Prometheus

[Bry_Sinclair]

I'm going back through my DS9 boxsets and have just finished "Second Sight", which featured the Nebula-Class U.S.S. Prometheus.

It looks to have been assigned to Professor Seytek (sp?) to reignite a dead star. It has a small Bridge module, quarters that have raised ridges at the doorways, what was supposed to be a Lieutenant Commander (even though his rank pips were those of a Lieutenant JG) in charge, and doesn't seem to have many people onboard (most of the background extras also appear, to me at least, to be science officers).

Watching the episode, I started thinking that (to me at leaste) the Prometheus really should have been an Oberth-Class ship. All of the above points would fit better with a small research ship, rather than a full-sized explorer.

 

[Timo]

It looks to have been assigned to Professor Seytek (sp?) to reignite a dead star.

And perhaps even placed under his command.

It has a small Bridge module

From the outside, this appears as big as any. Or would, if we ever got good dorsal views. The bridge area just appears to be internally divided in a way that differs from the E-D: somewhat more compact and angular space for the command chair and the usual two assisting pulpits, meaning that the rest of the bridge deck is available for other uses.

quarters that have raised ridges at the doorways

(This is also true of the Nebula that ferries Dukat in "Waltz", right?)

what was supposed to be a Lieutenant Commander (even though his rank pips were those of a Lieutenant JG) in charge

The E-D often had a Lt(jg) in charge...

doesn't seem to have many people onboard

Or then these people aren't allowed to appear publicly. After all, for some reason, they weren't allowed to disembark and visit DS9, either, and our heroes found this worth commenting on. Perhaps the dictatorial Seyetlik likes to see neat and deserted corridors around his own quarters?

Watching the episode, I started thinking that (to me at leaste) the Prometheus really should have been an Oberth-Class ship.

Agreed. Although as shown above, it's all consistent with larger ships as well, if we so insist. And there'd be a slight problem with using an Oberth, as those don't have obvious facilities for shuttlecraft, which the plot required.

The big mystery is, where did the medical staff go? Seyetlik was worried about the condition of his wife, but apparently didn't expect or even let any of the onboard medics respond to her emergencies. That problem isn't quite solved even by assuming a very small ship.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

And perhaps even placed under his command.

That is the impression you get from the episode, which makes sense, seeing as its his project whilst Piersall is his First Officer.

From the outside, this appears as big as any. Or would, if we ever got good dorsal views. The bridge area just appears to be internally divided in a way that differs from the E-D: somewhat more compact and angular space for the command chair and the usual two assisting pulpits, meaning that the rest of the bridge deck is available for other uses.

Its the generic Bridge layout DS9 had (used not only for the Prometheus but the Saratoga and Odyssey as well). I actually really like its layout, seems practical to me.

(This is also true of the Nebula that ferries Dukat in "Waltz", right?)

It's been a while since I saw that episode, but give me a week and I'll get there

The E-D often had a Lt(jg) in charge...

That is very true, both Geordi and Worf commanded the ship (or at least a section of it) in TNG S1.

Or then these people aren't allowed to appear publicly. After all, for some reason, they weren't allowed to disembark and visit DS9, either, and our heroes found this worth commenting on. Perhaps the dictatorial Seyetlik likes to see neat and deserted corridors around his own quarters?

Given the mission they were about to face, I assume that they were all needed onboard to run through all systems and equipment prior to the mission. There's also the matter of O'Brien helping to tweak their engines above their design specs, surely their own engineers could've managed that?

Agreed. Although as shown above, it's all consistent with larger ships as well, if we so insist. And there'd be a slight problem with using an Oberth, as those don't have obvious facilities for shuttlecraft, which the plot required.

The Oberth-Class does have three large doors on the saucer. The forward one would be large enough to carry a shuttlepod.

The big mystery is, where did the medical staff go? Seyetlik was worried about the condition of his wife, but apparently didn't expect or even let any of the onboard medics respond to her emergencies. That problem isn't quite solved even by assuming a very small ship.

I know. That was weird. Dax has degrees in exobiology and zoology, she knows how to scan lifeforms, not heal them.

 

[R. Star]

A captain or medical officer would have required another guest star for an episode that was obviously low budget.

 

[Dukhat]

The use of the Nebula Class filming model for Seyetik's ship was just a poor choice. The experiment could have simply been carried out aboard a couple of the runabouts, instead of bringing in a bunch of unnecessary Starfleet extras. (which was the point of Peirsall being a j.g. while commanding the ship...so his rank wouldn't get in the way of the regular DS9 cast...) Seyetik could have then commandeered one of the runabouts for his suicide run.

 

[Dick_Valentine]

Anything that keeps the ugliest starship design this side of the Andromeda Ascendant off our screens has to be a good thing!

If you could ret-con it I imagine a Nova class would've been a better choice, the ones that were shown on Voyager (2? or is there one in the fleet in Endgame as well?) were supposed to be tiny science ships too so if only you could paste that design into the episode somehow.

That said, I do like the design of the Nebula, particularly as they kept beefing it up during the dominion war.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I like the Nebula-Class as well and always like seeing in on screen, and I know it's supposed to be a versatile ship what with its pods. But it just seems like a bit of overkill for the mission.

A Nova-Class would have made sense as well but the Trek artists hadn't gotten round to designing it yet , which is why I went with the Oberth-Class. Granted she ain't the prettiest ship out there, but she does fill a useful little niche in ship functions.

Also regarding Piersall: http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Piersall

 

[Romulus Prime]

I'm going back through my DS9 boxsets and have just finished "Second Sight", which featured the Nebula-Class U.S.S. Prometheus.

It looks to have been assigned to Professor Seytek (sp?) to reignite a dead star. It has a small Bridge module, quarters that have raised ridges at the doorways, what was supposed to be a Lieutenant Commander (even though his rank pips were those of a Lieutenant JG) in charge, and doesn't seem to have many people onboard (most of the background extras also appear, to me at least, to be science officers).

Watching the episode, I started thinking that (to me at leaste) the Prometheus really should have been an Oberth-Class ship. All of the above points would fit better with a small research ship, rather than a full-sized explorer.

I couldn't agree more. The details in that episode are just...annoying. The Nebula Class is my favorite ship - wish they would have been depicted more often and with a better bridge module.

 

[Timo]

(which was the point of Peirsall being a j.g. while commanding the ship...so his rank wouldn't get in the way of the regular DS9 cast...)

Actually, by replacing the low-ranking guest character with a high-ranking one (for no extra cost, as Piersall had lines anyway!), the episode could have created a bit of additional dramatic tension. Sisko barges in on the bridge and demands that Seyetlik be stopped - but a four-pipper says "No way, Commander. I've worked with him for years, and he... Knows what he's doing."

I mean, the point of the scene is to make Sisko stand by helplessly anyway. To have this be because people loyal to Seyetlik outrank the lowly station manager would be a fairly simple and natural plot twist.

Another thing they could have done fairly naturally would have been to mention a CMO character, but then have Seyetlik hint or declare that he would never allow medical personnel to examine her wife's condition - because he already knows what that condition is, and what implications it carries. Dax would simply stumble onto a situation where medical help was crucially needed and Seyetlik wasn't in a position to shoo her away.

Oberth footage would have been a pretty easy way to go, too. Quite a few dramatic angles would have been available from the movies and TNG, in addition to the "Emissary" shots, and many of these would have been from angles where the name or registry of the ship was hidden. Could any other "stock" ship have done the job? They might have used one of the Bajoran vessels seen docked in various eps, perhaps, or then the Norkova, although there'd be few free-space shots of these.

Timo Saloniemi