3 - Alpha pods

The Alpha class design projects system of interchangeable pods are one of the most important elements of the project.  It allows the ships of these classes to be quickly specialized for a wide variety of roles. This section provides an overview and the general technical specifications of
the series of pods designed to be carried by these classes of ships


General Information
   Size
      Dimensions: 125.0 x 41.5 x 24.3 meters
      Decks: 5
      Pods are smaller but slightly thicker than the normal Nebula class pods, having only about 
      60 percent of their volume. However the Astraeus, Melbourne, Oleet, and Peisander class 
      cruisers that carry these pods typically mount three and so actually have more pod volume
      in total. 
   Purpose
      There are a variety of types of pods each designed to improve the resources and abilities
      of a starship. Some pods are also designed to operate independently of a starship making
      them small sublight vessels in their own right. Some pods are also designed to be able to
      land and take off from planetary surfaces making them giant shuttle craft as well.
   Systems
      Unless stated otherwise all pods include the following basic systems: Life support,
      structural integrity field generator, emergency transporter, docking systems, emergency 
      separation system, mirco impulse engine, RCS thrusters and emergency consumables for
      several months. 
   Separation
      Pods are designed for separation from its host starship at anytime without the need for 
      starbase facilities and without damaging the pod or the starship. Additionally, many pod
      designs are able to operate independently of the starship to a limited extent, much like a
      galaxy class starship's primary hull during separation. These pods are able to move under
      impulse and reattach to the starship without the need of base facilities. All pods are
      intended for service as lifeboats in an emergency, are able to operate for up to several
      months without a host ship and can make emergency planetfall if needed. Some pods are 
      designed specifically to make planetfall, return to orbit, and reattach to the starship.
   Variants and modifications
      Each type of pod has a common design so they can be easily manufactured, however there
      are several pre or post production modifications to the common design for various reasons. 
      Most pods are also designed to sllow other modifications to be made by starship crews as
      situations demand. 


Pod Types

Academy
   Overview
      Academy pods are designed to place the finishing polish on final year starfleet cadets.
      Academy pods are very rugged and designed to simulate disasters for training purposes.
      The pods can replicate a wide variety of situations and have various versions of most
      federation starship systems for cadets to familiarize themselves with.
   Systems
      Cadet Barracks, training holorooms, classrooms, lecture hall, various other training and
      training support systems.
   Separation
      Academy pods have regular separation systems.
   Variants and modifications
      Each pod is slightly different and typically a cadet training ship will mount multiple pods
      with different but complementary systems.

Assault
   Overview
      Assault pods are designed to deliver contingents of troops to the ground and to support
      ground combat and training operations. In essence they are portable bunkers for ground
      forces. Normally the pod will rapidly descend through the atmosphere, use its phasers to
      dig a hole to bury most of itself in, land in the hole and disembark its troops and vehicles.
      For major campaigns a command/medical variant and several armor/artillery variants
      will be clustered fairly close together behind a line or within a ring of standard troop
      assault pods.
   Systems
      Combat information center, command/control/communication center. Training & medical
      (much of the space is dual purpose, class rooms that are used for triage, etc. includes
      holosuits for training and an EMH to stabilize injured troops before evacuating them to
      orbit), combat transporters, anti-personnel phasers, anti-armor & anti-air microtorpedo
      launchers, light artillery/heavy mortar systems, ablative armor, shields generators, vehicle
      maintenance and storage bays. Landing and atmospheric flight (limited) controls
   Separation
      These pods are intended for operation separate from their host ship. While they provide
      quarters for ground troops the ground troops use starship recreation facilities when they
      are docked. The main purpose of this pod is to put the troops on the ground, dig in, hold
      the territory as long as needed and then return the troops to orbit and redock to the
      starship. Assault pods can land on almost any terrain, they use their phasers just prior to
      landing and often will use the phasers to dig a massive 'foxhole' to better protect most of
      their bulk.
   Variants and modifications
      Most pods are designed for troops, ground combat support and light vehicles. There are
      some pods that replace the majority of these systems and replace them with heavy armor
      maintenance and storage bays and/or heavy artillery systems. Another variant replaces
      most of the vehicle spaces and has more command and medical facilities.

Brig
   Overview
      Brig pods are very rare. The Federation typically has better methods for deailing with
      criminals than transporting and storing them in correctional facilities. Those few that do
      need to be to be transported usually can be safely handled with a starships regular brig
      facilities. However, occasionally groups of dangerous criminals or prisoners of war need
      to be moved to a new location. This pod is designed to handle such situations as safely as
      possible.
   Systems
      Cellblocks, advanced internal security systems, reduced and secure connections with the
      starship, special purpose transporter system.
   Separation
      These pods are intended to hold dangerous creatures and to keep them safely seperated
      from the crew and systems of the starship.  In the case of a security breach they can
      quickly be seperated from the starship to help assure its safety. These pods are less
      functional in seperatated mode than most pods and lack thrusters or the ability to survive
      planetfall.
   Variants and modifications
      There are two main variants of this pod design. The prisoner pod is designed for
      transporting a few very dangerous individual criminals and the POW pod is desinged for
      transporting groups of captured enemy combatants. Pods can also be further modified for
      handling specific types of prisoners but modifications are more difficult than is typical of
      alpha class pods since the security features of the design severely limit its flexability.

Cargo
   Overview
      Cargo pods are the most common of the various pod types. There are several different
      variants of the basic design depending on the type of cargo.
   Systems
      Cargo pods include the basic pod systems. They also often have heavy cargo transporters
      and or cargo doors that can be opened directly to space for easy loading and unloading.
      Most also have a cargo shuttle bay with access to the cargo bays. They do not have living
      quarters but do include a small industrial replicator to produce clothing, bedding and other
      essentials if needed if used as a life boat.
   Separation
      Most cargo pods have only basic separation systems although there are some variants that
      have planetfall and lift capabilities that make them, in effect, giant cargo shuttles.
   Variants and modifications
      There are a wide variety of variations of cargo pods and they are usually of a simple and
      easily modified design. Common variants include bulk fluid, bulk solids, general cargo,
      livestock, hazardous materials, and special environment cargo. Bulk cargo pods generally
      do not have cargo bay doors but have other systems to on and off load cargos. General
      cargo pods have several cargo bay doors but not all of their cargo holds have direct
      exterior access. Some variants have planetfall ability although they require improve
      landing sites or a spaceport to be able to land safely.

Colonial Support
   Overview
      Colonial support pods are designed to provide temporary access to important services that
      small colonies and outposts often to not have. Many starships are tasked with travelling
      among these colonies and outposts to bring them supplies, specialists and these pods
      provide infrequently needed but important facilities. This pod is designed to provide all
      of these things in one place and make them easier to deliver to Federation citizens.
      Typically one of these pods will be added to a reseach or science vessel which will drop
      the pod on a planet, go do its research, then return later to reclaim the pod and take it to
      its next destination.
   Systems
      Medical clinic, judicial court, administrative offices, high-tech machine shop, planetary
      sciences laboratories, construction equipment maintenance and storage facilities.
   Separation
      Colonial support pods are designed to land and return from planetary surfaces. They do not
      need spaceport facilities to land but do need a large, flat area able to support their weight.
      The starship crew should always do a detailed survey of a proposed landing zone before
      sending the pod down.
   Variants and modifications
      Currently there are no variants to this design although several have been slightly modified
      by their personnel to better meet their needs.

Colonization
   Overview
      Colonization pods are designed to form the core of a new colonization effort. The house
      important equipment and systems that colonist need to survive and thrive on a new, virgin
      world. Unlike most pods these are generally one use systems, being taken to the new
      colony sight and left there forever to become part of the new colony's initial infrastructure.
      The benefit of these pods to a new colony is that it provides the core infrastructure needs
      of the colony in three convenent and immediately operational packages without needing to
      go without while the infrastructure is built from parts or even raw materials. Generally the
      these pods are deployed in sets of three and set down in a large U formation with walls
      built to seal the spaces between the to flanking and the central pod and a security fence on
      the open side to establish a safe courtyard in the middle as the colony develops it will
      expand around these structures but they will remain the center and safe-hold of the colony
      for some time.
   Systems
      These pods are intended to form the core of a new civilization and so are packed with
      many systems to assist in that effort. There are three main variants that are designed to be
      deployed together so that each fledgling colony has the benefit of all three. The Admin
      Pod has offices, library facilities, a large meeting room, class rooms, a mess hall with a
      complete kitchen, and some recreation facilities. The Science Pod has a medical clinic,
      science laboratories (especially agricultural, and planetary sciences), sensors, water
      testing, purification, and storage, and many storage rooms. The Industrial Pod has
      workshops, four industrial replicators, a small but complete smelter/refinery, machine
      shops, vehicle maintenance and storage bays, and a reactor to provide initial and later
      backup power for the colony. Additionally, colonization pods have several small but
      rugged phaser banks built into what will become the outside corners of the U formation
      they are normally positioned in.
   Seperation
      Colonization pods are designed to land on but not return from planetary surfaces. They do
      not need spaceport facilities to land but do need a large, flat area able to support their
      weight. The starship crew should always do a detailed survey of a proposed landing site
      before sending the pod down.
   Variants and modifications
      There are three main variations of these pods; the Administrative pod which provides an
      administrative and cultural center to a new colony, the science pod which assists the
      colonists in exploring their new world while keeping them healthy, and an industrial pod
      which provides a new colony with the ability to expand and build more structures quickly.

Crew
   Overview:
      Crew pods are designed to improve the comfort and lifestyle of crews onboard or to allow
      for an expanded crew complement (such in the case of carrier tactical cruisers which
      require large complements of pilots and flight crews). Typically there is only enough crew
      quarter space on Astraeus, Melbourne, Oleet, and Peisander class cruisers for spartan living
      quarters for most of the crew. The crew pod expands living spaces to allow for private
      rooms for most of a normal sized crew and includes additional recreational facilities, mess
      halls, and other services. Additionally, when families of starfleet personnel accompany
      their service member to space it is preferred to house them in a Crew pod so that if the ship
      knows it is heading into danger the pod can be detached and left safely behind. Crew
      quarters on the pods include basic, expanded, and exotic environment quarters but not the
      luxury quarters normally only used by senior officers and VIPs (such quarters are usually
      located in the starhip's primary hull near the command centers of the ship).
   Systems
      Crew pods are used to greatly expand and improve the living and recreational spaces
      allocable to crew and passengers. There are several different variants and all are designed
      to be easily modified by a starship's engineers with or without base facilities.
   Separation:
      Crew pods have standard separation systems. They are capable of independent impulse
      flight and can land on a planet in an emergency, although they lack the ability to return to
      orbit after such a landing.
   Variants and modifications:
      There are several variants of these pods depending on the forecasted needs. Additionally
      most of the crew spaces are designed for easy modification. Any of the crew quarters can
      be altered from its basic mode which houses two crew members to support up to six
      occupants (which is cramped by human standards). Ship's engineers can also modify
      adjoining quarters to make them an expanded quarters used for mid-ranked officers or for
      married couples without requiring starbase facilities. Normal quarters cannot be modified
      to support exotic environments without starbase facilities, although most crew pods include
      several crew quarters already ready outfitted for exotic environs. Exotic environment
      quarters can be adjusted from single to sextuple occupancy as with normal environment
      quarters but cannot be expanded double staterooms.

Diplomatic
   Overview
      Diplomatic pods are luxurious and designed to host ambassadors and other dignitaries as
      they meet with Federation officials or for when the Federation hosts talks between other
      groups.
   Systems
      Diplomatic pods include VIP and regular quarters, most of which are designed to handle
      exotic environments as needed. They also have a variety of meeting venues and the
      recreation facilities. Enhanced translator systems, secure communication systems, internal
      security systems, and exotic food and exo-medical facilities. 
   Separation
      Most diplomatic pods have regular separation systems. 
   Variants and modifications
      Diplomatic pods are often highly modified to meet the needs and improve the comfort of
      the species they will be used for. Often pods will be almost completely rebuilt at a starbase
      from one use to another.  Most are designed to allow for starship crews to make
      modifications to meet delegates desires. Most pods are also designed to semi-isolate
      various groups from each other so that the quarters and common areas being used by one
      delegation are separated from those of another with only meeting rooms in common. 
      Each area can have its own exotic environment and the meeting rooms can be designed so
      species with incompatible environmental needs can still meet together. 

Embassy
   Overview
      The Embassy pod are fairly rare. They are a highly specialized diplomatic pod. It is
      intended for use as a temporary Federation embassy on worlds where a permanent
      Embassy facility has not or cannot been constructed.
   Systems
      Embassy staff living quarters, recreation areas, and other support facilities. Security
      systems, secure communication systems, diplomatic meeting and gala rooms. Planetfall
      systems. Ground vehicle maintenance and storage facilities.
   Separation
      This pod is designed for planetfall.  It does not require a spaceport for landing but does
      need a large, flat area able to support its weight. Starfleet personnel will take detailed scans
      of a proposed landing zone before allowing the pod to attempt a landing.
   Variants and modifications
      No variants but they are usually heavily modified and customized as needed.

Exploration
   Overview
      The Exploration pod is designed to enhance and extend the exploration capabilities of the
      starship by expanding on a several important systems already incorporated into the starship.
   Systems
      Shuttlebay, science labs (especially high-energy or otherwise hazardous labs), alien tech
      analysis and integration lab, probe/torpedo launcher, general use customizable spaces
      (usually used as cargo bays until needed).
   Separation
      Regular separation systems
   Variants and modifications
      Exploration ships are often faced with the unknown and so most exploration pods are of the
      same general design.  However they are designed to be easily modified by the engineers of
      the starship they are attached to, especially by having several areas that are empty and ready
      to be reconfigured as needed. 

Flag
   Overview
      It is hoped that these pods are never needed. In times of peace Federation starships
      normally operate independently. But in war or times of emergency groups of starships will
      operate in unison. Flag pods are designed to provide the systems needed to effectively
      coordinate groups of starships or divisions of ground troops without permanently tying up
      space on a starship with systems it doesn't need in times of peace.
   Systems
      Crew quarters for a Flag officer and his support staff. Flag command operations center.
      Fleet combat information center. Fleet communications. Meeting and planning rooms.
   Separation
      Flag pods have regular separation systems
   Variants and modifications
      Most flag pods follow the same general design but are customized by their assigned flag
      officer and his staff for their needs.

Industrial
   Overview
      Industrial pods are designed to vastly increase a starships manufacturing ability. These
      pods are usually used when a starship might be unable to regularly resupply from
      federation worlds, to allow starships to rapidly replace depleted materials, or to provide a
      temporary boost to a colony's infrastructure.
   Systems
      Large industrial replicators, small industrial replicators, specialized replicators,
      dematerializers, machine shops, manufacturing center, industrial transporters, refinery
      systems, cargo holds, fusion reactors, cargo shuttle bay.
   Separation
      Industrial pods have regular separation systems.
   Variants and modifications
      There are a large number of variants to the industrial pods from a general variant that is
      slightly good at most types of industries to pods specializing to perform certain tasks such
      as acting as a refinery or manufacturing munitions.

Medical
   Overview
      Medical pods are designed to be small mobile hospitals, vastly increasing a starships
      medical and emergency response abilities.
   Systems
      Trauma bay, medical wards, medical/biological laboratories, medical officer offices,
      Quarantine systems, medical transporters, and drug/medical equipment fabrication, EMH
      MkV (an additional EMH to the starships normal system).
   Separation
      This pod is designed for planetfall.  It does not require a spaceport for landing but does
      need a large, flat area able to support its weight.  Starfleet personnel will take detailed
      scans of a proposed landing zone before allowing the pod to attempt a landing.
   Variants and modifications
      There are no variants to these pods, they are purposely manufactured as closely identical
      as possible so that starfleet medical personal temporarily assigned to them in an emergency
      do not need to spend time familiarizing themselves with unexpected variations.

Multi-vector
   Overview
      Based on analysis of the Prometheus class project, these pods are actually small parasite
      starships that use a host starship to expand their mission duration and long range capability.
   Systems
      Bridge, pulse phasers, torpedo tube, M/ARA reactor, embedded warp nacelles, impulse
      engines, crew quarters, etc.
   Separation
      These pods are designed to operate separate from the host ship and for rapid release from
      the host ship in combat situations.
   Variants and modifications
      Currently there are few variations to these pods but it is expected as tactical developments
      occur the latest offensive and defensive systems will be incorporated into new designs.

Repair/salvage
   Overview
      These pods are designed as small shipyards for the purpose bringing aid to starships too
      damaged to make their way safely to a more comprehensive repair yard. Additionally, the
      pod is designed to decommission, salvage, and destroy ships deemed too badly damaged
      to repair.
   Systems
      Extendable universal docking clamps.  Robotic construction arms, industrial replicators,
      cargo holds, and workshops.
   Separation
      Repair/salvage pods have regular separation systems.
   Variants and modifications
      There are currently no variants of this type of pod although several have been modified by
      their crews to meet various needs during their use. They are uniquely capable of modifying
      themselves with their own systems.

Science
   Overview
      Science pods are designed to provide enhanced laboratory space and science systems. If a
      lab is working with dangerous materials such as high energy, biohazards, or alien
      technology it is usually found in a science pod that can be quickly and safely isolated
      from the rest of a starship.
   Systems
      Science labs, isolation systems, science offices, cargo holds, experimentation systems, and
      specialized computer and scanning systems.
   Separation
      Science pods have regular separation systems. Additionally, the pods are designed for
      highly hazardous experiments, such as research into Borg technology, are designed to
      perform the experiments while separated from the starship and may have self-destruct
      systems to deal with critical containment failures.
   Variants and modifications
      There are a large number of variants in this type of pod and the pods are designed to be
      easily modified by starship engineers without a starbase to met evolving needs.

Sensor
   Overview
      All federation starships have an amazing array of sensors but normal sensors are limited to
      looking for the most common and important objects. A sensor pod greatly increases the
      amount of objects that can be scanned for, the range in which they can be detected, the
      details that can be found, and the speed in which the information can be processed.
   Systems
      Dedicated sensor analysis and information storage computer core. Various scanning and
      detection systems, scanning control systems
   Separation
      Sensor pods have regular separation systems.
   Variants and modifications
      Many of these pods are of a general design loaded with a wide range of powerful scanners
      Several variants exist designed for observation of specific events or types of phenomenon.
      Most designs are also allow for some degree of customization by starship engineers
      without need of a starbase although a starbase is necessary to replace or modify most of
      the already emplaced systems.

Surveillance
   Overview
      Surveillance pods are a low profile version of the more common Sensor pod. They are
      ideally suited for scout ships on information gathering missions in hostile territory or when
      survey missions need a lower profile such as the observation of a pre-warp industrial
      culture.
   Systems
      Various sensor systems, enhanced passive sensor systems, enhanced low emission active
      sensors. Sensor control systems.
   Separation
      Surveillance pods have regular separation systems.
   Variants and modifications
      There are currently no variants on this pod although future technological developments
       may result in variations.

Shuttle
   Overview
      These pods are designed to greatly increase a ships complement of auxiliary craft. Many
      pod designs such as the exploration, industrial, and many cargo variants include a
      shuttlebay in their design but this pod is specifically dedicated to carry, launch,
      coordinate, recover, and repair small craft.
   Systems
      Multiple shuttlebays, through deck main shuttle bay, shuttle repair bay, refueling systems,
      pilot ready rooms, micro tractor beams, shuttle approach control.
   Separation
      Shuttle pods have regular separation systems.
   Variants and modifications
      There are several variants of this pod design depending on the type of shuttle designed to
      be carried. A general design provides for a mixture of types but is actually one of the less
      prolific variants as the most demand is when a particular types of auxiliary craft is
      needed. Currently two variants are the most common, a variant for starfleet fightercraft
      for use with tactical cruiser/carriers and a variant which has a few normal shuttle/fighter
      bays but uses most of its space for carrying and controlling unmanned defensive fighter
      pods and/or recon drones.

Tactical
   Overview
      The tactical greatly increases firepower of its ships but with a more balanced weapon mix
      than the Shuttle or Torpedo pods and without loosing space to warp drives like the multi-
      vector pods.
   Systems
      One high speed burst fire torpedo tube, one torpedo/probe/minelayer tube, two type X+
      phaser arrays, two pulse phaser cannons, four point defense turrents, enhanced shield
      generators, military sensors, two shuttle bays, advanced ECM and ECCM systems.
   Separation
      Tactical pods have regular separation systems.
   Variants and modifications
      There are several versions of this pod based around weapon systems that are not not
      typically used by the Federation, such as cloaking devices, poloron beams, ion cannons,
      missles, etc.

Torpedo
   Overview
      Torpedo pods greatly increase the firepower of ships by vastly increasing the torpedo tubes
      it has at its command. Torpedo pods are also designed to manufacture and deploy mines.
   Systems
      Multiple high speed burst fire torpedo tubes, torpedo assembly and storage systems,
      enhanced torpedo targeting, control, and guidance systems. Minelaying systems.
      Cargo/minelaying bay. 
   Separation
      Torpedo pods have regular separation systems except for some slightly enhanced flight
      control systems so they can better operate independently when preparing or operating in
      a battlefield.
   Variants and modifications
      There are a few variants on this pod design, including a dedicated minelaying variant
      which has several tubes designed to rapidly deploy mines larger than could be handled by
      a normal torpedo/probe launch tube.

Transport
   Overview
      The transport pod is designed to move large numbers of people.  It sacrifices comfort for
      numbers and many passengers will be in barracks accommodations or spartan shared
      quarters with a communal mess hall with mass food replication. These pods usually do not
      have recreation facilities, instead passengers usually use the carrying starships lounges,
      holodecks, or other such systems for their recreation.
   Systems
      Very spartan quarters (barracks blocks), spartan quarters (2-6 occupancy rooms),
      enhanced life support, cafeteria mess.
   Separation
      Transport pods have regular separation systems but with some additional systems to
      provide for the safety of more than the usual number of occupants.
   Variants and modifications
      These are fairly basically designed pods with few now variants but easily modified for the
      number and necessary comfort levels of the passengers ranging from troop transports able
      to carry hundreds of people but in large communal barracks to pods designed for regular
      runs to carry dozens of personnel in spartan but private quarters.  Additional variants exist
      that are equipped for transportation of passengers requiring exotic environments such as
      aquatics or methane breathers.

VIP
   Overview
      This pod is the alternate extreme of the transport pod. While the transport pods are
      designed to carry many people in minimum comfort and the Crew pod is designed to
      carry a moderate amount of people in regular (for starfleet) comfort, VIP pods are
      designed to carry a few people and their entourage in a high degree of comfort. High
      ranking Federation officials or non-federation diplomats are usually accommodated
      with diplomatic or embassy pods so few of these pods have been made.
   Systems
      Luxury accommodations, other accommodations for support staff, enhanced dinning
      facilities and recreation facilities, private communication systems, etc.
   Separation
      VIP pods always have at least regular separation systems, many have planetfall capability.
   Variants and modifications
      There are very few of these pods in production and all of them are custom designed.