USS Enterprise: Biography of a Ship and Its Crew - Part.2

WEAPONRY

The hand-carried weapons, called “phasers,” are pure energy weapons (as are all offensive weapons in the ship’s arsenal). All phasers emit a beam of energy similar to the light beam emitted by a Laser, but of a pulsating nature that can be “phased” to interfere or interact with the wave pattern of any molecular form. Phaser beams can be fired steadily, in one long burst, or in intermittent “squirts” or “phased” energy. They can be set to dematerialize (converting matter into energy), disrupt (breaking down cohesion), heat (increasing molecular velocity), or stun (neural impact).

There are three types of band-carried phasers. The first and smallest is not much larger than a pack of cigarettes and is worn concealed on a belt under the uniform shirt. It is limited in range, power, and energy charge, and is primarily used when a landing party does not want to be conspicuously armed. For example, during a “friendly call” on a planet.





The second type of phaser is a combination of the small phaser snapped into a pistol mount. The handle of the mount is a power pack that increases the range, power, and energy available. This type of phaser is worn visibly, hanging from a weapons belt at the waist.


The third type is a more powerful phaser rifle, providing even greater range and effectiveness. The hand phasers’ variety of power settings include a wide range of choices that permit the phaser to be used as a cutting torch, welding device, and similar hand tool needs.

Phasers can also be set to “overload,” and can be used in emergencies as a time bomb. This setting causes the power source to build to the point where it explodes. Detonation will destroy the phaser and most natural physical objects within a fifty-yard radius. There is a safety device built into each phaser that emits a characteristic sound as the phaser enters overload condition.
The arsenal of the Enterprise itself includes a battery of ship-mounted phasers, which derive their enormous power directly from the ship’s engines. Multiple units, called phaser banks, are titanic versions of the hand phasers. They are capable of demolishing matter over vast distances.
The Enterprise is equipped with a second type of offensive weapon, called photon torpedos, which are energy pods of matter and anti-matter contained and held temporarily separated in a magno-photon force field. These can be used as torpedos or depth charges, and can be set with electrochemical, proximity, and a variety of other fuses. Photon torpedos can be fired directly at a target, laid out as a mine field, or scattered in an attacker’s path as depth charges.
The Helmsman is also the ship’s Weapons Officer and coordinates phaser fire, using the ship’s navigational aids to scan, track, lock-on, and fire on the Captain’s order.


DEFLECTORS








The Enterprise is equipped with several types of deflectors, one of which is employed as a defensive weapon. This deflector shield does the same thing that steel plating does for a modern-day battleship. It is, in effect, an invisible force barrier around the Enterprise, protecting the vessel from anything but the most sophisticated and powerful of weapons. It is automatically activated by the ship’s sensors and computers when an unknown danger approaches. If the vessel should come under attack, the power of the deflector shield can be increased considerably, but at a commensurate loss to the ships power. At optimum setting, shielding can be maintained for only twenty hours. When the deflector shield (or “screen,” as it is sometimes called) is operating, the ship’s transporters cannot be used, because the force-field barrier completely envelopes the ship.



The Enterprise is also equipped with navigational deflector beams which, triggered by navigational scanners, sweep far ahead of the vessel’s path through space. Reason—at hyperlight speeds, striking even a particle of space dust would pierce the skin of the vessel. The navigational sensors sweep the bath ahead of the ship at distances so great that minimal deflector power is required to divert space debris and other objects from the ship’s path. The vessel’s computers constantly monitor this, aid should too large an asteroid or other object be sensed, the ship will be automatically diverted from a collision course.

While not classified as a weapon, the tractor beam can be used as one. It operates on the reverse principle of the deflector. It is a beam that grabs and pulls, rather than deflecting away. The tractor beam has a maximum range of about 100,000 miles. It can be used to hold a firm position alongside another vessel, pull a smaller vessel toward the Enterprise, or tow another ship out of danger. It can also be used to pull small objects within transporter range, whereupon they can be beamed aboard.


Since space knows no north or south, and no “up” or “down,” directions are given In two planes rather than one. For example, the position of an unidentified object would be expressed as, “unidentified object ahead on a bearing of 37 mark 211.” The “space horizon” is a plane bisecting the galaxy at its widest point, and “zero” horizon is the line from Earth to the center of the galaxy. The vertical plane, “up” and “down,” is at right angles to the galaxy “horizon,” and “zero” on this plane is an imaginary line from the center of the galaxy through its thinnest point to a distant galaxy dubbed Polaris II. Thus the “unidentified object” mentioned previously would be 37 degrees “up” on a vertical plane and 211 degrees “out” on a horizontal plane.


When questioned on this point, Gene said: WHY USE THE WORD “MARK”? WELL, I GUESS IT SOUNDED SEMIMILITARY AND SEMI-NAVIGATIONAL. AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU’RE THE FIRST PERSON WHO’S EVER QUESTIONED ME ON THAT. EVERYONE ELSE HAS JUST ACCEPTED IT AS THE WAY WE DO IT, YOU’RE BEGINNING TO SHAKE ME UP—IT’S HARD ENOUGH TO THINK UP SOME OF THESE THINGS, MUST LESS HAVING TO EXPLAIN THEM.