Turns out the Writer's Guide maxes out the number of characters in a single post, so I'll have to split it into separate posts.
THE STARSHIP NERV
THE U.S.S. NERV -- NCC-71855
One of the newer vessels of the Galaxy class, a sister ship with the Enterprise. Twice the length of the original starship Enterprise and thus approximately eight times the interior volume. (See cover illustration.) She retains much the same symmetry which includes an engineering module with twin nacelles and, of course, a great saucer-shaped command module. It is the home for over 700 people who live and work there over the course of its mission. (Unlike typical Galaxy-class vessels, the addition of Evangelion support areas in the saucer section reduces the crew and civilian complement.)
The Main Bridge
The COMMAND AREA of our Main Bridge is a semi-circle of control seats where the Captain Ikari, his next-in-command Fuyutsuki, and advisors are located.
On the stage-right side of the Bridge are three duty stations called STARBOARD CONSOLES. These three stations center on sciences, due to the nature of the NERV’s missions. From fore to aft, these are:
The rear wall of the Bridge is an additional set of duty stations called AFT CONSOLES. From left to right (facing aft), these are:
Main Viewer
The forward part of the Main Bridge is a large wall-sized holographic “viewer.” This Main Viewer is usually on and will dominate the Bridge and the action as the original framed viewscreen could never do.
Observation Lounge
Just behind the Main Bridge is a large Conference Room lined with huge windows facing rearward and giving a spectacular view.
Captain's Ready Room
On the left side of the Main Bridge (facing forward) is a door leading to the Captain’s Ready Room. It contains the Captain’s private head and washroom.
The Ready Room is intended as a private office for the Captain, offering both a confidential and convenient place to work and rest; but it serves a second and equally important dramatic function: It can be used for personal and private conversations.
Turbolift
The Turbolifts allow our crewmembers to travel vertically and horizontally to any part of the Nerv. The interior is comfortable, relatively spacious cabin eight feet in diameter.
To use the Turbolift, a crewmember simply enters the compartment and speaks their destination aloud. Example: “Sickbay” or “Bridge.” The Ship’s computer will instantly compute the most direct route and send the Turbolift to the exit nearest the desired destination. Because the ship’s computer is constantly monitoring the daily routines of our people (something that really bothers Kaji), there will be many times when it will know exactly where to deliver the Turbolift’s passengers without their even having to say (but if it does need instructions it will ask for them).
Ten Forward
A dramatic set, located on Deck Ten-Forward where the star clusters of the Milky Way seem to be rushing in and under the huge window ports. In the 20th Century, it would have been called a bar and lounge and does serve a similar purpose on our Starship except for the fact that alcohol is no longer consumed by humans.
However, Ten-Forward treats the same kinds of needs; i.e., a place to physically relax, conditions where judgement can be relaxed, where reality and dreams mix, where varied beliefs and performance are accepted rather than tested. One thing that helps make this possible is a substance called synthehol which acts much like alcohol when consumed but with effects that can be dismissed from one’s consciousness at will.
But Ten-Forward offers more than just that. It is not a duty station but a place where the crew can interact with their friends or meet new ones. We will see non-uniformed people there, but these will usually be crewmembers rather than family members or passengers (who have similar facilities available). Another plus here on this deck is varieties of drink and food taken from the best in the entire quadrant of the galaxy. Now and then we’ll see something being served that looks rather spectacular.
Holodeck
On first view, the Holodeck appears to be simply a large, empty set – until its computer magic happens. Then, depending upon what has been programmed in, the Holodeck becomes anything that exists in the starship’s vast library memory banks – jet-setting spy adventures, any number of sporting events, film noir private eyes, and so on.
If the Holodeck has a flaw, it may be that it is so rich in story possibilities that the producers must limit its use to three or four times a season in order to keep the subject matter of episodes as broad and varied as the series format deserves.
Sickbay
As in the Original Series, but vastly improved: a three-room complex including the CMO’s office, a set of diagnostic beds with complete medical monitoring, and a state-of-the-art medical research facility.
Corridors
Again, as seen in the Original Series, but without the same battleship sterility. The new Corridors are wider and more friendly-looking and (as elsewhere) will include vegetation.
Senior Officer's Quarters
Each person (with notable exceptions) has personal quarters of their own. These quarters are much more spacious and livable than we have seen in the past. Each person’s quarters will reflect their own background and tastes. (This will be a standard set, redressed as necessary.)
Junior Officer's Quarters
Slightly more compact than the Senior Officer’s layout and also without windows to provide a view outside the ship. Officers below the grade of Commander occupy these still very livable layouts.
Transporter Rooms
There are several Transporter Rooms throughout the vessel. The one we will see most frequently will be an updated version of the original Transporter Room and, as before, a Transporter Chief stands at a separate console opposite the Transporter platform.
Main Engineering
Our Engineering room contains a huge matter/anti-matter blender. It is located near the base of the main module of the ship.
Stellar Cartography
An impressive two-story set featuring a near 360° backdrop display of whatever section of the galaxy that may need to be called into view. At the second level is a catwalk extending to a platform with a control panel in the center of the room where our characters can manipulate star charts and review data.
Jefferies Tube
An angled shaft containing electrical conduits and light-fiber cables, the Jefferies tube is large enough for a human being to crawl through. Jefferies Tubes provide direct access to various parts of the ship’s control mechanisms and computer monitoring systems.
Shuttlecraft
The NERV Shuttlecraft are eight-and-a-half meters long, five-and-a-half wide and three meters high. They are comfortable landing vehicles for travel between the ship and a planet when the Transporter is not available or practical to use. The interior of the shuttle can seat eight passengers and two operators comfortably. The passenger would be removed to convert to a cargo or ambulance shuttle. They also have interplanetary capabilities but at a speed of only warp one.
Runabouts
The NERV has multiple Danube-class Runabout patrol ships stationed onboard which allow our characters to travel to numerous star systems in the immediate sector of the ship for longer periods than a shuttlecraft. These ships are twenty meters long, with impulse and warp capabilities, a maximum speed of warp 4.7. They’re generally operated by a two-person crew, but a single pilot can control them if necessary. They can transport up to forty people, but that’s a crowd. There are cramped, uncomfortable sleeping quarters for six people. A multi-purpose room for meetings and dining is located at the aft section.
Battle Bridge
In extreme emergency situations, the saucer section of the Nerv detaches (“saucer sep”) from the warp drive section of the ship in order to seek safety, enabling the Captain and minimum crew to face the danger. Control of the warp section is maintained from the Battle Bridge, a much smaller auxiliary Bridge as compared to the Main Bridge. Like the Main Bridge, there is a Captain’s Ready Room adjacent to the Battle Bridge.
Evangelions
40 meters in height, humanoid in general shape, the Starfleet-designed Evangelion-class mobile units are quite like the canon counterpart. They’re designed for quicker-reaction close-combat situations against Angels that starships, shuttlecraft, and one-man fighters are just not designed for. Each unit of the Evangelion class are named for cities in Japan. The Nerv will carry three Evas early on in the show’s run:
Hidden beneath external hull plating in the chest of the Eva is the familiar core, typically referred to as the “AI Core” in the show. The Evangelion lifeform itself is not affected by being in the vacuum of space, so the hull plating does not act as a spacesuit.
Pilots board a specialized entry plug system to connect and synchronize with the core AI of their assigned unit. Entry plugs are approximately 6 meters long and are inserted into the spinal area of the Evangelion via tractor beam. A hatch in the spinal hull plating opens to allow access to the entry plug tract. Once the plug has been seated into the entry tract, it is automatically pulled and locked into position by internal mechanisms. The plating hatch then reseals, adding a further layer of protection for the pilot inside.
The cockpit of the entry plug is designed like shuttlepods – a solitary, faux-leather textured seat with lumbar support and extra cushioning for the pilot’s comfort (as well as a harness to keep the pilot safe during high-G maneuvers in battle), and an angular control panel. Behind the pilot are status readouts and emergency function panel for egress as well as isolinear chip access panels. To the pilot’s front is a fully three-dimensional viewer that provides the pilot a nearly uninterrupted forward view.
Control of the Evangelion itself is done via neural connectors that are clipped in the pilot’s hair. With the advanced technology of Trek’s 24th century, there is no need for LCL to be a part of the pilot interface. The pilot handles all physical manipulation of the Eva via thought. Communications, weapons, management of life support are handled through the control panel in front of the pilot seat.
Communications inside the Eva can be done in two forms. In non-battle scenarios, the main viewing screen doubles as a comm screen. During a mission, holographic displays are generated above the control panel so as to not completely obscure the pilot’s view. These displays can also show aft and/or oblique views via internal cameras in the Eva’s structure. Sound-only communication is also possible through internal speakers in the cockpit.
Pilots board the entry plug from directly above the pilot seat – the orientation of the plug is perpendicular to typical deck plating. Due to the grav-plating in the plug, the occupant will automatically stand on the floor of the plug upon entry. Access to the plug consists of two doors – the inner door slides to the pilot’s aft and the outer door slides to the pilot’s left.
Evangelions are equipped with standard Starfleet defensive weaponry – phaser strips on the forearms, mini-photon torpedo launchers built into the shoulder/upper chest assembly. RCS thruster emplacements are located in strategic points across the hull plating – rear edges of the shoulder torpedo launcher assembly and the soles of the feet. Main propulsion is provided through an impulse engine integrated with the rear assembly, almost looking like a backpack on a typical Starfleet spacesuit. (NOTE: great care should be taken to ensure that it does not resemble the rocket pack of a Gundam or similar type of mecha. Rather than A.T. Fields, Evas utilize standard Starfleet deflector shields as starships.
The main shuttlebay complex in the Nerv is structured differently from the typical Galaxy-class starship to fit the holding cages and support facilities for the Evangelions. The units are stored standing up in the saucer section and launch from hatches in the dorsal of the saucer. Synchronization testing chambers are just off the shuttlebay. Eva simulations are done in a dedicated holodeck facility nearby to the testing chamber. Initial startup and synchronization testing on the Evas are never done aboard a starship after multiple incidents during the development process showed that the mobile units are safety hazards in enclosed spaces, as Ensign Ayanami can attest.
THE U.S.S. NERV -- NCC-71855
One of the newer vessels of the Galaxy class, a sister ship with the Enterprise. Twice the length of the original starship Enterprise and thus approximately eight times the interior volume. (See cover illustration.) She retains much the same symmetry which includes an engineering module with twin nacelles and, of course, a great saucer-shaped command module. It is the home for over 700 people who live and work there over the course of its mission. (Unlike typical Galaxy-class vessels, the addition of Evangelion support areas in the saucer section reduces the crew and civilian complement.)
The Main Bridge
The COMMAND AREA of our Main Bridge is a semi-circle of control seats where the Captain Ikari, his next-in-command Fuyutsuki, and advisors are located.
On the stage-right side of the Bridge are three duty stations called STARBOARD CONSOLES. These three stations center on sciences, due to the nature of the NERV’s missions. From fore to aft, these are:
- SCIENCE I. Used by researchers, science officer, mission specialists, and the like. Typically manned by Ritsuko whenever she is on bridge duty and during Evangelion operations.
- SCIENCE II. Additional console to allow researchers to interact with each other. Typically manned by Maya.
- SCIENCE III. Additional console. Typically un-manned.
The rear wall of the Bridge is an additional set of duty stations called AFT CONSOLES. From left to right (facing aft), these are:
- SCIENCE IV. Used by researchers, science officer, mission specialists, and the like. Typically unmanned.
- MISSION OPS. Used to monitor the routine activities of Away Teams. Evangelion operations are monitored at the forward OPS station. Typically manned by Ensign Kitakami.
- Life support and related environ-mental engineering functions. Typically manned by Lt. Nagara.
- ENGINEERING I. Supplemental console to com-plement ENGINEERING II. Typically manned by Ensign Tama.
- ENGINEERING II. This is a double-sized, major bridge station which includes control of matter and anti-matter engines. It is the center of Kaji’s engineering functions when he is on the Bridge. It is capable of more than the other aft consoles. No one ever sits here except Kaji.
- COMMUNICATIONS I. Primary station for management of external ship’s communications. Functions usually assumed by Aoba at Tactical except during battle operations, when these functions are transferred to allow tactical to focus.
- COMMUNICATIONS II. Back-up station.
- COMMUNICATIONS III. Back-up station.
- For vessel control and navigation. Usually manned by Hyuga but is occupied by a supernumerary when he’s not on the Bridge.
- Evangelion and vessel operations. Position usually manned by Misato. Occasionally the job will be handled by a supernumerary when Misato is off-duty, on an away mission, or is elsewhere on the ship.
Main Viewer
The forward part of the Main Bridge is a large wall-sized holographic “viewer.” This Main Viewer is usually on and will dominate the Bridge and the action as the original framed viewscreen could never do.
Observation Lounge
Just behind the Main Bridge is a large Conference Room lined with huge windows facing rearward and giving a spectacular view.
Captain's Ready Room
On the left side of the Main Bridge (facing forward) is a door leading to the Captain’s Ready Room. It contains the Captain’s private head and washroom.
The Ready Room is intended as a private office for the Captain, offering both a confidential and convenient place to work and rest; but it serves a second and equally important dramatic function: It can be used for personal and private conversations.
Turbolift
The Turbolifts allow our crewmembers to travel vertically and horizontally to any part of the Nerv. The interior is comfortable, relatively spacious cabin eight feet in diameter.
To use the Turbolift, a crewmember simply enters the compartment and speaks their destination aloud. Example: “Sickbay” or “Bridge.” The Ship’s computer will instantly compute the most direct route and send the Turbolift to the exit nearest the desired destination. Because the ship’s computer is constantly monitoring the daily routines of our people (something that really bothers Kaji), there will be many times when it will know exactly where to deliver the Turbolift’s passengers without their even having to say (but if it does need instructions it will ask for them).
Ten Forward
A dramatic set, located on Deck Ten-Forward where the star clusters of the Milky Way seem to be rushing in and under the huge window ports. In the 20th Century, it would have been called a bar and lounge and does serve a similar purpose on our Starship except for the fact that alcohol is no longer consumed by humans.
However, Ten-Forward treats the same kinds of needs; i.e., a place to physically relax, conditions where judgement can be relaxed, where reality and dreams mix, where varied beliefs and performance are accepted rather than tested. One thing that helps make this possible is a substance called synthehol which acts much like alcohol when consumed but with effects that can be dismissed from one’s consciousness at will.
But Ten-Forward offers more than just that. It is not a duty station but a place where the crew can interact with their friends or meet new ones. We will see non-uniformed people there, but these will usually be crewmembers rather than family members or passengers (who have similar facilities available). Another plus here on this deck is varieties of drink and food taken from the best in the entire quadrant of the galaxy. Now and then we’ll see something being served that looks rather spectacular.
Holodeck
On first view, the Holodeck appears to be simply a large, empty set – until its computer magic happens. Then, depending upon what has been programmed in, the Holodeck becomes anything that exists in the starship’s vast library memory banks – jet-setting spy adventures, any number of sporting events, film noir private eyes, and so on.
If the Holodeck has a flaw, it may be that it is so rich in story possibilities that the producers must limit its use to three or four times a season in order to keep the subject matter of episodes as broad and varied as the series format deserves.
Sickbay
As in the Original Series, but vastly improved: a three-room complex including the CMO’s office, a set of diagnostic beds with complete medical monitoring, and a state-of-the-art medical research facility.
Corridors
Again, as seen in the Original Series, but without the same battleship sterility. The new Corridors are wider and more friendly-looking and (as elsewhere) will include vegetation.
Senior Officer's Quarters
Each person (with notable exceptions) has personal quarters of their own. These quarters are much more spacious and livable than we have seen in the past. Each person’s quarters will reflect their own background and tastes. (This will be a standard set, redressed as necessary.)
Junior Officer's Quarters
Slightly more compact than the Senior Officer’s layout and also without windows to provide a view outside the ship. Officers below the grade of Commander occupy these still very livable layouts.
Transporter Rooms
There are several Transporter Rooms throughout the vessel. The one we will see most frequently will be an updated version of the original Transporter Room and, as before, a Transporter Chief stands at a separate console opposite the Transporter platform.
Main Engineering
Our Engineering room contains a huge matter/anti-matter blender. It is located near the base of the main module of the ship.
Stellar Cartography
An impressive two-story set featuring a near 360° backdrop display of whatever section of the galaxy that may need to be called into view. At the second level is a catwalk extending to a platform with a control panel in the center of the room where our characters can manipulate star charts and review data.
Jefferies Tube
An angled shaft containing electrical conduits and light-fiber cables, the Jefferies tube is large enough for a human being to crawl through. Jefferies Tubes provide direct access to various parts of the ship’s control mechanisms and computer monitoring systems.
Shuttlecraft
The NERV Shuttlecraft are eight-and-a-half meters long, five-and-a-half wide and three meters high. They are comfortable landing vehicles for travel between the ship and a planet when the Transporter is not available or practical to use. The interior of the shuttle can seat eight passengers and two operators comfortably. The passenger would be removed to convert to a cargo or ambulance shuttle. They also have interplanetary capabilities but at a speed of only warp one.
Runabouts
The NERV has multiple Danube-class Runabout patrol ships stationed onboard which allow our characters to travel to numerous star systems in the immediate sector of the ship for longer periods than a shuttlecraft. These ships are twenty meters long, with impulse and warp capabilities, a maximum speed of warp 4.7. They’re generally operated by a two-person crew, but a single pilot can control them if necessary. They can transport up to forty people, but that’s a crowd. There are cramped, uncomfortable sleeping quarters for six people. A multi-purpose room for meetings and dining is located at the aft section.
Battle Bridge
In extreme emergency situations, the saucer section of the Nerv detaches (“saucer sep”) from the warp drive section of the ship in order to seek safety, enabling the Captain and minimum crew to face the danger. Control of the warp section is maintained from the Battle Bridge, a much smaller auxiliary Bridge as compared to the Main Bridge. Like the Main Bridge, there is a Captain’s Ready Room adjacent to the Battle Bridge.
Evangelions
40 meters in height, humanoid in general shape, the Starfleet-designed Evangelion-class mobile units are quite like the canon counterpart. They’re designed for quicker-reaction close-combat situations against Angels that starships, shuttlecraft, and one-man fighters are just not designed for. Each unit of the Evangelion class are named for cities in Japan. The Nerv will carry three Evas early on in the show’s run:
- USS Tokyo, MU-00. Piloted by Rei Ayanami. The pet project of Dr. Naoko Akagi before her death. MU-00, 01, and 02 were all designed and completed at the Daystrom Institute’s Hakone branch. Following the accidents that happened to both doctors Ikari and Soryu, future construction contracts were agreed to be given to other shipyards as Daystrom-Hakone was informally thought to be cursed. A maximum of two Evangelion-class contracts are awarded to each shipyard, up through unit 13.
- USS Hakone, MU-01. Piloted by Shinji Ikari. Shinji’s mother, Dr. Yui Ikari, was the lead designer for the Hakone.
- USS Kyoto, MU-02. Piloted by Asuka L. Soryu. Kyoko Z. Soryu was the assigned designer and developer for this unit.
Hidden beneath external hull plating in the chest of the Eva is the familiar core, typically referred to as the “AI Core” in the show. The Evangelion lifeform itself is not affected by being in the vacuum of space, so the hull plating does not act as a spacesuit.
Pilots board a specialized entry plug system to connect and synchronize with the core AI of their assigned unit. Entry plugs are approximately 6 meters long and are inserted into the spinal area of the Evangelion via tractor beam. A hatch in the spinal hull plating opens to allow access to the entry plug tract. Once the plug has been seated into the entry tract, it is automatically pulled and locked into position by internal mechanisms. The plating hatch then reseals, adding a further layer of protection for the pilot inside.
The cockpit of the entry plug is designed like shuttlepods – a solitary, faux-leather textured seat with lumbar support and extra cushioning for the pilot’s comfort (as well as a harness to keep the pilot safe during high-G maneuvers in battle), and an angular control panel. Behind the pilot are status readouts and emergency function panel for egress as well as isolinear chip access panels. To the pilot’s front is a fully three-dimensional viewer that provides the pilot a nearly uninterrupted forward view.
Control of the Evangelion itself is done via neural connectors that are clipped in the pilot’s hair. With the advanced technology of Trek’s 24th century, there is no need for LCL to be a part of the pilot interface. The pilot handles all physical manipulation of the Eva via thought. Communications, weapons, management of life support are handled through the control panel in front of the pilot seat.
Communications inside the Eva can be done in two forms. In non-battle scenarios, the main viewing screen doubles as a comm screen. During a mission, holographic displays are generated above the control panel so as to not completely obscure the pilot’s view. These displays can also show aft and/or oblique views via internal cameras in the Eva’s structure. Sound-only communication is also possible through internal speakers in the cockpit.
Pilots board the entry plug from directly above the pilot seat – the orientation of the plug is perpendicular to typical deck plating. Due to the grav-plating in the plug, the occupant will automatically stand on the floor of the plug upon entry. Access to the plug consists of two doors – the inner door slides to the pilot’s aft and the outer door slides to the pilot’s left.
Evangelions are equipped with standard Starfleet defensive weaponry – phaser strips on the forearms, mini-photon torpedo launchers built into the shoulder/upper chest assembly. RCS thruster emplacements are located in strategic points across the hull plating – rear edges of the shoulder torpedo launcher assembly and the soles of the feet. Main propulsion is provided through an impulse engine integrated with the rear assembly, almost looking like a backpack on a typical Starfleet spacesuit. (NOTE: great care should be taken to ensure that it does not resemble the rocket pack of a Gundam or similar type of mecha. Rather than A.T. Fields, Evas utilize standard Starfleet deflector shields as starships.
The main shuttlebay complex in the Nerv is structured differently from the typical Galaxy-class starship to fit the holding cages and support facilities for the Evangelions. The units are stored standing up in the saucer section and launch from hatches in the dorsal of the saucer. Synchronization testing chambers are just off the shuttlebay. Eva simulations are done in a dedicated holodeck facility nearby to the testing chamber. Initial startup and synchronization testing on the Evas are never done aboard a starship after multiple incidents during the development process showed that the mobile units are safety hazards in enclosed spaces, as Ensign Ayanami can attest.