USS North Sea
“If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.” ― Carl Sagan
After the devastating events of Wolf 359, Starfleet revised its starship design philosophy to fortify its military strength. Out of this new era came several new vessels with that idea behind in mind, including the Norway-class.
A light cruiser, the USS North Sea (NCC-64904) was fitted for science and diplomatic missions. While she lacked the firepower of her sister classes, the Akira, the Saber and the Defiant, she was a jack-of-all-trades by design. The North Sea saw a number of second contant missions, acted as an escort for numerous dignitaries and aided in evacuation efforts during both the Dominion War and the Romulan crisis. Stationed at Starbase 4, the North Sea was assigned to Taskforce 72 in 2400.
History
The USS North Sea was commissioned in 2371 and launched in 2373 from the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. After an initial shakedown cruise under Captain Donov, the USS North Sea was tasked as a flag ship during the Federation-Klingon War. The vessel operated as a mobile HQ for the Federation until the conflict ended.
2373 - 2375
During the Dominion War the USS North Sea was regulated to humanitarian duties and rarely saw combat outside a small skirmish with foolhardy pirates. Captain Donov, a Vulcan CSO prior to his promotion, was content to serve on the sidelines conducting scientific and diplomatic duties.
2375 - 2378
After Donov retired, the USS North Sea fell into the hands of Captain Ronald Ho, a veteran of the Dominion War. Ho was more than happy to steer the ship toward a purely scientific vessel and conducted numerous second contact missions.
2378 - 2397
For nearly a decade, the North Sea became a stepping stone for commanders straight out of the academy. An unofficial training ship, she saw six command changes during that time. Likewise with the crew as the vessel became a revolving door for fresh recruits.
List of Commands from 2378 to 2397 Commander Hrax Trasa (Bolian), Commander Edith Tickel (Terran), Lt. Commander Isyhraahl Ch'eraonar (Andorian). Commander Edger Donohoe (Terran), Commander Bryce Cantrell (Terran), Lt. Commander Narro Udro (Betazoid)
2397 - 2400
After a minor refit in 2397, the USS North Sea welcomed Commodore Diane Newsome as its newest captain. A veteran of the Dominion War. In her 80s, Newsome’s command was typically regulated to second contact, diplomatic escort and scientific surveys. The Commodore died unexpectedly in 2400.
2400 - Present Without a captain, the senior officer on board, Commander Xertes Tles and Chief Engineer, was set to take command of the USS North Sea. Designated as a training vessel, the ship was unexpectedly detoured to Starbase 4 and assigned to Taskforce 72 under the Command of Captain Charlotte Fawkes. Formerly of the USS Leda, a Luna-class starship, Fawkes hoped to steer the ship into more of a lightweight explorer.
Design & Layout
Bridge
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Ready Room
The ready room aboard a starship was the commanding officer’s personal space and was used primarily for private matters affecting the ship. The CO would hold individual meetings and view confidential or sensitive material. In addition, the office could double as an HQ for any flag officer on board.
On a Norway-class vessel, the Captain’s ready room was located aft of the main bridge. The office space included a triangular-shaped desk with a swivel chair, two seats for visitors, a curved couch and coffee table, a replicator, and personal decor.
The Captain’s workstation (desk) typically included a desktop monitor with space for a PADD and refreshments. In addition, a curved shelf sat behind the desk and had a few personal items from the CO. Other personal items were arranged throughout the room.
Captain Charlotte Fawkes of the USS North Sea made the room her own with only a few light touches. On her shelf, she included a few of her favorite books, including A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love, Sidereus Nuncius by Galileo Galilei, The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Meteorite bookends separated the editions.
Plant decor spruced the room with a banzai tree on the coffee table and a white orchid on the bookshelf. A philodendron sat in the corner adjacent to the replicator and opposite a metal sculpture of the ship.
The doorway aft of the room led directly to the CO’s private quarters. As Captain Fawkes was engaged, the room was rearranged as a small apartment.
Engineering
Designed for diplomacy, for its time, the Norway-class was a fast ship with a maximum warp of 9.7. Consequently, the vessel was often a base of operations for diplomats and dignitaries; therefore, a swift exit might be needed.
Main engineering was located on the ship’s primary hull, and the ship's propulsion and power center contained the warp core (matter/anti-matter reaction drive). Accessible from deck four’s aft corridor, engineering consisted of two levels. The first level housed the warp core access, whereas the upper level was designated for power allocation. In an emergency, control of the ship could be diverted to LCARS workstations.
The warp drive was steady thrum. The ghostly blue-white matter-antimatter reaction strummed through the core. Two power transfer conduits that moved plasma to the nacelles extended from the core. In addition, two plasma coolant ducts were located directly behind the reactor.
The core was housed in an isolation chamber in case of a breach and surrounded by a latticed metal grating. The grating continued outward and isolated the master systems display from the rest of main engineering. The MSD was an LCARS-based cutaway console where engineers could monitor and troubleshoot systems throughout the ship. The ship’s MSD sat forward to the warp core.
The port side to the main level included LCARS workstations that could transfer con, ops, and tactical control to engineering. Beside these workstations were an industrial replicator and the port Jeffries tube. A wall-mounted MSD and two main isolinear chip panels sat adjacent to the Chief Engineer’s office on the starboard side.
The upper level, accessed from a grated ladder, included the Assitant Chief Engineer’s workstation and propulsion systems status display. A small lounge and cargo area sat on either side of the Deck 3 corridor access.
The aesthetics of main engineering were more relaxed in tone than the rest of the ship, with blue hues utilized in combination with the paper white walls. Lighting was abundant but kept at a neutral setting, neither too bright nor too dim. Temperatures were similar to the shipwide setting at 23℃. Chief Engineer Tles, a Tellarite, often found the shipwide temps too cold and compromised for engineering.
Observation Lounge
Primarily designed for diplomatic service, the Norway-class vessel employed a full conference suite for visiting dignitaries and diplomats. The ship included a conference table and chairs, a large monitor, simple lighting, a replicator, and a few unoffensive enmities. But, as the North Sea often catered to conflicting interests, neutrality was imperative, even in decor.
The suite, located on deck 9, was sparsely decorated with a neutral aesthetic for carpet and walls. Likewise, the conference table was sparse, measuring 13 feet by 34 inches. Made from polycarbonate, the shape of the table was unassuming. Ten swivel chairs, also neutral in color and design, orbited the table.
The monitor could display up to 50 embedded screens for delegates to attend meetings remotely. Each screen could focus on a select diplomat. The port bulkhead, opposite the monitor, featured four windows. As the North Sea was constructed with an extra layer of armor, the vessel sported few windows; those in the diplomatic suite were considered a luxury. Other amenities were few and included black and white photographs of landscapes.
In service, a Yeoman would attend to the replicator and offered delegates whatever they desired in the form of refreshments.
Lounge
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Sickbay
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Labs
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Image Credit
Images by Tadeo D'Oria (https://tadeodoria.com/)