“There is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns.” — Octavia E. Butler
The USS Octavia E. Butler was first launched on Stardate 240102 (2024, February) under the command of Captain Lia Rouiancet. Like other Sagan-Class ships, The USS Octavia E Butler incorporates Borg-technology from the Artifact and other state-of-the-art and experimental technological components. Today we are joined by Captain Lia Rouiancet and Lieutenant Commander Avander Promontory, Lieutenant Lhandon Nilsen, and Ensign Morro Caras to tell us more about what makes their ship unique.
Harford: Thank you for joining us. The USS Octavia E. Butler had a unique beginning being the first of its class to join the Fleet. What drew you to a Sagan class and what’s it been like essentially creating a new ship from scratch?
Rouiancet: This was 100% a group effort. I knew that, after the ‘Oumuamua, I wanted a new design – which Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Picard gave us plenty of, so it was something like an embarrassment of riches. I chose a few designs I particularly liked (including the Sagan, Constitution III, and California classes) and brought them to my staff group, where we discussed the pros and cons of each design and then did a ranked-choice vote. The Sagan won out, and although I would’ve been happy with any of the designs, I was probably most pleased with the Sagan because Carl Sagan was such a force when it came to science communication (and science fiction – Contact is still amazing!), and I knew that I wanted to name the ship after a science fiction writer, especially after Discovery honored Ursula K. Le Guin and Liu Cixin with namesake ships.
The design process for the OEB was even more of an all-hands-on-deck situation. After the staff group really dove into the design (and you can see the results of that on the wiki even now – the deck layout, for example, which not only lists locations on each deck but actually gives you a map of each deck superimposed within a silhouette of the larger ship. Like, that’s incredible! It’s never something I could’ve come up with on my own, either, so it’s entirely thanks to the group effort that we have not only that level of detail, but a greater level of detail than some older, thoroughly explored designs. I want to thank, now and forever, the group that really pulled that together — not only the talented staff and simmers on the OEB now (Brent, Amanda, Joel, Mark, Erik, Tom…), but also those who have since gone on to other ships around the fleet, and often greater responsibilities – Jared, Don, Mikey – I’m sure I’m leaving out some names, and I promise it’s not intentional!
What strengths make the USS Octavia E. Butler stand out? Are there any weaknesses of the Sagan class that you have to overcome?
Rouiancet: We wanted the OEB to represent the very cutting edge of what we’ve seen on screen recently, as well as the best of what 118 has developed in our corner of the Trek universe. For example, Picard’s second season established that the Sagan class was engineered in part from Borg technology, so we’ve explored over leaves and missions what exactly that means and the strengths and weaknesses that might have. We also integrated the work of the Warp XV project, because even though the OEB’s theater of operations is the Gamma Quadrant (and specifically the former sphere of influence of the Dominion), that’s a lot of space, so our characters need whatever help they can get in boldly getting there.
Promontory: Our computer can be somewhat… finicky. Different users seem to have different experiences with it. IC it might be a bit a weakness, but it can lead to some fun stories. It is outstanding to have a ‘top of the line’ ship, the new systems are super fast, it has that ‘new ship’ smell and it can hold its own.
Also, our dials go up to 11!
What makes the USS Octavia E. Butler unique? Are there any unique features or amenities the crew enjoys taking advantage of?
Rouiancet: There’s been a tradition since this crew launched on the Thor that’s persisted through the ‘Oumuamua and now the Butler: The bowling alley! It started as kind of a joke among the staff when we inherited the Thor – why would a starship need a dedicated bowling alley when it’s got holodecks? (but also maybe it’s a TOS Easter egg?) – but it was part of the Thor’s original specs, so we kept it, and now it’s become something we make sure is on every subsequent ship. It’s rare that we have a shore leave on the OEB (and the ‘Oumuamua and Thor before it) in which a scene or JP doesn’t take place at the bowling alley.
Promontory: Carpets. Most of the other Sagan-classes don’t have carpets. And extra exterior windows. And the consoles for the seats by the Captain. Oh and there’s a spa and sauna as well as some libraries…
Nilsen: The Operations Centre. It’s our baby in ops. We wanted a place where operations lived, not just a position on the bridge. So, we created this state-of-the-art space for our characters to simulate in. We got so lucky when we got the OEB because it was a clean slate to really redefine how operations work and give them a brand-new home.
Caras: The two warp cores are a dream for someone who plays as an engineer. They have allowed us special functions and leeway to use them in a story that we wouldn’t get with a single warp core ship. It also sets us up for the hilarious/ terrifying situation where we might have both cores reaching a breach at once, possibly for different reasons.
Beyond the features of a ship’s class, the culture of its crew can play an important role in how the ship operates. How does the crew of the USS Octavia E. Butler compliment the ship and aid in carrying out its missions?
Rouiancet: As far as our simmers are concerned – it’s really collaborative! Of course, this kind of simming is definitionally a collaborative environment, but what I mean is that from the very beginning (choosing a new ship class, developing the specific ship) I wanted this to be a collaborative process. Also, we’ve had plenty of new simmers join since the OEB’s launch, and I’m really proud of how many of both the launch crew and our newer simmers have made their marks on the group and established long-term arcs that play out over missions, leaves, ranks… It’s really inspiring to see the level of investment in our shared stories.
As far as the characters go, there’s plenty of feedback between the posts we have filled, those that need to be filled, and the interests of both characters and simmers. For example, most of our missions since the OEB’s launch have had a diplomatic component, but until very recently (in fact, the near future when I’m writing this reply) we’ve only had one diplomatic PNPC – but the absence of a PC diplomatic officer was an element of inspiration for Tom and how he developed Lhandon Nilsen from operations toward diplomacy. Beyond that, we have robust departments across the board – engineering, science, medical, security and tactical – because of the high caliber of simmers. And I can’t not mention the marines, so ably developed and fleshed out by Jacob’s tenures on the Thor, ‘Oumuamua, and OEB, and wonderfully complemented by Iain.
Promontory: It’s not a human-heavy ship, and I think that helps the approach to the infinite otherness of strange new worlds and species. The Gamma Quadrant is also ‘Atra Incognito’ and almost every mission brings new, never-before-experienced encounters.
Nilsen: As Promontory said, we’re a really diverse group, not just in our characters but also in our real lives. We truly are an international ship; we’ve got writers from the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Canada, Mexico, and the United States. All but one or two of the launch crew are still around, so we’ve really made the OEB our baby. Many of us are also character-focused, so we form these really awesome connections within the crew. Yet, we are also able to dive really deep into our missions, creating an amazing combination of both that allows us to tell the most incredible stories.
Caras: Our ship Discord channel is always busy. We’re all constantly sharing story ideas as well as sharing personal stories; Helping one another through hardships, answering questions, and offering constructive criticism. When the mission is on and someone has a question, we’re fast to respond with answers, ideas, and suggestions; With a combination of knowledge of the SB118 continuity as well as general writing experience. I feel like this allows us to make the missions not only about solving the problem at hand, but allowing us to use our characters to build off one another and reach beyond what is just on the page when it comes to storytelling.
Thank you so much for your insights on the USS Octavia E. Butler, Captain Rouiancet, Lieutenant Commander Promontory, Lieutenant Nilsen, and Ensign Caras!
You can read more about the USS Octavia E. Butler on the wiki, here.
