Bridge Mods

[Matthew Raymond]

We were talking about various additions to a standard bridge that might be cool in another thread. Some of the ideas we talked about:

• A retractable/replaceable bridge, using bridge modules.
• A combination bridge/yacht.
• A yacht extension that accepts bridge modules (as opposed to full integration).
  
• A special purpose, non-computerized bridge (for when the computers and/or sensors go down).
• I'd like to break down the technical challenges of each of these ideas, as well as talking about others.

But before we get started on any of this, what basic systems does the bridge have to start with (other than consoles)? Backup life support? Additional armor? Reinforced doors to protect from boarding parties? It's own auxiliary power or batteries? What do we have to build on?

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

This: http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Automatic_bridge_defense_system

 

[David cgc]

As far as the Yacht/Bridge ideas go, Voyager's bridge was designed to be capable of independent flight (it has its own thruster system and escape pods, at least). Not sure how useful it'd be, having all the stations to control a whole ship for something barely larger than a runabout (though the cutaway of the -D's yacht suggested it's cockpit was basically just the front half of the bridge with the huge viewscreen, helm, ops, and captain's chair), but it's an idea. Could be it was mainly used for being able to bridge swaps in dock without workbees or a big crane.

 

[Timo]

I'm not sure what would be "unuseful" about that. Just shut down 90% of the consoles when the bridge becomes a separate spacecraft. It's not as if the bridge could do without them when utilized for commanding the entire ship.

* The TNG bridge had something of a defense system, too - the forcefield seen in "Allegiance" (but curiously never used in other boarding situations).

* Truly separate and independent life support is a somewhat unlikely feature, considering how bridge life support was sabotaged by outside forces in so many of the shows.

* Any bridge should be well stocked in surprising types of gear: if it has those ST6 viridium patches, and Sickbay and Galley both have phaser lockers, then we should expect lockers for life support belts, first aid kits, field tricorders and the like at the very least.

* While the latest Abramsverse ship is the only one to explicitly feature lifepods right off the bridge, these are not out of the question for other ships, either. The command to Abandon Ship is mainly heard in TNG for the E-D and E-E and there it involves people rushing to the turbolifts, but for example the TOS ship might well have "Kelvin pods" for lack of comparable counterevidence.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Matthew Raymond]

There do seem to be some detachable bridge modules on fan ship designs. The Protector II from Galaxy Quest had a separating bridge. So perhaps that idea isn't too far out there.

* Truly separate and independent life support is a somewhat unlikely feature, considering how bridge life support was sabotaged by outside forces in so many of the shows.

That would indicate a design flaw that needs to be fixed, though.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I thought it was accepted that Starfleet bridge modules were swappable. No canon proof of course, but I'm certain a novel or two must have covered the subject.

I know Rogue Saucer dealt with swapping the saucer section out. Did it also go into modular bridges?

 

[David cgc]

I know Rogue Saucer dealt with swapping the saucer section out. Did it also go into modular bridges?

Yep. The inciting incident was a computer virus sabotaging the Enterprise bridge, necessitating a swap with a new one. While that was being done, Starfleet decided to take advantage of the separation and use the battle section to test out the new landable (well, take-off-able) saucer design. There's a mention early on that the Enterprise was nearly due for a new bridge module anyway (referring to the changes for "Generations"), but I can't remember if they actually got that one or if they said there'd be a delay and they'd have to make due with a placeholder for a little while (the book took place just after "Preemptive Strike," but I'm not sure whether "just" after is also after "All Good Things...").

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Yep. The inciting incident was a computer virus sabotaging the Enterprise bridge, necessitating a swap with a new one. While that was being done, Starfleet decided to take advantage of the separation and use the battle section to test out the new landable (well, take-off-able) saucer design. There's a mention early on that the Enterprise was nearly due for a new bridge module anyway (referring to the changes for "Generations"), but I can't remember if they actually got that one or if they said there'd be a delay and they'd have to make due with a placeholder for a little while (the book took place just after "Preemptive Strike," but I'm not sure whether "just" after is also after "All Good Things...").

Thanks. I read the book when it came out and not since, so my memory of it is a little hazy.

 

[Richard Baker]

Regarding a Bridge which can detach and survive on it's own in event of a disaster. I think one feature which would be helpful is the ability to make a 'micro-warp-jump) like thE Hathaway did in peak performance. Not a full warp drive, but being able to suddenly distance the Bridge Module from the main ship could greatly add to it's ability to survive. A warp core breach would be big and likely take out any nearby lifepods, detaching the Bridge and still have it remain inside the blast radius would be pointless.

 

[Matthew Raymond]

Thought: Turbolifts as escape pods.

 

[Matthew Raymond]

@Richard Baker, it would probably take less power to simply site-to-site transport the bridge crew to the captain's yacht and automatically launch it into warp. It might be a good option for smaller ships that don't have a captain's yacht, though. Then again, the only real advantage this has over a bridge-yacht is that you don't have to worry about the dangers of a separate warp core in the bridge module. Then again, if you locate a small warp core under the bridge, then it wouldn't matter if it got blown up in a fight, because your entire bridge crew is already dead. Then again, how do you eject the smaller warp core in an emergency?

 

[Richard Baker]

I am thinking something along the lines of what a warp capable shuttle might have. A small matter-antimatter reactor and some field coils scattered around the outer shell.
Not having the Bridge travel at warp, but just a short range warp jump to put some distance between it and the doomed ship. Hathaway or Picard Manoeuvre jump.

 

[Timo]

An exclusive ejection seat for the top officers sounds like a horrible thing for crew morale...

Has there been anything comparable in real history? Parachutes for the crew of a plane when the passengers have none? Special bailout methods for the commanders of a warship? In practice, nonpreferential treatment would not guarantee equal odds of survival in bailout - but if anything, those commanding would be the least likely to survive even with extra help. And generally they would not wish to, as they might not have great odds of survival even if they did survive (in those organizations and nations carrying the death penalty).

Certainly Trek has suggested the bridge crew is disadvantaged in evacuations, even if provided with those "Kelvin pod" things. But it has also carefully established that the bridge crew always is the last to evacuate.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Matthew Raymond]

@Timo, your argument of morale is interesting, though I'm not sure how objectionable it would be given the fact that the crew already have escape pods and shuttles. If anything, something like a captain's yacht would be able to support and defend ejected escape pods after the ship is destroyed. (Silly thought: Yacht/Escape Pod Voltron.)

But I can see how there might be some envy or fear that the bridge module might just eject in the middle of a fight. I'm just not sure that outweighs the benefit. After all, it takes years to train bridge officers, who have years of experience on top of that, and you wouldn't want to waste roughly 100 years of combined officer training and experience because Crewman Jonny Redshirt feels undervalued.

Besides, if the crew's faith in their captain is undermined by the fact that the bridge module is detachable, then there really wasn't any faith there to begin with. The captain can always depart the bridge say they're headed down to engineering to help get the warp engines back online, and a minute later, there goes the captain's yacht or a large shuttlecraft speeding away at Warp 9. The bridge crew can always just throw up their hands and run for the escape pods. Or maybe the captain wants all the crew at their stations until the bitter end and never tells anyone to get to the escape pods. Nobody in Captain Picard's crew would loose faith in him because the Enterprise-G has a detachable bridge module.

 

[DonIago]

Now I really like the idea that the bridge could be separated from the rest of the ship but continue to control it. And given that even a PADD could be used to control some bridge functions, why not?

I suppose depending on the effective range this could be used to establish drone starships, though I'm not immediately coming up with a good reason to have an entire drone starship versus just drone ships like the Romulans had in ENT.

 

[Matthew Raymond]

Now I really like the idea that the bridge could be separated from the rest of the ship but continue to control it. And given that even a PADD could be used to control some bridge functions, why not?

It would seem to me that you could do the same from a dedicated captain's yacht or a large shuttlecraft. It's just a matter of having the proper transmitter and encryption and security codes. By contrast, dedicated consoles on the bridge would be vastly better for controlling the ship, even if they're not strictly necessary. Plus, on a connected bridge, every console can have its own separate connections to the ship's systems, whereas, on a shuttle, all of the "consoles" would share a communications link and be limited to its overall bandwidth. You'd really only want to separate and remotely control the ship if you're trying to ram another ship and you want to detach from your ship first.