USS Nellie Bly
USS Nellie Bly is a Federation Challenger-class light cruiser assigned to the Fourth Fleet. Commissioned in 2357, the Bly, as she is often referred to by her crew, is an aging but capable vessel, now so finely tuned after decades of refits and optimizations that she can run circles around her newer stablemates. A part of Arcturus Wayfinding Squadron she is seconded as a support vessel assigned to Olympia Station. When it is necessary for Vice Admiral Hayden to leave the station, Nellie Bly serves as her flagship.
History
Construction on USS Nellie Bly began in 2355 and she was commissioned in 2357. She was pressed into service into conflicts with both the Talarians and the Cardassians throughout the late 2350s and into the 2360s, serving both as a scout and a high speed transport for flag officers. While not a combat vessel, she nonetheless participated in several fleet actions and minor skirmishes on both borders.
From the 2360s onwards, Nellie Bly was based out of Avalon Fleet Yards in the Grazer sector. She did not have a direct role in the Dominion War, as she was part of a token force left behind the main theater of operations to maintain the security of the Federation's other borders. Over the decades, she received regular rounds of upgrades and refits to keep her up to modern standards, allowing her to perform well above her original design specifications.
In 2401, Nellie Bly changed her homeport to Olympia Station in the remote Olympia sector, where she is used for exploratory scouting missions to systems near to the station and as a transport for the station's senior staff when their presence is necessary on an away mission.
During the Borg crisis of 2401, Bly was damaged by a Borg sphere, which forcibly removed her warp core. Bly was towed to Olympia Station and repaired.[1]
Namesake
USS Nellie Bly is named after Elizabeth Jane Cochrane (1864 - 1922) an American journalist and novelist who used the pen name Nellie Bly. She is considered to be a pioneer in investigative journalism for her undercover work to expose deplorable conditions in the New York City mental asylum at the end of the 19th century. She is also known for emulating the journey in Jules Verne's novel Around the World in 80 Days in 1889.[2] The ship's seal depicts a hot air balloon, a tribute to the novel and Bly's famous journey.
Configuration & Operational Parameters
Though nearly 50 years old, the underlying architecture of Nellie Bly is solid, and she has been upgraded many times to reduce the workload on her crew and improve performance. While she can't quite keep up with the newest ships' warp 9.99, she can easily hold Warp 9.6 indefinitely in a pinch.
Nellie Bly spends about a third of her time in port at Olympia Station. The rest of the time, she is performing patrol and scouting missions within a day or so of the station, so that she can be recalled for courier missions or to defend the station when necessary.
Deck 01
Main Bridge
The main bridge of the Bly is largely in the same configuration as it was when the ship received its first major refit in 2371 and resembles a miniaturized version of the bridge found aboard Galaxy-class starships. There are two command seats partially circled by a tactical railing in the center of the bridge, with the helm and operations stations located forward. Stations for science, communication, mission operations, and engineering are located at the rear of the bridge, but these are normally uncrewed. Additional auxiliary stations are on the rear bulkhead, between a Jefferies tube junction on the port side and a head on the starboard side. Egress and ingress to the bridge is accomplished through two sets of doors to either side of the viewscreen. The rear doors lead to the captain's ready room on the port side and the mission commander's ready room on the starboard side. The forward doors lead into the deck one corridor, immediately opposite the turbolifit stations for that deck.
Ready Rooms
As with many ships of her class, the Bly was intended to be able to serve as a transport for ambassadors and flag officers. As such, there is often someone aboard who outranks her commanding officer or is otherwise in charge of her mission. Thus, the Bly has two modest ready rooms to keep both of those individuals close to the action, the port side ready room being for the ship's actual captain, and the starboard side being for the mission commander or other VIP. They are connected directly to quarters on deck one as well.
Briefing Room
The briefing room is located directly forward of the main bridge. This circular room is well-shielded and provides the captain with a space to discuss missions with the ship's senior officers. There are two additional diplomatic conference rooms located on the rim of the saucer section which are used to host negotiations, which keeps this room free for internal deliberations.
Officers' Lounge
Located amidships on deck one, the officers' lounge is a place for the senior staff aboard the Bly to socialize, relax, and take their meals close to the bridge. It is across the hall from the conference room, and mere steps from the bridge, so this is also where on-call helm, operations, and tactical personnel spend their shifts.
Deck 02
Sickbay
Located at the center of deck two, the sickbay aboard the Bly is equipped to deal with most medical conditions and injuries, though it is less sophisticated and capable than the medical facilities back on Olympia Station. This facility can treat four patients at a time and has a dedicated examination and surgical bed, as well as an office for the ship's physician.
Transporter Rooms
All four of the Bly's transporter rooms are located on deck two, close to sickbay and just a short turbolift ride away from the ship's diplomatic facilities and guest quarters. While the underlying hardware has been upgraded, the transporter facilities aboard the Bly are showing their age. The main transporter platform is across from the control console, and the equipment bay is separated from the main room by a railing, which encourages guests (who are often aliens visiting a Federation ship for the first time) not to wander.
Deck 04
Auxiliary Control Room
As the Bly cannot separate, the secondary bridge, i.e. Auxiliary Control Room, is located in the center of the saucer section, directly connected to the ship's primary computer core. From this room, all command functions can be conducted, even if the main bridge has been destroyed. As with the bridge, there are port and starboard stations for helm and operations, as well as a tactical station behind the commanding officer's seat. Stations on either side of the small viewscreen provide functionality for science and engineering.
Main Engineering
Main Engineering aboard the Bly is located directly forward of the twin warp engines, in the ship's neck section. Standard for a vessel of its era in layout, the warp core design is very similar to the last models that were put in service with the Excelsior-class heavy cruiser, so is over-sized for the ship itself and delivers excellent power.