Feature Articles

In part two of the Thor’s Ship Closeup special, I meet with the Medical and Science teams to learn more about the specific medical and scientific capabilities of the Vesta class.

Hearing a rumour that the Thor’s medical team are dispensing gummy bears to encourage regular crew medicals, I’ve decided to try my luck and head over to Sickbay on Deck 10 to meet with Lt. Jg Alieth and Lt. Cmdr. Alexander Brodie.

Garcia: No, I don’t know where the gummy bear rumor came from, but I’m thankful for your time nonetheless. The medical provision seems quite substantial aboard the Thor. What medical facilities does the Vesta class come equipped with?

Alieth: The main sick bay of the USS Thor is slightly larger than that of the rest of her Vesta class sisters. We have 15 state-of-the-art biobeds, an ICU with 3 dedicated biobeds and a quarantine unit with the latest technology. We also have two fully equipped surgical suites, which are independent of each other and to the main room of the facility.

In addition to all this, we have an excellent medical department staff, assisted by the latest EMH program, which has a greater capacity of assistance throughout the ship thanks to the holoemiters. This way, medical assistance can be provided even in secluded areas of the ship, or in circumstances that could be dangerous for the medical personnel.

Brodie: We also have a fully equipped counseling suite including not only areas for individual sessions but also a morale and welfare center to cater to the crew’s wider needs – such as family issues and spiritual well-being. We have some families aboard the ship so having these kinds of facilities really makes the difference to caring for everyone aboard.

Read more

In a two-part article, we’re going to be taking a close look at the USS Thor, under the command of FltCapt. Aron Kells. Join us as we take a deep dive into this ship and her crew!

The Vesta class is a multi-mission explorer with a crew capacity of around 750 with a 3,500 evacuation limit. It is fitted with one 1,500+ Cochrane warp core and is also QSD equipped. In addition, the Vesta class boasts a formidable armament and a state of the art class XIX Bioneural/Isolinear Computer Core.

To put the Vesta class into some sort of perspective, when lined up against the Galaxy class it’s 30 meters longer, but 268 meters shorter in width and around 107 meters shorter in height.

To get a more tangible sense of the Vesta class, its capabilities and role within the fleet, I sat down with the Thor’s current CO, Fleet Captain Kells, and First Officer, Lt. Commander Geoffrey Teller to talk about the USS Thor – the fleet’s currently active Vesta class vessel.

Garcia: First, thank you both for taking time out to talk about the Vesta class. Why don’t we start by learning a bit more about each of your backgrounds. Fleet Captain Kells, while the Thor is the fourth starship you’ve served on, it’s the first Vesta class, yes? Can you tell us more about your career in the fleet and how the Thor differs from your previous ships?

KELLS: So what you need to know first is that I have a reputation of being the “weird ship” guy, ha. I inherited the Mercury for Kells first command, and from there I moved my crew to the Garuda, a Galaxy class ship. That was purely because I was a TNG fan first! But after that, I knew I wanted to launch something that was a little odd, which is how I came to both the Invicta and the Za, both of which are non-canon designs, and fairly unusual ones at that. By comparison, the Thor is actually pretty standard and quite powerful, which is a fun change of pace for me as a CO. Basically, the Thor can do whatever its simmers can dream up!

Read more

“Toow-u latseen khaa jeexh attee.”

Juneau motto translated from Tlingit language it means “It gives strength to the Spirit.” The Tlingit language is spoken by the indigenous Tlingit who resided along the coastline from the Pacific Northwest to Alaska.

The USS Juneau (NX-99801) launched stardate 239705 (May 2020) under the command of Captain Oddas Aria. The ship was designed with experimental warp technology. It is the first to utilize this advanced warp propulsion system. Fittingly, Captain Oddas co-developed a prototype Warp XV engine that eventually became known as the Oddas-Rahman Next Generation Warp Propulsion Assembly, the precursor to the now OR-400MV. The Juneau is the first non-test ship to hold the OR-400MV and it is still working out some of the kinks. She is a fast ship with a cruising speed of warp 12 with a maximum sustainable cruising speed of warp 14 and a maximum warp speed of 15.

When contacted for this article, Captain Oddas Aria noted the ship was “designed to be used as a test bed. It’s the result of really a multi-year effort from a lot of talented people in the fleet and I’m just beyond glad that we get to be the ones who are trusted with its continued success.”

Read more