Fluyt Class
The Fluyt-class freighter has been the standard cargo hauler in use by the Federation and the Starfleet Auxiliary since the mid-2380s. An unusual, boxy design, the interior of a Fluyt-class vessel is entirely open for cargo storage, ranging from standard cargo modules to bulk consignments of ore or fluids. If necessary, partitions can quickly be installed to handle mixed cargo loads. They are useful for routes to destinations that can't accommodate the large cargo modules pulled by Wallenberg-class tugs and for loads that don't require that level of volume. Like their cargo drone ancestors, Fluyt-class vessels can be operated entirely through computer control for routine missions.
Engineering
Even more dramatically than the Antares-class freighters the Fluyt class is essentially a massive cargo hold with warp engines strapped to it. Every square centimeter not given over to engines and structural systems within the main hull is taken up by cargo. The warp engines are mounted directly to the hull on the front end of the ship, with two oversized buzzard collectors mounted on the bow. Impulse power is modest for a ship of its size, which makes it a lumbering creature at sublight speeds. In all respects, the propulsion systems of the Fluyt are built for extreme reliability over performance. They can successfully go without maintenance even on months-long journeys--though vessels used in this way must go through a turn-around period at a starbase for a full maintenance check at least every six months. Having a crew aboard removes this need, however.
Almost all of the ship's systems are serviceable both internally and externally, which makes maintenance at starbases go quickly. This includes the ship's robust automation equipment, consisting of two computer cores in the dorsal area of the ship and an array of memory modules, each accessible under duranium hatches. The two cores provide redundancy should one fail during transit, and each is capable of navigating and docking the vessel at its final destination in the absence of a crew. They are, however, relatively vulnerable, should the ship come under attack.
These vessels are capable of both planetary and water landings. In some instances, their large internal volume has been used as a temporary shelter for colonies or as a planet-side hospital facility, though most of them aren't rated for moving colonists or patients in space due to limited life support capabilities.
Tactical
Fluyt-class vessels are unarmed but are shielded with regenerative shields. When uncrewed, they are programmed to flee from combat towards the nearest starbase, until the computer ascertains that the threat has passed. However, if an enemy vessel is able to capture a ship of this class, it would be relatively easy to board and disable it, should the attackers be able to thwart its shields. For this reason, these ships are always escorted if they are carrying anything of value.
Shipboard Life
Fluyt-class vessels operate with a crew either when they are transporting valuable cargo or when they are to be involved in some sort of logistics or colonial support capacity that is more complex than simply moving from point A to point B. When crewed, they operate ten people: the captain, first officer, two engineers, four cargo specialists, and two pilots. They are housed in a raised module on the front of the ship above the main cargo doors, with accommodations similar to a Defiant-class escort: double bunk rooms for everyone but the captain. There is a single mess, as well as a small sickbay, alongside a small holosuite. This makes them substantially better assignments than the old Antares or Ju'Day-class freighters. Given how automated these ships are, the crew is typically there to serve as an insurance policy, often having little to do for months or weeks at a time. Some crew thrive under these circumstances, while others find themselves struggling with boredom and isolation.
Fluyt Class History
By the 2330s, the Antares-class bulk freighter had been in service for so long that not only was there a second type of Antares class that had already entered and been withdrawn from service during its life, but it was then considered too slow to reasonably participate in Starfleet's logistics chain, trundling along at warp five. Transport runs to outlying areas had to be planned years in advance, which made Starfleet's exploratory efforts far less flexible than they could be. Because of this, Starfleet had converted many Miranda and Constellation-class vessels for transport duties, but there was a strong desire for a new freighter design from the Starfleet Logistics. While some of these problems were alleviated with the introduction of the much smaller Ju'Day-class light freighter and the Ptolemy II tug remained in service for extremely large loads, the Antares remained the only vessel in the market capable of transporting bulk equipment or ore without external modules.
Throughout the 2340s and 2350s, Starfleet was focused on expanding its mainline fleet at the expense of logistics ships, reasoning that existing cruiser designs could be repurposed. This proved to be problematic in practice, however, as the internal structure of an exploratory vessel could not easily be rebuilt to handle bulk goods. Still, the drive to expand the bulk freighter fleet languished on the drawing board until the Dominion War. With personnel shortages mounting, the Starfleet Corps of Engineer revisited the idea of cargo drones, which could handle freight without crews.
It wasn't until 2375 that the Fluyt-class freighter was complete. Robust and highly capable with or without a crew, the Fluyt's debut was marred when one of the prototype units was appropriated by a rogue group within Starfleet Command who were conspiring with the Son'a to relocate the people of the planet Ba'ku. They modified the vessel to be a single large holodeck, using its advanced automation systems to provide the processing power necessary for a holodeck that could successfully deceive 200 people at once. Despite this ignominy, the design itself was solid, and the Fluyt began full-scale production later that year.
By 2381, several hundred of these vessels were in service. Production lines were diverted to the Wallenberg-class tug, as the larger class was necessary to transport refugees from Romulan space. Starfleet proposed adapting the life support modifications from the so-called "holoship" to allow for the Fluyt to transport sentients as well as cargo, but it was found to be easier to use colony modules instead. Following the end of the evacuation, production on the Fluyt resumed.
The Fluyt Class In-Play
- The Fluyt-class freighter is a boxy, boring design that moves cargo from point-A to point-B, often without a crew. Because of this, it makes a convenient target vessel for a distress call or for pirates to seize during a story. If they were carrying something very valuable, they would likely have a crew aboard to ensure its safety, but the ship itself isn't armed.
- A Fluyt or a convoy of them would also be a good subject for a rescue mission. Should something go wrong, they would be programmed to run away, leaving the escort to try to protect scattering freighters. They also wouldn't be able to help the escort, the way an armed or crewed freighter would be.