USS Hope

USS Hope
General Information
Registry	NCC-60973
Class & Type	Olympic-class Research Cruiser
Affiliation	Starfleet
Status	Active
Commissioned	2360
Assignment
Task Force	Task Force 72
Home Port	Starbase 72
Role	Passenger Liner Hospital Vessel
Template:Starship

The USS Hope (NCC-64901) is a Olympic-class research cruiser assigned to Task Force 72, equipped as a passenger liner and hospital vessel with the ability to shift quickly between these two roles.

Design and Layout

A mid-24th century design intended to interface with civilians on a regular basis, the Hope is comfortable and well-appointed, with wide corridors containing planters or sculptural art at most junctions within the crew and passenger sections of the ship. These boulevard-like hallways help with the sense of isolation that often comes with long journeys, but they also allow for the rapid movement of both people and stretchers during times of crisis. Crew quarters are found in the upper half of the saucer, while passengers or patients are housed in the lower saucer and in the secondary hull.

Recently refit with advanced transporter pattern buffer and holography systems, Hope can pivot very quickly from its role as a passenger liner to a hospital ship by beaming in fixed medical equipment to turn passenger staterooms into private or dual occupancy patient rooms. The concert hall, ballroom, and grand dining room can become functional wards in minutes. In a pinch, a dozen EMHs can step in if the ship doesn't have time to pick up a medical team from a shipyard.

Systems aboard the Hope are highly automated to allow for a minimal operational crew. The bridge is very simple, with a single horseshoe-shaped console forward for the helm and aft-facing stations for operations, tactical, science, and engineering behind the captain's chair.

Mission Operations

As an Olympic-class starship, it may seem odd at face value to see the Hope assigned to the Fourth Fleet's diplomatic arm, but her value to the task force comes from her ability to move people in great comfort and speed across long distances. Whether that's on a grand tour of Federation space for visiting diplomats or welcoming refugees to the Federation, Hope's main mission is as a passenger liner. She can also be used as a floating hotel or resort in orbit of a planet to serve as a venue for a diplomatic summit, or even as housing for an ongoing engineering or scientific project that Starfleet is eager to support.

Should her services be required as a medical ship, she can easily transition into that role. Under those circumstances, she must go to a starbase or rendezvous with a courier to pick up additional medical personnel. When sent to help the citizens of another power, her medical capabilities still end up serving the Federation's diplomatic ends by demonstrating Starfleet's willingness to share resources and provide aid.

Auxiliary Vessels

Olympic-class starships typically carry large small craft loads to handle evacuation and transport missions. Hope embarks eight Executive-type runabouts which are excellent at moving large groups of people from surface to orbit, while her shuttle loadout is a mix of Type 14 long-range shuttles and Type 17 cargo shuttles.

History

The Hope has been in service with Starfleet since her launch in 2360. Over four decades of her time in the fleet she has seen duty as a transport and a medical vessel during the tumultuous latter half of the 24th century.

Notable Events

• 2360s: Hope is commissioned primarily as a hospital vessel, but sees more work as a transport during the first decade of her service.
  • 2360 - 2367: Hope is launched from San Francisco Fleet Yards over Earth. After six months of shakedown operations, she serves as a transport evacuating refugees from what would later become the Demilitarized Zone, with occasional medical deployments during this time.
  • 2367: Hope participates in recovery efforts following the Battle of Wolf 359.
  • 2367 - 2370: Hope remains in medical configuration and is again assigned to the Cardassian border.
• 2370s: Throughout this decade, Hope serves as a medical ship in the Klingon, Borg, and Dominion conflicts. Later, she provides medical support to the relief operations in Cardassian space, often homeported at Starbase 72.
• 2380s: From 2381 to 2385, Hope participates in the Romulan evacuation. Following the end of this mission, she supports refugee worlds such as Vashti for the rest of the decade.
• 2390s: Hope is kept in ready reserve at Starbase 72, still in commission but with a skeleton maintenance crew.
• 2400s: Hope is brought to active duty status to participate in several Fourth Fleet campaigns. She is placed under the auspices of Task Force 72 in 2401.

In-Play

• The Hope is a Task Force 72 asset and can be used in member stories from Task Force 72. For usages beyond simple cameo appearances, reach out to the Task Force staff to discuss your idea, so that there aren't too many conflicts between stories.
• The Hope is a big people-mover. Sometimes that will be civilians, other times dignitaries, and other times patients. If you need a ship to rescue, the Hope is a good choice. She's also a good option for explaining how someone got somewhere, as Starfleet officers could hitch a ride to their next assignment.
• Since it can function as a medical ship, the Hope could be a great way of setting up a coda or wrap-up to a mission involving casualties, as she could show up to relieve your ship to handle the clean-up.