USS Constitution

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" What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."

—T.S. Elliot - Ship's Dedication Quote

The USS Constitution (NCC-91700) is a Constitution III-class Federation starship and was the prototype for the class. The Constitution is an explorer and was launched in 2400. Initially she remained at the San Francisco Fleet Yards undergoing reviews and tests on her new systems. Though others of her class had been launched, the Constitution played the role of test-bed until mid-2401. After the fiasco at Frontier Day, Starfleet decided to send off with a permanent captain and crew.

Captain Horatio McCallister was given command of the ship by Fleet Admiral Luke Duncan and ordered to join the Odyssey Squadron. McCallister had previously command the USS Bellerophon and was interim captain on the USS Triton. As both of these vessels suffered heavy damage from the events surrounding Frontier Day, those crewmembers who had survived and were available were assigned to the Constitution.

Design and Layout

Being the prototype, the Constitution was designed to try and capture the essence of the original Constitution-class. A number of her features carry on certain styles from the 2250/60s era with a 25th century twist. One aspect from the original Constitution-class is the colour scheme. The overall aesthetic of the colour scheme incorporated a dominant blend of red-orange hues, which were elegantly contrasted by the light grey panelling. Additionally, a thoughtful touch was added to the interior design with the installation of soft white or multicoloured lights, perfectly placed within the floor, wall panelling, and ceiling to complement and enhance the beauty of the chosen colours.

Shipboard life

The Constitution ran on four duty shifts. Alpha shift started at 0900 hours and finished at 1500 hours. Beta shift started at 1500 hours and finished at 2100 hours. Gamma shift started at 2100 hours and finished at 0300 hours. Finally, Delta Shift began at 0300 hours and ended at 0900 hours.

All enlisted officers on board the Constitution were expected to share quarters with three others, while those with the rank of ensign and who weren't department heads would have to share with an officer of a similar position. The senior staff and those ranked from lieutenant junior grade had their own quarters. The Constitution had no civilians assigned to her, however had room for any specialists if the mission required it.

As the Constitution housed both crews from the Triton and Bellerophon, the former had quite a diverse crew. As such the ship's environmental controls as well as crew support facilities were revamped to support such a variety of races.

Main Bridge, Deck One

Bridge of the USS Constitution, c. 2400

When the Constitution was built, her bridge design was altered compared to her sister ships. Instead of using the same design used in the Sagan-class, as a nod to its historical lineage, the bridge was design like an original Constitution class. Though this nostalgic approach was a welcome one, when Captain McCallister took command, he requested a slight modification. He had the platform his chair was on extended and two more command chairs placed either side of it. This was something he was used to from the Bellerophon and enjoyed from the Triton.

In front of the command pit, the helm station was situated to the right and the operations station to the left. Near the turbolift access were the engineering, security, and tactical stations. Following these were the main viewer, mission ops, communications and the science station. A small aisle, located between the science and communication stations, led to the captain's ready. The bridge had a rounded corridor surrounding it, which led to the main conference room.

Fitted into the bridge, along with every other section of the ship, are holographic emitters allowing for holo-communication to take place and for the ship's holographic crew to operate.

Support Craft

To avoid waiting for Starfleet to build brand new shuttles for the ship, Captain McCallister requested those shuttles and runabouts that survived from the Bellerophon and Triton to be assigned to the Constitution.

He even kept the captain's yacht in memory of Captain Rio Canção, who sacrificed her life for her crew on the Triton and Federation citizens.

As the ship was heading to the Delta Quadrant, it was given six Valkyrie-class starfighters to support the large wing assigned to the USS Odyssey and USS Themis.

Support Craft Assigned

Shuttles:
- Type 8: Isander, Hippolochus, Laodamia
- Type 12: Noble, Philonoe, Asteria
- Type 14: Hark, Cooper
Cargo Shuttles:
- Type 17: Hydissos, Bronden
Runabouts:
- Delta-Class: Adelaide, Chimera
- Volga-Class: Deliades, Jaz
Other support craft:
- Captain’s Yacht: Rivière Chanson

History

2400+

Built at the San Francisco Fleet Yards, the Constitution was the test bed for the new class that it shared a name with. When the ship was completed, Starfleet decided to keep it in the yards to test out new systems and to ensure that the newest Constitution class can support them. As a result a captain was not selected until after the Frontier Day disaster. Seeing the need to get as many ships 'out there', the Constitution was assigned to the Fourth Fleet and Fleet Admiral Luke Duncan, the fleet's newest Operations Director, gave command of the Constitution to Captain Horatio McCallister. McCallister assembled his crew, based on those officers available from his previous command the USS Bellerophon and the USS Triton. Duncan authorised for the Constitution to join the Odyssey Squadron once the USS Odyssey and USS Themis were repaired.

Crew

Command Staff

Commanding Officer:
- Captain Horatio McCallister (Human Male) (2401+)
Executive Officer:
- Commander Thaustin (Xindi-Primate Male) (2401+)
Second Executive Officer:
- Commander Belire Kazlaf (Elaysian Female) (2401+)
Third Executive Officer:
- Lieutenant Commander Rubon Jarata (Risian Male) (2401+)

Senior Staff/Department Heads

Chief Flight Control Officer:
- Lieutenant Commander Rubon Jarata (Risian Male) (2401+)
Chief Science Officer:
- Commander Belire Kazlaf (Elaysian Female) (2401+)
Chief Medical Officer:
- Lieutenant Commander Kamra Uknare (Haliian Female) (2401+)
Chief Counsellor:
- Lieutenant Naef-Oron (Brikar Male) (2401+)
Chief Engineer:
- Lieutenant Junior Grade T'Penni (Vulcan Female) (2401+)
Chief Operations Officer:
- Lieutenant Ethav Th'vohless (Andorian thaan/male) (2401+)
Chief Security & Tactical Officer:
- Lieutenant Junior Grade Natima Lonar (Cardassian Female) (2401+)