modern holochambers) which is capable of projecting both full colour stereoscopic images and three dimensional forcefields. The OHD's are circuit printed onto large sheets, which are then subdivided into tiles of 0.61 square metres. A typical starfleet Holodeck wall consists of twelve sub processing layers totalling 3.5 mm thickness, diffusion bonded to a lightweight cooling tile. The panel is controlled by an optical data network similar to that used for standard panel displays. Dedicated subsections of the main computer system drive the holodeck, and it is the memory and speed of these computers which determines the number and complexity of the holodeck programmes available. [291]
Although modern holochambers are often touted as being just as good as the real thing, in practice there are still limitations. Even the best holochamber can only subdivide into a maximum of twelve separate environments, and many holochamber programmes are not complex enough to make full use of the holochambers technical capabilities. Perhaps the biggest limitation is in the holomatter itself; this is only stable within the energy grid, and looses cohesion almost instantly if removed from the holochamber. [292]
Holochambers come in various sizes and types; the federation is reputed to have the best models, with Earth boasting some of the largest known holochambers. Starfleet 'Holodecks' are probably the most technically sophisticated, while the Ferengi are known for having some of the most advanced and creative entertainment software. |
| Holographic Technology |
One of the more interesting applications is the Federation Duck Blind. This is a system designed to allow the covert study of primitive cultures. An observation facility is placed in close proximity to the area to be observed and a hologram of a natural feature - commonly a rockface - is projected over it. With this technology an entire outpost can be sited close to or even within a village or town without the residents ever being aware of it. A 4 Gigawatt duck blind was used on Mintaka III to study the proto-Vulcan culture there [240], and another was used by the Federation/Son'a team on the Ba'ku planet to study the inhabitants there. [28] |
| Holographic Technology |
The EMH was developed by Dr. Lewis Zimmerman [293] to provide a backup to organic doctors on the latest generation of Starships. The system was an impressive achievement, containing medical knowledge from over 2,000 reference sources and the experience of 47 physicians [117] totalling over five million medical treatments, plus contingency and adaptive programs to make full use of the knowledge. [294] However, as the name implies the EMH was designed as an emergency system only and suffered from various limitations. It was designed to last for 1,500 hours at most, and use beyond this period could result in serious degradation to the program. [12] They could only be using in an area specially equipped with holographic projectors; the EMH Mark 1s fitted to the Intrepid [109] and Sovereign class [148] ships could only operate in sickbay. [109]
By far the biggest problem with the EMH Mark 1, however, was their personality. The program's was abrupt to the point of rudeness, sarcastic, egotistical, and arrogant. Many people found the program unpleasant, and various unflattering nicknames circulated - "Emergency Medical Hotheads" was one favourite. Eventually Starfleet retired the Mark 1 EMH from medical service and used all 675 of them to work on waste transfer barges - something which was an intense disappointment to Dr. Zimmerman, especially as he had designed the Mark 1 to look like himself. [295]
The Mark 2 was designed to correct many of these deficiencies. The model was incorporated into the Prometheus class Starship; improvements included the ability to move throughout the ship and knowledge of all the latest medical techniques and equipment. The Mark 2 also had an improved personality and a different appearance. [296]
With the Mark 2 in service, Dr. Zimmerman proceeded to produce the Mark 3 and Mark 4 EMH. [295] |
| Holographic Technology |
Once the EMH was in service, Dr. Zimmerman proceeded to develop the Long-term Medical Hologram. The LMH was intended to provide a permanent replacement for Doctors in areas where staffing levels were too low to allow a medical staff to be stationed. The physical appearance of the LMH was originally to be patterned after Dr. Julian Bashir of Deep Space Nine, but this idea was dropped because of the controversy generated when it was discovered that Dr. Bashir had been genetically engineered as a child. [10] |
| Holographic Technology |
The holo-communications system was introduced to Starfleet in 2372. It was tested aboard the Defiant and Excelsior class starship [173], a move intended to asses how the system performed on both one of the newest designs in Starfleet and one of the oldest. The system consisted of a small holographic scanner and projector; each end would transmit a real-time animated hologram of the user to the other end whilst projecting the signal it was receiving in turn. The system operated to Starfleet's usual high specification in terms of image quality; the net result was that at each end of the conversation the user would be able to talk to a hologram of their counterpart which was completely real-looking. [173]
Although the holo-communicator was also eventually used on Deep Space Nine [10], the system did not find favour with Starfleet and has not been issued widely. [3] |
| Holographic Technology |
Federation technology is capable of producing holograms for many purposes. One common use of the technology is to provide three dimensional displays of information and images to aid in presentations; the Galaxy class starship is well fitted in this fashion. [182] Holograms are also used for recreational purposes; the holodeck is fitted to many Federation Starships, but on a smaller scale holographic generators are fitted to personal quarters to show recreational programs. [297] |
| Holographic Technology |
The holo-suit is designed to allow personnel to pass un-noticed through populated areas; in essence, it is an invisibility suit. It works by projecting a holographic image of the background over the suit. Anybody looking at the suit sees the background instead, rendering the wearer undetectable to the naked eye. The version currently in use with the Federation relies on a central hub to maintain them. [28] |
| Holographic Technology |
In 2373 Voyager was involved with a Temporal incidient in which the ship was thrown back in time to 1990s Earth. The crew encountered Henry Starling, an Earth resident who had acquired 29th century technology from a Federation timeship. Amongst Starling's posessions was the Mobile Emitter, a small device into which a hologram could be downloaded. Once the download was accomplished the device allowed the hologram complete mobility; the emitter included a power supply and computer system capable of supporting the holoprogram for long periods independantly of any other external holoprojector system. [81] The emitter even allowed a hologram to be reprogrammed as needed, for instance allowing the external appearence to be modified as needed. [298] |
| Holographic Technology |
This facility is designed to allow holographic programs and characters to be easily designed or modified. In 2376 Janeway used the Hololab to alter the Michael Sullivan character from the Fair Haven program in order to make him more attractive to her. [299] B'Elanna Torres also used the Hololab to project the effects of various alterations to the DNA of her child in 2377. [300] |
| Holographic Technology |
Federation technology allows flat screens to project holographic imagery, giving the screen an apparent depth. This technology was applied to the main viewscreen of the Galaxy class. [301] |
| Holographic Technology |
When a built in projector is not available, small portable projectors can be used for applications such as target practice games. The MACO units of mid 22nd century Earth used such projectors. [16] |
| Holographic Technology |
A portable communication system which became popular in the late 2390s. It provides a visual connection of the person you are talking to in a crude 3D holographic form. [302] |
| Holosuite [48] |
Essentially identical to a holodeck, holosuites tend to be somewhat smaller. [48] |
| Hover Bike [255] |
An anti-gravity bike used by the Earth police during the mid 23nd century. [255] |
| Hypergiant Star [303] |
A type of star notable for being extremely large, hypergiants were first closely investigated by Humanity when the NX-01 encountered one in 2153; prior to this time no Human vessel had been within ten light years of one. Captain Archer was able to explore the outer layers of the star in a small Vissian exploration craft. [303]
It was estimated that the hypergiant would go supernova within one to two centuries. [303] |
| Hyperspace [304] |
An additional dimension used in some models of space-time. The term is rarely used in Star Trek, and may in fact refer to Subspace. [304] |
| Hyperspanner [305] |
Tool in use aboard Earth Starfleet vessels in the 2150s [156], and still in use in 2373. [98] |
| Iconian Gateway [51] |
Until 2365, within the Federation it was widely believed that the Iconians were a myth. They were widely known in archaeological circles as ancient "demons of air and darkness" who were able to appear at will anywhere, travelling without benefit of spacecraft. On Stardate 42597.17 Captain Donald Varley of the Galaxy class USS Yamato was given an artefact thought to be Iconian when visiting an archaeological site. He was able to translate symbols on the artefact and after correcting for 200,000 years of stellar drift he was able to determine that the location of Iconia itself was in the Romulan Neutral Zone, close to Romulan space.
Varley proceeded into the Zone and encountered an active piece of Iconian technology around Stardate 42607.95. The device scanned his ship, whereupon the Yamato began to suffer various computer malfunctions. Immobilized, Varley called Captain Picard for assistance. Unfortunately, shortly after Picard arrived the Yamato began an emergency dump of its antimatter stocks. The dump was then halted and the containment fields dropped while sufficient antimatter was still present to cause a catastrophic explosion.
The Enterprise itself then began to experience similar computer malfunctions. It was determined that the Yamato had contracted a form of computer virus from the Iconian probe, which had communicated itself to the Enterprise via the communications system when the ship had transmitted its log entries. The Enterprise was able to destroy another probe before it could cause further contamination.
On Iconia itself Picard discovered the source of many of the legends concerning the Iconians; the Iconian gateway. The gate appeared as an oblong panel in the air with various destinations displayed in it. To reach a destination one simply stepped through at the proper time, crossing light years in a moment.
Picard was able to use the gateway to escape the planet after setting the generator equipment to self-destruct so as to prevent it from falling into Romulan hands. The ship was able to clear out the Iconian program by conducting a complete shutdown and reboot of all computer systems and escaped from the area without further incident. [51]
A second Iconian gateway was discovered in the Gamma Quadrant by a force of rebel Jem'Hadar, who planned to use it to break away from the Founders and overthrow the Dominion. A joint Federation / Dominion assault force raided the location of the gate, which was protected by neutronium armour impenetrable to conventional weapons and a dampening field which rendered phasers inoperable. They joint force were able to fight their way to the gate and plant explosives to destroy it.
To date no further trace of functional Iconian technology has been discovered. [306] |
| Impulse drive [59] |
Propulsion system used for travel in the sub-warp domain. Impulse systems usually comprise a fusion reactor and a space-time driver coil. [59] |
| Impulse Engines [53] |
The basics of Impulse Engine design as employed by the United Federation of Planets, and most other major powers, have remained more or less static for almost a century now. In general, Impulse engines consist of four main components :
The fuel tank contains the reactants used within the engine. Starfleet uses simple Deuterium fuel [307] - less efficient than a Deuterium/Tritium mix, but Deuterium is far easier to produce and handle than Tritium, while using only one type of fuel eliminates the necessity for two independent sets of fuel storage and handling systems within the ship.
Once the fuel has left the tanks, it is reduced in temperature to form pellets of solid Deuterium ice of variable diameter. These are fired into the reactor where a set of fusion initiators are used to ignite the pellet whilst a magnetic field holds them in place. [308] The Deuterium atoms are fused together in part according to the equation :
Which gives the conversion of mass to energy a theoretical maximum efficiency of 0.08533% - in practice other reactions and engine design produces different efficiencies. The standard Impulse fusion reactor as used in the Galaxy class Starship is a sphere six metres in diameter, constructed of dispersion-strengthened hafnium excelinide. The reactors can be networked together, with each one passing its plasma output to another in a cascade fashion. Each of the eight Impulse engines on a Galaxy class starship has three fusion reactors connected together in this manner.
Once the Deuterium has fused successfully, the plasma stream created is passed through the next major component - the space-time driver coil. Under the Einsteinian physics which holds true for objects at sub-warp velocities it is virtually impossible for a simple fusion rocket to deliver sufficient energy to accelerate a spacecraft to near light speed - the fuel requirements rapidly increase to the point where the large majority of the vessel would be dedicated to fuel tankage. The coil avoids this situation by generating a sub-warp cochrane field around the vessel, reducing its effective mass in order to boost the acceleration.
Actual Impulse flight performance is therefore dependant not only on the specifications of the fusion reactors, but also on the capabilities of the driver coils. [308] One of the fastest ships ever fielded in terms of Impulse performance was the refit Constitution class. This ship was capable of reaching 'Full Impulse' (25% c) in a matter of seconds. At the other end of the scale the much later Ambassador class was designed to achieve a far more lowly acceleration of 10,000 ms-2, sufficient to reach Full Impulse in 125 minutes.
Once the plasma stream has passed through the driver coil assembly, it reaches the exhaust port and passes into space. If the coil itself is not engaged, the Impulse Engine reverts to behaving like a simple Newtonian fusion rocket with a performance thousands of times less than its normal capabilities. Under these circumstances the exhaust system is designed to vector the thrust of the engine in order to correct for unusual mass distributions or provide off-axis thrust for enhanced agility.
At velocities which are an appreciable fraction of that of light, time dilation becomes a factor for Starship crews. When a ship travels very near to the velocity of light, this effect can become very significant. For example, at the 92% c which is the maximum velocity of the Galaxy class Starship over 2.5 days would pass for a stationary observer for each day which passed for the crew. In order to keep these effects below a 3.5% time differential, the Federation has long imposed a ban on Impulse flight above velocities of 0.25 c - so called "Full Impulse" - on all normal missions. While this restriction is not applicable during combat operations, the effects of time dilation can have extremely adverse effects on a vessel in these conditions - a crew can find themselves in a position where their reaction time will be greatly reduced compared to an enemy because of the difference in velocities between them. High relativistic speeds are therefore generally avoided altogether by Starships. [308]
Early space vessels had to mount so called "retro-rockets" in order to slow themselves down as they approached their destination, or else turn their craft backwards and use the main engines to slow down. One further advantage of utilizing the driver coil in an Impulse engine is that this rather cumbersome requirement is removed. The driver coil essentially allows the ship to reduce its mass in order to allow a - relatively - small amount of kinetic energy to create a great deal of velocity. Once the coil is discharged, the ship returns rapidly to its normal mass. The kinetic energy remains constant, so the velocity is vastly reduced without any need to use the engines thrust.
In theory, the coil alone could be used to drive the ship by simply adjusting the mass so that the velocity reaches the desired level. In practice, however, it is not that simple. The coil cannot be simply turned up and down as required, but is rather discharged and then recharged by the flow of plasma through it - essentially, by the normal operation of the impulse engine. It is thus not possible to 'tune' a ships mass up and down as required. Overcoming this limitation has been the holy grail of Impulse engine designers for well over a century, but as yet no progress has been made. |
| Impulse speed [74] |
Term which is used to refer to any speed lower than that of light. "Full Impulse" is 25% of the speed of light, a restriction imposed to limit the effects of temporal dilation. If necessary ships are capable of exceeding full impulse significantly. [74] |
| Induction coil [218] |
Part of the communications system of the shuttlepods carried by the NX class starship. [218] |
| Induction modulator [287] |
Device used aboard Federation starships. Chief Al Lorenzo traded an induction modulator to Nog for the loan of Captain Sisko's desk in 2375. [287] |
| Inertial Damping Field [208] |
Inertial Damping Field, a field which permeates a spacecraft and prevents the occupants from feeling the effects of acceleration. IDF fields are almost perfect when counteracting forces from the ships own systems, but there is a degree of 'leakage' when attempting to compensate for external forces such as weapon impacts. [208] |
| Inertial micro-damper [309] |
Device which was in use aboard NX class starships. The inertial micro-damper could stop internal components from experiencing vibration or shaking effects; sadly these were rarely if ever employed on chairs. [309] |
| Injector flare [258] |
Problem which prevented antimatter compression being used to reduce field fluctuations in the warp field of an NX class starship. Injector flare was caused when nucleonic particles flooded the manifolds. [258] |
| Interphase generator [61] |
A form of cloaking device which adjusts matter so that it is out of phase with normal space. This renders the object both invisible and capable of passing through objects without resistance. [61] |
| Interphasic Compensator [310] |
A device used by Starfleet engineers. Chief O'Brien used an interphasic compensator during his efforts to bring down the forcefields surrounding Dominion sabotage devices on the Defiant in 2371. [310] |
| Intra-molecular processors [252] |
Element of Borg nanoprobes. The intra-molecular processors are vulnerable to omicron particles. [252] |
| Ion matrix [155] |
Element of the drive system of Xyrillian ships. [155] |
| Ion Storm [311] |
Dangerous phenomena which drifts through space and can be a serious threat to Starships. [311] |
| Ionized pyrosulfates [149] |
Substance which could disable the warp drive of an NX class starship if it was mixed with Dilithium hydroxls and sent into the plasma vents. [149] |
| Isolation matrix [179] |
Element of computer systems intended to prevent access by unauthorised personnel. [179] |
| Isolinear chip [25] |
A computer processing and memory device used in 24th century computers. Isolinear chips have been superseded in some respects by bioneural gel packs. [25] |
| Isolinear rod [13] |
A Cardassian computer device similar in function to the Isolinear chip. [13] |
| Isolytic energy [312] |
Form of energy which was used by the alien repair station the NX-01 used in 2152. An Isolytic shock could be fatal to Humans. [312] |
| Isolytic plasma [217] |
Substance to be found in the ring system of some planets. [217] |
| Isoton [313] |
A unit used to measure mass or the explosive yield of a weapon. [313] |
| Jefferies tube [52] |
Access tunnel in a Federation starship. Jefferies tubes allow access to various circuitry and conduits within the ship. [52] |
| Kemocite [314] |
A radiolytic compound used by the Xindi in the 2150s. Classed as a multiphasic isotopes, Kemocite had various uses; it was a key part of the weapons built to attack Earth. [314] |
| Krellide power cell [315] |
Energy storage cell which the Vulcans used to power communications devices in the early 2150s. [315] |
| Laser [122] |
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation; a device which produces a monochromatic beam of very intense coherent light. Lasers have a variety of applications, [122] but are no longer used as weapons by the major Star Trek powers since they have been replaced by phasers or disruptors. [77] |
| Laser micrometer [309] |
Tool in use aboard NX class starships. [309] |
| Lateral microbrace [42] |
Element of the dilithium articulation frame of a Definat class starship. [42] |
| LCARS [148] |
Library Computer Access and Retrieval System, the user interface used by Starfleet in the 2360s and 2370s. The LCARS system is similar in appearence to the interface used on this site. [148] |
| Life support [316] |
A number of systems designed to maintain a habitable environment aboard a Starship of space station. [316] |
| Lifeboat [148] |
See escape pod [148] |
| Magnesite [317] |
Solid substance. Magnesite is occasionally found in comets; it is hard enough to crack drill bits, making drilling into such comets difficult. [103] Drilling through magnesite is difficult even using phaser drills, as it creates feedback pulses along the particle beam, a problem Geordi encountered on the planet Atrea in 2370. [32] The Duras sisters Lursa and B'Etor conducted illegal mining for magnesite on Kalla III; Riker obtained some of the ore and detonated it in space with a phaser blast to reveal the location of their cloaked ship. [276] Magnesite-nitron tablets were a standard part of a landing party medical kit in the 2260s. [317] Magnesite dust formed a part of the living nebula cloud which Voyger encountered in 2371. [318] Voyager explored magnesite deposits on a planet in the Avery system later in the same year. [319] In the 2150s Magnesite was used in construction of warp cores on Earth vessels [320], and the Kazon Nistrim used it in the construction of their frigates in the 2370s. [247] Magnesite fuel was commonly used for small scale applications such as heating and cooking in the mid 24th century. [60] Transporters cannot beam an object through magnesite. [321] |
| Magnetic variances [176] |
Phenomena to be found on some alien ships. [176] |
| Main bridge [77] |
The primary control centre of a Starship, usually located on top of the saucer section. [77] |
| Main engineering [74] |
In Federation Starships, the area which contains the warp core reaction chamber and the primary controls for all of the ship's major systems. [74] |
| Maneuvering thrusters [14] |
A series of devices located on the hull of a Starship which control its attitude and are used for low speed manouvers. [14] |
| Master differential relay [42] |
Element of the computer control system of a Defiant class starship. There is a four way shunt at the base of the relay. [42] |
| Matrix converter [322] |
Device used in connecting two incompatible power systems. [322] |
| Medical Technology |
The rapid rate of advance of medical technology today means that no static reference work such as this can hope to catalogue every form of equipment in use in a modern hospital. This section will therefore attempt to briefly detail only those examples which are in the most widespread use in Starfleet medical. |
| Medical Technology |
The Hypospray is a simple and effective method of delivering substances intravenously to a patient. The device consists of a spray head which can deliver drugs painlessly through the skin, and even through clothing. Attached to this is a swappable vial which contains the drugs to be delivered. The Hypospray has several major advantages over the syringe; since the skin is not broken by the spray, there is no contamination of the hyposprays tip during an injection. The device can therefore be used repeatedly without any need for sterilization of the tip. The hypospray is also completely painless, which has helped to make the widespread fear of injections a thing of the past. |
| Medical Technology |
The hospital bed is, of course, one of the most important items to be found in any medical facility, as it is here that the patient will spend most of their time. Early beds were simply that - a place where the patient could rest in comfort. As technology progressed the hospital bed began to become more flexible and it was only a matter of time before routine medical systems began to be incorporated as standard, leading to the early versions of the device which has come to be known as the Biobed.
Today, the Starfleet biobed is designed to provide the medical staff with a wide range of basic information on the patient. Inbuilt sensor systems allow the biobed to constantly monitor factors such as heart rate, respiration, temperature, etc. These are displayed on a permanent basis, usually on a panel located at the head of the biobed, so as to present the information in the most clearly and easily accessible manner possible. As a backup to the visual presentation, biobeds can be set to give audio information, including normal functions such as heartbeat or automatic alarms should any body function fall outside a pre-set range.
The use of biobeds essentially means that every hospital bed today is equivalent to - or in fact, superior to - the "intensive care" beds of centuries ago. However, it is simply not resource efficient to include every type of medical device on every biobed. While the goal posts have shifted, then, even the most modern medical facilities still maintain a relatively few "high technology" beds supplemented by a much larger number of standard biobeds. |
| Medical Technology |
The laser scalpel is one of the simplest instruments used in the modern medical facility. This device uses a laser beam rather than a physical knife in order to cut the patient; this allows a greater degree of control over the incision, and by eliminating physical contact between instrument and patient reduces the risk of transmitting infections. |
| Medical Technology |
The Cortical Stimulator is a small device which is used to elevate the activity in the cortex of a patient. The stimulator is typically a small device which is attached to the cranium; it is used on patients who have reduced or damaged brain wave patterns. |
| Medical Technology |
The physiostimulator is a system designed to elevate metabolic functions in an impaired individual. The unit is typically a small handheld device. In 2267 Doctor mcCoy used a physiostimulator to bring Captain Kirk out of a deep coma which had been used to fool the Romulans into believing that he was dead. [158] |
| Medical Technology |
Handheld unit used to heal reasonably mild wounds to the skin. Autosutures can be used to close incisions, heal knife wounds, etc. In 2369 an autosuture was used to heal a stab wound received by Captain Jean Luc Picard. [84] |
| Medical Technology |
A small device used to cause the patient to loose consciousness. The Neural Caliper is often used as part of the preparation for surgery. [127] |
| Medical Technology |
An advanced medical system designed to scan damaged organs on the quantum level and replicate living replacements which can then be transplanted. The system was created by Doctor Toby Russell, an expert in spinal injuries. The Federation refused Dr. Russell permission to test the device on a patient on three separate occasions, on the grounds that the risks were unacceptable. In 2368 she used the device on Lieutenant Worf, who had been paralysed after an accident on board the Enterprise-D. The Gentronic replicator succeeded in creating a new spine, but Worf died on the operating table. Fortunately, his Klingon physiology allowed him to be revived and make a full recovery. [140] |
| Medical Technology |
The dermal regenerator is used to repair damage to the skin of the patient, including bruising and lacerations. The device is handheld; the doctor holds it over the damaged area and moves it slowly back and forth. The treatment typically lasts only a matter of a few seconds. [323] |
| Medical Technology |
The defibrillator is a device used to restore sinus rhythm in a patients heart after it has gone into cardiac arrhythmia. Modern defibrillators are portable handheld devices which are placed into contact with the skin directly over the heart; when triggered a computer controlled shock is delivered to the heart. [270] |
| Medical Technology |
The subdermal scalpel is used for making incisions beneath the skin without breaking the skin itself. It therefore allows purely internal surgery to be performed, reducing the risk of infection and the need for instruments such as dermal regenerators. [324] |
| Medical Technology |
A small device used to place patients into a hypnotic trance. [325] |
| Medical Technology |
This medical device was used aboard the Galaxy class in 2364. [325] |
| Medical Technology |
This small device was able to relieve headache pain within seconds, though it did nothing to treat the underlying cause. [326] |
| Medical Technology |
Device used to relieve moderate to severe pain. [327] |
| Medical Technology |
This tissue scanner is used to measure the rate of cellular decay. It can run scans at the molecular level, and is capable of picking up tetryon particles. The sensitivity can be boosted with an enhanced resolution mode, and can adjust the scan field as needed. The unit interfaces with remote computer systems which can be used to control all functions. [328] |
| Medical Technology |
The neural bridge can be used to stabilise the neural functions of a patient with heavy brain damage. It allows the brain of a normal person to be used to support a damaged brain. [329] |
| Medical Technology |
Device which is used to treat heart conditions in artificial hearts. [201] |
| Medical Technology |
A device which can be used to make extremely precise cuts. A microtone was used to sever Worf's spine when his spinal column was replaced in 2368. [140] |
| Medical Technology |
The optial scanner is used to perform diagnostics on the visual receptors. It can detect phase variances and alterations in the surrounding dekyon field. [208] |
| Medical Technology |
A device used by the Deonbulans in the mid 22nd century which allows high magnification, high resolution imaging. The NX-01 received a neutron microscope from the Denobulans in 2152. [62]
The microscope uses a reflectometer to collimate a stream of neutrons. In setting the device up, a condenser lens is screwed onto the aperture ring and the emitter frequency is then remodulated to initiate the neutron stream. Then the quantum filters must be aligned. Frequency parameters must be entered in advance to get an image. The aperture must also be stabilised to ensure a sharp image. [62]
Using the microscope a strand of protein molecules can be enlarged and enhanced to the point where a single nucleotide can be clearly seen, and even individual carbon atoms. [62] |
| Medical Technology |
Devices which could be attached to a patient to take readings. [330] |
| Medical Technology |
A standard Starfleet medical test which Starfleet officers are required to take before they graduate the Academy. The subject is shown a series of images whilst a pair of devices on their forehead measure their responses. In 2365 Counselor Troi administered a psychotronic stability test to Lieutenant Commander Data after he began to display anomalous behaviour. The test identified two distinct personalities within his brain, his own and the implanted personality of Ira Graves. [21] |
| Medical Technology |
Used for repairing arterial tears and thus preventing excess pressure within the brain. Doctor McCoy considered this to be a vastly more humane method than the 20th century method of drilling a hole in the skull to evacuate the excess blood. He used one of the devices to heal Checkov after he sustained arterial damage in a fall aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in1986. [331] |
| Medical Technology |
This device is used for scans of the body. [332] |
| Medical Technology |
Device used to induce brainwave patterns. It was used on Commander Riker when he was infected by an alien plant in 2365. [332] |
| Medical Technology |
This alien device was encountered by the NX-01 in 2152. It was capable of repairing major wounds such as through-and-through impalement. The device was used to repair Lieutenant Reed's leg wound. [312] |
| Medical Technology |
A medical eye scanner used by Earth Starfleet in 2153. [209] |
| Medical Technology |
A form of scalpel used in surgery aboard the Enterprise-D. An exoscalpel was used in the surgery to replace Lieutenant Worf's spine in 2368. [140] |
| Medical Technology |
A device for taking a blood sample from a patient. Non-invasive and can be used through clothing. [333] |
| Medical Technology |
A device for anaesthetising patients prior to surgery. [72] |
| Medical Technology |
A scanning device used to image the brain and check for injuries. [14] |
| Medical Technology |
Created by Elder Gamal in 2258 for use on his son. The intent was to disrupt his brain's electrical activity and make him incompatible with the machine that kept the floating islands working on Majalis. Gamal never got to chance to use the device. [334] |
| Medical tricorder [74] |
A type of tricorder which is optimised for use by medical personnel. [74] |
| Metaphasic shield [328] |
Shield capable of protecting a vessel from the intense radiation and high temperature inside the corona of a star. [328] |
| Metrion particles [335] |
Particle which could excite dark matter. [335] |
| Micro caliper [143] |
Tool which the Entharans use to remove the casing from weapons. [143] |
| Micro-singularities [336] |
Microscopic black holes which the Vulcans believed existed as of 2152. Others were not so convinced. [336] |
| Micro-spanner [55] |
Tool used on the NX class starships to align relays. [55] |
| Microcellular scan [337] |
A type of scan used on board the NX-01 Enterprise in 2152. Using this technology it was possible to determine the age of a Human at the time of death. [337] |
| Microfusion reactor [98] |
System used in the deflector system of the Cardassian stations Terok Nor and Empok Nor. [98] |
| Mind Probe |
The mind probe allows the operator to view the thoughts of the patient. [338] |
| Mirazine [155] |
A drug used in the mid 22nd century, Mirazine could greatly reduce the time required for decompression when moving to a low pressure environmeny. A 40 milligram dose of Mirazine could cut a six hour decompression time by half. [155] |
| Mobile emitter [81] |
A device created in the 29th century which allows holographic persons to operate outside of a purpose equipped location. [81] |
| Mono-filament stimulator, [143] |
Device which, when fitted to an electro-dynamic probe, allows it to be used to manipulate neuro transmitter levels. [143] |
| Nanites [184] |
Federation term for machines small enough to enter a Humanoid body and conduct repairs to individual cells. Nanites have developed intelligence on at least one occasion. [184] |
| Nanoprobes [148] |
Machines approximately the size of a single cell which the Borg inject into a person to begin the assimilation process. Nanoprobes are essentially a form of nanite. [148] |
| Navigational deflector [65] |
Large component of a Federation starship which uses force fields and tractor beams to push objects out of the way of the ship as it travels through space. The deflector usually includes a large dish or array on the surface of the ship. [65] |
| Navigational Deflectors [339] |
While by most standards space qualifies as 'empty', in fact there is a significant amount of material of one sort or another within the interplanetary and interstellar medium. Most of this material is of atomic size, but a small fraction is comprised of micrometeorites and other such debris. All of this represents a potential danger to the unprotected vessel travelling at high relativistic or any warp speed; the kinetic energy of even a one gram object at 0.25 c is in excess of 2.8 TeraJoules, sufficient to vaporize over a cubic metre of tritanium.
The navigational deflector is designed to protect a ship from this hazard. An offshoot of tractor beam technology, the navigational deflector uses graviton polarity source generator to feed a subspace field distortion amplifier in order to project a 'force beam' ahead of the ship. This is sufficient to deflect most material out of the path of the vessel well before impact would occur.
The navigation deflector is usually one of the largest components of a vessel, most especially so as it is usually combined with a large sensor cluster. On Federation starships the deflector is usually a large flat or concave area located to give it a clear line of sight ahead of the vessel - usually at the front of the engineering section. The deflectors are typically steerable to some 7o from the normal line of sight.
Subspace field coils are used to split the deflector output into two components. First, a series of five nested parabolic shields extend nearly 2 km ahead of the ship. Very low power, these shields are sufficient to deflect stray hydrogen atoms of the interstellar medium as well as any sub-micron particles than may have escaped the deflector beam. While the vessel is at warp speed any particles hitting these fields will travel rapidly across the surface of the shields, passing through the ships warp field. This causes them to fluoresce, creating a 'rainbow streak' effect as they pass the ship. These streaks are bright enough that the uninformed often mistake them for passing stars!
The navigation shields also posses another intriguing property; they are immune to attack from laser weaponry. This is due to the trans-static flux effect which occurs as a by-product of the deflection process; when laser light impinges on a deflector field, the effect creates a small portal into subspace, causing the laser beam to pass harmlessly into this domain. As the beam is not subspace encased, it will re-emerge into normal space within a few milliseconds, putting it several hundred light seconds away. Since the beam never actually impacts on either the deflector shield or hull the power of the attack is irrelevant to the effect. This process is not regarded as a serious defensive measure, since laser weapons are considered obsolete by most major powers.
The second part of the navigational deflector system is a powerful tractor / deflector beam that sweeps thousands of kilometres ahead of the ship. This pushes aside larger objects that may present a collision hazard. |
| Neodynium power cell [135] |
Device used to power a Cardassian phase coil inverter. In 2373 they were hard to come by, at least on Deep Space Nine. [135] |
| Neuroelectric Isopulse [340] |
A type of energy-shock which can be used to re-start the brain of a person hours after it has become inactive. In concert with Borg nanoprobes, an isopulse can be used to re-animate a person well after Federation medicine would have regarded them as being deceased. The Borg assimilated the isopulse technology from Species 149; Seven of Nine adapted the technique to revive Neelix after he was killed on an away mission in 2374. [340] |
| Neurolytic restraint [341] |
Device used by the Orion slavers in the 2150s. It could induce convulsive seisures on command to disable prisoners. [341] |
| Neutron microscope [62] |
Instrument which the NX-01 Enterprise obtained in 2152 whilst visiting a medical conference on Dekendi III. [62] |
| Neutron Stars [184] |
All stars are composed of a colossal mass of gas which is engaged in a delicate balancing act. On the one hand gravitational forces are constantly attempting to cause the star to collapse; however, as they do the atoms in their core are crushed together under intense pressure and temperature. This causes them to fuse together, releasing a great deal of energy. This energy inflates the star, balancing out the gravity. This stage of a star's life can last for many billions of years.
As a star nears the end of its life it begins to run out of fuel. It can no longer release energy via fusion, and the gravitational forces finally win out and cause the star to collapse. The result is a supernova, a blast which ranks as one of the most powerful natural explosions known to Federation science. The outer layers of the star are blown away in the blast, but the core is compressed so powerfully that all of the atoms collapse in on themselves; the negative electrons are crushed into the positive centre of the atoms which they normally orbit. In a sense, the entire core of the star becomes a single neutral particle - a neutron star.
After they are formed neutron stars tend to spin very rapidly, emitting intense beams of energy from their poles. These sweep the sky like the beam of a lighthouse, and many pulsars can be detected as stars which flash brightly - pulsars. As the stars lose energy their rotation slows and eventually stops altogether, leaving a normal neutron star.
Neutron stars are somewhat common, but pulsars are rather rarer since they do not last very long. The Federation has considerable experience in observing both neutron stars and pulsars; in 2366 the Enterprise-D spent some time at a pulsar when an alien life form abducted Captain Picard from the ship and imitated him to take his place. The aliens were investigating the concept of authority, and to that end the duplicate Picard ordered the crew to approach to within a dangerous distance of the pulsar. The crew declined and the impostor was unmasked. [342] Later in the same year the Enterprise-D assisted Dr. Paul Stubbs in his mission to investigate Kavis Alpha. This system consists of a star in orbit around a pulsar. Every 196 years the pulsar approaches close enough to pull stellar material from the surface of the star and onto itself, causing a huge explosion and expelling neutronium at relativistic speeds. [184]
In 2368 the Enterprise-D was tracking a fragment of a pulsar which was due to pass near to Moab IV. When a colony was discovered on the planet the Starship was able to use a modified tractor beam to alter the fragment's trajectory so as to reduce it's impact on the planet. [343]
In 2369 The Enterprise-D investigated another system similar to Kavis Alpha; the USS Yosemite had been investigating the system and had become trapped in a streamer of plasma which was passing between the star and the neutron star. The Yosemite had been crippled in an accident, but the Enterprise was able to rescue some crewmembers. [270]
Other ships have also encountered pulsars. In 2374 Voyager's captain piloted the ship directly between two pulsars which were in orbit of one another, a highly dangerous manoeuvre which she used to force alien ships attached to Voyager's hull to withdraw. [102] |
| Neutronic coupler [98] |
Tool in use on Deep Space Nine during 2373. [98] |
| Neutronic power source [104] |
Power source in use by the Xindi when they travelled back in time to Earth in 2004. [104] |
| Neutronic Wavefront [344] |
Phenomena produced when two neutron stars collide. The wave expands through space at relativistic speed, emitting radiation which prevents the use of warp drive and presenting considerable danger to spacecraft unable to escpae it. [344] |
| Null Space [345] |
A phonomenon which can occasionally be caused by unstable gravitational and magnetic fields during the formation of a star. A pocket of null space will absorb any electromagnetic energy which falls upon it, rendering its contents invisible to outside detection. The idea was long thought to be purely theoretical, but in 2368 a J'naii shuttlecraft was lost in a pocket of null space. The craft's crew was recovered by the Enteprise-D. [345] Null space also forms the basis for the catapult system built by Tash in the Delta Quadrant in his efforts to return home. [346] |
| Null Space Catapult [346] |
In 2376 Voyager encountered an alien named Tash who had constructed what he termed a "null space catapult". Like Voyager, Tash had become lost far from home. In his case he had been exploring an unstable wormhole when it threw his ship across thousands of light years, leaving him with a journey of ten years to get home. Rather than engage in such a voyage Tash built the catapult.
The device consisted of a large framework on which were mounted eight graviton projectors powered by a tetrion reactor. A ship would station itself close to the catapult and allow itself to be encased in graviton surge, which would then catapult it into null space. Mr Tash said that the ship should emerge a few hours later hundreds or even thousands of light years away. When Voyager arrived he was having some difficulty with the catapult - a test conducted earlier had been partially successful, throwing a probe some six hundred light years away. Unfortunately, the catapults core had been destabilized in the test and Tash had been unable to fix it. Voyagers captain offered to help by using well timed graviton bursts from the ships main deflector to correct the problem. In return, Tash offered to allow Voyager to use the catapult once he was gone.
Tash was able to use the catapult shortly afterwards, achieving results well beyond his expectations; his ship was thrown five thousand light years closer to home. He had to adjust his shield system in mid flight as the stresses involved in using the catapult almost tore off the outer layer of his ships hull, but he was able to transmit the modifications to Voyager and the ship used the catapult itself safely. Voyager was thrown across thirty sectors of space, coming three thousand light years closer to home in less than one hour.
Voyager has only encountered one other species which uses tetrion technology, the Ocampan's Caretaker which kidnapped the ship in the first place. The rarity of the technology indicates that it is unlikely that Voyager will be able to construct another catapult in the near future, if at all. [346] |
| ODN [347] |
Optical Data Network, a highly interconnected network of fibre optics which connects together the computer systems on board a starship. [347] |
| Omega molecule [121] |
A molecule which the Borg believed to be the ultimate power source. The catastrophic decay of even a single omega molecule can destroy subspace over a wide area. Fearing the danger that such a capability represents, Federation policy is to destroy any Omega molecules on discovery - an order which overrides even the Prime Directive. [121] |
| Omicron radiation [303] |
Form of radiation damaging to Humans unless proper medical precautions are taken. [303] Omicron particles are damaging to Borg nanoprobes. [252] |
| Orbital Lamp [348] |
An orbital lamp launched by the USS Enterprise into orbit of Denevan. The bright ultraviolet light produced was able to kill the Neural Parasites that had infested the planet. [348] |
| Orbital Tether [279] |
The orbital tether is a surface to orbit transportation system designed to lift loads clear of a planetary atmosphere. Tethers are often a few hundred kilometres long, reaching low orbit.
The Talaxians used orbital tethers on their home world, and Neelix worked on one for two years before leaving the planet. His skills came in useful when one of Voyager's shuttles crashed on a Nezu colony world; the planet was equipped with orbital tethers, and Neelix was able to get one of them working sufficiently to get the shuttle's crew back into orbit.
It has been suggested that a tether could stretch all the way up past geostationary orbit, which would have certain advantages. A short tether such as those on the Nezu colony can lift a mass to orbital height, but it lacks the velocity to maintain an orbit and so must use some form of engine to enter orbit or escape the planet. At the height of synchronous orbit, a mass could simply move away from the tether into orbit. At higher heights the mass would actually be thrown into space, gaining kinetic energy directly from the planets rotation. [279] |
| Osmium alloy [229] |
Material which lined the inspection catwalks of an NX class starship's nacelles. The material had an absorption depth of at least 20,000 particles per micron. [229] |
| Osmotic filters [73] |
Part of the life support system of an NX class starship. [73] |
| Osteogenic Stimulator [349] |
A medical device used in the 24th century by Starfleet on ships and space stations, the osteogenic stimulator was used in the repair of fractured or broken bones.
In 2371, Doctor Bashir's used an osteogenic stimulator to treat a fracture as part of the telepathic illusion he was immersed in. [349]
In 2372, Voyager's EMH ordered Kes to set a crewmember's broken arm with an osteogenic stimulator. [350]
|
| PADD [74] |
Personal Access and Display Device, a hand held computer used by many Star trek species. PADDs usually consist of a flat panel with a touch sensitive screen and a small number of buttons. [74] |
| Parallel Dimensions [351] |
One of the great issues with temporal mechanics is that of paradoxes. By far the most famous of these is the so called "grandfather paradox". This occurs when a time traveller kills their own grandfather, therefore preventing the birth of one of their parents and ultimately of themselves. Since the time traveller was never born, then they cannot have travelled back in time to kill their grandfather. Yet if their grandfather is not killed, then the time traveller is indeed born and can then perform the murder successfully. And so on.
The theory of parallel dimensions originated in the 20th century as a way to explain such paradoxes. Briefly, the theory proposed that each time an event occurred a number of new universes was created in which every possible consequence of the decision was played out. So when the time traveller kills their grandfather it does not in fact erase themselves from history, because two universes are created - the original one in which the grandfather lives and a new one in which he does not. Since the time traveller originated in the first universe, then he can continue to play out the consequences of his or her actions in the second.
Since there are a near-infinite number of possible actions and consequences then the number of parallel universes is also near-infinite. Many would be only marginally different from our own - universes in which a single relatively unimportant action occurred in a slightly different manner and had little or no overall effect. Others would be radically different. [352]
For centuries this theory remained just that, but in 2267 Captain Kirk provided proof of the actual existence of parallel universes. The Enterprise encountered Lazarus, a man who had become obsessed with finding and killing his counterpart from a parallel universe composed of antimatter. He was ultimately unsuccessful, but both he and his counterpart became stranded forever in an interface between the two dimensions. [351]
Later in the same year came a much more wide-ranging contact between parallel universes. Whilst beaming up from the Halkan home world during an Ion storm, Kirk and several of his officers were swapped with their counterparts from an alternate dimension. Kirk found himself on an Enterprise which was a ship of the Terran Empire, a disturbing mirror image of the Federation. The Empire was a violent and expansionist power dedicated to the enslavement of other life forms. In this dimension Humans had no general philosophy of self-improvement, kindness or compassion. Rather Humanity became dedicated to greed, violence and the survival of the fittest - or rather, of the most ruthless. On board the Enterprise discipline was enforced by 'agonizers', pain-giving devices that each person was forced to wear. Career advancement through the assassination of superiors was commonplace, and all senior officers walking the ship would be accompanied by a bodyguard detachment.
Whereas Kirk had been trying to obtain dilithium from the Halkans by peaceful negotiation, in the Mirror universe the Terran Empire was determined to obliterate the entire species and take the crystals afterwards. Kirk managed to put off the slaughter whilst he was there, and ultimately convinced the mirror Spock to attempt to save them permanently. [15]
In later eras further crossovers have occurred, both into the same Mirror universe Kirk visited and others. The crew of Deep Space Nine have had several encounters with the Mirror universe, finding that the Terran Empire had collapsed and been taken over by a Cardassian/Klingon alliance. [353] A handful of Terrans have been fighting back against the alliance with the assistance of the Federation crew. [354]
In 2370 Lieutenant Worf of the Enterprise-D passed through an anomaly which caused him to begin jumping between parallel dimensions. When the Enterprise attempted to investigate the phenomenon, an attack on the ship caused an accidental rupture in the quantum barrier which keeps the universes separate. As a result, hundreds of thousands of different versions of the Enterprise were brought together into a single universe. Fortunately the barrier was repaired and everything returned to normal. [124] |
| Parallel universe [124] |
A universe co-existing alongside out own in another dimension. In theory there are an almost infinite number of parallel universes in which every possible consequence of every possible action is played out. [124] |
| Parametric Scanner [309] |
Type of scanner which can determine physical dimensions to a high degree of accuracy. It is used for aligning phase coils. In 2152 Trip used a parametric scanner to measure Captain Archer so as to facilitate building a custom Captain's chair. [309] |
| Parthogenic Atmosphere [355] |
A type of atmosphere which is capable of distorting sensor readings. It is very difficult to detect a ship in orbit of a planet with a parthogenic atmosphere. [355] |
| Particle Fountain [86] |
An experimental project being studied by the Federation in 2369, the Fountain was a new method of mining a planet by using a beam to draw material from the surface up to a station in orbit above. Dr. Farallon hoped that the fountain technology would revolutionize mining throughout the Federation. [86]
The prototype station was expected to be able to lift 500 kilos of material per minute. As of Stardate 46307.2 actual performance was far below this, and Dr. Farallon was rather sensitive about the possibility of the project being cancelled. One drawback of the technology was that it took months to get the stream up to full strength; she boosted lift capacity by more than 70% by increasing the particle stream density but this risked overloading the field generators. To compensate she distributed the overload throughout the station's systems. [86]
In 2369 Starfleet asked the Enterprise-D to carry out a feasibility study of the project, hoping to be able to employ it on Carema III. Dr. Farallon's concerns about her project were heightened by the visit, especially as several problems arose whilst the ship was there. Dr. Farallon demonstrated a new device she was using, the Exocomp, which she hoped would get the project back on track. Unfortunately ethical problems arose concerning the use of the Exocomps. [86]
Unfortunately the project suffered a serious accident shortly afterwards; a power drain into the main particle impeller caused the internal confinement fields to be lost, flooding the station with radiation. The exocomps distorted the particle stream frequency to reduce the radiation levels enough to allow the Enterprise to beam some trapped crewmen back. Unfortunately one of the exocomps was lost in the process of saving the others. [86]
The failure made it clear that the particle fountain technology was not yet ready for full scale use. Dr. Farallon agreed that more development was needed, but was confident that the fountain would ultimately be successful. [86] |
| Particle synthesis [356] |
An advanced alien technology which is similar but superior to Federation holodeck technology. [356] |
| Particles |
Anyons are particles which can be used to counter Chronitons. In 2368 Lieutenant Commander Data used an Anyon emitter to clear the ship of Chroniton particles generated by Geordi La Forge and Ensign Ro Laren, who were on board the ship in a phased state. [61] |
| Particles |
Class of the heaviest particles. Include neutrons, protons and the heavier, unstable hyperons: the lambda, sigma, xi, and omega particles. The antiparticles of this class are termed antibaryons. Baryons consist of three quarks and interact through the strong force, which holds atomic nuclei together. The law of conservation of baryons states that for any interaction of elementary particles, the sum of baryon numbers remains unchanged. [357] Federation starships must periodically undergo "Baryon Sweeps" at facilities such as the Remmler Array to clear them of contamination. [92] |
| Particles |
Particles associated with phasing / temporal technology. In 2368 Chroniton particles caused members of the Enterprise-D crew to become phased during a mission to assist a damaged Romulan vessel. The two were able to produce a massive surge of Chronitons by overloading a phased Romulan disruptor pistol in ten forward, prompting Lieutenant Commander Data to flood the space with Anyons and render them partially visible again. [61] In 2371 Chroniton particles caused a transporter accident which threw Captain Sisko, Doctor Bashir and Lieutenant Commander Dax to be thrown back in time to the 21st century. [1] Shortly afterwards Chroniton particles caused Chief O'Brien of Deep Space Nine to make several short jumps into the future. [210] |
| Particles |
A class of particles which travel at below light speed. USS Voyager used a Dekyon beam to open a fissure in the event horizon of a class 3 singularity [117]; in 2369 the Enterprise-D crew detected changes in the Dekyon field which proved that they were trapped in a temporal loop. [208] |
| Particles |
The particle responsible for the gravitational force which exists between all masses in our universe. Gravitons can be artificially generated by Federation starships, and have various uses. The Enterprise-D used gravitons in an attempt to communicate with the crystalline entity, for example. [115] Heavy gravitons can be highly destructive and this form of weapon was considered for use against the Borg by the Enterprise crew, although it was decided that the weapon would probably be insufficient. [65] In 2368 graviton waves destroyed the USS Vico, and nearly destroyed the USS Enterprise, when they interacted with the power of the ships shields. [116] Tractor beam systems create a graviton field during normal operation [64] - The USS Defiant's tractor beam emitter had a phase-conjugate graviton emitter built into it. [313] An inverse graviton field could disrupt the warp field of a ship, preventing it from using warp drive until the field had dispersed. [358] Sabotage to the graviton emitters on Deep Space Nine in 2373 caused them to strengthen rather than collapse the Bajoran wormhole. [242] Graviton emitters could be used to affect games of chance such as Dabo. [206]
Antigravitons are produced by certain alien technologies, and can be used to interfere with transporter beams. [47] |
| Particles |
Ionogenic particles can be used to contain certain forms of energy; in 2368 Geordi La Forge used Ionogenic particles in an attempt to trap the "souls" of alien criminals who had possessed members of the crew in an attempt to escape from a prison moon. [7] |
| Particles |
A particle which Lieutenant Commander La Forge used in 2370 to reset Data's ethical subroutine after it had been disabled by Lore, causing the android to engage in sadistic behaviour. [191] |
| Particles |
A class of particles that do not interact by the strong nuclear force. They are electrically neutral or have unit charge, and are fermions. Leptons appear not to have any internal structure. The electron, the muon, the tau, and the three kinds of neutrino are all Leptons. Although all leptons are relatively light, they are not alike. The electron, for example, carries a negative charge, and is stable, meaning it does not decay into other elementary particles; the muon also has a negative charge, but has a mass about 200 times greater than that of an electron and decays into smaller particles. Leptons interact with other particles through the weak force (the force that governs radioactive decay), the electromagnetic force, and the gravitational force. [359] Wormholes can emit Leptons prior to opening or changing position. [284] |
| Particles |
Historically, the magneton is a unit used to measure of the magnetic dipole moment of a particle. In modern physics the term refers to a specific particle which can be used by sensor systems. [360] A magneton pulse consists of a burst of polarised magnetic energy which is often emitted by a damaged warp core. [361] A magneton pulse was also part of the method used by Dr. Khan's team to create an artificial wormhole, [362] and was sometimes used by the Jam'hadar to cover the Ion trail left by their engines. [306] |
| Particles |
Any of a class of particles believed to participate in the forces that hold nucleons together in the atomic nucleus. [363] Starfleet power reactors are unique in that they create warp eddies with a meson particle emission pattern. [226] |
| Particles |
Particle which allows the "Metreon Cascade" to function. This weapon was used to end a war by destroying a Talaxian lunar colony; the Cascade resulted in enormous levels of metreon radiation on the moon. Exposure to such high levels of can cause Metremea, a fatal blood disease. In 2371 Dr Jetrel, creator of the Metreon Cascade, died of Metremea which he contracted after working on the sites of the Cascade detonations. [364] |
| Particles |
An unstable particle similar to an electron, but with a much greater mass. Muons are part of the Lepton family. [365] A build up of Muons in a Federation warp core can result in a massive explosion if the ship enters warp. This is especially dangerous as the build up is very difficult to detect. [61] |
| Particles |
A particle associated with phaser weapons. In 2371 Captain Janeway used her phaser to close a temporal rift by creating nadion particle feedback within it. [366] Voyager later used a Nadion burst to damage the lifeform inhabiting the Demon class planet the Starship had landed on, forcing it to halt its attack on the ship. [151] |
| Particles |
A particle which has no charge and very small mass. Neutrinos are famous for their ability to pass through large amounts of matter. [367] Despite this, by the 24th century neutrino detectors have become very compact and efficient, allowing these particles to be used in distress beacons. [301] Neutrinos are associated with the opening and closing of the Bajoran wormhole. [48] In 2365 the Enterprise was able to use a neutrino beam to destroy a colony of bacteria which were eating its hull. [368] Neutrinos have a spin of 1/2 [367] - in 2370 Jadzia Dax found that the laws of probability on Deep Space Nine were being distorted, affecting the spin of the neutrinos in the station. [369]
The antineutrino is the antimatter equivalent of the neutrino. These can be highly harmful to Federation warp cores - in 2371 a Sikarian space folding mechanism released antineutrino particles when B'Elanna Torres attempted to use it, threatening the safety of the ship. [370] |
| Particles |
Neutrons are one of the particles which make up atomic nuclei. They have a mass of approximately 1 u, and zero charge. Neutrons not contained within a nucleus are unstable, decaying with a half life of approximately 17 minutes. Isotopes differ from the standard form of an element by having more or less neutrons in their nucleus, altering the mass of the atom but leaving its chemical properties unchanged. [371] In the late 2200's the Klingons produced a prototype Bird of Prey which could fire whilst cloaked; the vessel produced large amounts of neutron radiation, but this was insufficient to render the vessel detectable at anything other than extreme close range. [159]
Antineutrons have the same mass, spin, and rate of decay as the normal particle. They are sometimes produced in the collisions of antiprotons with protons, and they possess a magnetic moment equal and opposite to that of the neutron. [371] Certain configurations of gravity fields allow antineutrons to pass through whilst stopping antigravitons. [331] |
| Particles |
Nucleonic particles are associated with certain forms of communications technology. In 2368 a Kataran probe used a nucleonic beam to penetrate the shields of the Enterprise-D, implanting artificial memories within Captain Picard. [201] In 2371 Voyager detected damage to a Kazon vessel due to nucleonic particle fluctuations. The vessel was eventually discovered to have been catastrophically damaged when a makeshift copy of one of Voyagers food replicators exploded. [372] |
| Particles |
A molecule believed by many to have the potential to be the ultimate energy source. Even a single molecule can produce more energy than a Federation warp core, and some scientists believe that Omega molecules may have been the energy source behind the Big Bang which created the universe. Omega molecules are highly unstable and their decay can cause damage to subspace over large areas, rendering the use of warp drive impossible. The Federation regards the use of Omega molecules to be a serious threat to interstellar travel throughout the galaxy, and Starship Captains are authorized to use any and all means to destroy the molecules wherever they are found - an order which supersedes even the prime directive. [121] |
| Particles |
A possible alternative power source for Federation starships, omicron particles where detected in 2371 within a nebula by the crew of Voyager. The particles turned out to be part of the circulatory system of the nebula, which was a living being. [318] Omicron particles are also associated with some forms of holographic technology. The particles are incredibly rare and believed only be created in certain types matter/antimatter reactions. [373] |
| Particles |
A quantum of electromagnetic radiation. The wave and particle behaviour displayed by photons led to the development of quantum theory on Earth. [374] |
| Particles |
Polarons are a particle associated with some forms of scanning and communications systems. They can be used to detect camouflaged vessels, although they are not greatly effective at this [250]The Taresians used a polaron field to protect their home planet from attack. [375] Polaron bursts can damage the power core of some ship designs, such as those used by the Kobali. [376] The Dominion uses phased polaron weapons, as these are very effective at penetrating shield systems. [4] Modern Federation and allied shield systems have been altered so as to resist phased polaron weapons much more effectively. [377] |
| Particles |
The Positron is the antiparticle of the electron, one of the particles which make up atoms. [371] 20th century science fiction writer Issac Asimov used positronic brains in his robot stories; centuries later Dr. Soong made this a reality when he developed Positronic technology for the neural nets of his androids, including Lore and Data. [22] This technology is not yet widespread, but positronic systems can be used to keep the brain of an injured person functioning. [192] Positrons can also be used by scanning systems against objects which are particularly difficult to penetrate with normal scans. [116] |
| Particles |
Along with neutrons, protons make up the nuclei of atoms. [378] Antiprotons have many applications in scanning systems - the Enterprise-D tracked the Crystalline entity by detecting gamma radiation from antiproton decay [115], and detected antiprotons as a residual trace of Romulan disruptor fire in 2369. [163] The Dominion uses antiproton beams to penetrate cloaking devices. [5] In 2267 the Enterprise fought an alien war machine which fired a beam of absolutely pure antiprotons capable of cutting through an entire planet. [59] Antiprotons can also be used in medical applications; Voyager's EMH used antiprotons to cure Paris of genetic mutations which occurred after his Warp 10 flight. [379] |
| Particles |
Class of particles which travel at greater than the speed of light. Active tachyon beams can be used to detect cloaked Romulan vessels. [380] Naturally occurring tachyon eddies are believed to have assisted ancient Bajoran lightsail vessels in crossing interstellar distances. [381] Inverse tachyon beams can have a harmful effect on the space time continuum. [43] |
| Particles |
Terracon particles are used by archaeologists, as their decay profiles can allow the authenticity of ancient artefacts to be determined. [382] |
| Particles |
Particle used in some weapon systems. Captain Jean-Luc Picard was badly wounded by a compressed Teryon beam in 2369, almost killing him. [383] |
| Particles |
Tetryons are elementary particles which can only exist for any length of time in subspace, being unstable in normal space. In 2369 Tetryons were discovered on board the Enterprise-D, helping to prove that an alien race living within a subspace domain was abducting members of the crew. [177] Tetryons can be damaging to equipment, and have been used on occasion to disable energy weapons. [384] A beam of compressed tetryons can also be used as a weapon itself [214], as can tetryon pulse launchers. [28]The Nasari used tetryon weapons when Voyager encountered them in 2373. [375] A Tetryon compositor is part of at least some Romulan cloaking devices, and these particles are sometimes radiated by cloaked Warbirds. [385] Coherent Tetryon beams were used by the Caretaker to scan over galactic distances. [109] Exposure to the warp plasma conduits of a Defiant class Starship leaves a Tetryon particle trace on a person for a short time afterwards. The trace is detectable with a standard tricorder scan. [310] In 2373 Quark obtained a baby Changeling which had been exposed to a massive dose of tetryon radiation; Bashir was able to purge the isotopes using an electrophoretic diffuser. [386] When a phased ionic pulse is used against a craft with a metaphasic shield it creates a tetryon field inside, briefly disrupting the shield. [328] Unusually intense tetryon fields in the region of the Hekaras Corridor posed a severe navigational hazard to warp driven vessels and limited sensor performance. [387] In an alternate timeline, Ensign Kim planned to use tetryon plasma in the warp nacelles of the Yellowstone class runabout. [388] Voyager encountered a huge field of tetryon radiation in 2373, but was able to pass through it using enhanced shields. [389] Voyager itself used tetryon scans on occasion. [390] |
| Particles |
A verteron pulse can disable a starship's engines and other primary systems; repairs can take several days. [387] The Bajoran wormhole was formed by verteron particles [128], and they are associated with natural wormholes also. [146] Bombarding an area with verteron particles can even attract a wormhole entrance and force it to open. [391] Verteron particles can mask a subspace resonance trace from sensors, though this is not very useful since verterons are purely artificial and so the deception would be quickly revealed. [160] In the mid 22nd century Humanity maintained a 'verteron array' on Mars which was used to deflect comets. [392] |
| Particles |
Any of several particles emitted by an active warp drive. Warp particles can leave a detectable signature behind, even enabling specific vessels to be identified. [117] |
| Particles |
Z particles are one of the carriers of the weak nuclear force. [359] They are emitted by vessels, especially those using relatively poor versions of cloaking technology. Z particle emissions were used to determine the location of Ardras vessel in orbit around Ventax III by the crew of the Enterprise-D. [165] |
| Pattern buffer [270] |
An element of the transporter which stores the matter stream whilst the other systems function. The stream will normally start to degrade in under a minute, but can be jury rigged to last for decades if need be. [270] |
| Pattern enhancers [7] |
Devices normally employed in threes to assist a transporter in achieving a lock on a subject under conditions which would normally be too difficult or hazardous for ordinary function. [7] |
| Pattern generator [107] |
An element of Cardassian food replicators. In 2369 Chief O'Brien accidentally activated a sabotage device within the pattern generator of a replicator; the device introduced a virus into all the food and drink it created. [107] |
| Peak transitional threshold [393] |
The power a vessel must produce in order to achieve an integer warp factor. Once the peak transitional threshold has been crossed, the power required to maintain the same velocity falls significantly. [393] |
| Phase coil [309] |
Device which was used aboard the NX class starship. Phase coils had to be aligned very precisely via a parametric scan. [309] |
| Phase coil inverter [135] |
Cardassian device powered by a neodynium power cell. [135] |
| Phase couplers [55] |
Element of the phase cannon used on board NX class starships. [55] |
| Phase decompiler [98] |
Tool in use on Deep Space Nine during 2373. [98] |
| Phase discriminator [75] |
Device which was capable of penetrating Suliban cloaking fields. [75] |
| Phase shift [160] |
Adjusting an object so that it exists in a slightly different timeframe from normal space. This renders the object invisible, and potentially able to pass through normal matter. [160] |
| Phased deflector pulse [394] |
The Xindi used these to open a subspace vortex. [394] |
| Phaser [77] |
Type of particle weapon used by the Federation. Phasers are capable of knocking a person unconscious, heating objects to very high temperatures, vaporizing them, and possibly even of moving objects into a different continuum. [77] |
| Phaser emitter [287] |
Element of phaser weapons. In 2375 the USS Musashi traded a phaser emitter with Nog in return for an induction modulator. The emitter was then traded with the USS Sentinel for a graviton stabiliser. [287] |
| Planetary Classes |
A small rocky planetoid with an airless surface - essentially a great rock in space. The class D planetoid Regula was chosen as the site for the second phase of the Genesis project, and the Starfleet corps of engineers spent ten months in space suits tunnelling out a complex under the surface to facilitate the project. The second phase was a success, creating a cavern several miles across in the planetoid.
Class D objects are not habitable by Human life forms without extensive life support facilities. [138] |
| Planetary Classes |
Generally extremely dry, class H planets are marginally habitable. Tau Cygna V is a good example of a habitable class H planet. With an atmosphere capable of supporting Human life, the planet was bathed in levels of hyperonic radiation thought lethal to Human life. Nevertheless, when a colony vessel crash-landed on the planet in the 2270s the colonists were eventually able to adapt to the radiation and survive. Class H planets are also suitable for colonization by the Sheliak. [395] |
| Planetary Classes |
Class J planets are gas giants. Largely composed of Hydrogen and Helium, they have turbulent atmospheres with wind speeds in excess of 10,000 kilometres per hour. Jupiter and Saturn in the Sol system are examples of class J planets. Both planets have extensive collections of moons, while Saturn also has a major ring system comprising many hundreds of individual rings. There are several Starfleet facilities located near the planets, including the Jupiter station and a Starfleet Academy training range. [396] |
| Planetary Classes |
Class K planets have gravity fields which are suitable for Humanoid life, but are otherwise uninhabitable. They are only suitable for habitation with the use of pressurized domes or underground habitats using life support systems. Planet Mudd was class K and at one time sustained a sophisticated civilization. This died out some time ago, leaving advanced robot technology behind which was utilized by Harcourt Fenton Mudd in order to briefly capture the Starship Enterprise. [19] |
| Planetary Classes |
These are small rocky worlds with an oxygen-argon atmosphere. They are sometimes capable of supporting life, but this tends to be limited to plant life only. Class L planets tend to have a high concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. In 2373 a Starfleet runabout containing two personnel from the Deep Space Nine station crash-landed on a class L planet. [150] In 2340 the class L planet Indri VIII was discovered by the Federation. It became the subject of a scientific research project by several governments in 2369 when it became apparent that an ancient species had seeded many planets, including this one, with genetic codes designed to direct evolution on the planet towards a Humanoid form. The codes apparently failed to perform this function on Indri VIII. In order to prevent anybody from recovering samples from the planet, a Klingon vessel destroyed the entire biosphere with a plasma reaction. [168]
Voyager encountered a class L planet in the Delta Quadrant which had a flourishing Human civilization upon it, descended from Humans abducted from Earth in the 20th century. [397] Other class L planets are not so habitable, however - in 2374 the crew of the USS Defiant raced to rescue a Starfleet officer from a class L planet whose atmosphere was so inhospitable that she required regular doses of tri-ox compound. The attempt was unsuccessful. [212] |
| Planetary Classes |
Class M is the Federation designation for planets which have similar environmental conditions to those on Earth. The term comes from the Vulcan designation, Minshara class. In our galaxy only one in every 42,000 planets is M class. [398] They are approximately 12,000 kilometres in diameter and have temperatures which allow liquid water to exist on large parts of the surface. The atmospheres tend to be an oxygen-nitrogen mix, highly supportive of organic life. Starfleet tends to focus much of its effort on class M planets, since these are the ones most commonly inhabited by Humanoid life. |
| Planetary Classes |
Also known as a Demon class planet, these are the most inhospitable worlds known to the Federation. The surface temperatures are at least 500 Klevin, and the atmosphere is highly toxic and corrosive. Worst of all, Demon class planets have very high levels of thermionic radiation which make it dangerous for a vessel even to enter orbit.
Voyager encountered a Demon class planet in 2374 which had extensive deposits of Deuterium on the surface contained within some form of liquid metal. The ship, which was very low on fuel at the time, landed on the planet n order to mine supplies. The crew were surprised to discover that the liquid metal was in fact a life form. [151] |
| Planetary Classes |
A class of gas giants. T class planets can have orbital ring systems, sometimes including radiogenic particles. [399] |
| Planetary Classes |
Typically 1,000 - 10,000 km in diameter, with a partially molten surface and an atmosphere primarily composed of hydrogen compounds. These planets cool to become class C. They are not habitable. Examples include Gothos. [400] |
| Planetary Classes |
Up to 10 billion years old, these planets are 1,000 - 10,000 km in diameter. They are partially molten, with a high surface temperature. They have virtually no atmosphere. Examples include Mercury (Sol I). [400] |
| Planetary Classes |
Aged 2 to 10 billion years, these worlds are 1,000 - 10,000 km in diameter. They have a low surface temperature, with any atmosphere frozen on the surface. They do not harbour life. Examples include Pluto (Sol IX) ans Psi 2000. [400] |
| Planetary Classes |
Aged 0 to 2 billion years, these worlds are 10,000 - 15,000 km in diameter. They have a high surface temperature, with a molten surface and an atmosphere composed of hydrogen compounds and reactive gases. They are rarely inhabited, but at least one such world - Excalbia - has been found to harbour carbon-cycle life forms. [401] |
| Planetary Classes |
Aged 1 to 3 billion years, these worlds are 10,000 - 15,000 km in diameter. They are volcanically active and have an atmosphere composed of hydrogen compounds. They cool to become class G planets. Some class F worlds have evolved silicon based life, such as the Horta which inhabit Janus IV. [401] |
| Planetary Classes |
Gas supergiants, these worlds are 140,000 - 10,000,000 kilometres in diameter. They have no solid surface as such; atmospheric zones vary in composition, temperature and pressure throughout. No known Class I planet is inhabited. Examples include Q'tahL. [402] |
| Planetary Classes |
Aged 3 to 10 billion years and 10,000 to 15,000 km in diameter, these worlds have a high surface temperature due to a runaway greenhouse effect in the atmosphere. Water exists only as a vapour on a Class N world. The atmosphere is extremely dense with very high levels of carbon dioxide and sulfides. No known Class N world has evolved life. Examples include Venus (Sol II). [403] |
| Planetary Classes |
An ultragiant planet, S class worlds are 10 - 50 million kilometres in diameter. They are largely composed of gaseous hydrogen, though the atmosphere varies considerably in composition, pressure and temperature at different levels. They radiate a great deal of heat, though they are not large enough to be classed as stars. [404] |
| Planetary Classes |
Rouge worlds, Class R planets have been thrown from their solar systems and travel through deep space. They are usually 4,000 - 15,000 km in diameter. Their atmospheres are generally composed of volcanic outgassings; volcanic activity can create large zones which are warm enough to be habitable, and non-photosynthetic plants can thrive in these areas along with animal life. Examples include Dakala. [404] |
| Planetary Classes |
Age 2 to 10 billion years, Class Q planets are 4,000 - 15,000 km in diameter. Their surfaces are highly variable as a result of their eccentric orbits or a variable output from their star; surface temperatures range from molten rock to liquid water to solid carbon dioxide in a single year. Atmosphere can range from virtually none to highly dense. Examples include the Genesis planet. [404] |
| Planetary Classes |
Age 3 to 10 billion years, Class P planets are 4,000 - 15,000 km in diameter. Their surfaces are heavily glaciated, with water ice covering 80% or more of the total surface area. The atmosphere is composed of nitrogen and oxygen, with trace elements. Surface life includes hardy plant and animal life and occasionally humanoids. Examples include Exo III. [403] |
| Planetary Classes |
Age 3 to 10 billion years, Class O planets are 10,000 - 15,000 km in diameter. Their surfaces are largely covered in liquid water, with only 20% or less land area. The atmospheres are composed of nitrogen and oxygen with trace elements. Life forms generally include aquatic vegetation and animal life. Examples include Argo. [404] |
| Planetary Classes |
Age 3 to 4 billion years, Class G planets are 10,000 - 15,000 km in diameter. Their surfaces are largely composed of crystalline material, and they have a carbon dioxide atmosphere with some toxic gases mixed in. They cool to become Class K, L, M, N, O, or P worlds. They are generally inhabited only by simple life forms such as single celled organisms. Examples include Delta Vega. [404] |
| Planetary Collision [289] |
Planetary collisions are a very rare event in any solar system. In 2369 the Enterprise-D was able to study an especially rare event - the collision of two large gas giants. These planets were so large that the combination of the two was expected to result in a new star, an event never before witnessed by the Federation.
Unfortunately, the Enterprise experienced considerable technical difficulties in the run-up to the impact due to a malfunctioning holodeck program. This resulted in a temporary loss of control over the ship - for a time it even appeared that the formation of the new star would lead to the destruction of the Enterprise. Thankfully some quick thinking on the part of the Captain and third officer led to a satisfactory resolution, and the ship was able to observe the impact as planned.
The event went according to projections; a new star was indeed formed, providing large amounts of data for Federation astronomers. [289] |
| Plasma [153] |
A gas comprised of charged particles, often at a high temperature. Plasma is used by Federation Starships to transfer energy around the ships via the plasma transfer conduits, and is fired as a weapon by Romulan ships. [153] |
| Plasma coils [16] |
Part of the engineering systems of an NX class starship. Reversing the polarity on the plasma coils would trigger a feedback pulse. [16] |
| Plasma display subsystem [42] |
Element of the engine system of a Defiant class starship. [42] |
| Plasma eddies [229] |
A feature of neutronic wavefronts. Ships had to steer around the eddies, which were very dangerous. [149] |
| Plasma exhaust port [155] |
Element of the warp drive of an NX class starship. The ports could become clogged with EM residue. [155] |
| Plasma Fire [195] |
A form of fire. The Enteprise-D experienced a plasma fire after striking a quantum filament in 2368. Plasma fires can be extinguished if the air around them is evacuated [195]
In 2372 the Defiant suffered a major plasma fire in the engine room after an effort to generate an artificial wormhole failed. [362] |
| Plasma flow [405] |
Powerful eruption of plasma which occurs with great frequency in the Badlands. [405] |
| Plasma injectors [137] |
Element of the warp drive of an NX class starship. The ship had five such injectors; it could travel with four, but not three. [137] |
| Plasma manifold [98] |
Element of Deep Space Nine's systems. Plasma manifolds could not be replicated since they contained a Beta matrix compositor, and the failure of one in 2373 prompted a mission to Empok Nor to slavage a replacement. [98] |
| Plasma modulators [406] |
Element of the phase cannon of an NX class starship. Under certain conditions the plasma modulators could overload, producing a beam ten times more powerful than normal. When this happened plasma recoil would cause significant damage to the ship unless it could be directed into the hull plating. [406] |
| Plasma recoiler [98] |
Element of Deep Space Nine's systems. [98] |
| Plasma relay [176] |
Element of the engines of an NX class starship. Plasma relays could reverse polarity if a ship passed through certain kinds fo anomaly. [176] |
| Plasma residue [407] |
Waste product produced by certain types of warp engines. If the plasma residue is not cleaned out regularly it can build up and clog the warp injectors. [407] |
| Plasma torch [54] |
Tool in use in an alternate timeline version of 2165. The plasma torch was a cutting device able to cut duranium metal. [54] |
| Polaric energy [219] |
Type of energy which was carried by a diamagnetic storm. Polaric energy is extremely dangerous to Humanoids. [219] |
| Polaric field [258] |
Spatial anomaly to be found in the Delphic Expanse. Polaric fields could be as large as 11,000 kilometres in diameter. [258] |
| Polaric power [366] |
A method of power generation regarded as too dangerous to use by the Federation. A polaric power system can undergo a chain reaction which could destroy the entire surface of a planet. [366] |
| Polarity maximiser [98] |
Element of Deep Space Nine's systems. In 2373 bypass displacers were one of the items which Chief O'Brien's team attempted to retrieve from Empok Nor. [98] |
| Positronic brain [93] |
A form of computer system which was developed by Dr. Noonien Soong and is used on his Androids, Data and Lore. [93] |
| Preserver Cannon [408] |
In 2268 the USS Enterprise discovered an asteroid on a collision course a planet inhabited by a primitive Humanoid species. Although it was located half a galaxy away from Earth, on beaming down the landing party found the locals to be a mixture of Navaho, Mohican and Delaware Indians from the planet Earth! They also discovered a strange artefact on the surface, near to one of the tribes. It was constructed of alloys which resisted sensor scans, and was obviously well beyond the technological capabilities of the planet's inhabitants.
Whilst investigating the structure, Captain Kirk was injured in an accident which caused severe amnesia. With time a critical factor in diverting the asteroid, the rest of the landing party departed in the Enterprise to continue with their mission.
Unfortunately the Enterprise was unable to deflect the approaching menace, which was almost as large as Earth's moon and travelling at enormous velocity. The ship was crippled in the attempt, and limped back to the planet on impulse drive only hours ahead of the danger.
It took nearly sixty days for the ship to arrive back at the planet. During this time Captain Kirk largely integrated himself into the local Indian culture. They had legends which indicated that their people had been transplanted to the planet by an ancient species; the legend claimed that if danger ever threatened from the skies, a God would come forth who would be able to use the artefact to save them. They chose to believe that Kirk was this deity, a role he accepted due to his continuing amnesia. [408]
As the asteroid approached Kirk tried to use his Godhood to activate the artefact, but was unable to do so. Fortunately when the Enterprise officers beamed down shortly before the impact, Commander Spock was able to translate some of the symbols found on its exterior surface. Using these he gained access to the device and activated it. The artefact emitted a beam of tremendous power, knocking the asteroid safely away from the planet.
The power of this cannon can hardly be overestimated. An asteroid of this size masses in excess of 1022 kg, and this one was travelling at a significant fraction of light speed. The kinetic energy of such a body approaches 1039 Joules, tens of millions of times the energy required to completely destroy a class M planet. Yet the cannon, which apparently worked on some form of deflector principle, was able to effect a radical change in the course of this body in a matter of seconds.
Many questions remain regarding this device, the mysterious "Preserver" species which apparently constructed it, and even the asteroid which it deflected. It is difficult to imagine how a body the size of a large moon could have been accelerated to such enormous velocity in the first place; virtually no known natural phenomena are so energetic. It is conceivable that a Praxis-style dilithium explosion could do it, but such are extremely rare.
The power system of the deflector cannon is a mystery which has resisted all investigation. It is unlikely to be a matter/antimatter reactor, unless a significant fraction of the entire mass of the planet is used as fuel! Zero point energy is a possibility, but the power source could equally be some far more exotic technology.
The Preservers themselves remain largely a mystery, although they were apparently active until perhaps as later as the 1800s on the Earth calendar. Their actions appear to be one of the reasons that there are so many Humanoid species throughout the galaxy, yet frustratingly little has been discovered of them. Some suggest that the Preservers were engaged in a 'proxy war' with another advanced species, each side mounting attacks such as massive asteroidal impacts to destroy the species planted by the other in an attempt to ensure that their own kind of life would become dominant in the long run. Such theories can only be speculation, although they would explain how such a unique asteroid as this one came to exist. [408] |
| Probes [409] |
Any of various devices fitted with sensor and propulsion systems which allow them to be deployed from a Starship in order to gather information. Most Federation probes are fired from a standard photon torpedo tube, and many are externally almost identical to a photon torpedo. [409] Whilst many Federation probes are short range sublight devices, some are capable of warp speed travel. The Class 8 probe is capable of sustained travel at high warp speeds. [410] On occasion highly specialised probes are employed for significant events, such as the one created by Dr Stubbs to study a stellar explosion in 2366. [184] |
| Protomatter [138] |
A highly unstable form of matter, the use of protomatter had been declared unethical by the scientific community as of 2285. Despite this, David Marcus included protomatter in the matrix of the Genesis Device as it was the only way to solve certain problems. It was this which made the Genesis Planet unstable and led to it's destruction. [138] By the 24th century the use of protomatter was somewhat more accepted - Professor Gideon Seyetik used some in his successful attempt to re-ignite the dead star Epsilon 119 in 2370. [260] In the same year the Maquis used a protomatter implosion device to overload the fusion drive of the Cardassian warship Bok'Nor, destroying the ship. [89] In 2373, a Founder infiltrator used a device composed of protomatter, trilithium and tekasite in an effort to destroy the Bajoran sun, intending the shockwave to destroy a large fleet of Federation, Klingon and Romulan ships at Deep Space Nine. [242] In 2374 the Starship Voyager encountered a nebula that contained high concentrations of protomatter. Neelix was killed during an attempt to beam a quantity of the material into a container which he was holding. Fortunately Borg technology was able to revive him. [340] |
| Protoplaser [323] |
A medical device in use with Starfleet in the early 2160s. A protoplaser could be used to stop internal bleeding. One was aboard the USS Franklin when it was lost during this time period. After the ship's discovery in 2266, Doctor McCoy would successfully use it to treat Spock. [411] T'Prynn kept a protoplaser in her office, which she used to heal small cuts in her hand in 2265. [412]
Protoplasers were still in use in the 2360s; in a delusion experienced by Will Riker on Tilonus IV, Doctor Crusher requested an anabolic protoplaser be used to treat a crewmember who had been injured when a plasma torch exploded. [323] |
| Protouniverse [231] |
During a mission to the Gamma Quadrant in 2370, a small unidentified object was discovered to have embedded itsself in the starboard nacelle of the Danube class runabout, after an impact a subspace interphase pocket. Dax and Arjin, a trill initiate, recovered the object and brought it back to deep space nine for further study. [231]
It was placed in the science laboratory of Deep Space Nine. Overnight, it expanded significantly breaching its containment field. It was later discovered that condition within the object did not conform to the physical laws of our universe. It was identified as a protouniverse. Further investigation reviled that it also showed signs of live. [231]
As it continued to expand it was starting to be a threat to the integrity of the station and if left unchecked the whole Bajoran system. Consequently, it was decided to attempt to return it to the Gamma quadrant where it originated. [231]
As Dax and Arjin started the journey back through the wormhole they discovered it was dangerously destabilised each time it interacted with a Verteron Node. The continued growth of the protouniverse also threatened to destroy the ship and release the universe within the wormhole, potentially destroying both in the process. Careful piloting by Arjin, who was a level five pilot, allowed the transit of the wormhole to be completed by avoiding the nodes. The universe was released to follow its natural progression. [231] |
| Psionic Resonator [382] |
This ancient Vulcan device was developed before the teachings of Surak became widespread on Vulcan. It was built as a weapon; when used it would amplify any violent emotions many fold and then turn them back upon the person experiencing them.
Unfortunately, the weapon had one great weakness; if the target was able to empty their mind of violent thoughts, the resonator had nothing to amplify and so was unable to operate. Since the teachings of Surak were aimed at precisely this kind of emotional control the psionic resonator was useless against his followers, which may explain in part why his teachings were so successful in spreading through the Vulcan people.
When the remaining violent factions left Vulcan the resonator was largely forgotten, and over what became known as "the Stone of Gol" was known only as a myth. In 2370 a group of mercenaries working for the Romulan Tal'shiar attempted to find and reunite the three pieces of the resonator. Captain Picard managed to infiltrate the crew and located all three pieces. The Romulan operative on board the ship attempted to steal the resonator, but Picard was able to use the Vulcan pictograms on the device to work out how to withstand an attack.
The Vulcans took custody of the resonator and have placed the three pieces into storage at separate secure locations. [382] |
| Q Continuum [93] |
The home of the Q entities. The continuum is apparently some kind of parallel dimension, possibly even one the Q have artificially created. [93] |
| Quad [413] |
Unit of measurement of computer memory in the Federation. Quad is often used with multipliers such as kiloquad, megaquad, gigaquad and teraquad. There is no known conversion between quads and present day units, although some fans speculate that quad may be shorthand for "one quadrillion bytes". [413] |
| Quadratanium [22] |
Quadratanium was a material available within the Federation in the 24th century. It was used in the construction of Soong type androids. Finely ground quadratanium was to be found on Galaxy class Starships in 2364; Data compared Lore's interest in the material with a Human being interested in an antiseptic or ointment. [414] |
| Quantum beacons [75] |
Devices manufactured by the NX-01 Enterprise in 2152 according to specifications provided by Daniels. The quantum beacons were positron based and had an output of 200 gigawatts each. [75] |
| Quantum dating [415] |
A method of dating materials. Quantum dating did not date the age of the material, but rather the specific time when it was created. It therefore generated negative dates for any object which had travelled back in time to a point before it was originally made. The procedure was quick and simple to do with even a hand held scanner as used by Earth Starfleet in 2153. [415] |
| Quantum inverters [303] |
Element of the warp drive of a Vissian ship in the mid 22nd century. By rotating the quantum inverters the antimatter flux was tripled. [303] |
| Quantum resonance oscillator [416] |
Element of the transporter modules of an Intrepid class Starship. [416] |
| Quantum singularity [61] |
Another term for a black hole. Romulan Warbirds employ an artificial quantum singularity as their power source. [61] |
| Quantum Slipstream Drive [356] |
In mid 2374 Voyager received an encoded message from Starfleet via an alien communications system. The crew were unable to decode the message, and so it was eventually filed and more or less forgotten about.
At the end of the year Voyager encountered Arturis, an alien with an exceptional gift for languages who decoded the message for Janeway. The crew was directed to a set of co-ordinates, at which they discovered a Starfleet vessel named the USS Dauntless, NX 01-A. The message told them that the Dauntless had been launched on Stardate 51472, covering the 60,000 light year distance to Voyager in less than three months - an average speed of 240,000 times that of light. The ship was unmanned, and more than large enough to accommodate Voyagers entire crew.
On boarding the ship Voyagers crew found that it was powered by a "quantum slipstream drive" rather than a matter / antimatter reactor. The drive core was much more compact than a typical Starship's power core. It directed energy into both the two nacelles and the main deflector dish, with the latter system creating the slipstreaming effect. The slipstream is somewhat similar to the transwarp drive conduits used by the Borg, but can be generated by any Starfleet vessel with the appropriate modifications to its navigational deflector. Unfortunately, the quantum stresses on the hull are such that a normal vessel such as Voyager cannot survive in a slipstream for more than an hour or so.
It transpired that the Dauntless itself was actually a fake created by Arturis. His species had been assimilated by the Borg shortly after Janeway ended their war with Species 8472 and he blamed her and her crew for assisting the Borg during that conflict. He had created the Dauntless using particle synthesis, an advanced technology which appeared to function in a manner related to holodeck imagery. His plan was to lure the crew onto the ship and then send it into Borg space on autopilot so that the Borg would assimilate them all. Although Voyager's crew became suspicious of Arturis, he managed to abduct Janeway and Seven of Nine and escape into slipstream. Voyager followed and recovered its crew members, leaving Arturis to continue on to Borg space alone. Voyager managed to get 300 light years closer to home before its slipstream collapsed. [356]
Voyagers crew continued to work on the slipstream concept, and several months later managed to come up with a modified version of the technology. The new slipstream drive used a quantum matrix combined with benamite crystals and Borg technology to achieve far higher speeds than the Dauntless had managed, well in excess of a billion times the speed of light. Unfortunately, before the flight Lieutenant Paris discovered a previously unnoticed 0.42 phase variance in the slipstream threshold. Such a variance was more than enough to cause a catastrophic failure in the slipstream, leading to the destruction of the ship.
Captain Janeway nevertheless attempted the flight, sending the Delta Flyer ahead of the ship to map the slipstreams phase variations and send corrections back to the ship. The approach did not work, and Voyager was indeed thrown out of the slipstream after travelling only 10,000 light years closer to home, albeit without major damage. It was subsequently discovered that the phase corrections sent to the ship had in fact originated in an alternate timeline in which the ship had been destroyed during the flight. Surviving members of the crew had sent the information from decades in the future in order to rewrite history and save Voyager from destruction.
The benamite crystals used in the drive were highly unstable, and once they had been used up the flight could not be repeated. Voyagers crew continued to work on this impressive technology in the hope that further progress can be made. [417], but the ship was ultimately able to reach Earth by other means. [6] |
| Quantum variables [176] |
Part of the Cochrane equation governing warp flight. Compensating for unusual quantum variables in the Delphic Expanse could alter the spatial gradients. [176] |
| Radiolytic isotopes [229] |
Material carried by a neutronic wavefront. Humans would be killed by a few minutes of exposure to rediolytic isotopes. [149] |
| RCS [74] |
Reaction Control System, another name for thrusters. [74] |
| Rectilinear expansion module [42] |
Element of the computer control system of a Defiant class starship. [42] |
| Recursive dataloops [179] |
Problem to be avoided whilst illegally hacking into a secured computer system. [179] |
| Reflectometer [62] |
Element of a neutron microscope which collimates the neutrons. It is located after the emitters. [62] |
| Regenerative shielding [269] |
An advanced shielding technology which is extremely difficult for conventional weapons to breach. [269] |
| Relativistic speed [74] |
Any velocity great enough for relativistic mass, length and time distortion to become noticeable. Starfleet limits its ships to 25% of light speed in order to minimize relativistic effects. [74] |
| Replicators [203] |
Replicators are essentially an outgrowth of transporter technology. The Molecular Matrix Matter Replicator, to give it its full name, is capable of dematerializing a quantity of stored matter in much the same way as a transporter system does; however, there are no imaging scanners to analyse the structure of the material. Instead, a quantum geometry transformational matrix is used to modify the matter stream. The computer which oversees the process can use any available stored pattern within this matrix; once the pattern has been impressed onto the matter stream, it is rematerialized into an almost perfect copy of the original patterned object.
Replicators are available in small stand alone units, and these must be supplied with power and periodically re-stocked with raw material to keep them running. However, most replicator systems consist of little more than a rematerializing unit and a computer subprocessor / interface panel. Many thousands of these units can be connected to a large central dematerializer and transformational matrix system, controlled by a computer holding many thousands of stored patterns and stocked with many tons of raw material. When a user wants to replicate something he or she inputs the request to the terminal, which requests the item from the central system. Once the dematerialization and patterning processes are complete, the matter stream is routed through a network of wave guides to the terminal which originated the request and dematerialized there. This system saves having to keep thousands of individual replicators constantly stocked with raw materials.
In theory any object can be made from any basic raw material, but in practice significant energy saving can be made by using certain materials; for replication of food items an organic particulate suspension is used; a combination of long chain molecules , this substance has been specially designed, statistically speaking, to require the minimum number of molecular transformations to achieve the maximum variety of foodstuffs. Equivalent stocks are available for replication of non foodstuffs, with the control computer making the choice automatically.
Replicators which also have a dematerialization system installed can also serve as waste receptacles; waste placed into these can be dematerialized and returned to the central stock, ready to be replicated again. Until recently it was far more efficient to simply collect and recycle the waste by conventional methods, and using replicator terminals in this way was rare. However, recent advances in replicator technology have made such systems a viable proposition and this form of recycling is gradually becoming more commonplace.
Larger scale industrial replicators are available for the creation of a very wide variety of items which previously required dedicated factories to manufacture them. However, these replicator systems are limited in their abilities - the main such limit being the size of the object produced. For larger manufactured items, it is necessary to replicate smaller components and assemble them via traditional methods. Unfortunately the dream of the replicated skyscraper or starship remains a long way off!
All present day replicator systems share one basic limitation; they operate at the molecular resolution. As such, significant numbers of single bit errors will occur at the quantum level during any replication. Many claim that this gives replicated foodstuffs a distinctly inferior flavour to the 'real thing', although this may be more a question of bias against the technology rather than any discernible difference.However, the errors are more than sufficient to prevent replication of the precise energy states involved in neural and bioelectric patterns. [418] As yet, replicators are not able to create living material. [419] |
| Restricter coils [55] |
Element of the engines of an NX class starship. [55] |
| Rocket Boots |
Rocket boots were a 23rd century invention that allowed Starfleet personnel to maintain a fixed position at altitude for a sustained period of time. This allowed for inspection of areas that would otherwise be difficult to reach. The boots has a weight limit of approximately 240Kg. [420]
They are able to support a person in either an upright or horizontal orientation. They also have a built in emergency booster system that allows for rapid acceleration for use in emergency situations. This booster can also be used to temporarily overcome the systems inherent weight limits. [420] |
| Runabout [48] |
Multirole vessel designed to accomodate several persons for short to medium range interstellar journies. Runabouts are essentially enlarged shuttles. [48] |
| Safety protocols [148] |
Set of programming included into most holoprograms which prevent persons within the program from experiencing any harm. [148] |
| Sarium micro-cells [303] |
Energy cells used aboard the NX class starship for charging torpedo weapons. The Vissians used the same basic technology for their much more advanced photonic warheads. [303] |
| Saucer separation [93] |
Term used for the separation of a Federation Starship into two parts - the Saucer section and Engineering section. For some ships this is a relatively catastrophic act, requiring a Starbase to reconnect the two parts. For others, such as the Galaxy and Prometheus classes, separating and reconnecting is a relatively mundane procedure. [93] |
| Scanner [74] |
Name used for any device which collects information by directing emissions towards the subject and analysing the return. Scanners are distinct from sensors, which gather information by detecting the emissions the subject gives off itself. [74] |
| Secondary phase modulator [107] |
An element of the power system on Deep Space Nine. Problems with a secondary phase modulator may have been responsible for a malfunction in Dax's laboratory in 2369. [107] |
| Secondary plasma vent [156] |
System on board an NX class starship. [156] |
| Selenium isotopes [218] |
Naturally occurring substance which can disrupt sensor systems and impulse engines. [229] |
| Self-destruct [79] |
A self-destruct system has been built into Starships from the earliest days of space travel. It can be used to prevent such powerful ships falling into the wrong hands. The sequence required three ships officers into order to initiate the countdown. The count down is used to allow the crew time to evacuate the ship. [79]
Captain Kirk used the self-destruct system on board the USS Enterprise, which had been previously badly damaged in an encounter with Khan. When the ship subsequently came under attack from a Klingon Bird of Prey and was disabled. [79] |
| Self-sealing stem bolt [421] |
Device used in the construction of reverse-ratcheting routing planers. [422] In 2369, Nog and Jake made a deal with a Lisseppian ship's captain in which they bartered five thousand wrappages of Cardassian Yamok sauce for a hundred gross of self-sealing stem bolts. They then bartered the bolts for seven tessipates of land on Bajor. They then made a deal with Quark to sell the land to the Bajoran government. [421]
In 2371 Quark had another hundred gross of self-sealing stem bolts in a cargo bay on Deep Space Nine. He tried to sell them to a buyer Emi for ten bars of gold-pressed latinum. Emi was pleased with the trade, as the bolts would allow her family to greatly increase their production of reverse-ratcheting routing planers. Unfortunately for Quark, the Grand Nagus told Emi where she could buy the bolts wholesale. [422]
Whilst Bashir was being held in captivity in a Dominion prison camp in 2373, a guard who discovered a makeshift metal tool the prisoners had made asked him what it was. Bashir responded that it was either a self-sealing stem bolt or a reverse ratcheting router. [242]
In 2375 O'Brien joked that he was taking a post at Starfleet academy so that he could teach the officers the difference between a warp matrix flux capacitor and a self-sealing stem bolt. [423]
In 2265 Cervantes Quinn falsely claimed that his cargo included stem bolts, though they may not have been of the self-sealing kind. [424] |
| Semi-fluidic alloy [337] |
Substance used in the construction of 31st century vessels. [337] |
| Sensor [77] |
Name used for any device which collects information by detecting emissions given off by the subject. Sensors are distinct from scanners, which gather information by directing their own emissions towards the subject and analysing the return. [77] |
| Seofurane [170] |
A material used to make bio-sample containers. [170] |
| Shields [220] |
The primary defensive system of a Starship. Also known as a deflector shield. [220] |
| Shuttle bay [425] |
Facility on board a space vessel which is dedicated to storing, launching and landing shuttlecraft. [425] Most Federation shuttle bays are equipped with a forcefield which allows shuttles to pass through whilst holding the atmosphere inside, thus allowing the bay to operate without having to depressurise. [24] Standard practice is to bring shuttles aboard via a tractor beam rather than under their own power, although this can be done in an emergency. [420] |
| Shuttlecraft [425] |
A small spacecraft carried by most Starships. Smaller shuttles generally carry people down to planetary surfaces in situations where transporters are not available, but larger or more modern ones can undertake interplanetary or short interstellar journeys. [425] |
| Sickbay [52] |
Name given to the medical facility on a Federation Starship or Starbase. [52] |
| SIF [426] |
Structural Integrity Field, a forcefield which holds the structure of a Starship in an extremely rigid state, allowing it to resist great forces. Structural Integrity Fields can also resist weapons fire to a significant degree. [426] |
| Slingshot effect [49] |
A method of time travel employed by the Federation which involves a close approach to a large mass such as a star whilst at high warp velocity. The course must be precisely calculated in order to ensure success. [49]
The crew of the CSS La Sirena used the slingshot effect to travel from 2401 to 2024 in order to correct a modified timeline manipulated by Q. [427] |
| Soliton wave [428] |
A technology which allows objects to travel at warp speeds without having a warp drive on board. A soliton wave generator produces a large energy wave which impacts the vehicle, accelerating it to warp speed. Another generator at the opposite end of the trip disperses the wave to bring the object back to rest. Unfortunately, the first test of the system went disastrously wrong when the wave grew massively in energy, to the point where it threatened to devastate the planet on which the second generator was mounted. [428] |
| Soliton Wave Drive [428] |
Created by Doctor Ja'Dar, the soliton wave system offered the promise of a unique new technology for the Federation - warp speed travel without warp drive. The system involved a set of field generators located on or near a planet which would generate a self-sustaining subspace field wave. This would push a vessel into warp speed, carrying it in a straight line at constant speed. At the other end of the journey another group of field generators would disperse the wave, causing the vessel to drop back out of warp.
The benefits of the system would have been enormous. The drive can only be used between star systems where there is already a set of field generators in place, and so would not have replaced warp drive equipped ships in their exploratory roles. However, all traffic between already settled systems could have been accomplished via vessels with no warp drive, vessels which would therefore have been far easier to construct and maintain. In addition, the soliton system is 450% more efficient than a normal starship warp drive, offering considerable energy savings.
Unfortunately, the first test of the soliton wave was only partially successful. After some time at warp speeds the unmanned test vehicle was destroyed by shear forces. The wave began to accelerate and grow in size and power, to the extent that it would destroy most of the planet when it arrived at its destination. Fortunately the Enterprise-D, which was monitoring the test, was able to to disperse the wave using a photon torpedo salvo. The Federation was continuing research into this system, but as of yet there is no reported success. [428] |
| Sonic screwdriver [244] |
A tool used by the Federation in the 2260s. In 2265 Cervantes Quinn falsely claimed that his cargo included sonic screwdrivers. [429] |
| Sonic Shower [14] |
The sonic shower is a technology used by Federation citizens for personal grooming. The system uses sonic vibrations to dissolve dirt, removing it from the skin in the process. Many consider taking a sonic shower to be a relaxing experience [430], and Dax thought it could make people feel better. [431]
Earth ships of the 2150s used water-based cleaning systems [155], but sonic showers were in use aboard Federation Starships by the 2271. [14] Federation sonic shower systems used an acoustic inverter; if this malfunctioned the effect on the user was considered to be unpleasant. [432]
Humans of the 2370s regarded sonic showers as almost a basic necessity, to the point where Quark considered that the removal of showers and other such comforts over a prolonged period would make most Humans become "as nasty and violent as the most bloodthirsty Klingon". [433] |
| Space frame [74] |
The structural support members of a Starship. [74] |
| Space suit [14] |
A suit which protects the wearer against the hazardous environment of space. [14] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
The following is a very small selection of the anomalies which Federation Starships have encountered during their travels through our galaxy. |
| Spatial Anomalies |
A region located near to Cardassian and Bajoran space, the Badlands is a dangerous place with a very heavy concentration of plasma storms. The storms are extremely difficult to navigate, most especially for large ships. During the Cardassian occupation the Bajoran resistance took to hiding in the Badlands, since the large Cardassian warships were unable to follow the much smaller Bajoran craft into the region. [11]
After the end of the occupation the Maquis also took to hiding in the Badlands in order to hide from both the Cardassians and Starfleet. The Intrepid class was considered to be capable of safely navigating the plasma fields, although the Intrepid class USS Voyager was thought to have been lost when it attempted to pursue a Maquis Raider into the area in 2371. It later transpired that Voyager had been deliberately abducted from the Badlands by an advanced alien being, rather than having been lost to the storms. [109] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
An area which surrounds the Ba'ku planet, the Briar patch is characterized by anomalies and pockets of metreon gas. Warp travel is impossible within the Briar patch, and Starships in the area need special modification in order to operate effectively. In 2375 the Enterprise-E was forced to enter the patch without modification. Whilst there the ship engaged in battle with two Son'a battleships. The Enterprise experienced significant difficulties, damaging its impulse manifolds. Nevertheless the Enterprise was able to use its Bussard collectors to scoop up some of the Metreon gas and detonate it in proximity to the Son'a ships, destroying one and damaging the other. [28] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
A type of matter which is difficult to detect with normal sensor or scanner systems. Dark matter tends to be concentrated in nebulas [152], although by some cosmological models the amount of dark matter in the universe as a whole is greater than the amount of normal matter. [434]
High concentrations of dark matter can create small gaps in the fabric of normal space. Normal matter passing through these areas can become momentarily phased in unpredictable ways, creating transient electrical currents similar to those created by a subspace distortion but without any trace of a subspace field. [152]
Dark matter can also act to degrade the performance of sensors against normal matter, making dark matter nebulas a good choice for hiding oneself. In 2374 Captain Sisko piloted his damaged Jem'Hadar vessel into a dark matter nebula in order to hide it from detection. Within he found an entire class M world which was undetectable from outside the nebula. [435]
Dark matter is also found outside nebulas. It has been speculated that a tertiary product of stellar consolidation could be a comet-like assemblage of dark matter. This would be strongly attracted to antimatter, which it would neutralize upon contact. Such a contact can lead to displaced protons in the materials involved and can induce forces sufficient to badly damage a Starship hull. In 2376 one of Voyagers shuttles encountered a phenomena which behaved initially in a manner similar to the proposed dark matter proto comet. On further investigation the crew discovered a new form of life composed of dark matter, although no significant degree of contact was established. [399] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
In 2368 the USS Enterprise investigated FGC-47, a nebula which had formed around a neutron star. The nebula was composed of hydrogen, helium and trionium. On entering the nebula the ship experienced a strange drag effect which gradually reduced their speed. The effect was minor and the ship pressed on with its investigation of the area. On collecting samples of the nebula gas, the crew discovered that the nebula was permeated with filaments composed of a highly cohesive form of plasma. These filaments, which became visible when exposed to a high frequency warp field, created a resonant effect when they hit the ships shields, thus increasing the drag coefficient and reducing the ships speed for a given power output.
The Enterprise was able to chart the filaments within the nebula by running the warp field generators through the ships deflector grid to make them all visible, allowing it to make its way out of the nebula. [235] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
A phenomenon which travels through subspace, occasionally moving into normal space for a time before returning. While in normal space subspace ellipses tend to sweep up various objects which are then carried along inside them. The ellipses can be billions of years old, and extremely ancient artefacts are sometimes discovered within them. The anomalies have only been encountered a handful of times; on October 19th, 2032, a subspace ellipse passing by Mars collided with and absorbed the Aries 4, one of the first manned spacecraft Mankind sent to the planet. This marked mankind's first encounter with a spatial anomaly, and almost derailed the Mars program entirely.
In 2376 USS Voyager encountered the same ellipse. The emergence of the phenomenon caused level 9 gravimetric distortions to emenate from subspace, and Voyager measured its total energy at 30 million Terajoules. The ellipse was strongly attracted towards Voyager, approaching at sufficient speed to prevent the starship from outrunning it at impulse and produced interference which disrupted the ships warp drive, making escape extremely difficult. The gravimetric stresses created are sufficient to rip the hull plating off a Starship, and no vessel which has passed close to a graviton ellipse has survived the encounter. [204]
Fortunately, Seven of Nine recognized the ellipse as Borg spatial anomaly 521 and recalled that it was attracted to objects which emit electromagnetic energy. She advised cutting power and reversing shield polarity, measures which prevented further pursuit and allowed Voyager to escape the anomaly.
Upon scanning the ellipses interior, Voyager detected a stable region within which gravimetric disturbances were negligible. The scans located some 2.8 billion compounds inside, including the hull materials of the Aries 4. Voyagers crew modified the shields of the Delta Flyer to allow it to penetrate the ellipse and discovered the space craft nearly intact within. Whilst the Flyer was within the ellipse the anomaly collided with a dark matter asteroid, badly damaging the shuttlecraft. Although this made retrieving the Aries impossible, they were able to recover the body of Lieutenant John Kelley from the capsule and give it a proper burial. [204] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
A relatively common phenomena, ion storms can present a significant hazard to ships which encounter them. The storms can cause damage to various systems, depending on their strength. [311] Level 5 ion storms are not regarded as much of a threat to ships, while level 7 storms are sufficient to badly damage shuttlecraft. A level 8 storm is sufficient to present a danger to starships such as the Intrepid class. [95]
The NCC-1701 Enterprise carried a pod which had to be ejected during ion storms. In 2267 the ship ejected its pod apparently with engineer Ben Finney still within it, causing Captain Kirk to be court martialled. Kirk was cleared when it was revealed that in fact Finney had faked his own death to gain revenge on Kirk for reporting a mishap he had made some time previously. [311] When the Enterprise visited the Halkan planet later in the same year, an ion storm disrupted the ship's transporter system and caused several of its officers to be swapped with crew members of an Enterprise from an alternate universe. [15]
In 2375 the Delta Flyer was badly damaged by an ion storm and crash landed on an M class planetoid. Voyager managed to weather a level 5 storm and rescue the Flyer, shortly before a level 8 storm arrived. [95] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
A neutronic wavefront is a phenomenon which is produced when two neutron stars collide. The collision forms a ring structure which expands outwards at a significant fraction of the speed of light, presenting a danger to spacecraft which encounter it. [344]
Prior to 2052 the Vulcan science vessel T'Plana was destroyed when it was caught in a Class 5 neutronic wavefront. In 2151 the NX-01 encountered a neutronic storm; unable to outrun it even at maximum warp speed, the crew were forced to shelter in a heavily shielded catwalk in one of the ship's nacelles to shield themselves from the radiolytic isotopes in the storm. The ship was almost captured by members of the Takret militia, who are naturally immune to the radiation carried by these storms. [229]
In 2376 Dala told two Telsian miners that she had to leave orbit because of an approaching neutronic storm; the deception was part of her plot to swindle the miners out of a cargo of Bolomite [436]
In 2376 USS Voyager encountered a Class 9 neutronic wavefront which was expanding at 200,000 kilometres per second, approximately 66% of light speed. The phenomena extended for 3.6 light years, indicating that the collision had taken place several years previously. Voyager was unable to escape the wavefront at warp speeds as the neutron radiation it was emitting was disrupting plasma flow within the ships systems. Lacking sufficient impulse speed to escape the wavefront, Voyager generated an inverse warp field in order to lock itself within position, inoculated the crew against the expected radiation increase, and attempted to ride the storm out. [344]
While the ship was able to weather the majority of the wavefront successfully, the neutronic gradient increased towards the trailing edge. The ship experienced energies of well over 90 million terajoules. The inverse warp field destabilized and Voyager was dragged along with the wavefront, inflicting significant damage on the ship. Fortunately Voyager was able to use its main deflector dish to cut a path through the front and escape. [344] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
Encountered by the Enterprise in 2267, Murasaki 312 is a quasar like phenomenon of great size and power. Following their standing orders, the Enterprise investigated the anomaly and discovered that it had a negative ionic concentration at 1.64x109 metres and was emitting radiation at a wavelength of 370 Angstroms, with harmonics upward along the entire upper spectrum. The effect had ionized an entire sector, covering at least four solar systems in the vicinity of the ship. The effects of Murasaki badly compromised the performance of both communications and sensor systems across this region.
The Enterprise launched a shuttlecraft to investigate the phenomenon, but the craft was disabled and dragged into the centre of Murasaki 312 where it crash-landed on Tarsus II. The shuttles crew were able to repair it sufficiently to launch again and make a brief orbital flight. Fortunately the Enterprise was still in the area and was able to recover those crew members who had survived the planet.
Although Murasaki 312 began to dissipate somewhat as the Enterprise left, the anomaly continued to exist for at least the next century. In 2367 the Enterprise-D conducted some sensor scans of Murasaki 312 whilst passing by. [425] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
Encountered by Voyager in 2371, the region of twisted space initially caused various minor systems failures on board the ship, most notably in the communications system. When the captain attempted to send officers to the strategic portions of the ship it quickly became clear that something much stranger was happening. The vessels layout had changed radically. Worse, the layout was continuing to change on a second by second basis, without the crew being at all aware of the changes.
Captain Janeway and Ensign Kim attempted to access the bridge via the Jefferies tube system, but instead encountered some form of field which appeared to be distorting space itself. Janeways arm became enveloped in the field and although Kim was able to free her, the after-effects resulted in severe delirium.
All of the crews attempts to free the ship from the effect or to counter or even slow it failed, and eventually they resigned themselves to allowing the effect to take its course. The distortion enveloped the entire ship then vanished of its own accord, leaving Voyager and her crew completely undamaged. After the distortion had ended, Voyagers crew discovered that 20 million gigaquads of new information had been downloaded into the ships computer systems.
Even now it is unclear exactly what the nature of the distortion effect was. It may have been caused by a vessel occupying multidimensional space, or indeed may have been a vessel of some form in itself. It is even possible that the field was a life form in its own right. It seems that an answer may well lie in the information Voyager collected, and this will likely be the subject of much intensive study when and if the ship is able to return home. [8] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
A region of space which extended over approximately 2,000 light years, encompassing many solar systems. The edge of the expanse came within 50 light years of Earth as of 2153. It was surrounded by thermobaric clouds which made it dangerous to enter [415], and impossible to leave. [58] The age of the Expanse is uncertain, though the Triannon believed that it was a supernatural phenomena which had been created in approximately 1153. [253] Both Vulcans and Klingons were extremely reluctant to enter the expanse; in 2133 a Klingon ship emerged from the Expanse with the entire crew 'anatomically inverted', their bodies splayed open - and still alive despite their horrific injuries. [415] The Vulcan ship Seleya entered the Expanse in 2152; all contact was lost with the ship, and when the Vaankara was sent to investigate the crew rapidly went insane and murdered one another. [437]
In 2152 the NX-01 Enterprise received information that the recent attack on Earth had been carried out by the Xindi, a species native to the Delphic Expanse. [415] The ship spent almost ten months searching the area, and eventually managed to prevent a further attack. [438] During the mission, Captain Archer learned that the Expanse was being maintained by a network of huge artificial spheres [176] - at least 78 in all. [439] The spheres were created deliberately in order to reconfigure the nature of space in the Milky Way galaxy to pave the way for an invasion by an alien species from another dimension. [87] The various anomalies of the Expanse occurred where the intense gravimetric waves generated by different spheres interacted. [440] These anomalies varied in type and effect; some merely interfered with artificial gravity fields in unusual ways [176], others could be massvely damaging to any ship passing through them. [305]
In 2154 the NX-01 was able to destroy Sphere 41, a key element in the network. This action instigated a chain reaction which destroyed all the spheres. Freed of their influence, the region began to rapidly return to normal space. [438] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
An energy wave which passes through our galaxy every 39.1 years, the Nexus was encountered by the Enterprise-B in 2293 when the ship moved to assist some El Aurian refugee ships which had become caught in it. The ships were destroyed, although the Enterprise managed to rescue several dozen survivors first. The Starship was badly damaged in the mission, leading to the apparent death of Admiral Kirk. [339]
In 2371 the Nexus returned. Captain Picard of the Enterprise-D discovered a plot by Dr. Soren, one of the original El Aurian survivors of the Nexus, to return to the anomaly by altering its course to take it near to a habitable planet. Soran was destroying stars using a trilithium torpedo in order to change gravitational fields and so alter the course of the Nexus. He successfully destroyed the Amagosa system, but was ultimately prevented from destroying the Veridian system by Picard's intervention. [339]
Picard was able to enter the Nexus himself during the mission. He discovered that it was some form of inter-dimensional vortex whose physical characteristics were shaped by the thoughts of the inhabitant into a perfect universe - one in which every fantasy could be fulfilled, forever. Soran had been determined to return in order to live out his own perfect life, and even Picard himself found it difficult to leave once he had entered. [339] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
A type of anomaly which is considered high dangerous by the Federation after a dozen Starships were lost whilst investigating one in the Alpha Quadrant. Voyager encountered a Particle Fountain in the Delta Quadrant when the artificial intelligence system aboard the shuttle Alice attempted to force Tom Paris to pilot her into it. Alice claimed that the Fountain was a way for her to reach home, indicating that they may be gateways to another dimension of wormhole-like phenomena. [441] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
A type of anomaly which was believed to be purely theoretical until 2368. Null space pockets form during the creation of a star system when clouds of interstellar dust and gas coalesce. Turbulent regions of magnetic and gravitational fields can develop, and if certain conditions occur these fields can form null space. The J'naii lost a shuttle into a pocket of null space in 2368, though the crew was subsequently recovered with the help of the Enterprise-D. [345] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
A phemonenon which Voyager encountered in the Delta Quadrant. A plasma drift could occupy half of an entire sector. Interference from them could cause problems with at least some sensor systems. Federation ships could safely enter a plasma drift, though turbulence was possible. [442] When Neelix was a child a huge plasma drift passed through the Talaxian system, blocking out the stars and moons for months. [443] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
Phenomenon encountered by Voyager in 2377. The rift emits high levels of neutrinos and chronotons and a gravimetric surge which is capable of overloading a Starship's inertial dampers. Should a chrono-kinetic surge interact with the ship's warp core it can cause it to destabilise, resulting in different sections of a nearby object to become dislocated in time - so for instance a person hit with a burst may have organs which are radically different ages or a ship may have different parts located in different "time zones". Voyager was fractured into thirty seven different zones when it encountered a spatial rift. [444] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
Located at the edge of our galaxy, the galactic barrier is a vast energy field which was first encountered by Humans in the year 2065 by the SS Valiant. The ship was lost during the encounter; the loss remained a mystery until two centuries later when the USS Enterprise recovered a distress beacon from the Valiant with some fragmentary records of the encounter. [77]
The Enterprise proceeded to its own encounter with the barrier, where it was badly damaged. In the aftermath two members of the crew, Gary Mitchell and Elizabeth Dehner, experienced strange side effects; silvered eyes and geometrically increasing ESP powers. Both had scored rather highly on ESP tests in the past, and apparently the encounter with the barrier had some effect on them which led their powers to increase hour by hour afterwards, although Mitchell's the effects on Dehner were rather delayed compared to Mitchell. [77]
Captain Kirk, faced with an officer who was coming to regard his shipmates as little more than entertaining pets, decided to maroon Mitchell on a nearby planet. Mitchell used his powers to escape, and Kirk was forced to kill him with some help from Dehner. [77]
The Enterprise encountered the galactic barrier again in 2268 whilst carrying the Medusan Ambassador Kollos. A passenger, driven mad when he saw Kollos, took the ship through the barrier to the energy void beyond. The ship was able to return with Kollos's help. [445] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
A cosmic string is an extremely narrow filament, no wider than a single proton but capable of generating gravitational fields as strong as a black hole. They are normally invisible to sensors directly, though they can be detected by the hyper-acceleration effect they have on interstellar gas nearby. They also emit a characteristic range of subspace frequencies due to the decay of particles on their event horizon. [446]
A species of two dimensional creatures live within cosmic strings; in 2367 the Enterprise-D was immobilised within a swarm of such creatures as they returned to their home, a 107 km long cosmic string. The ship was able to confuse the creatures enough to escape. [446]
A cosmic string is notably different to a quantum filament. [195] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
A massive energy field located at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, the Great Barrier was for many years a complete mystery. It was clearly visible to the naked eye, yet sensors reported nothing there at all. Yet no probe sent into the barrier had ever returned from it, indicating that something dangerous lay inside. [420]
In 2285 the Starship Enterprise finally penetrated the Great Barrier after the ship was hijacked by Sybock and his followers. A Klingon Bird of Prey was able to follow the Enterprise through. Within, they discovered the fabled planet of Sha'ka'ree, which was the home to a malevolent energy being - although perhaps prison would be a better term. The barrier thus apparently served to isolate this being and prevent it from injuring others; prison walls, in effect. [420] |
| Spatial Anomalies |
An artificially created spatial anomaly produced by the Borg as a form of transport from one universe to another. [447] |
| Spatial compression index [50] |
Factor which had to be taken into account when starting up the warp drive of an NX class starship. The output of the core had to be within 300 and 312 millicochranes unless the spatial compression index was greater than 5.62%. [50] |
| Spatial discriminators [290] |
Part of the stabilisers of a J class cargo vessel. [290] |
| Spatial gradient [176] |
A feature of warp flight which became distorted when the quantum variables of the Cochrane equation were not as expected. [176] |
| Special Powers |
Telepathy refers to the ability to communicate thoughts and ideas from one person to another without the use of conventional biological mechanisms or technology. Many species have telepathic abilities; in some cases, such a Humans, the ability is rare, limited to a few selected individuals. [77] Most Humans have some degree of PSI ability, but it is usually very limited. Miranda Jones, an Earth woman of the 23rd century, was an example of a powerful Human telepath who was part of the project to use Medusans as navigators on Federation Starships. [445] In 2265, two members of the Enterprise crew had their ESP powers vastly increased as a result of an encounter with the energy barrier at the edge of the galaxy. Their powers continued to escalate to astounding and even dangerous levels, and both had to be abandoned on an uninhabited planet by the Enterprise crew. [77]
In other species, such as Betazoids, most or all people have telepathic ability. Betazoid telepathic ability is created by a pattern of neural cells throughout the cerebellum and cerebral cortex. [446] The neurotransmitter psilosynine is also involved in Betazoid telepathy. [448] Most Betazoids are full telepaths, with their abilities developing durind adolescence. However in a few cases a child is born with the telepathic ability already formed. Since such children have no opportunity to develop the mental barriers against the thoughts of others that older Betazoids do, they often experience psychological difficulties as a result. [426] Betazoids are able to cross breed with Humans; in such cases, the offspring is often displays reduced capabilities, often empathic in nature, with telepathy either limited to those with whom the person shares a close mental bond [93], or absent altogether. [284]
The precise nature of telepathic ability varies from species to species. Amongst the more capable are the Melkotians. Encountered in 2268, this non-Human species were capable of transmitting detailed thoughts and images to several members of the Enterprise crew. Indeed the Melkotians were able to ‘interlink’ the minds of these officers so that they existed within the same shared illusion, which appeared to be utterly real and convincing to them. The illusion was only broken when they realised the nature of their situation and convinced themselves of the unreality of the illusion – ironically through another form of telepathy. [449]
The Talosians also had this form of telepathy; they were able to construct and project detailed illusions so convincing that they were impossible to tell from the real thing. The ability had led to the virtual disintegration of Talosian society; most Talosians became so addicted to living vicariously through the memories and experiences of others that they took little interest in the day to day function of their society. The Federation was so concerned with the power of the Talosians that they forbade any further contact with the planet after the original visit of the Enterprise in 2254, with violation of this order carrying an automatic death penalty. [175]
Although most Vulcans have a limited form of telepathy, some individuals have demonstrated much higher order abilities. In particular Sybok, the 23rd century rebel, was able to telepathically scan the minds of others and produce interactive illusions which they could take part in whilst others watched. Sybok used this ability to produce catharctic experiences in order to convince people to join his quest for the mythical planet Sha’ka’ree. [420]
Other variations on this ability include the psychoprojective telepathy which the Halanans posess, that allows them to project the image of an alter-ego personality to others at a distance [260] and the telepathic attacks which can be launched by the Letheans. [349] |
| Special Powers |
A more limited form of telepathy, empathy is the ability to sense feelings and emotions in others rather than detailed thoughts or images. An empathic individual would for instance be able to tell that another was upset, but not the specifics of why. Betazoids of mixed race tend to have empathic rather than telepathic abilities, though at least some telepathic ability is often present. [93] |
| Special Powers |
Another form of telepathy, the mind meld is a Vulcan method of linking two minds together. The meld is generally established by the Vulcan touching the fingers of his or her hands to the face of the participant; the process could be compared to a linkage between the nerve systems of both individuals. Traditionally the incantation “My mind to your mind, your thoughts to my thoughts” is used when a meld is being established, though this is purely ceremonial and not necessary to the process. The process of melding involves inducing pressure changes in the blood vessels and nerves. [450]
As the name suggests, a mind meld is not a simple transmission of thoughts or images but rather a true merging of the two personalities. It is common for those involved in a meld to either complete one another’s sentences [79] or even speak simultaneously. It is also common for both individuals to refer to themselves as “we” during the meld. [450] Mind Melds can be used by a Vulcan to assist another in overcoming mental damage or blocks, for example retrieving lost memories. [408] Melds have been used by Vulcans with a variety of alien species, including silicon-based life [281] and even a computerised probe. [451]
It is possible for a limited meld to be established without direct contact, and this can be used to influence the actions of others. Commander Spock of the Enterprise was able to accomplish this feat on several occasions, for instance convincing an Eminian guard to open the door of a cell [172], or a Yang woman to open a communicator. [452] |
| Special Powers |
Psycokinesis is the ability to use the power of the mind to physically manipulate objects at a distance. The ability is relatively rare compared to telepathy, and few cases have been recorded. Psycokinesis was one of the abilities developed by Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell and Doctor Elizabeth Dehner after their encounter with the energy barrier at the edge of the galaxy in 2265. [77] In 2268 the Enterprise encountered a group of Platonians, members of an alien species who had developed enourmous psychokinetic powers after settling on an alien planet. A Platonian was able to exert influence over the Enterprise in orbit, at a distance of at least hundreds of miles. However, as often seems to be the case, the possession of such power had led the Platonians to neglect other aspects of life badly. [453]
The abilities developed as a result of exposure to kironide, an element of the planet’s environment. Captain Kirk and his senior officers were able to develop psychokinetic powers of their own after ingesting doses of kironide. Although this offers Humans a quick and simple way to become strongly psychokinetic [453], it has apparently not been followed up.
Humanity has flirted with developing these abilities in other ways. The Darwin genetic research project included psychokinetic abilities as one of the supposed improvements in Humanity which they were attempting in the 2360s. The psychokinetic portion of the project was apparently successful, though other aspects were not. [454] |
| Special Powers |
Certain life forms are capable of generating electrical shocks with their own body. This ability is usually used for self defence or offensive attacks, delivered via physical contact with the victim. The ability is very uncommon amongst intelligent life forms, but one recorded case is that of the Brekkians and Ornarans. These humanoids, originating from different planets in the same solar system, were able to generate considerable electrical shocks with their hands, sufficient to paralyse or kill a human being. The could sustain the discharge for at least several tens of seconds. It is possible that their ability is linked to the unusual electromagnetic disturbances which occur on their home star. [455] |
| Starbase [311] |
A Federation facility which serves as a centre for scientific research, trade, Starship manufacture or maintanence and military strength. Starbases can be located on planetary surfaces, in orbit, or in deep space. [311] |
| Stardate [77] |
A system of time in use within the Federation. [77] |
| Starship [52] |
A Federation Starfleet vessel capable of undertaking interstellar missions. Most Starships are more than 100 metres long; smaller vessels tend to be classed as Runabouts or Shuttlecraft. [52] |
| Stellar Cartography [96] |
The ability to navigate a path between the stars to a high degree of accuracy is a vital requirement for even the most primitive of interstellar vessels. It is rarely realised by the general public just how difficult such a feat is. Every object in the Milky way galaxy is in a state of motion relative to every other object. Even extra-galactic objects are moving, meaning that there is no universal fixed point of reference for a starship to use as a basis for charting a course.
Starfleet has long striven to fit their ships with the very latest and most advanced sensor and scanner systems. Stellar Cartography uses these systems both for navigational purposes, and for scientific research. For instance, the Stellar Cartography department of a Galaxy class starship includes on the one hand a laboratory which can model planetary formation far in advance [96], and on the other a large holographic imaging chamber capable of displaying galactic maps of a high resolution. [339]
USS Voyager used a combination of Starfleet and Borg technology to expand her Stellar Cartography section to include an astrometrics laboratory. Somewhat similar in fuction to the holographic chamber of the Galaxy class, astrometrics used new-generation sensors to allow detailed information to be obtained across thousands of light years and displayed it on a large viewscreen. [456]
Whilst lacking the glamour of weapon and shield systems, it seems clear that Stellar Cartography will remain a key component of Federation Starships for the forseeable future. |
| Stellar Re-Ignition [457] |
The Federation has several times experimented with or encountered technologies capable of affecting the function of an entire star. The first time that Federation personnel were directly involved in such efforts was in 2367, when the USS Enterprise-D assisted Dr. Timicin in his efforts to modify the Kaelon star. The star had been gradually shutting down for generations, and Timicin believed that he had a method of revitalising itusing helium fusion enhancement. Although the Federation had little hand in developing the science behind the effort, they did provide the method of applying the process to a star on a practical scale, and located a suitable star to test the process on. [457]
On Stardate 44805.3 the test was carried out; a series of photon torpedoes was fired into the star's core, boosting the fusion reaction back to normal levels. Although initial results seemed promising, the star quickly ran out of control and went supernova shortly afterwards. Timicin's subsequent analysis showed that the problem was caused by significant neutron migration within the inner core, a problem he thought would be quite correctible given enough time to work on it. Unfortunately Timicin was not able to follow up on his work as he died shortly afterwards. [457]
The Federation had its own attempt at controlling stars in 2370. Professor Gideon Seyetik planned to re-ignite the dead star using a protomatter device. He planned to use a shuttlepod to deliver the protomatter into the star, which he believed would start a cascade effect that would transforming the star carbon and oxygen into elemental hydrogen. In the event, Seyetik chose to pilot the shuttlepod himself, committing suicide because of family issues. The process was successful, and Epsilon-119 did indeed re-ignite. Seyetik's last words were "Let there be light!" [260] |
| Subdermal transceivers [394] |
Communications device used by the Military Assault Command Operatives in the mid 2150s. The device was an implant which was placed under the skin to allow covert communication. [394] |
| Subquantum imprint [314] |
A characteristic 'fingerprint' of materials. Matching subquantum imprints from two different samples proves that they have the same origin. [314] |
| Subspace [387] |
A type of spacetime which is outside our own. Much Federation technology is based around the properties of subspace, most especially warp drive. [387] |
| Subspace Amplifier [406] |
The subspace amplifier was used by Earth's Starfleet in the 2150s in order to facilitate communication between Earth and distant ships and outposts - essentially the same role played by the later Federation subspace relay network. The deployment of amplifiers was a regular task of the NX class vessels, and was a major factor in allowing Earth to maintain regular contact across its growing sphere of influence in this time. [406] |
| Subspace Compression [26] |
Effect which results when an object is partially encased in a subspace field. Subspace compression can cause forces sufficient to tear such an object apart. [26] |
| Subspace Field [347] |
A field generated by the warp coils of Federation starships and related to subspace. Subspace fields allow objects to circumvent the Einsteinian limitations which normally apply within our universe. They are measured in Cochranes; a subapce field with a value of 1 Cochrane or more is known as a warp field. [347] |
| Subspace Field Distortions [347] |
Effect which is generated by active warp drives. [347] |
| Subspace Funnel [458] |
A link through subspace which connects two distant points together in a manner similar to a wormhole. [458] |
| Subspace implosion [54] |
In an alternate timeline, Denobulan specialists suggested this as a method of killing temporal parasites infecting Captain Archer. Creating the implosion involved overloading three of the plasma injectors so as to send a feedback pulse through the warp reactor. Unfortunately the procedure involved vapourising the captain as well. [54] |
| Subspace Instabilities [387] |
An area in which warp drive has caused damage to the fabric of space. In extreme cases this can lead to a subspace rift. [387] |
| Subspace Interphase Pocket [231] |
An area of overlap between our universe and one of the others normally separated from it by the phase difference between them. [231] |
| Subspace phase inverter [203] |
A device not normally carried aboard Galaxy class starships as of 2365. A subspace phase inverter can produce Eichner radiation. [203] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
Subspace is a mysterious and complex region which offers both great benefits and great perils to those who utilize it. The major benefits are obvious - interstellar civilizations such as the Federation would be all but impossible without the faster than light travel offered by warp drives which utilize subspace. On the other hand, subspace phenomena can be diverse, unpredictable and almost unbelievably destructive. The following is a brief list of some of the major subspace phenomena encountered by the Federation since its formation. Note that this is not an exhaustive list, simply a selection. [74] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
A phenomenon caused when an object is partially encased in a subspace field, thus altering the gravitational constant of the encased portion and giving the different parts different inertial densities. Subspace compression causes stress to be placed on the object, and in extreme cases can cause it to be destroyed on an atomic level. In addition to this danger there is considerable risk of damage to the platform projecting the subspace field, although a modern Starship is capable of withstanding a considerable degree of subspace compression. The Enterprise-D once attempted to correct the orbit of a moon orbiting Bre'el IV by wrapping a subspace field around part of it, thus resulting in subspace compression. The attempt failed, but as a result of non technical factors rather than any problems with the method employed. [26]
A rare and highly unusual subspace compression phenomenon was discovered in 2374. The anomaly caused an object which passed through it to be greatly reduced in physical size; the Danube class runabout Rubicon was shrunk to a size of approximately a dozen centimetres while investigating the anomaly, although it was eventually able to return to its normal size. It was hoped that study of the anomaly would enable a better understanding of the mechanisms behind transwarp conduits to be gained. [42] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
A phenomenon which indicates the presence of a functioning warp drive system. The Cytherian probe encountered by the Enterprise-D in 2367 did not generate any subspace field distortions even though it was capable of travelling at faster than light speeds. The nature of the probes drive system remains a mystery to Federation science. [347] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
A subspace link between two points in normal space through which, theoretically, matter and energy can pass. Subspace funnels thus bear some superficial similarity to wormholes. Lieutenant La Forge suggested that the mysterious disappearance of the USS Hera may have been a result of the ship being transported to Marijne VII when trionic initiators in the ships warp core created a subspace funnel. Unfortunately no evidence was discovered to support the theory and the ships loss remains a mystery. [458] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
An area in which the fabric of space is weakened, making it especially vulnerable to the damaging effect of certain types of warp drive. The effect is cumulative, and excessive use of warp drive spacecraft in regions containing subspace instabilities can result in the formation of a subspace rift.
The region around the Hekaras corridor is rife with subspace instabilities and it was here that the damaging effect of warp drives was proven when Dr. Serova created a warp core breach in her ship, resulting in a subspace rift. As a result the local inhabitants feared that they would have to abandon warp drive altogether, but in fact a modification to warp engine design has allowed vessels to operate without damaging space in this manner. [387] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
Our universe coexists with a multitude of others which occupy the same physical space but are separated by the phase difference between them. Occasionally our universe overlaps one of these others, creating a region of interphase. Such interphase pockets are highly dangerous; vessels entering them are likely to find themselves marooned in another universe with little chance of returning. Being in close proximity to an interphase pocket has drastic effects on the brain function of Humanoid life forms, while being trapped inside one is generally fatal.
In 2268 the USS Defiant wandered into an interphase pocket. The effect of the pocket induced intensely violent behaviour patterns in the crew, causing them all to kill each other. When the USS Enterprise investigated the phenomenon Captain James Kirk led a team onto the Defiant. The Defiant began to shift into another universe and Kirk became trapped inside the interphase pocket as his team was beamed back to the Enterprise. He survived for several hours in the pocket, having been protected during the transition by the cushioning effect of the transporter beam, and was eventually recovered. Unfortunately the Defiant herself could not be salvaged.
Interphase pockets are highly sensitive to disturbances in space and any use of energy in their vicinity can cause them to shift position and alter the timing of the periods of interphase significantly. [459] An interphase pocket can be produced by detonating a tri-cobalt warhead in a sufficiently large gravitational field, such as that found near to a dead star. Under the right conditions, the pocket can act as a gateway which can allow objects to move both between parallel universes and through time. [167] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
An opening in the fabric of normal space through which subspace protrudes. High level exposure of space containing subspace instabilities to warp fields can result in a subspace rift, causing vessels to become trapped. The rifts are extremely sensitive to any use of subspace technology, most especially to warp drive - any use of a warp drive system within a rift causes it to expand greatly.
In 2370 the USS Enterprise was present at the formation of a subspace rift in the Hekaras corridor, and was subsequently trapped within it when the USS Flemming activated its warp drive. The Enterprise managed to escape the rift, but was unable to do anything to repair it. For a time all Starfleet vessels were limited to speeds of no more than Warp 5 in order to prevent the cumulative damage to the fabric of space from creating more rifts, but new models of warp engine are able to operate safely at any speed and the warp 5 limit has been abandoned. [387] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
A large anomaly which acts in a manner similar to a whirlpool, sucking matter into it over a large scale. In 2169 a Vulcan vessel discovered a subspace rupture in the Hanoli system. The Vulcans detonated a pulse wave torpedo in the rupture, setting off a chain reaction which destroyed the entire system.
In 2369 the crew of Deep Space Nine believed that a subspace rupture had formed near the station, but the anomaly proved to be a manifestation of their imaginations created by an alien species investigating Humanoid mental processes. [431] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
A phenomenon which prevents the use of warp drive, effectively tying a spacecraft in place. Essentially, a region with a Cochrane factor of zero. In 2375 USS Voyager was marooned on a subspace sandbar which was created when a species of Photonic beings from another universe created gateways into our dimension. Voyagers crew was able to convince the beings to return to their own space and close the gateways, after which the sandbar dissipated and the ship was able to continue on its way. [460] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
A shock wave produced by certain types of explosion, most notably those involving dilithium ore. Subspace shock waves tend to propagate across an almost flat plane rather than in the three dimensional manner of a normal explosion. The shock wave propagates through normal space and can interact with objects within our universe, but its subspace nature allows it to travel at high multiples of the speed of light. The near destruction of the Klingon moon Praxis in 2293 produced a large subspace shock wave with a double wave front which extended out of Klingon territory altogether and hit the USS Excelsior, which was patrolling in the area at the time. [159] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
A subspace tear can be created by an isolytic subspace weapon. It allows a portion of subspace to intrude upon normal space, presenting a threat to Starships in the vicinity. The tear can be attracted to a Starships warp core, which drags it across space like a zipper. Detonating such a warp core within the tear can cause it to close up again, although this is not guaranteed. Such a tactic was successfully employed by the Starship Enterprise-E when a Son'a vessel used a subspace weapon against it during the Ba'ku crisis. [28] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
A phenomenon associated with the dimensional shift transport technology employed by the Ansata terrorists on Rutia IV. Virtually undetectable by conventional sensor systems, the effect can be scanned with accuracy by an adaptive subspace echogram. In 2366 the USS Enterprise used such a scan to locate the Ansata headquarters and score a major victory over the Ansata. [230] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
A natural subspace phenomenon which links two points in space time and causes matter and energy located at each point to switch places with its counterpart. The two points can be separated by virtually any distance, or for that matter could even exist within other dimensions. Subspace vacuoles are attracted to the warp cores of a Federation Starship.
In 2371 USS Voyager encountered a planet whose rings were riddled with subspace vacuoles which linked it to the Vhnori home world. The Vhnori had been sending their corpses through the vacuoles for a long time, believing that the phenomena were conveying their dead to the afterlife. When Ensign Kim was accidentally transported through a vacuole to their world he revealed the true destination of the vacuoles and revealed that he had seen the bodies of the Vhnori dead before being transported to their world, confirming that this aspect of their religion was in fact false. This prompting something of a religious crisis on the planet. When he - eventually - realized that such revelations were a prime directive violation Kim effected an escape through another vacuole back to Voyager.
Captain Janeway subsequently noted that the Vhnori beliefs may in fact have had some slight basis in reality, since the planet the dead were being transported to was surrounded by a very complex energy field which might contain the neural patterns of the dead Vhnori. Whilst it may be true that the Vhnori experience an afterlife of sorts, existence as disembodied energy remains fundamentally at odds with Vhnori beliefs as revealed to Ensign Kim. [118] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
A phenomena encountered by Voyager in 2375; the sinkhole produced considerable gravimetric shear, which prevented a warp drive from functioning in the vicinity of the entrance. It was also strong enough to pull small vessels inside, though venting plasma and reversing shield polarity could counter this effect. The entrance to the sinkhole was some 600 metres across, but since it was out of phase with normal space it was extremely difficult to detect. Inside the distortion was much larger - the one Voyager encountered contained an entire solar system comprising a star and three planets. Time passed more slowly inside the sinkhole than outside - more than 126 times slower. Much of the theory regarding subspace sinkholes indicated that they were mono-directional, but Voyager was able to beam out crewmembers who were trapped inside the phenomenon by using a probe as a relay. Sinkholes can collapse naturally, destroying everything inside them, but the one encountered by Voyager was sealed by an alien vessel using anti-graviton beams before this could happen. [461] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
A naturally occurring bubble of curved space-time, subspace nodes can be huge in size - there is one near Earth which is over a hundred light years across. They prevent star formation, and appear as an empty region of space. The lack of matter and energy phenomena allows certain experiments to be performed in these regions. In 2139 an attempt at a sub-quantum transport left the transporter pattern of a man stranded in the bubble. Fluctuations in the node caused the signal to partially re-appear on occasion, though an attempt to recapture and rematerialise the pattern was unsuccessful and resulted in the death of the man. [462] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
A phenomenon encountered by the Starship Voyager in 2373, astral eddys form at the confluence of space and subspace. They are highly charged with plasma, which causes them to leave an easily detectable particle wake behind them. The plasma makes them a good source of energy for Starships which are otherwise short on such resources. Astral eddys throw off graviton waves which cause considerable turbulence in their vicinity. Within the eddy massive discharges of plasmatic energy are found, and temperature gradients can exceed nine million kelvins. However the centre of an eddy has a perfectly calm region akin to the eye of a hurricane. [67]
Astral eddys are only partially subspace phenomenon. Matter within the eddy is exchanged between normal space and subspace, and an unstable interfold layer which is not in space or subspace exists between the two. This region is the source of the eddys, which form when subspace is ruptured within the anomaly. Approaching an eddy is dangerous both because of the extreme turbulence and because of the considerable radiation they emit. Vessels in the wake of an eddy can be drawn into the interfold region, as happened to one of Voyager's shuttlecraft. Escape is possible by passing through one of the subspace ruptures which spawns a new eddy, though this is somewhat dangerous because of the turbulence eddys cause. [67] |
| Subspace Phenomena |
A phenomena encountered by Voyager in 2377, these Voids are capable of emitting a graviton surge which could drag ships off course. The void itself is a closed structure encased in an inert layer of subspace which neither matter nor energy can penetrate - only funnels which form periodically for a brief duration pull matter into the void. The funnels appeared at irregular intervals, though Borg sensors used with fractal algorithms allowed a ship to predict when and where they would form. There was little in the way of matter or energy in the void, and no deuterium which ships could use for fuel. Worse, the same graviton surge which dragged ships inside drained energy from their power systems, resulting in at least a tenfold increase in fuel useage. The void Voyager encountered was nine light years in circumference. [463] |
| Subspace Radio [464] |
Method of communicating at faster than light speeds. Subspace radio allows virtually instantaneous communication over long ranges if the signal is sent via relay stations. Without relay stations, the speed of a signal drops to approximately 50,000 times that of light. [464] |
| Subspace Rift [387] |
A break in the fabric of space through which the fabric of subspace can intrude into our universe. [387] |
| Subspace Sandbar [460] |
A region of space in which a warp drive will not function. [460] |
| Subspace Shockwave [159] |
A blast effect produced by certain types of explosion which propogates at a velocity greater than that of light. [159] |
| Subspace Tear [28] |
A rip which can be caused by an isolytic subspace weapon which allows subspace to protrude into our own universe. The tear is strongly attracted to warp cores. [28] |
| Subspace Transition Rebound [230] |
An effect which is associated with dimensional shifting. [230] |
| Subspace transporter [465] |
A form of transporter which sends the matter stream through subspace, thus extending the range from the normal few tens of thousands of kilometres to at least several light years. The Dominion transporters may well be subspace devices. [465] |
| Subspace Vacuole [118] |
A link between two points through subspace. Similar to a subspace funnel. [118] |
| Subspace Vortex [209] |
A method of transport used by the Xindi. [209] The Vortex allows them to take 'shortcuts' through subspace, covering large distances in a very short time. It is limited to ranges of a few light years. [314] It is also known as an energy portal. [314] |
| Subspace weapon [28] |
Any weapon which causes destruction via damage or disruption to subspace. Subspace weapons are illegal under the second Khittomer accords, though some species still use them. [28] |
| Sultritium [244] |
A chemical which, when enriched, was known to be a component of Tholian-made demolition explosives. In 2265 an Enterprise landing party was caught up in an explosion when they activated a Tholian booby trap on Ravanar IV which contained enriched sultritium. [244] |
| Sunshield |
A protective sun shield used to block many of the harmful rays from the sun. This technology started as a personal device that enabled Kore Soong to go outdoors, despite her extreme photophobia. The system is operated by a series of drones which allows the user complete range of motion without moving out of its protection. [237]
In an alternate reality this system was developed further into a protective shield for the whole of the planet and used to avoid making any real changes required by global warming. [238] |
| Sweet Spot [154] |
A point on Earth vessels half way between the gravity generator and the bow. Gravitational fields acted in strange directions at the sweet spot. [154] |
| System taps [258] |
Element of the warp drive of the NX class starship. In theory, re-routing the system taps would compress the antimatter stream before it reaches the injectors, stabilising the warp field and allowing higher speeds to be achieved. [466] |
| Tekasite [242] |
Substance which can be combined with protomatter and trilithium to create a weapon capable of destroying a sun and thus obliterating everything in the accompanying solar system. [242] |
| Temporal displacement drive [337] |
Drive system of the time pod which the NX-01 Enterprise discovered in 2152. [337] |
| Temporal incursion [456] |
A method of altering the timeline by removing an object from history. The result is to create a timeline in which the object has never existed. Temporal incursions were widely used by the Krenim. [456] |
| Temporal observatory [56] |
Device which Daniels used to monitor changes to the timeline. The temporal observatory contained a great deal of information on various aspects of history, including ship designs, which it could project holographically. [56] |
| Temporal radiation [337] |
Form of radiation emitted by a temporal displacement drive. Temporal radiation was considered dangerous to Humans, and could cause temporal distortions. [337] |
| Temporal tags [104] |
Device which Daniels's people used to bring objects forward in time from the past. [104] |
| Teraphasic warp coils [155] |
Element of the warp drive on a Xyrillian ship. [155] |
| Terraforming [138] |
Terraforming is the process of altering the surface of a planet to make it more suitable for habitation. The Federation engaged in terraforming efforts during the 24th century, including the effort to terraform Velara III. The process was extremely long, taking decades to accomplish. The Velara III project was abandoned when it was discovered that the planet was inhabited by a life form whose existence was threatened by the changing environment. [274]
The Genesis device could be considered to be an extreme form of terraforming, capable of recreating the surface of a dead planet into a life-bearing form in a matter of hours. [138] |
| Tetracyanate [467] |
Toxic byproduct of mining veridium isotopes. [467] |
| Tetrazine [75] |
Waste product created by mining processes used by the Paraagans in 2152. Tetrazine could be ingnited by a plasma exhaust and ships which approached a Paraagan mine had to be careful lest a catastrophic explosion result. [75] |
| Thermobaric clouds [415] |
Clouds which surrounded the Delphic Expanse. [415] |
| Theta radiation [468] |
Type of radiation which Dr. Phlox used to eliminate microbes. High doses caused cellular damage to Vulcans. [468] Theta radiation was used in the manufacture of liquid Trellium-D. [209] |
| Thracium [244] |
A chemical substance, known for being used in Tholian demolition explosives. In 2265 an Enterprise landing party was caught up in an explosion when they activated a Tholian booby trap on Ravanar IV which contained thracium. [244] |
| Time Crystal [469] |
A Klingon time crystal, which is able to show people a view of their future selves and experiences. Prolonged exposure can enable you to live out the events as if you were taking part in them. [469] |
| Time dilation [74] |
A distortion in the flow of time experienced as a result of travelling at high sublight velocities or passing through a high gravitational field. [74] |
| Time portal [75] |
Device which Daniels's faction in the temporal cold war used to travel through time. [75] |
| Time travel [49] |
Any movement through time at a rate other than normal. Time travel allows one to journey into the past or future, effecting changes in history. Various methods have been employed, including the slingshot and the Guardain of Forever. [49] |
| Timeship [147] |
Any vessel which is capable of traveling through time. The Federation will employ timeships in the 29th century. [147] |
| Tractor beam [180] |
A system used by Federation starships to pull on or push against other vessels or objects. [180] |
| Tractor Beams [261] |
One requirement for all Starfleet vessels is the ability to manipulate objects in space. Typically this will involve towing other vessels or holding sensor probes in place, but modifying the course of asteroids or space debris is also an option.
To accomplish this, Starfleet vessels are equipped with one or more tractor beam emitters. [74] These employ superimposed subspace/graviton force beams which focuses interference patterns on a remote object. This results in significant spatial stress being imposed on the object; by controlling the focal point and interference patterns of the beam it is possible to use this stress pattern to place either a repelling or attracting force on the object.
Power for the tractor beam emitters is provided by variable phase graviton polarity sources feeding sub-cochrane subspace field amplifiers. Phase accuracy of less than 2.7 arc-seconds per millisecond is required for precise control of a tractor beam. Use of a tractor beam can involve placing significant stress on both emitter and target, and vessels with low structural strength can be damaged by a tractor beam. Because of the potential damage to a vessel using a tractor beam, all Starfleet tractor emitters are attached directly to the skeletal frame, and are protected by the structural integrity field system of the craft. [470]
All Starfleet vessels are equipped with at least one tractor beam emitter, generally placed so it can tow an object which is situated behind and below. Vessels of Runabout size or above are fitted with more than one emitter - large starships having enough to ensure all-round coverage. |
| Trajector [370] |
Encountered by Voyager in 2371, the Sikarians are a highly advanced and peaceful people who are legendary in the Delta Quadrant for their generosity and kindness to strangers. Their technology is, in general, in advance of that of the Federation, most especially when it comes to transporters. The Sikarians used a device which they called the trajector, a transporter capable of sending people or objects across distances of 40,000 light years in an instant. The field required to accomplish this is some ten billion times greater than anything Voyager could have generated, requiring a field amplifier literally as large as a planet. Sikaris has a mantle of tetrahedral quartz twenty kilometres thick, whose crystalline structure was used by the Sikarians as an amplifier. [370]
Unfortunately, the Sikarians refused to allow Voyager to use their trajector and although members of the crew purchased the technology from a clandestine group on the planet, the use of the mantle as an amplifier, meant that it was impossible to use the device once they had departed. In addition, the trajector used antineutrinos as a catalyst for the space folding reaction, a technology incompatible with Federation technology. [370]
Voyager was thus unable to use this technology to assist in its return home. No other species has been encountered which has this technology. [370]
In 2399, ex-Admiral Picard discovered that the Sikarians had been assimilated by the Borg and that they had acquired the Trajector technology. Using typical Borg ingenuity, together with the knowledge gained from the assimilated Sikarians, they were able to overcome the need for a tetrahedral quartz mantel of a nearby planet. This allowed the Borg to build a trajector into any Borg Cube. Installed in the Borg Queen's chamber it was used as an emergency escape mechanism, reserved for the sole use of the Queen. With the assistance of Hugh, the ex-Borg, Picard was able to use it to escape with Soji. [39] |
| Translinear sensors [471] |
Sensor system which was fitted to the Vulcan vessel Vahklas in 2151. [471] |
| Translocator [390] |
A transporting device used by the Nyrians. The translocator was effective across ranges of at least 10 light years, and may be similar to the trajector or subspace transporter. [390] |
| Transporter [77] |
A device used by the Federation which is able to dematerialize a person or object, transmit the resultant stream of matter across distances of several tens of thousands of kilometres, and reconstruct them at the other end. Many other lapha quadrant species have similar or equivalent technology, though this capability is rare in the Delta Quadrant. [77] |
| Transporters [77] |
The transporter is probably the single greatest revolution in the movement of people and goods in recorded history; invented in 2135, the first transporter cleared for for the transport of biological organisms was installed aboard the NX class starship Enterprise in 2151. Although many crewmembers did not trust the new device, with some justification [154], the transporter eventually became a common feature of 22nd century life.
The basic operating principles of the transporter are relatively simple. It makes a detailed scan of the subject, breaks down its molecular structure, then transmits this beam to another location. The information gained from the scan is then used to reassemble the subject exactly as before.
Like many simple ideas, the actual engineering required to construct a working transporter are quite more complex. A standard transporter unit consists of ten major components :
The Transport Chamber is the area in which the subject is placed for transport. The transport chamber can be of almost any size or shape, though larger chambers have far greater energy requirements and are correspondingly less efficient for general use. Most transport chambers are capable of holding approximately six persons.
The Operators Console is the control unit of the whole system; these consoles are typically manned by a single operator who oversees the transport process and is responsible for reacting to emergency situations, as well as conducting routine maintenance of the transporter systems.
The Transporter Controller is a dedicated computer system which controls the minutiae of the transport process itself.
The Primary Energizing Coils are located directly above the transport chamber. These coils generate the annular confinement beam, creating a space-time matrix within which the dematerializing process occurs. The primary energizing coils also generate a containment field around the subject in order to prevent any possible breach of the annular confinement beam during the transport process. This is important as such disruption can result in a sizeable energy discharge.
The Phase Transition Coils are located in the floor of the transport chamber. It is the phase transition coils that cause the actual dematerialisation/materialisation process. They do this be decoupling the binding energy between the subatomic particles of the subject, causing the atoms themselves to disintegrate.
Molecular Imaging Scanners are located in the roof of the transport chamber. These devices scan the subject to be transported at quantum resolution, determining the location and momentum of every particle within the subject. Bulk cargo can be scanned at the molecular resolution, as it is not generally vital to recreate the object exactly. Living matter requires that exact information be obtained, a process which violates the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. This is made possible by the Heisenberg Compensator system, a component of the molecular imaging scanners of all personnel transport systems. All transporters are built with four redundant sets of scanners, allowing any three to override a fourth should it make an error. Should two scanners produce the same error the transport process would be aborted automatically by the transport controller system.
The Pattern Buffer is a large super conducting tokamak device, usually situated directly underneath the transporter unit itself. Once the subject has been dematerialized they are passed into the pattern buffer and held in suspension while the system compensates for relative motion between itself and the target location. Pattern buffers can be shared by several different transport systems, although only one transporter can use a given buffer at a time. Should an emergency arise during transport a pattern can be held suspended in a transport buffer without being either sent or dematerialized; however, after a few minutes such a pattern will begin to degrade to the point at which the subject will be unrecoverable.
The Biofilter is an image processing device which analyses the data from the molecular imaging scanner in order to locate any potentially damaging organisms which may have infected the subject. The biofilter is not generally a part of civilian transporter systems, though it is mandatory on all Starfleet transporters.
The Emitter Pad Array is mounted on the exterior of the transport system itself - in the case of a spacecraft, on the hull of the ship. The array transmits the actual matter stream to or from the destination. Components of the emitter array include the phase transition matrix and primary energizing coils. Some transporter systems also contain clusters of long range molecular imaging scanners within the emitter pad; this allows the system to lock onto targets at long range to beam them from remote locations without outside assistance. Most transporter systems do not include long range molecular scanners; such transporters can only beam to and from other other systems.
Targeting Scanners are a set of redundant sensors which are responsible for determining the exact location of the destination in relation to the transporter unit. Targeting scanners also determine the environmental conditions at the target site. Although dedicated targeting scanners should ideally be a component of any transport process, in practice any sensor device of sufficient range and accuracy can provide the required information so long as it is compatible with the transporter controller information protocols. In addition, if transport is being conducted between systems with a fixed relative position - planetary transporter units, for example - targeting information can be disregarded.
The precise operation of a transporter naturally depends on the level of system specifications. Starfleet transporters are generally reckoned to be the most advanced in the Federation, since they are required to perform a wider range of tasks over much more variable conditions than civilian models. A typical operations for Starfleet transporters include the following :
Beam up involves using the emitter array as the primary energizing coil in order to beam a subject from a remote location which does not have a transporter system.
Site-to-site transport involves following the conventional beam up process until the subject is in the pattern buffer; the subject is then shunted to a second pattern buffer and on to another emitter array before being beamed out to a new location. This process essentially merges two transport processes in order to allow a subject to be beamed from one location to another without having to rematerialise on board ship first. This process is avoided if possible since it requires double the energy expenditure and system resources to accomplish each transport.
Hold in pattern buffer. As described, the pattern buffer can be used to hold a subject essentially is stasis. Normally these patterns will degrade after just a few minutes at most, though on one occasion a specially modified transporter held a subject intact for seventy five years.
Dispersal. Although transporter systems are designed to beam a subject to or from a destination intact, it is possible to override the safety systems on a standard Starfleet transporter and cause it to deliberately disperse the subject over a wide area. This is done by disengaging the annular confinement beam during rematerialization, depriving the subject of a proper reference matrix to form against. Such a measure may be used in order to neutralize a dangerous payload such as a bomb or other weapon; the measure is frequently complemented by materializing the subject in space.
Near warp transport is achieved by careful shifting of the ACB frequency. This can be an uncomfortable experience for those who go through it, and on occasion can even be dangerous.
Warp transport can be achieved by the same method as near warp transport; this is only effective if the origin and destination are moving at the same warp speed. Transport between locations moving with different warp speeds result in a catastrophic loss of pattern integrity - this is fatal to living organisms. [472]
By the end of the 24th century, transporter technology had advanced to the point that transporter pads had been replaced by gates, at least for intraplanetary trips. [35] You register your required destination in advance and simply walk through any available gate on the planet. You are automatically recognised, dematerialised and rematerialised at the gate closest to your required destination, without even breaking your stride. The system is completely automated and no operators are required. [35] You can setup your entire itinerary for the day and the system will take care of the rest. Gates have a large throughput with a single gate being able to transport a new person once every second. Gates are also able to operate in multiple directions, with people entering from either side of the gate. [35] Gates are often found in groups in more popular destinations. [35] |
| Transtator [464] |
An element of virtually all Federation technology in the mid 23rd century. [464] |
| Transtator assembly [312] |
System which was aboard an NX class starship. Replacing a transtator assembly took the crew about a week. [312] |
| Transwarp [473] |
Basic warp propulsion systems have been in use with the major alpha quadrant powers now for over three centuries. Warp technology has been tremendously successful, and there remains much potential for development in warp drive systems. Nevertheless, as early as 2275 scientists working at the Daystrom Institute proposed that standard warp physics was in fact only a small part of a much larger puzzle. This technology, dubbed "transwarp", quickly attracted the attention of Starfleet. A huge engineering project was begun with the aim of developing a starship capable of transwarp speeds. This new "Excelsior" class was also to incorporate the very latest computers, sensors, and weapons systems - it would, quite simply, be by far the most sophisticated vessel in known space.
Unfortunately, while the Excelsior's non propulsion systems where a success, the transwarp project itself proved to be over-ambitious. Launched in 2285, it was only a deliberate act of sabotage by the Chief Engineer which prevented a catastrophic nacelle implosion on the first flight. Despite years of further work on the engines, the Excelsior was branded a failure - never made a successful test flight, and never having broke the transwarp barrier. Starfleet abandoned the Excelsior transwarp project altogether in 2287 and refitted the ship with a standard warp drive.
This was not the end for Federation transwarp technology, however. In 2372 the crew of the USS Voyager succeeded in conducting two brief shuttlecraft flights at warp 10 - actually straddling the warp barrier itself, and achieving infinite speed! However, several significant problems remain with this approach; Voyager crew members who conducted the flight experienced severe health problems, including genetic abnormalities. [379] Voyager relayed some details of this flight back to Starfleet in 2373 via an alien subspace communications array; experts analysing the technology have indicated that the difficulties experienced by Voyager are in fact only the tip of the iceberg. As well as the guaranteed genetic damage, the subspace fields associated with this form of transwarp drive results in an 85% chance of fatality per flight. Significant problems also remain with navigating a vessel using this form of drive system, and as a result even unmanned probes have proved to be unusable. Alien Technologiy Although many regarded transwarp drive as an impossibility, recent experience has shown that transwarp is indeed possible. In 2364 the USS Enterprise made several short transwarp flights with the assistance of an alien being known as "The Traveller". [473] In 2369 the Borg invaded Federation space for the third time, under the command of the android Lore. This time the Borg used a transwarp vessel capable of generating conduits within which an object could travel at incredible speeds - the USS Enterprise accessed one of these conduits and made a short trip at an average of some 236,000,000 times light speed. This vessel, which is thought to have been an advanced prototype, was later destroyed by the Enterprise. [191]
The crew of the USS Voyager, who had tested their own transwarp drive in 2372 [379], encountered a transwarp-capable species known as the Voth while journeying in the Delta Quadrant. A typical Voth ship was capable of very high speeds using their transwarp drives. [389]
Voyager has subsequently encountered the Borg, and has confirmed that a form of transwarp utilising conduits is in widespread use by this species. [283] The Borg maintain six transwarp hubs, each of which maintains a network of many conduits spreading throughout the galaxy. Vessels entering this network can cross the galaxy in a matter of minutes at speeds in equivalent to more than a billion times that of light. In 2377 Voyager managed to destroy one of these hubs, disabling Borg activity across a huge section of the galaxy. [6]
Borg vessels also use transwarp coils to generate conduits. [283] Theory When Professor Terrance and Doctor Neltorr proposed their "TNG scale", they had shown that a graph of the power required to propel any object at warp speeds would show certain minima which matched integer warp factors. On the TNG scale the velocity of an object - under ideal conditions - would be given by raising the warp factor it was travelling at to the power of 10/3, up to warp factor nine. Beyond warp nine the exponent increased gradually, then sharply as warp 10 was neared. At warp 10 itself the exponent became infinite [474] - an object reaching warp 10 would achieve infinite speed, passing through every point in the universe simultaneously. [379] Standard warp drives required infinite power to achieve warp 10 - naturally this seemed an impossible task. Scientists of the day where quite confident in proclaiming Warp 10 as the ultimate impassable barrier.
In 2269, scientists working for the Daystrom Institute took the theoretical models of subspace created by Terrance and Neltorr one step further. It was realized that the mathematics allowed for a second subspace region stretching from the warp 10 barrier up to another, similar barrier at warp 20 - a region which a public relations officer in the Daystrom Institute press office dubbed the "transwarp domain", a name which has stuck despite its inaccuracy.
In 2270 it was realized that even this theoretical transwarp domain was only part of the whole structure. The theory allowed for an infinite number of such domains, each separated by a warp barrier. Throughout the early 2270's there was a huge effort to discover whether these transwarp domains where just theoretical constructs, or if they actually existed. In 2273 the Starfleet science vessel USSWanderer conducted a subspace particle dissipation experiment which proved conclusively that not only did transwarp domains actually exist, but that under certain circumstances it was possible for matter to circumvent the warp barrier and pass into the transwarp domain.
Theoretical and practical studies quickly established that at a point infinitesimally past Warp 10, the warp factor exponent fell from infinity to zero and then began to gradually rise again. By Warp 11 the exponent reached 13/3, after which it mirrors the behaviour of the normal warp curve. A Warp 19 the exponent begins to climb, again reaching infinity at warp 20 to form the next warp barrier. The whole process is repeated again in the second transwarp domain, and again in the third, and so on. In each domain the "steady" central value of the exponent increases linearly - from 10/3 in the warp domain to 13/3 in the first transwarp domain, 16/3 in the second, then 19/3, 22/3, and so on.
The speeds of warp factors within the warp domain and the first two transwarp domains can be seen on following chart. Warp Speed Speed |  | | Warp Factor |
Warp
Factor | Equals
(xc) | Time to travel | To nearby star
(5 ly) | Across Sector
(20 ly) | Across Federation
(8,000 ly) | To Andromeda
(2 million ly) | | 11 | 32,561 | 1.3 hours | 5.4 hours | 89.7 days | 61.4 years | | 12 | 47,474 | 55.4 mins | 3.7 hours | 61.6 days | 42.1 years | | 13 | 67,156 | 39.2 mins | 2.6 hours | 43.5 days | 29.8 years | | 14 | 92,588 | 28.4 mins | 1.9 hours | 31.6 days | 21.6 years | | 15 | 124,852 | 21.1 mins | 1.4 hours | 23.4 days | 16.0 years | | 16 | 165,140 | 15.9 mins | 1.1 hours | 17.7 days | 12.1 years | | 17 | 214,756 | 12.2 mins | 49.0 mins | 13.6 days | 9.3 years | | 18 | 275,115 | 9.6 mins | 38.2 mins | 10.6 days | 7.3 years | | 19 | 347,749 | 7.6 mins | 30.2 mins | 8.4 days | 5.8 years | | 20 | Infinite | An object at warp 20 travels at infinite speed, occupying all points in the universe simultaneously | | 21 | 11,267,725 | 14.0 secs | 56.0 secs | 6.2 hours | 64.8 days | | 22 | 14,440,680 | 10.9 secs | 43.7 secs | 4.9 hours | 50.6 days | | 23 | 18,304,103 | 8.6 secs | 34.5 secs | 3.8 hours | 39.9 days | | 24 | 22,968,182 | 6.9 secs | 27.5 secs | 3.1 hours | 31.8 days | | 25 | 28,554,861 | 5.5 secs | 22.1 secs | 2.5 hours | 25.6 days | | 26 | 35,198,530 | 4.5 secs | 17.9 secs | 2.0 hours | 20.8 days | | 27 | 43,046,721 | 3.7 secs | 14.7 secs | 1.6 hours | 17.0 days | | 28 | 52,260,814 | 3.0 secs | 12.1 secs | 1.3 hours | 14.0 days | | 29 | 63,016,748 | 2.5 secs | 10.0 secs | 1.1 hours | 11.6 days | | 30 | Infinite | An object at warp 30 travels at infinite speed, occupying all points in the universe simultaneously | | 31 | 2.79 x 109 | 56.6 msec | 226.4 msec | 1.5 mins | 6.3 hours | | 32 | 3.41 x 109 | 46.3 msec | 185.1 msec | 1.2 mins | 5.1 hours | | 33 | 4.14 x 109 | 38.1 msec | 152.4 msec | 1.0 mins | 4.2 hours | | 34 | 5.00 x 109 | 31.5 msec | 126.1 msec | 50.4 secs | 3.5 hours | | 35 | 6.01 x 109 | 26.2 msec | 105.0 msec | 42.0 secs | 2.9 hours | | 36 | 7.19 x 109 | 22.0 msec | 87.8 msec | 35.1 secs | 2.4 hours | | 37 | 8.55 x 109 | 18.5 msec | 73.8 msec | 29.5 secs | 2.1 hours | | 38 | 1.01 x 1010 | 15.6 msec | 62.4 msec | 24.9 secs | 1.7 hours | | 39 | 1.19 x 1010 | 13.2 msec | 52.9 msec | 21.2 secs | 1.5 hours | | 40 | Infinite | An object at warp 40 travels at infinite speed, occupying all points in the universe simultaneously |
The power required to hold a given warp factor is generally given in Megajoules per Cochrane per second. Within the warp domain the power requirements follow a saw-toothed curve, rising towards infinity at warp 10. Once into the first transwarp domain the basic shape of this curve repeats itself, although it is shifted upwards relative to the first by the higher energy requirements involved in transwarp drive. In general, transwarp factors require much higher engine power to maintain than the equivalent warp factor - for example holding Warp 13 requires 50,000 times as much power as holding Warp 3 does. But in terms of the power required to hold a specific speed, transwarp is far more efficient. The power needed to hold Warp 13 with a transwarp drive could maintain Warp 9.82 with standard warp drive, but while Warp 9.82 equates to 2,530 times light speed, Warp 13 is 67,156 times light speed - an increase in speed of almost 2654%. The following chart shows the total power which would be needed for a galaxy class starship to maintain a given warp or transwarp factor.
Total Power | Total Power |  | | Warp Factor |
Today a workable, practical transwarp drive remains beyond the reach of Federation science and although some efforts to develop this technology are still being made, no progress has yet been achieved. [389] |
| Trellium-A [209] |
Substance which is extremely common and easy to synthesize, but it is not very useful. [209] |
| Trellium-D [305] |
Substance used for insulation in Starship hulls in the 2150s. [58] Trellium-D would protect a ship from the spatial anomalies to be found in the Delphic Expanse. [176] It could be synthesised, but this was a very difficult process. [209] Trellium-D is a potent neurotoxin to the Vulcan nervous system - exposure to significant quantities of it induces paranoia and violent, unthinking rage towards others. [437] |
| Triburnium alloys [475] |
Type of metal used by the Enolians in 2152. They could be depolarised by subdermal implants, making them easy to break. [475] |
| Tricellite [476] |
A material which could be used to make contacts of the kind employed by spacecraft guidance systems. Tricellite was considered to be considerably more durable than Zelebium for this purpose. In 2365 Chief Engineer La Forge replaced the fused Zelebium contacts in the guidance system on Captain Okona's cargo ship with Tricellite. He expected the repair to outlast the entire ship. [476]
Tricellite was not available within the Omega Sagitta system. [476] |
| Triceron [244] |
A chemical known to be a component of Tholian-made demolition explosives. In 2265 an Enterprise landing party was caught up in an explosion when they activated a Tholian booby trap on Ravanar IV which contained triceron. [244] |
| Tricorders [49] |
The Starfleet Tricorder is a multi-purpose tool designed to be carried by personnel either whilst aboard ship or on away missions. The basic functions of a tricorder involve collecting data via a variety of sensors, analysing and processing the data via a compact onboard computer system, and presenting it to the user via a visual display and/or auditory cue. But this is barely the start of the capabilities of this amazing device.
The sensor capabilities of a tricorder are awesome. From scanning a planetary core from the surface at one extreme [79]down to checking a room for listening devices at the other [477], tricorders can do an amazing variety of things. They can record visual information, [288], detect neutrino emissions [28], determine the structural stability of caves [28], scan electronic systems to determine their functions [104], download or upload information to computer systems, bypassing normal access methods to read and alter memory or storage directly from the tricorder [81], analyse and if necessary disrupt powerful electromagnetic field effects [194], scan for lifeforms [51] and if necessary emit false lifeforms based on an analysis of DNA traces [478], they can determine how people have moved in an enclosed location by analysing molecular displacement traces even many hours afterwards [479], or even detect the thermal traces left by a person sitting down hours before and estimate the species from this data! [191] Medical tricorders can scan a person at a distance and collect detailed physiological data, including all of their vital signs [90]
In a more active role, tricorders can disrupt certain types of forcefield barrier [47], project holograms [168], or act as a distress beacon [222] They can even be networked together to combine the processing power of their systems, allowing them to be used to control systems such as transporters. [31]
Over the years Starfleet has used many different models of tricorder; the standard model in use during the mid 2360s was the TR-580. This unit measured 8.5 x 12 x 3 cm and had a mass of 353 grams. The two-part case was constructed of duranium foam, which was resistant to a wide range of environmental conditions. When opened the TR-580 presented a 2.4 x 3.6 cm display screen and a set of twenty four control buttons - the use of a full touch-sensitive screen was avoided to improve ease of use under potentially difficult field situations.
Power was provided through a sarium crystal similar to those used in standard phasers, and was rated as sufficient for eighteen hours of continuous use of all sensor systems. Such levels of use are unlikely within the field, and in fact the average power consumption of a TR-580 was found to be slightly over 15 Watts.
Within the TR-580 were sensor assemblies which covered a total of 235 mechanical, electromagnetic and subspace devices. Of these, 115 were located in the directional sensor cluster at the top of the device, with the remaining 120 scattered throughout the body for all-around coverage. The unit was fitted with a detachable handheld scanner unit which contained 17 high resolution devices for detailed readings. The tricorder could combine input from any or all of these sensors in order to give the most complete possible image of the object being scanned.
Data processing on a TR-580 was provided by a distributed network of 27 Polled Main Computer Segments (PCMS) which co-ordinated all tricorder functions. Together these segments were capable of 150 GFP calculations per second; multiple functions can be run simultaneously, limited only by processing speed. Communications with other tricorders and compatible systems were carried out via a subspace transceiver assembly. Transmission rates were somewhat variable, but achieved a maximum in Emergency Dump mode of 825 TFP. Communications range was limited to 40,000 km - similar to the standard comm badge.
Data storage was provided by 14 wafers of nickel carbonitrium crystal and three isolinear chips; the former totalled 0.73 kiloquads, the latter 2.06 kiloquads each for a total of 6.91 kiloquads. The swappable library crystal chips were each formatted to hold 4.5 kiloquads. [480]
The TR-590 replaced the 580 in the 2370s. This model was somewhat smaller at 7.62 x 15.81 x 2.84 cm and massed 298.3 grams. Part of the reduced mass was been achieved through switching to a polyduranide casing, although this is slightly less resistant to adverse environmental conditions than the duranium casing of the 580. Within the tricorder the layout of buttons and display device was retained, allowing this model to be issued without any changeover training.
The typical power usage was 16.4 watts, a 6% increase over the TR-580; nevertheless, an uprated power cell increased total endurance with all systems active by 100%. The available sensor units were also increased to 315, of which 189 were located in the directional sensor cluster. The detachable high resolution hand unit was been eliminated from the TR-590, the resolution of the onboard sensors having increased sufficiently to make the unit obsolete.
Processing speed was increased to 275 GFP calculations per second, an 83% increase. Total memory was increased by 32% to 9.12 kiloquads. [481]
By the late 2370s Starfleet had moved on to a new generation of tricorder. The majority of the buttons were eliminated in favour of touch-screen controls [23], developments in touch screen technology having made them robust enough to deal with field conditions. The new unit had no less than 500 sensor units, all of them of a new generation of high-resolution devices. Processing speed reached 500 GFP calculations per second, while total memory increased to 25 kiloquads. The sensor and processing power of the unit was so improved that Starfleet considered this an "all purpose" tricorder, and did not produce a medical version as had been standard practice previously. |
| Tricyclic plasma drive [154] |
Drive system used by Suliban ships. [154] |
| Trilithium [339] |
Substance which can act as a fusion inhibitor. In theory a quantity of trilithium is capable of stopping all nuclear fusion in a star, producing a shockwave which will then destroy the entire associated solar system - this formed the basis of Dr. Soran's star-destroying weapon [339] and the Dominion device intended for use against the Bajoran sun in 2373. [242] Trilithium is apparently somewhat different from trilithium resin [339], which is a highly unstable and explosive substance produced as a waste product in the warp core of a Galaxy class starship. [92] Trilithium can also form the basis of a more conventional explosive - the Akritirian terrorist group called Open Sky used such a bomb to destroy the Laktivia recreational facility in 2373. The Trilithium was produced from paralithium obtained from an Akritirian vessel. [482] |
| Trilithium resin [92] |
Trilithium resin is produced as a waste product by the warp core of some Federation starships, including the Galaxy class. It is highly unstable, and prone to catastrophic explosions if not carefully handled. [92]( Defiant class Starships also produce the resin. Four hundred kilos of this substance scattered into the atmosphere of an M class planet is sufficient to make it uninhabitable to all human life for 50 years.#Ref5111} |
| Trillium 323 [284] |
Substance which is found in abundance on Caldonia. Supplies of Trillium 323 were part of the Caldonian bid for control of the Barzan wormhole. [284] |
| Trimagnesite [348] |
A substance which, when combined with tritium and ignited, produces an exceptionally bright visible light. [348] |
| Trinesium [303] |
Metal used by the Vissians in the construction of their ships from the mid 21st century onwards. Trinesium can withstand temperatures of up to 18,000 degrees. [303] |
| Tritanium [45] |
A metallic mineral ore found in nature. Pure tritanium was 21.4 times as hard as diamond. Phasers were able to split Tritanium [45], though melting the metal was beyond the capability of Federation technology even in 2364. [161] In 2369 Dr Bashir discovered Tritanium alloy fragments in the chest and upper arms of Hon-Tihl, the deceased first officer of the Klingon vessel IKS Toh'Kaht. [234]
Tritanium was widely used in ship construction. Earth Starfleet used it in the mid 22nd century, with the hull of the NX class being partially composed of tritanium alloy plating. [312] The internal walls of the Galaxy class were composed of tritanium [483], as were elements of the Intrepid class starship [484], Raven class science vessel [485], the cargo ship Earstwhile [476], Axanar cargo ships [486], the hulls of Federation Type 6 [413] and Type 9 shuttles [379], and Borg cubes. [283]
Tritanium had many other applications. It was used as armour plating on assault skimmers [256] and the detonators of the weapons encountered by Voyager in 2377. [487] Tritanium was used in composite form in the construction of Federation EJ7 interlocks in use in 2369. By this time, technology had advanced to the point where it was possible to melt Tritanium, at least in the composite form. [128]
The projectile fired from a TR-116 rifle was made of tritanium. [488] |
| Tritanium Cobalt [341] |
Substance; the NX-01 carried about 18 kilos of tritanium cobalt. [341] |
| Tritium [348] |
A substance which, when combined with trimagnesite and ignited, produces an exceptionally bright visible light. [348] |
| Turbolift [77] |
A system used for transportation within a Starship. A turbolift comprises of network of tunnels through which small cars travel. It is essentially a version of the present day elevator but capable of moving sideways as well as up or down. [77] |
| Ultritium [244] |
A powerful explosive. In 2265 Cervantes Quinn claimed to have rigged a cargo he delivered to Kessik IV with several kilos of ultritium. [244]
As a measure of how powerful an ultritium explosion could be, Chief O'Brien expected ninety isotons of enriched ultritium to be sufficient to destroy a Dominion facility and everything else within eight hundred kilometres of the detonation point. [198]
In 2346, Kira Nerys planted a bomb made from ultritium resin aboard Terok Nor in an attempt to assassinate Gul Dukat. [489]
In 2365, Antedian assassins wore robes lined with ultritium in an attempt to bomb a conference on Pacifica. The attempt failed when Lwaxana Troi read the assassin's minds and exposed the plan. [125]
Romulan scout ships used ultritium-based devices for self-destruct; in 2366 Geordi La Forge detected traces of ultritium residue on a destroyed Romulan ship on Galornden core. [301]
Ultritium-283 was carried by the Enterprise-D, classed as an industrial chemical explosive for use in mining applications. It was intended to be used for precision-charge patterns, detonated with standard microwave pulse ignition devices. Ultritium-342 was also carried, described as a high-yield version of standard industrial ultritium and intended to be used in terraforming applications, when the use of nuclear explosives are not desirable. [490]
The Dominion was mining ultritium from an asteroid in the Gamma Quadrant. The facility was later converted into a prison. [249]
Dominion forces used ultritium concussion shells as a surface bombardment weapon. [313]
In 2374 Captain Sisko used an enriched ultritium explosive to destroyed the Dominion's primary ketracel-white storage facility. [198]
When Captain Picard rebelled against Starleet in 2375 he took seven metric tons of ultritium explosives aboard the Captain's yacht. [491] |
| Underspace Corridor [492] |
The underspace corridor network surrounding the Vaadwuar home world is a natural phenomenon which allows ships to travel at far greater than normal speeds. The corridors were formerly controlled by the Vaadwuar themselves, who spent centuries mapping them and used them to allow trade with many other species and for military expansion of their territory. Approximately one thousand years ago the Vaadwuar were defeated by an alliance composed of their various victim species including the Turei. The alliance subsequently claimed control of the corridor network.
In 2376 Voyager was caught up in the network. The ship had been cruising at warp six when one of the corridors pulled them in abruptly, attracting the ships warp field like a magnet. They found hundreds of interconnected corridors, most filled with debris of various kinds. The ship found it difficult to escape from the corridors, but a Turei vessel was able to use a resonance pulse to alter Voyagers shield harmonic and expel it from the corridor.
Voyager found that the corridor had allowed them to cross two hundred light years of space in under five minutes, an average speed of over twenty million times the speed of light. They attempted to negotiate the right to use the corridors further, but were unable to do so. [492] |
| Universal Translator [493] |
The universal translator is perhaps one of the single most useful devices ever created. Without this handy gadget, co-operation between different species would be a far more complex and time consuming task than it historically has been. Initial versions of the universal translator were somewhat erratic, often needing a significant sampling of the alien language being used and depending on a good deal of operator input. Even then the translations it provided were often of variable accuracy. [486] Much work on improving the system was done by Ensign Hoshi Sato in her missions aboard the NX-01 between 2151 and 2161 - as just one example, she added several Klingon dialects to the database. [494] The increase in capability Ensign Sato provided made inter-species conferences such as that held on Earth in 2155 far smoother, more manageable affairs. [392] Sato eventually created the Linguacode translation matrix, a system which remained in use aboard Federation Starships until at least the 2260s. [495]
So successful was this system that by the 2260s it was an accepted theory that all intelligent life shared certain universal ideas and concepts. The universal translator could instantaneously compare the frequency of brain-wave patterns, select those ideas and concepts it recognizes, and then provide the necessary grammar before translating its findings into English using a voice an approximation of whatever the creature on the sending end is using - for instance a female voice would be provided for any feminine life form, no matter what its physical form may be. Although the system was not considered to be 100% efficient, translation difficulties were remarkably few and far between during this period. [493] Indeed so sophisticated did the translator become by the 2370s that even communications based on movement could be translated. [446] A basic UT unit was incorporated into the standard Starfleet combadge during this era [496], replacing the hand held unit common to the 2150s [154] and 2260s. [493] The software could also be included in programs such as the interactive holograms developed for use aboard ships. [461] Indeed, so advanced had these devices become that it was perfectly possible for a group of individuals to converse in different languages, each one thinking that everybody else was talking their own language - a truly remarkable achievement! [397]
As Starfleet explored more and more of the universe, however, the varieties of language encountered became more and more diverse. The universal translator occasionally had trouble analysing extremely different forms of syntax or grammar, although this could sometimes be overcome with sufficient exposure to the language. [497] Some languages, however, were so different that translation was extremely difficult. [12] For example, the Tamarian language was translated into English by the translator, but this did not greatly enhance understanding of the language because the translator did not convert the Tamarian's extensive use of metaphorical imagery into an English equivalent. [232] Inputting neural patterns and cortical scans of the subject could assist the translator with an unfamiliar form of communication [286], but even so it occasionally remained impossible to translate a language, at least in the short term. [496]
Many other species have discovered universal translator technology. For example, the Ferengi implant their version in their ears. [282] An advanced form of UT was used by the Think Tank which pursued Voyager in 2375, enabling its diverse members to communicate with one another; when Janeway disabled the device the Think Tank was unable to function effectively, allowing Voyager to escape. [498] |
| Vaal [57] |
Located on the planet Gamma Trianguli VI, Vaal was an ancient computer system which had been operating for at least ten thousand years. The original intent had apparently been to provide climate control and supervise the planet's food supply. But at some point it assumed direct control of the population, setting itself up as a local god-figure. Vaal kept close control of every individual on the planet, keeping them in a state of perfect health and eternal youth. In return, they provided Vaal with raw material to power itself.
Eventually the natives regressed to a state of near-childhood, virtually unable to think for themselves. When Captain Kirk visited the planet in 2267 Vaal made at least one direct attack on the landing party using its weather control abilities to direct lightning strikes which killed one crew member and wounded another. It also directed the local villagers to attack the landing party, although they were quickly subdued by the Enterprise personnel due to their inexperience in combat. Captain Kirk found the idea of Humans living under the control of a computer offensive enough that it justified violating the prime directive. His landing party kept the local villagers captive, refusing to allow them to feed Vaal, and he ordered the ship to fire on the forcefield surrounding the computer in order to drain its energy more quickly. Vaal soon ran out of fuel and became inactive.
Kirk offered the villagers Federation help in setting up their own society, and after some consideration they expressed a degree of enthusiasm for the new-found control over their lives. [57] |
| Vaso-stimulator [471] |
Vulcan medical implant. [471] |
| Veridium [467] |
Veridium isotopes are primarily used to manufacture explosives. [467] |
| Verteron Array [392] |
A device in use during the mid 22nd century in the Sol system, the Verteron array was situated on the surface of the planet Mars. It was designed to deflect the orbital path of comets. In 2155 John Frederick Paxton seized control of the array, threatening to use it as a weapon unless the Earth government complied with his demands to force all aliens to leave the system immediately. As a demonstration, Paxton used the array to blast the surface of the Earth's moon. [392]
Paxton planned to follow up this display blast by destroying Starfleet Command. Fortunately Captain Archer was able to reach the surface of Mars in a shuttlecraft by hiding within the tail of a comet which was due to collide with the planet, part of the ongoing terraforming effort. He then flew to Paxton's ship and gained access. Paxton managed to fire the array despite Archer's intervention, but Commander Tucker adjusted the target co-ordinates to instead blast an unoccupied patch of ocean. [499] |
| Viridium Tracking |
Viridium trackers were developed in the the late 2380s by Starfleet in a then clasified project. They were used in the attempted rescue mission on Oyolo β in 2288. [500] At this time they were produced in the form of a patch that could be attached to clothing. [159]
Spock attached such a patch to the jacket of Captain Kirk prior to him beaming aboard the Klingon K'T'Inga class ship Kronos One in 2393. When the Kirk was arrested and convicted of the murder of Chancellor Gorkon, he was sentenced to imprisonment on the penal colony of Rura Pente. The Enterprise crew were able to rescue him using the tracker. The device provided tracking capabilities across a range of several sectors although it can not be tracked through a anti beaming shield. One of the major problems of the patch technology is that it is easily discovered making it difficult to use in covert operations. [159] |
| Viridium Tracking |
By 2399 the technology had been refined into pill form. Once chewed and swallowed the Viridium enters the persons bloodstream, allowing them to be tracked with no external indications of a tracking device. Once ingested the tracker can only be inactivated by injecting a hydrogen based compound, such as uranium hydride which can cause neurological symptoms in a number of species. [501] |
| Virtual Reality Headset |
A virtual reality headset allows the wearer to experience a simulated environment in full three dimensions. [502] The technology became obsolete with the invention of the holodeck. |
| Vision Augmentation |
One of the common uses for vision augmentation systems is to provide the ability to see in low light conditions. Night vision systems have been employed in many variations; the crew of the NX-01 Enterprise carries such equipment, and it was standard hunting equipment for the Eska on the rogue planet Dakala. [503] |
| Vision Augmentation |
One of the simplest forms of vision augmentation, the fundamental purpose of the binoculars is to provide a magnified optical view of a distant object. Essentially similar to a telescope int hat purpose, the binoculars differ in that they provide an image for both eyes, rather than one. Binoculars have been in use for centuries, including with Earth Starfleet personnel aboard the NX-01 Enterprise [314] and by Federation Starfleet personnel, for example on the Enterprise-D [345] and Enterprise-E. [28] |
| Vision Augmentation |
The Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement is a device employed in the Federation during the 2360s to assit those who lack normal eyesight. It is a sensory system which is attached to the face via two small ports implanted on either temple. The sensor can detect a very wide variety of inputs, including the electromagnetic spectrum [93] from a frequency of 1 Hertz to 100,000 Terahertz [343] - from very low radio frequencies through microwaves, infa red, visible light and ultra violet. In addition other phenomena such as neutrinos can be detected. [301] The VISOR converts these inputs to electrical signals which it feeds directly into the cereberal cortex. [458]
As a result, patients who wear a VISOR experience a range of vision vastly superior to Human norms. [29] The VISOR allows the user to simultaneously percieve a wide variety sensory information, from which he or she has to select whatever is relevant much as a Human might focus on a single voice in a noisy room. [504] With a VISOR a Human can also examine an object at a range of magnifications, including telescopically and microscopically. [74] Using a VISOR a person can tell if another Human being is lying by monitoring small variations in blush response, pupil dilation, pulse and breath rate. [169]
One side effect of using the VISOR is that it inflicts constant pain on the wearer all that time that it is operating. Drugs and exploratory surgery have been suggested as ways to combat this problem, but both have the potential to affect the function of the VISOR, and at least some wearers have declined. [93] In the 2370s, some VISOR users have changed over to ocular implants. [148] |
| VISOR [93] |
Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement, a device which blind people can wear to give them artificial vision. The VISOR reads a wide range of electromagnetic and other input, converts it into data, and sends this directly into the brain. VISORs cause considerable pain for the entire time they are worn. [93] They are now in the process of being replaced by artificial eyes which serve the same function. [148] |
| Warp Beacon Decoy [468] |
A device employed by Skalaar when he abducted Captain Archer in 2153. The beacon could emit a warp signature which matched another vessel, thus decoying a searching ship away from the real target. [468] |
| Warp coil [387] |
A toroidal device which is responsible for generating the field which drives a vessel at faster than light speeds. Warp coils are powered by a plasma stream which passes through the centeral apeture. Each nacelle on a Starship can hold many warp coils. [387] |
| Warp core [74] |
The main power generator of a Federation Starship. The warp core is where the Starships matter and antimatter fuel is reacted together to produce the energetic plasma which powers the ship major systems. It is normally located in main engineering. [74] |
| Warp Drive |
Warp drive is by far the most widespread method of faster than light travel used in the alpha quadrant. Invented in 2063 by Zefram Cochrane of Earth [148] (and later of Alpha Centuri) [493], the first of his warp drives used a fission reactor to create a low energy plasma stream. This was split into two and directed through a pair of warp coils to produce a field around the ship which propelled it - briefly - faster than the speed of light.
Humans subsequently sold warp drive ships to many other cultures, and this technology has become common within the quadrant with over 2,000 species using it. The present day state of the art is not fundamentally different from Cochranes original system; ships today generally use matter / antimatter reactors rather than fusion ones, and dilithium has allowed more advanced power systems. The warp coils themselves have also become more numerous and complex in design.
For the future, many developments are possible. Over a century since it was first envisaged, transwarp drive remains seemingly just beyond the reach of Federation science. [349] Other lines of research involve soliton wave drive, which would allow warp travel without ships having to carry warp drive [428], co-axial warp cores, which allow instantaneous travel over sizeable distances [144] and slipstream technology [356], variants of which could theoretically allow travel at hundreds of light years per second. If this latter technology ever came to pass, it would make travel on an intergalactic scale easily feasible. [417] On the other hand, the idea of generating stable artificial wormholes for interstellar travel is also being researched and if successful this may render warp drive totally obsolete. [362] |
| Warp Drive |
There are two distinct fuel storage systems on board any starship; the matter storage is generally a single large fuel tank holding a large amount of slush Deuterium - in the case of the Galaxy class there is 62,500 m3 of actual Deuterium within 63,200 m3 of tankage space - the rest being accounted for by internal compartmentalisation of the fuel tank. [505] The ship thus carries 12,500 metric tons of fuel, sufficient for a mission period of seven years at the cruise speed of warp 6. [506]
The antimatter is contained within much smaller pods; the standard starship antimatter pod is capable of holding 100 m3 of fuel for a total of 3,000 m3 in a Galaxy class Starship. [507] Starfleet is somewhat reticent about revealing exactly how much antimatter is kept on board its starships, as this would allow threat forces to make detailed estimates of the total output of a ships power systems. In the event of a systems failure which threatens antimatter containment, the pods can be thrown clear of the ship by emergency systems of considerable reliability. [51] |
| Warp Drive |
Fuel from the pods is sent to the reactant injectors; these are designed to condition and feed streams of matter and antimatter into the warp core. The matter reactant injector is located at the top of the warp core; it is a conical structure some 5.2 metres in diameter and 6.3 metres high. The injector is constructed of dispersion strengthened woznium carbmolybdenide. Shock attenuation cylinders connect it to the deuterium fuel tank and the skeletal structure of the ship, allowing it to 'float' free within the structure.
Within Starfleet vessels, the MRI contains redundant sets of crossfed injectors. Each injector would consists of a twin deuterium manifold, fuel conditioner, fusion pre-burner, magnetic quench block, transfer duct/gas combiner, nozzle head, and related control hardware. Other designs are in use by civilian craft and other species. Although operation varies from class to class, in general slush deuterium enters the inlet manifolds and is passed to the conditioners where heat is removed. This brings the deuterium to just above solid transition point; micropellets are formed and then pre-burned by a magnetic pinch fusion system. The fuel is them sent on to a gas combiner where it reaches a temperature in the region of 106 K. Nozzle heads then focus the gas streams and send them down into the constriction segments.
Starfleet safety protocols require that should any nozzle fail, the combiner can continue to supply the remaining nozzles which would dialate to accommodate the increased fuel flow. The present generation of nozzles are constructed of frumium-copper-yttrium 2343.
The antimatter injector lies at the lower end of the warp core. Its internal design is distinctly different from that of the matter injector owing to the dangerous nature of antimatter fuel; every step in manipulating the antihydrogen must use magnetic to keep the material from physically touching any part of the structure. In some ways the ARI is a simpler device requiring fewer moving components. It uses the same basic structural housing and shock attenuation as the matter system, with adaptations for magnetic suspension fuel tunnels. The structure contains three pulsed antimatter gas flow separators; these serve to break up the incoming antihydrogen into small manageable packets and send them up into the constriction segments. Each flow separator leads to an injector nozzle and each nozzle cycles open in response to computer control signals. Nozzle firing can follow highly complicated sequences resulting from the varying demands of reaction pressures and temperatures and desired power output, amongst other factors. [508] |
| Warp Drive |
The magnetic constrictors make up the bulk of the warp core. They provide physical support to the reaction chamber, pressure containment for the whole core and, most importantly, guide and align the fuel flow onto the desired location within the reaction chamber.
The matter constrictor is typically longer than the antimatter constrictor, as antimatter is easier to focus and so requires a shorter distance for the same accuracy. Typically, the magnetic constrictors are divided into segments; each segment will contain several sets of tension frame members, a toroidal pressure vessel wall, several sets of magnetic constrictor coils and related power and control hardware. Constrictor coils will have dozens of active elements, and on more advanced designs these will be configures to contain the magnetic field almost wholly within the constrictor, with minimum spillage into the exterior environment. Starfleet warp cores usually have the outermost layers of the constrictors constructed of a semi-transparent layer which allows harmless secondary photons to escape from the inner layers, creating a glow effect. This gives an immediate visual cue to the current activity rates within the warp core.
As the fuel is released from the injector nozzles, the constrictors compress it and increase the velocity considerably. This ensures the proper collision energy and alignment within the reaction chamber. [509] |
| Warp Drive |
This is in many ways the "heart" of the ship. The principle function of any reaction chamber is to allow the matter and antimatter streams to come together and direct the resultant energy flow into the power transfer conduits. This apparently simple task is rendered highly complex by the need to allow the various sensor and other monitoring and control equipment to function within the chamber. The addition of dilithium to regulate and control the reaction, while allowing far higher efficiency and so increasing the power output, has also lead to ever more complex designs - most especially in more recent starships which are designed to allow continual recompositing of the dilithium whilst in use. Nevertheless, reaction chambers of today perform fundamentally the same task as those of a century ago or more. [510] |
| Warp Drive |
Dilithium is a key factor in the design of any efficient matter / antimatter reactor, and has been incorporated into Federation Starship designs since it replaced lithium crystals in 2265.
The key to the success of dilithium lies in the remarkable properties of this material. When subjected to a high frequency electromagnetic field in the megawatt range, dilithium - or 2<5>6 dilithium 2<:> diallosilicate 1:9:1 heptoferranide to give it the full scientific name - becomes completely porous to antimatter. The field dynamo effect created by the iron atoms within the crystalline structure allows antimatter atoms to pass through without actually touching it; it is thus the only known substance which does not react to the antimatter fuel commonly used in Starships. Dilithium can thus be used to mediate the reaction, boosting efficiency. [511]
Early reactor designs used naturally occurring dilithium, and considerable time and effort was spent in locating sources of dilithium ore. This led to confrontations between major powers seeking to secure new sources, most especially between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. [512] The Federation was largely successful in these efforts, and the Klingon Empire was forced to expand its mining operations on the few sources it did have access to. Such over mining was a major contributory factor in the catastrophic explosion on Praxis in 2293, which ultimately led to peace between the two powers. [159]
Eventually reliance on natural dilithium was reduced after breakthroughs in nuclear epitaxy and antieutectics made it possible to synthesize dilithium for Starship use through theta-matrix compositing techniques utilizing gamma radiation bombardment. [511] However, refining dilithium ore is a procedure which is still viable for Starships which are unable to obtain synthetic dilithium from a Starbase or other manufacturing facility. This is not generally a problem within known space, but USS Voyager has resorted to collecting dilithium ore to aid her in the long journey back to the Federation. [513] |
| Warp Drive |
The power transfer conduits are similar in nature to the magnetic constrictors of the warp core, in that they are ducts designed to use high energy magnetic fields to carry energetic plasma from one point to another. But where the magnetic constrictors operate only across relatively short distances and require a very high degree of precision with a comparatively low energy plasma, the PTC's must carry very energetic plasma across large distances with - relatively speaking - far less finesse.
Federation starships are equipped with a separate PTC line for each nacelle, a measure which increases resistance to battle damage or other failures. Since most Starships have twin nacelles, two PTC's will typically be arranged to be symmetrical about the ships centreline. These will proceed through the bulk of the engineering hull and along the connecting struts, if any, to the nacelles themselves.
Smaller versions of these heavy duty systems are also used to carry power to components such as the phasers, shields, and high energy scientific laboratories. [514] |
| Warp Drive |
At the terminus of the Power Transfer Conduits are the plasma injectors. One of these devices is fitted in each nacelle, and has the task of sending a precisely aimed plasma flow through the centre of the warp coils. [514]
Because of the relatively low accuracy with which the plasma flow is usually controlled by a PTC, the plasma injector system must often be designed to re-condition the fuel flow in order to dampen down turbulence and so ensure a smooth flow through the warp coils. In many Starfleet designs, most especially those systems with the highest raw power output, the plasma flow from the PTC is split into two parts and sent through swirl dampers before being recombined during the injection process. Long experience has found that this method reduces the size of the required hardware to a reasonable minimum. |
| Warp Drive |
After its long journey from the fuel systems, the flow is finally directed down the warp coils. These devices are large split toroids which take up the bulk of the nacelle. In order to increase efficiency they are usually made from multiple layers of various materials; this complicates the manufacturing processes greatly and has - so far - kept the replication of warp coils beyond Federation science.
The warp coils generate a multi-layered set of fields around the craft, creating the propulsive forces that enable a Starship to travel beyond light speed. Manipulation of the shape and size of the field determines the velocity, acceleration and direction of the vessel. [515]
Warp coils are composed of verterium cortenide, a densified composite material composed of polysilicate verterium and monocrystal cortenum. [516] |
| Warp Drive |
The Bussard collector is a device which is designed to collect interstellar gases - usually hydrogen - for use as fuel. They are not really intended for general use, but are rather an emergency system which can let a Starship limp to a nearby base if the standard fuel supply has been exhausted. [517] On Federation vessels the Bussard collectors are usually situated at the front of the nacelles, and are typically visible as a large red-glowing dome. As well as being used to collect gas, the collectors are capable of being back-flushed to expel gas into space. [28] |
| Warp Drive |
In the event of an emergency, Federation Starships are able to dump the plasma overboard to facilitate the fastest possible shutdown of the main power system. The system differs from ship to ship; on a Galaxy class vessel each nacelle has a single plasma vent below the plasma injectors [448], whilst on the newer Intrepid class plasma can be vented from the entire length of the nacelle simultaneously. [516] |
| Warp Drive |
Once the energy of the plasma is transferred to the warp coils it is used to create a warp field which encompasses the vessel. The field is what drives the shp to warp speeds. [74] |
| Warp Drive |
In extrem situations where a breach of the warp core is imminent, Federation Starships are designed to be able to disconnect the core from their supporting systems and eject it into space. On occasion this will allow both core and ship to be preserved, allowing the core to be recovered and re-mounted. [432] Sovereign class starships could remote-detonate their cores after ejection if required. [28] Core ejection systems were not always effective, and could be neutralised by battle damage. [339] |
| Warp factor [122] |
A number related to the velocity of a vessel using warp or transwarp drive systems. The Federation has used at least two different warp scales since warp drive was invented. [122] |
| Warp field [26] |
A subspace field with a value of 1 Cochrane or more. Starships use their warp coils to generate a warp field in order to facilitate faster than light propulsion. [26] |
| Warp injector casing [105] |
Highly radioactive container for warp injector. Transporting them was considered a highly dangerous occupation. [105] |
| Warp manifold [56] |
Element of the warp drive of an NX class starship. Damage to the manifold could cause an antimatter cascade to pass through an antimatter junction and into the reactor core, causing a catastrophic explosion. [56] |
| Warp nacelle [57] |
A structural component of a Starship which houses the warp coils. Nacelles are usually located at the end of long struts which hold them away from the main body of the ship, although this is not really necessary. A Bussard collector is often located at the front of the nacelle. [57] |
| Warp plasma regulators [252] |
Element of the drive system of an NX class starship. The warp plasma regulators were located in the twin booms which attached the primary hull to the nacelle struts in shaft C, junction 12. [252] |
| Warp plasma subprocessor [42] |
A computer system which controls the warp core of a Defiant class starship. It can be used to initiate a warp core breach. [42] |
| Warp Scales |
Since warp drive was first used by Zefram Cochrane in 2063, two methods of scaling warp speeds have been used. The original "Cochrane Scale" was devised by the great man himself for his first test flight aboard the USS Phoenix. It was a relatively straightforward scale in which the speed of the vessel was proportional to the warp factor cubed. Cochrane's first ship didn't exceed lightspeed by more than a few percent, but the scale was flexible enough to remain in force for over two centuries. |
| Warp Scales |
The original "Cochrane Scale" was devised by the great man himself for his first test flight aboard the USS Phoenix. It was a relatively straightforward scale which followed the formula
V/c = WF3
Where V = Velocity of the vessel, c = the velocity of light, and WF = the warp factor. This scale has the advantage of simplicity; the velocity in multiples of light speed at any given warp factor is that number cubed, hence : [518] By 2300 many were becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the Cochrane Scale. Although convenient for those using the warp formula, it was of limited use to Engineers and specialists since it took relatively little account of the interstellar conditions at the moment. Thus it took a great deal more engine power to achieve a speed of Warp 5 while within a gravimetric distortion than it did while in relatively "calm" interstellar space. Engineering departments lobbied for years to bring in a new scale, but the bridge crews resisted and Starfleet Headquarters - primarily composed of ex-bridge officers - concurred. The loss of the USS Wilmington with all hands during an Ion storm in 2309 changed this attitude. It emerged during the inquiry that Captain Lamarr had seriously over stressed the Wilmingtons engines by ordering Warp 7 while within the storm; although the Wilmington was quite capable of maintaining this speed under normal conditions, during an Ion storm it was far too great a load. Although other factors contributed greatly, such as a serious breakdown in communications on the ship, Starfleet was unwilling to chance such a situation again. |
| Warp Scales |
The Terrance-Neltorr Graduated Scale was first suggested in 2298 by two civilian warp field specialists of those names. On the TNG Scale the warp factor is indicative of the subspace stress levels which the vessel must both create and endure, rather than the actual velocity of the vessel itself. The actual speed denoted by any given warp factor would depend upon the precise conditions prevalent at the time. So a Captain using the TNG scale would be able to order Warp 7 while in space, a solar system, or an Ion storm and be assured that he would not be over stressing his engines. The new scale was also tweaked to accommodate a number of technical advances made over the last century and in development at the time. Starfleet conducted a quick assessment of several possible new warp scales between 2310 and 2311 before formally adopting the TNG scale, with the changeover made in 2312.
For ideal conditions, such as are found in interstellar space, the speeds of TNG warp factors are calculated using either of two formulae :
Up to Warp 9 :
V/c = WF(10/3)
Which is very similar to the Cochrane Scale. Beyond Warp 9 the formula becomes somewhat more complex. [519] It is best approximated by :
V/c = WF[<(10/3)+a*(-Ln(10-WF))^n>+f1*((WF-9)^5)+f2*((WF-9)^11)]
Where a is the subspace field density, n is the electromagnetic flux, and f1 and f2 are the Cochrane refraction and reflection indexes respectively. Under ideal conditions values of a = 0.00264320, n = 2.87926700, f1 = 0.06274120 and f2 = 0.32574600 can be expected within a "normal" area of deep interstellar space. The values for TNG warp speeds under these conditions are shown below, along with travel times across typical distances :
Warp
Factor | Equals
(xc) | Time to travel | Earth
to Moon
(400,000 km) | Across Sol
System
(12 billion km) | To nearby
star
(5 ly) | Across
Sector
(20 ly) | Across
Federation
(8,000 ly) | To
Andromeda
(2 million ly) | | | 1.3333 Sec [520] | 11.1 Hours [520] | 5.0 Years [520] | 20.0 Years [520] | 8,000.0 Years [520] | 2,000,000 Years [520] | | | 0.1323 Sec [520] | 1.1 Hours [520] | 181.1 Days [520] | 2.0 Years [520] | 793.7 Years [520] | 198,425.1 Years [520] | | | 0.0342 Sec [520] | 17.1 Minutes [520] | 46.9 Days [520] | 187.5 Days [520] | 205.4 Years [520] | 51,360.1 Years [520] | | | 0.0131 Sec [520] | 6.6 Minutes [520] | 18.0 Days [520] | 71.9 Days [520] | 78.7 Years [520] | 19,686.3 Years [520] | | | 0.0062 Sec [520] | 3.1 Minutes [520] | 8.5 Days [520] | 34.2 Days [520] | 37.4 Years [520] | 9,356.9 Years [520] | | | 0.0034 Sec [520] | 1.7 Minutes [520] | 4.6 Days [520] | 18.6 Days [520] | 20.4 Years [520] | 5,095.6 Years [520] | | | 0.0020 Sec [520] | 1.0 Minutes [520] | 2.8 Days [520] | 11.1 Days [520] | 12.2 Years [520] | 3,048.2 Years [520] | | | 0.0013 Sec [520] | 39.1 Sec [520] | 1.8 Days [520] | 7.1 Days [520] | 7.8 Years [520] | 1,953.1 Years [520] | | | 0.0009 Sec [520] | 26.4 Sec [520] | 1.2 Days [520] | 4.8 Days [520] | 5.3 Years [520] | 1,318.9 Years [520] | 9.1 | 1,573 | 0.0008 Sec | 25.4 Sec | 1.2 Days | 4.6 Days | 5.1 Years | 1,271.2 Years | | | 0.0008 Sec [520] | 24.3 Sec [520] | 1.1 Days [520] | 4.4 Days [520] | 4.9 Years [520] | 1,212.9 Years [520] | 9.3 | 1,693 | 0.0008 Sec | 23.6 Sec | 1.1 Days | 4.3 Days | 4.7 Years | 1,181.6 Years | 9.4 | 1,757 | 0.0008 Sec | 22.8 Sec | 1.0 Days | 4.2 Days | 4.6 Years | 1,138.3 Years | 9.5 | 1,828 | 0.0007 Sec | 21.9 Sec | 24.0 Hours | 4.0 Days | 4.4 Years | 1,093.9 Years | | | 0.0007 Sec [520] | 21.0 Sec [520] | 23.0 Hours [520] | 3.8 Days [520] | 4.2 Years [520] | 1,047.7 Years [520] | 9.7 | 2,044 | 0.0007 Sec | 19.6 Sec | 21.4 Hours | 3.6 Days | 3.9 Years | 978.5 Years | 9.8 | 2,304 | 0.0006 Sec | 17.4 Sec | 19.0 Hours | 3.2 Days | 3.5 Years | 868.0 Years | | | 0.0004 Sec [520] | 13.1 Sec [520] | 14.4 Hours [520] | 2.4 Days [520] | 2.6 Years [520] | 655.1 Years [520] | 9.95 | 4,183 | 0.0003 Sec | 9.6 Sec | 10.5 Hours | 1.7 Days | 1.9 Years | 478.1 Years | 9.975 | 5,552 | 0.0002 Sec | 7.2 Sec | 7.9 Hours | 1.3 Days | 1.4 Years | 360.2 Years | | | 0.0002 Sec [520] | 5.1 Sec [520] | 5.5 Hours [520] | 22.2 Hours [520] | 1.0 Years [520] | 252.8 Years [520] | 9.995 | 10,553 | 0.0001 Sec | 3.8 Sec | 4.2 Hours | 16.6 Hours | 276.7 Days | 189.5 Years | 9.999 | 25,567 | 0.0001 Sec | 1.6 Sec | 1.7 Hours | 6.9 Hours | 114.2 Days | 78.2 Years | | | 0.0000 Sec [520] | 0.2 Sec [520] | 13.2 Minutes [520] | 52.7 Minutes [520] | 14.6 Days [520] | 10.0 Years [520] | | Infinite [379] | An object at warp 10 travels at infinite speed, occupying all points in the universe simultaneously [379] |
Although the TNG Scale has proved highly successful in use, recent advances in warp drive have brought its practicality into some question. In 2312 it seemed unlikely that Starships would get beyond Warp 9.9 for a very long time, but modern vessels are capable of Warp 9.97+ [109] speeds and some predict that the next twenty years will see ships which can travel in the Warp 9.999+ region. While there remains no engineering difficulties with these numbers, it is becoming problematic for bridge crews to keep track of a tactical situation while having to use numbers to three significant figures. Although nothing definite has yet emerged, several proposals for new warp scales are currently under consideration by Starfleet.
|
| Warp Scales |
Although the above values hold true for ideal conditions, there are occasions when a Starship can travel at speeds significantly higher than normal. For instance, shortly after Zefram Cochrane made his famous warp flight, the SS Valiant was able to reach the edge of the galaxy. [77] In 2286 Captain Kirk was able to reach the centre of the Galaxy from Nimbus III, covering a distance of 22,000 light years in just 6.8 hours at warp 7 - an average of 3,235 light years per hour. [420] These high speeds are allowed by so called "warp highways". Named after an ancient transportation system, these can consist of broad areas encompassing a number of whole star systems, or narrow corridors which can extend for many thousands of light years.
The effect of a warp highway is to change the speed associated with any given warp factor according a multiplier known as Cochranes Value, which is highly variable from region to region. These phenomena are known to exist for a finite period of time; the one between Nimbus III and the Galactic core no longer exists, which is why the USS Voyager is unable to make use of it in her attempts to return from the other side of the galaxy.
Amongst their other properties, highways are notoriously difficult to detect and map - Starfleet has always put considerable effort into locating these regions, carrying out many mapping missions. Voyager has been partially able to overcome this difficulty with the use of advanced Astrometric sensors, which cut five years off their journey time [456] by allowing the vessel to detect regions where the Cochrane Value would be slightly higher from many thousands of light years away.
Since their discovery, the warp highways have been a crucial factor in the expansion of the Federation and other powers. They allow the journey time across known space to be cut from years or even decades down to a matter of days. |
| Warp Scales |
Subspace Sandbars are a phenomenon which prevents a vessel using warp drive at all within a given region [460] - essentially, a region with a Cochrane factor of zero. These regions are, fortunately, very rare. |
| Warp Scales |
Whilst some regions of space have a speed multiplier in the tens of thousands, there are also regions where the value is less than unity. For example, in the region around the Xendi Sabu system warp speeds are reduced by almost one half - a Cochrane Value of 0.55. [521] These regions, which are commonly nicknamed 'Warp Shallows', are generally more common than warp highways and tend to cover a larger area. Warp shallows can be caused by a variety of phenomena - the Hekaras corridor is a region of relatively normal space which passes through a large warp shallow caused by unusually intense tetryon fields. The Briar Patch is a warp shallow caused by the unusual metaphasic radiation common to the region. |
| Warp sustainer engine [393] |
Propulsion device included in small probes or weapons which allows them to take a small amount of energy from a launch vessels warp field and coast on it for a short time. [393] |
| Waveform discriminator [522] |
Device carried by Vulcan spacecraft in the 1950s. A waveform discriminator could be used as part of an improvised communications device. [522] |
| Weather modification net [523] |
A system designed to modify or control the weather on a planet. Risa has one of the most extensive weather modification systems in the Federation. [523] |
| Wormhole [284] |
An anomaly which connects two points in spacetime, creating a short cut between them. Wormholes can allow a vessel to travel quickly across vast distances, or even back in time. Most wormholes are unstable, with endpoints which move regularly, [284] with the artificially created Bajoran Wormhole as the single exception. [48] |
| Wormholes [483] |
A wormhole is a "tunnel" which connects two points in normal space and time. The distance between the endpoints of a wormhole through the tunnel is generally very much shorter than the same journey through normal space, and wormholes offer the possibility of covering huge distances - often in the tens of thousands of light years - in a matter of minutes. [284]
Wormholes could therefore prove enormously useful as a natural short cut across the galaxy, or even beyond it. Unfortunately virtually all known wormholes are extremely unstable - their end points wander unpredictably through space rather than being fixed in place. This makes them useless for transport purposes since there is no way to know where the journey will take a ship, and no guarantee that the wormhole will still be there for the return trip. [284]
There was much interest in 2366 when the Barzan discovered an apparently stable wormhole which stretched from their system to the Delta Quadrant, some 70,000 light years distant. The Federation and others attempted to acquire the rights to travel the wormhole in order to open up a new frontier of exploration; unfortunately on investigation it was discovered that only one end of the wormhole was stable; the Delta Quadrant end was as prone to motion as any normal wormhole, and two Ferengi scientists were stranded in the area when it eventually shifted. [284]
In 2369 Commander Sisko of Deep Space Nine discovered a wormhole which stretched from the Denorious Belt in the Bajoran system some 70,000 light years to the Gamma Quadrant. Historical records indicated that the wormhole had been there for some 10,000 years, making it the first completely stable wormhole known to exist. [48] On investigation Sisko found the reason for this stability - the Bajoran wormhole is an artificial entity created by a sentient alien species which exists outside of linear space and time. He was able to negotiate with the aliens to secure right of passage through the wormhole, allowing exploration of the Gamma quadrant [48], and unfortunately leading to contact with the Dominion [4] and the ensuing Dominion war. [377]
Voyager was always on the lookout for wormholes whilst attempting to find a way to reach home territory [109], and in 2371 such a structure was indeed located which led to the Beta Quadrant. Unfortunately it was ancient, and of very small size. Voyager's crew found a way to send communications and transporter signals through the wormhole, contacting a Romulan officer at the far end. However the wormhole proved to be a link in time as well as space - the far end connected to the year 2351, twenty years before the ship had been lost. [146] Voyager also encountered the far end of the Barzan wormhole in 2373, but was unable to use the unstable entrance to reach the Barzan system. [391]
Given the possibilities of near-instantaneous travel on a galaxy-wide basis, there has been much interest within the Federation in creating artificial wormholes. [362] Certain engine imbalances in the warp drive of a (refit) Constitution class Starship can generate a form of wormhole. This is extremely hazardous to the ship involved - the wormhole can sweep up material from normal space during its formation, posing a considerable risk of impact with the vessel. The wormhole effect can also disrupt ship's systems, making it difficult to avoid such dangers. Fortunately these occurrences are extremely rare, though the newly refitted USS Enterprise did experience one in 2271 whilst attempting to reach the approaching V'Ger cloud. [14]
In 2372 a team arrived at Deep Space Nine with the intention of creating the first deliberate artificial wormhole, using the USS Defiant as a space going laboratory for the experiment. They were successful, though considerable problems were encountered with stability of the structure and a resulting accident aboard the Defiant nearly led to at least one death. Further research continues. [362] |
| Xylathoric acid [105] |
Substance used in thermalizing landing decks. [105] |
| Zelebium [476] |
A material used by some species in the guidance systems used aboard cargo ships. Contacts made of Zelebium could wear down and then fuse, rendering the system inoperative. In 2365 this exact failure crippled Captain Okona's cargo ship, prompting the Enterprise-D to offer assistance. Chief Engineer La Forge replaced the fused contacts with Tricellite, which was considered to be much more durable. [476] |
| Zero-point energy [74] |
A quantum fluctuation phenomenon which holds significant - possibly enourmous - quantities of energy. This is the major method employed to release energy in a quantum torpedo. [74] |
