USS Proteus
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- "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."
- —Albert Einstein- Ship's Dedication Quote
The USS Proteus (NCC-97402), an Echelon-class Federation starship currently assigned to Fourth Fleet.
Design and Layout
Bridge
A reflection of the time period she was created, with polished steel, cool metal fixtures and her bridge aesthetics bring back memories of years gone by, the bridge of the Echelon-class is designed to blend modern technological advancements with the nostalgia of eras long gone. It is a functional, yet aesthetically pleasing facility designed in a similar vein to the rest of the ship. Her greatest feature is a wide-angled window which fills the forward bulkhead. This window has holographic projectors built into the rim, giving it the ability to function as a more traditional view screen. It can also be used as an emergency evacuation hatch, with force fields being lowered until replaced by a large, external bulkhead.
Dominating the heart of the command center, three command chairs made of red leather sit atop the central platform, colloquially known as the 'Command Deck', surrounded by rails and steps to the lower levels of the bridge. As is tradition, the center seat and its controls are reserved for the commanding officer, or any directly appointed officer in command during her absence. To her right, the executive officer and, to her left, a third seat is generally reserved for the use of the ship's Counsellor, Chief Medical Officer or any official or dignitary the Captain sees fit. All three of the chairs have built-in controls on the armrests, enabling the occupying officers to conduct their duties with unprecedented access to a wide variety of ship systems.
At the foot of the stairs directly ahead (or to the side) of the command deck, the 'Flight Deck' consists of two angled consoles serving as duty stations for operations (port) and flight operations (starboard). A few feet from each, two stand-alone consoles provide auxiliary station access for any purpose required (such as communications, environmental control, mission operations etc). Ascending the stairs on either side of the command deck, the port side bulkhead is home to three large stations dedicated to tactical operations, providing access to the ship's defensive and offensive systems, whilst the starboard bulkhead is dedicated to the various science departments on the ship.
Aft of the bridge, there are two additional consoles behind the command area designated for medical use (port) and engineering (starboard), allowing the engineer on duty access to the same engineering systems as in main engineering itself, including access to environmental controls, propulsion systems and the warp core. Central to the aft bulkhead, open access is granted to the observation lounge, which is sealable by emergency bulkheads and forcefields.
Observation Lounge
A beautifully designed room, the observation lounge matches the aesthetic of the rest of the ship, with polished alloys and cool metals as the material of choice during construction. The room is dominated by a large table with holographic controls, which is particularly useful for briefings and has seating for up to 10 officers. The Captain traditionally sits closest to the wall-mounted display on the starboard bulkhead. There are several shelves with ornaments and models of previous ships called Proteus. An additional door provides access from the port bulkhead.
The observation lounge operates an open-door policy and, in the absence of a more traditional ready room attached to the bridge, the Captain often uses the observation lounge as a workspace so that they do not have to return to their quarters, where his actual office is located.
History
2396-2400
- The fourth and current vessel in the Proteus lineage, construction begins on the Echelon-class Proteus at Avalon Fleet Yards, under the watchful eye of Captain Elara Quinn. The process goes relatively smoothly and the ship is ready to begin her shakedown cruise on schedule in 2398. She continues on her cruise under the command of Captain Quinn until Starfleet signs off on her development phase and lists her as being on active duty with the fleet.
- Declared as active by Starfleet, Proteus begins operations with the Fourth Fleet. A blend of experienced officers and fresh-faced cadets, the crew is put through its paces by Captain Quinn during a number of missions.
- During the Century Storm crisis of this year, Proteus is called upon to evacuate a colony in the Paulson Nebula. Once the storm has abated, the ship returns many of the colony's evacuees and helps in the rebuilding efforts.
2401-2402
- Proteus is hit by a number of tragedies during the early months of 2401. She is involved in several skirmishes with the Breen-Dominion alliance following their assault on the Deneb Sector. She suffers casualties but remains on the front lines for the duration of the short but bloody conflict. She is later scheduled to be at Earth for the Frontier Day celebrations, but repairs from an encounter with a Borg Probe delay her from the festivities. That doesn't stop her from succumbing to the Jupiter virus, however, with almost fifteen of her more senior officers being killed in the disaster. In the weeks that follow, the ship is involved in a clash with a Borg Sphere at the mouth of an Underspace Corridor. Following the reassignment of Captain Quinn, the ship is assigned a new commanding officer - Captain Noli Auru.
- When a faint Borg signal emerges from the dangerous depths of the Etrada Nebula, Proteus is dispatched to investigate whilst the rest of the squadron makes their way to the Zaran system. After avoiding destruction in the gaseous clouds and radiation fields of the nebula, Proteus successfully locates the source of the signal, a piece of technology aboard what appears to be a hidden starbase belonging to the Orion Syndicate. When the crew learns the Borg technology is being moved to a new location, they try to intercept and take ownership, but several Orion escorts engage them. While Noli engages in a game of cat and mouse with the fleeing vessels, she dispatches an away team to leave the nebula and bring reinforcements.
- Once the away team breaks through the nebula and updates Starfleet, Lakota and the rest of the squadron enter the nebula to locate and destroy Black Veil Station.[1]
- At the conclusion of her assignment, Noli is reassigned to a sensitive new mission, and command passes to Captain Elias Draeven, a veteran compared to the rest of the squadron's commanders. Proteus returns to regular duties with the Fourth Fleet.
2403
- Whilst assisting the planet Thrakis III with an investigation into a number of crop disasters leading to a planetwide famine, Proteus receives orders to report to the Shackleton Expanse at the earliest opportunity, returning to Lakota Squadron for the first time in nearly two years.
The Proteus Lineage
Like many starships in the Federation fleet, the Proteus name has endured long after the first ship to bear the name left dock for the first time. Information about past incarnations includes:
- USS Proteus, Europa-class light cruiser
- Commissioned 2190
- Destroyed 2220
- USS Proteus, Excelsior-class heavy cruiser
- Commissioned 2299
- Destroyed 2374
- USS Proteus, Akira-class heavy cruiser
- Commissioned 2386
- Decommissioned 2396
- USS Proteus, Echelon-class heavy explorer
- Commissioned 2396
- Still in service
Commanding Officer Lineage
- 2396 - 2401: Captain Elara Quinn (Human Female)
- 2401 - 2401: Captain Noli Auru (Bajoran Female)
- 2403 - 2403: Captain Elias Draeven (Human Male)