PEOPLE AND TERMINOLOGY

RED ALERT  This site generally assumes that you have seen all of [Voyager]. If you have only just started to watch [Voyager], please be warned that pages in the SERIES BASICS site section, though written with beginners mainly in mind, does contain spoilers.

FIND A WORD ON THIS PAGE   user instructions

For more information, e.g. if you want to know how replicators work see the relevant articles - SEARCH ENGINES, ARTICLES INDEX.

More information:

NAME/TERM	DESCRIPTION	PICTURE
ACB	see annular confinement beam
annular confinement beam	Cylindrical force field used to ensure that a person being transported remains within the beam; if there is difficulty transporting someone may give the order "narrow the annular confinement beam" in order to finish the transport successfully. See also transporter.
anodyne relay	Power transfer device used aboard Federation facilities including starships such as USS Voyager.
antimatter	Matter's exact opposite in spin or charge. When matter and antimatter come into contact, it causes a massive explosion. A controlled matter/antimatter reaction is what generates the energy that powers Voyager.
away team	A group of crewmembers on a mission away from Voyager.
beam	see transporter
beam, tractor	see tractor beam
B'Elanna Torres	see Torres
bio-bed	Hospital bed in sickbay which incorporates lots of sophisticated diagnostic and monitoring devices.	2 bio-beds in sickbay source: TOSTW
bio-filter	A transporter mechanism which screens out viruses and bacteria, though of course it can only work on ones already known and programmed into the transporter. When someone beams onto Voyager, the bio-filter prevents them spreading any infectious virus that may have come with them.
bio-neural circuitry	see LCARS
black hole	Celestial phenomenon caused by the collapse of a neutron star. The gravity well generated by the star's collapse becomes so great that neither space-normal matter nor light can escape. Extremely small black holes are known as quantum singularities.
blue alert	A blue alert is ordered for whenever Voyager lands or takes off from a landing. Voyager is the only starship in Star Trek to be seen landing or taking off.	[#20 The 37's]
bridge	The area containing a starship's command centre and associated workstations such as the conn. Voyager's bridge is on deck 1, at the very top of the ship.	picture: TOSTW
briefing room	Also known as the conference lounge. A room adjoining the bridge, on the port side. It contains a large table with chairs, a wall-mounted viewscreen, and doors to the bridge and outside corridor. The room is often used for staff meetings and for meeting representatives of alien cultures.	picture: TOSTW
captain's log	see log
Chakotay	A Maquis commander who becomes first officer, with the rank of Commander, on board USS Voyager. It is to search for his missing Maquis ship and crew, which includes undercover Starfleet agent Tuvok, that USS Voyager goes into the Badlands and ends up catapulted to the Delta Quadrant. Chakotay is a Native American.	[#25 Tattoo]
class-M planet	A planet capable of supporting life and one with the closest to an Earth-like atmosphere. Starfleet classifies planet by its atmospheric and other chemical compositions. Luckily most planets that our heroes visit are class-M planets, enabling them to be there without having to wear environmental suits. (Purposefully, this saves having to hear the dialogue through the rather muffled medium of a communications channel.)
cloaking device	A piece of technology that makes the ship it is installed on 'disappear' so that it cannot be detected by the sensors of other starships or planets, so a cloaking device is a valuable tactical weapon. It uses a lot of power, so a starship must de-cloak in order to fire weapons. The United Federation of Planets (with one exceptional circumstance, not seen in [Voyager]) forbids cloaking devices aboard Starfleet vessels. The unfriendly Romulans and the volatile Klingons have starships that possess cloaking devices. To cloak or de-cloak are verbs e.g. "Captain, a Romulan warbird is de-cloaking off the port bow." Hearing that, any captain would be right to feel anxious.
combadge	Starfleet personnel wear the Starfleet emblem on the left breast of the Starfleet uniform. It is a silver-coloured delta symbol (kind of an arrowhead pointing up to the heavens), and incorporates a personal communicator which is activated by tapping it. (It is not necessary aboard ship or in close range to tap it, but that is explained in technical manuals, not explained on tv. That accounts for why sometimes someone does not tap their combadge but then talks to them, with the communication contact apparently having been magically created.)	[#57 Coda]
command centre	The central area on the bridge between the rear upper level and the conn's lower level. The command centre contains the captain's chair, the first officer's chair, the pop-up computer station located between them, and places for two people to sit next to those officers.	captain's chair and, on its left, first officer's chair source: TOSTW
computer	see LCARS
conference lounge	See briefing room.
conn	The helm position on the bridge. On Voyager the conn is immediately in front of the main viewscreen. The conn officer is Lt. (sometime Ensign) Paris.
Delta Flyer	Large shuttlecraft custom-designed and built by Voyager's crew and first seen in Season 5.	the Delta Flyer uses a tractor beam on an old space module [#128 One Small Step]
deuterium	The fuel used by Federation ships, and thus by Voyager. It is stored in tanks on the ship. Several adventures result from Voyager seeking new deuterium supplies.
diagnostic(s)	Computer program which analyses one or more of the ship's systems to check that it is operating correctly. The most thorough and most time-consuming is a level 1 diagnostic. The most basic one is level 5.
dilithium crystals	These regulate the matter-antimatter reaction which in turn creates the massive energy needed to drive a Federation starship such as Voyager. Voyager set out on its mission to the Badlands with only a few years' supply, so more needs to be found, though in Season 2 a means is found to replenish dwindling fuel supplies continually and so prevent the crew going mad having to eat emergency rations or Neelix's cooking all the way home.
Doctor, the	see Emergency Medical Hologram
[DS9]	Standard abbreviation for [Star Trek: Deep Space 9], first aired for seven seasons from 1993. Action focusses on a Starfleet space station (originally built by aliens). The back-story of the Maquis was deliberately included in certain [DS9] episodes ready for [Voyager].	source: TOSTW
EHM	see Emergency Medical Hologram
Emergency Medical Hologram	Holographic program, designed by Dr Lewis Zimmerman, available on some Federation starships, including USS Voyager, intended as a short-term supplement to medical personnel in emergency situations. The EMH manifests itself as a humanoid male physician, and his first words are "Please state the nature of the medical emergency". He can function only in areas equipped with holographic projectors so in early episodes is confined to sickbay. The EMH program causes holographic projectors not only to generate an image of a person but also to create a magnetic containment field, within which electromagnetic energy is trapped, thereby giving the Doctor the ability to physically manipulate real objects such as patients and medical instruments. After Voyager's entire medical staff are killed as Voyager is catapulted to the Delta Quadrant, the ship's Emergency Medical Hologram becomes the only permanent and/or fully qualified source of medical treatment for the crew. He is called "the Doctor" throughout the site.	[#151 Critical Care]
engineering	Properly known as "main engineering". The engine room (though not called that) aboard USS Voyager that is mainly used is usually accessed on deck 11. That area spans two decks, with doors and Jefferies tubes giving access to other parts of the engineering hull. The warp core, which is the height of several decks, is usually controlled from within main engineering.	picture: TOSTW
[Enterprise]	The latest Star Trek tv series, first airing started after [Voyager] ended. It first aired in the USA in September 2001 and abroad, e.g. in the UK, several months after that. It is the first Star Trek series to omit "Star Trek" from its title, but that move (rather unpopular with fans and arguably a factor in the initial underwhelming support for the show) was remedied for Season 3 when the show was renamed [Star Trek: Enterprise]; however, this site retains the original nomenclature for consistency (and, for me at least, "Star Trek" is tautology as "Enterprise" by itself means "Star Trek"). The first episode is set in 2151, about a century before events in [TOS]. The series comprises four Seasons. Quite a number of actors and actresses who appeared in [Voyager] also appear in certain episodes of [Enterprise] as different characters e.g. Ethan Phillips, Vaughn Armstrong, Joseph Will, Kellie Waymire, Roxann Dawson (voice), Francis Guinan.....	picture: TOSTW
environmental suit	If a Voyager crewmember needs to exit the starship not inside a space vehicle, into space or onto a planet with a harsh environment, a specially designed Starfleet extra-vehicular activity suit is worn to protect them against these airless and hostile environments. These suits are worn for activities such as visual exterior inspections, periodic maintenance, damage control and hardware modifications. They are also known as "EV" suits ("extra-vehicular") or "EVA" (extra-vehicular activity) and the proper Starfleet designation Standard Extra-vehicular Work Garment, but those terms are not used in [Voyager] and the proper designation is used (I believe) only in technical manuals.	[#71 Day Of Honor]
EPS system	"EPS" stands for "electroplasma system". It is the power distribution network aboard Federation starships. EPS taps divert amounts of drive plasma to the correct places so that it can be used to generate electrical power and it is conveyed in "power transfer conduits" or "power conduits" or "EPS conduits" or "conduits".
escape pod	On Voyager and other Federation starships, the equivalent of a lifeboat. When the situation becomes utterly desperate, the captain orders "all hands, abandon ship!". The crew get into the escape pods which are then ejected from the ship.	[#162 and #163 Workforce]
EV suit	See environmental suit.
EVA suit	See environmental suit.
first contact	Sociological term for a civilisation's initial meeting with extra-terrestrial life, often referring to first contact with representatives of the United Federation of Planets. Many Federation and Starfleet policies govern the conduct of first contacts. These include the Prime Directive, which prohibits interference with the normal development of any society, particularly a culture less technologically advanced than the Federation. Earth's first official contact with extra-terrestrial life took place on 5th April 2063. Space pioneer Zefram Cochrane, who had just completed Earth's first faster-than-light space flight in a converted missile he named the Phoenix, had attracted the attention of a passing Vulcan survey ship. The ship followed Cochrane back to Earth, landing in Montana, North America. There Cochrane became the first human to officially greet beings from another world. This first contact spawned a new age of peace and progress for war-torn Earth. (Events are depicted in the film [Star Trek VIII: First Contact] and are once alluded to in a [Voyager] story.) Other Star Trek episodes and films have established other alien landings on Earth that predated Cochrane's contact, but his was the pivotal first contact that changed history. (Events were rather different in the 'mirror universe', however, as depicted in an [Enterprise] story.)	the Phoenix [ST VIII: First Contact] first contact as Cochrane shakes hands with a Vulcan [ST VIII: First Contact] Starfleet's Prime Directive, includes some discussion of First Contact protocols
hangar deck	see shuttlebay
Harry Kim	see Kim, Harry
holodeck	A place on Federation starships and starbases etc. where the computer can run the equivalent of today's 'virtual reality' environments, though 24th century technology creates perfect simulations. Often you cannot tell if someone is real or a hologram of them (which often makes for fun situations……or highly dangerous ones). Holoprograms are normally run with the safety protocols on, which means you can fire a weapon at your pal and it will not hurt them. You can order the computer to turn "the safeties" off (it depends how much you really like your pal). Sometimes the safety protocols go offline if, say, the holodeck malfunctions. In that nightmare situation you can be sure that our heroes also find that saying "End program" or "Freeze program" do not work either.	empty holodeck [#130 Pathfinder]
holo-emitter(s)	see Emergency Medical Hologram
hologram	In the 24th century holograms are far more sophisticated than in the 21st century - a holographic person or object looks real, and even feels real as they appear solid. Holographic characters in holoprograms run on Voyager's holodecks are not self-aware - they do not know they are holograms; this gives rise to an interesting Season 6 story in which they do become self-aware. The Doctor is an Emergency Medical Hologram, however, and his program is one of the most sophisticated ever created, and he knows he is a hologram. See also holodeck. On site, the prefix "holo-" means that the person or object is a hologram e.g. "holo-character" or "holo-Janeway". Ok, so what IS a hologram?! A hologram is generated by interference between light reflected (or diffracted or transmitted) by an object and other light with the same or a related phase, and a hologram is the photograph of such a pattern, which can be illuminated so as to produce a spatial image of the object used.
hull	As regards USS Voyager, the hull is the external body or frame. Technically, Voyager consists of two hulls. The primary hull is the upper one (the saucer-shaped one), and the secondary hull or engineering hull is the lower one.
hypospray	A handheld subdermal medical injection device - like a syringe it is designed to deliver medication to someone, but it does it without actually piercing the skin. The medic inserts a capsule of the medication into the device, then places it against the neck (or other body part) of the patient and presses a button. The hypospray makes a small hiss so that we know the medication has been delivered.	the Doctor holds a hypospray [#80 Mortal Coil]
impulse drive	This is the engine that makes Voyager travel at speeds below the speed of light. Most starships are fitted with the equivalent of impulse drive to travel within solar systems, but the vast distances in interstellar space mean that it cannot be used to go everywhere because it would take too far too long. The distance problem is why warp drive (faster-than-light drive) is so handy. Impulse drive and warp drive cannot be used at the same time.
inertial dampers	These are mechanisms which protect those of Voyager's interior contents, including people, against the acceleration force generated by the ship's powerful engines. Tom Paris in [#25 Tattoo] says that, were it not for the inertial dampers, everyone would just be "stains on the back wall".
Janeway	Captain of USS Voyager. She has a fiancé called Mark waiting for her in the Alpha Quadrant. She has a strong interest in science.	[#159 Repentance]
Jefferies tubes	A network spread throughout a Starfleet ship comprising maintenance tubes and crawlways with junctions and access doors. Parts of the ship's systems can be accessed from places within this network. It means that our heroes do not stand or sit around all the time but sometimes have to crawl around and climb ladders. Fans like watching our heroes exerting themselves as they crawl round what is essentially a really cool maze. (The network is named for the now deceased Walter 'Matt' Jefferies, who designed the first starship Enterprise in [TOS] in the 1960's.)	[#150 Repression]
Kathryn Janeway	see Janeway
Kes	An Ocampan, a member of a species that lives only nine years. She joins USS Voyager aged one, along with her lover Neelix whom she helps in the galley and messhall, and she is also the Doctor's assistant. Ocampans only mate once in their lifetime, have telepathic powers, and have pointed ends to their ears. Jennifer Lien, who plays Kes, leaves the series at the very start of Season 4 and is replaced by Jeri Ryan who plays Seven.	[#26 Cold Fire]
Kim, Harry	Young Starfleet officer, an ensign, on his first assignment. He is the ops officer. He is an Asian American. The Harry Kim we see in episodes after [#37 Deadlock] is a duplicate.	[#104 Counterpoint]
latinum	A precious metal used as currency. Federation citizens do not use money but many alien species do. Replicators are unable to produce latinum (I know - I tried with my replicator).
LCARS	Acronym for Library Computer And Retrieval System. LCARS is the Federation computer operating system since the 2360's, in use by about a decade before [Voyager]. LCARS is ultra-zippy and reliable. LCARS accepts commands through touch interfaces or from voice input and talks in a female voice. LCARS on Voyager is enhanced with bio-neural circuitry, which is circuitry with biological elements designed to speed up computer reaction time enormously. This means that when LCARS is asked a complex question it responds immediately, saving a lot of tv air time and avoiding while-U-wait cuppas. (Majel Barrett, a.k.a. Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, wife/widow of Gene Roddenberry the creator of Star Trek, is the LCARS voice for all Star Trek series and films so far, but Judi Durand for some.)
light-year	A unit of distance (not time, despite the "year" part). A light-year is the distance it takes for light to travel in a year. This is a very long way indeed as light travels at 186,000 miles per second.
live long and prosper	Vulcan greeting or salute, accompanied by holding up a hand, palm outwards, and showing the fingers in a V-shape.	[#107 Gravity]
log	An official record of mission progress kept by the commanding officer of a starship or starbase. At times during an episode we hear the voice of Janeway reading out her captain's log. Other officers also keep logs e.g. first officer's log, chief medical officer's log. Personal logs are kept by whoever wishes and their contents are meant to be private, though at times we do hear someone's personal log.
main engineering	See engineering.
Maquis, the	The paramilitary organisation that Chakotay and about one third of the total crew of Voyager belong (belonged) to. The Maquis was deliberately introduced into Star Trek in the two series before [Voyager], i.e. in [TNG] and [DS9], so that several stories in those series could provide a back-story and thereby provide continuity with [Voyager]. The Maquis is an organisation of former Federation citizens formed at the colonies affected by the border changes generated by the Federation-Cardassian Treaty of 2370. The Maquis grew in response to Cardassian hostilities toward these colonies, making them believe they had been abandoned by the Federation, and members of the Maquis had often been victims of violence directed toward them by the Cardassian military. They felt the intention was to force them from their homes, and many chose to fight rather than leave. A number of Starfleet officers were sympathetic to the Maquis and either provided them with weapons or left Starfleet to join their ranks e.g. Chakotay. By 2372, in [DS9], members of the Maquis were no longer considered to be citizens of the Federation. The name Maquis was used by members of the French underground in World War II.	holo-Chakotay as Maquis, after capturing Voyager [#67 Worst Case Scenario]
M-class planet	see class-M planet
messhall	A large refectory area that takes up most of deck 2. It has large broad windows that look out into space in the direction of travel, and entrances port and starboard. It contains two replicators, tables and chairs, and a few soft seats. From [#5 Phage] onwards, Neelix's galley adjoins it and looks out onto it via a serving counter. If there are lots of casualties, the messhall is sometimes used as an emergency sickbay.	composite by me from screenshots [#80 Mortal Coil]
mobile emitter	see mobile emitter
nacelle	see warp nacelle
navigational deflector	This looks like a large radar or satellite dish on the front of Voyager's lower hull. It sweeps the space ahead and clears stuff like space debris out of the way using a system of powerful forcefields. Otherwise if even the smallest particle impacts the starship as it travels, and even its cruising speed is very fast, the particle would tear through Voyager's hull. Behind the navigational deflector dish is the navigational array which comprises many of the main sensors that Voyager relies on to navigate.
Neelix	Neelix is a Talaxian. He is an endearing former junk dealer who has travelled a lot, and has dubious contacts. (For Britons: he is a kind of Del Trotter in 'Only Fools And Horses'.) He loves Kes, and they join the Voyager crew together. He takes it upon himself to act as ship's cook and morale officer.	[#139 Child's Play]
ODN	see optical data network
ops	The operations manager's workstation on the bridge, a permanent post. On Voyager it is located behind and to the left of the command centre, and Ensign Harry Kim is the ops officer.
optical data network	Commonly referred to by the acronym ODN. A system of fibre-optic data-transmission conduits used aboard Federation starships, serving as the nervous system of the ship's computer network.
PADD	Acronym for Personal Access Display Device. The equivalent of today's laptop computer but so small it can be held in one hand.
Paris, Tom	Thomas Eugene Paris was kicked out of Starfleet for initially lying about certain accidental deaths. He briefly joined Chakotay's Maquis crew but was captured by Starfleet. He "betrays" the Maquis by joining Voyager's mission to find them. A good pilot, he becomes Voyager's conn officer.	[#23 Parturition]
Pathfinder	The name given to the Starfleet project established to try and make contact with USS Voyager, set up in 2374 after the Doctor manages to report Voyager's circumstances to Starfleet Command. Project Pathfinder's headquarters is located in the Communications Center at Starfleet headquarters, San Francisco, Earth.	[#130 Pathfinder]
personal log	see log
phaser	Energy weapon or gun used by Starfleet officers. "phaser" is derived from "PHASed Energy Rectification" (originated in [TOS]). There are different types of phaser: Hand phaser, held with one hand. Voyager's crew use the type 2a phaser in Season 1 and the type 2b (with the curved handle) after that. Phaser rifle, held with both hands. The type 3 phaser is a rifle. The crew use the type 3a throughout the series, called a "compression phaser rifle". The type 3b is also used, starting in the Season 3 story [#54 Macrocosm]. Ship phasers. Federation phasers emit an orange-coloured beam. Phasers (or equivalent) used by other species tend to emit a different colour beam e.g. Kazon weapons emit blue. The colour differences are deliberate show production choices, to enable tv viewers to distinguish them easily.	a macrovirus is destroyed by handphaser [#54 Macrocosm] Paris aims a phaser [#56 Alter Ego] Seven holds a phaser rifle [#108 Bliss] Voyager fires phasers at an Etanian Order starship [#61 Rise]
photon torpedo	Ship weapon used in faster-than-light combat. It packs a punch but not as much as a quantum torpedo. Whenever Voyager fires a torpedo (photon or quantum) a star-shaped bit of light bursts out of the launcher(s). Whenever a coffin is required for a funeral aboard Voyager, a torpedo casing (empty of its machinery of course) is used, and the body gets fired into space after due ceremony.	[#94 Hope And Fear]
plasma	A form of ionised gas. Plasma is used in Voyager's engines. Whenever Voyager vents plasma (sometimes referred to as "drive plasma"), accidentally or is forced to do so to avoid worse damage, the starship is definitely in trouble.
primary hull	see hull
Prime Directive	Also known as General Order number 1. The Prime Directive is the Federation's main principle, and is a non-interference directive, prohibiting intervention in the normal development of any society. Generally, first contact with new civilisations is avoided until they have attained significant spaceflight capabilities.
private quarters	A crewmember's off-duty private living and sleeping quarters. Senior officers tend to have larger cabins, ones with windows that look out onto space, and have their own replicator. Junior ranks often have to share a room and sleep in bunks.	Janeway's quarters [#24 Persistence Of Vision]
probe	Whenever Voyager launches a probe, it means a small self-propelled instrument that travels through space or over a planet, remotely controlled. It takes sensor readings which it sends back to Voyager. There are several different classes of probe, as they come in different shapes, sizes and sophistication.
quadrant	One quarter of our galaxy. Quadrants are designated by the first four letters of the Greek alphabet: alpha, beta, gamma and delta. Earth is near the border of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Most Star Trek action occurred in those two Quadrants until [DS9] when species from the Gamma Quadrant are encountered. But the Delta Quadrant, in which Voyager gets stranded, has hardly ever been visited (and then only by accident) and is uncharted. Quadrants are huge which is why Voyager's crew is always on the look-out for a shortcut home such as a wormhole leading directly from the Delta Quadrant to the Alpha Quadrant. Without a wormhole, Voyager would need to travel through the Beta Quadrant to reach the Alpha Quadrant. In an unrealised timeline in [#100 Timeless] Voyager makes it into the Beta Quadrant i.e. almost home.
quantum singularity	A very small black hole. Certain species can travel through or utilise quantum singularities as a power source.
quantum torpedo	Ship weapon used in faster-than-light combat that packs more of a wallop than a photon torpedo. Voyager hardly ever (?never) uses them. (The concept of quantum torpedoes, their science made unfathomable by the deliberate choice of the show's producers, was introduced in [DS9].)
quarters	see private quarters
ready room	On 24th century Federation starships the ready room is the captain's office which adjoins the bridge. On USS Voyager it is located on the starboard side. It includes a desk, comfy seats by the broad window that looks into space in the direction of travel, a table on which Janeway often has her tea set, and a replicator. There are also personal ornaments.	source: TOSTW
red alert	The maximum state of alertness on board a starship, ordered for instance if the ship is attacked. When the commanding officer orders "red alert!" the lights dim, a klaxon sounds, red light strips around the bulkheads flash and personnel hurry to their duty stations.
replicator	This device (wall-mounted, on Voyager) is based on transporter technology. It takes stored matter or energy and turns it into perfect replications of objects that have been pre-programmed into the LCARS computer's memory e.g. food, tools, books. It is programmed not to replicate poisons or latinum. You activate it by saying to it the object you want e.g. Janeway frequently orders "Coffee, black." Sometimes we see the object actually materialising. There is a little whirring sound, so you know the machine is working. When we do not see the object materialising because, say, Janeway is standing between us and the replicator, the machine sound tells us it has materialised, and she will then move away from the replicator holding her coffee. Not all species are technologically advanced enough to have replicators, and the giving or exchanging of replicator technology can be an issue e.g. as regards the Kazon. Voyager has different replicator styles, depending on date and on-board location.	[#138 Ashes To Ashes]
secondary hull	see hull
sector	A segment of a Quadrant. As Quadrants are vast, it takes about five days to cross a sector at high warp speed.
Sector 001	The segment of the Alpha Quadrant that contains Earth's solar system. The Federation President's office and Starfleet headquarters are on Earth.
sensors	Devices that detect and analyse almost everything e.g. external sensors on Voyager's hull report on the contents of space ahead such as chemicals or the existence of lifeforms, planets and other starships. Voyager also has internal sensors.
Seven of Nine	Often called "Seven" (and so referred to by me throughout the site but as "Seven of Nine" invariably when she is still a Borg drone). Born Annika Hansen in 2348, as a child of 6 she accompanied her parents on a scientific expedition into the Delta Quadrant to study Borg. The Borg captured them and she was assimilated (became Borg) but was rescued by Voyager in 2374. Jeri Ryan, who plays Seven, joined the ensemble cast upon the departure of Jennifer Lien, who plays Kes.	[#85 Retrospect]
shield(s)	See also navigational deflector. If Voyager is attacked or encounters dangerous conditions, shields are erected. They are forcefields designed to protect the ship. A transporter cannot beam anyone or anything through erected shields. Shields are "up" (on) or "down" (off). During hostile attack, reports of shield status indicate how long Voyager can survive e.g. "shields are down to 40 per cent". When the shields are hit they show up as a light-purple coloured corona.	Voyager's shields protect against alien attack [#68 and #69 Scorpion]
ship's computer	see LCARS
shuttle	see shuttlecraft
shuttlebay	A section of a Federation starship such as USS Voyager where shuttlecraft are stored and maintained. It is also known as the hangar deck. (Rather confusingly, there are also individual shuttlebays within it. The one that is seen, when the label is visible on screen, is no.5.)	shuttlecraft in the shuttlebay [#143 Fury]
shuttlecraft	Also known as a "shuttle". Small, short-range spacecraft, intended mainly for transport from a deep-space vessel to a planet's surface, or for travel within a solar system. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes and capabilities. Many shuttles are capable of sublight travel only, and most are capable of planetary landing and take-off. The shuttlecraft is a seldom-used part of the Star Trek tv/film format, because the transporter makes it a fast, easy and fairly cheap way to move characters between ship and planet instead. For tv drama reasons, the purpose of a shuttlecraft is often to isolate characters in a slow-moving vehicle that can easily get lost.	one of Voyager's shuttlecraft comes under Kazon weapons fire [#42 and #43 Basics]
sickbay	The medical centre aboard a starship or starbase. On Voyager, sickbay is on deck 5, a few decks down from the bridge. Sickbay contains a surgical area containing the main bio-bed. There are three other bio-beds, an office for the Doctor and, adjoining that, a small medical lab.	picture: TOSTW
SIF	see structural integrity field
site-to-site transport	A site-to-site transport, often abbreviated to "site-to-site", and which can be done remotely using a small handheld device, is one where a person or object is beamed to one location (the transporter room) but their pattern (pattern of molecular structure) is not immediately re-materialised but beamed somewhere else and re-materialised there. This enables someone to beam, for instance, from one part of the ship to another without re-materialising in the transporter room inbetween. That might be done, say, in a medical emergency.
standard extravhicular work garment (SEWG)	See environmental suit.
Star Trek	The tv series 'Star Trek', aired for three seasons from 1966, has given rise to a large, detailed and populous Star Trek universe which is portrayed in several tv series including [Voyager] and several films. Star Trek's huge fan following has spawned numerous books, magazines and merchandise approved by Paramount Pictures, the owner of Star Trek. Certain books and magazines deliberately supplement the canon information in the tv series and films. This site therefore follows the convention that Paramount-authorised publications are also canon.
stardate	Time-keeping system used to provide a standard galactic temporal reference, compensating for relativistic time dilation, warp-speed displacement, and other peculiarities of interstellar space travel. Whenever Janeway makes a captain's log entry she will state the stardate almost immediately e.g. "captain's log, stardate [such and such]", though sometimes it is given as "stardate unknown". (It is also spelled "star date". Gene Roddenberry introduced the concept in [TOS] so as to avoid being pinned down to specifics dates and times.)
Starfleet	Deep-space exploratory, scientific, diplomatic, and defensive agency of the United Federation of Planets. Starfleet was chartered by the Federation in 2161 with a mission to 'boldly go where no man has gone before.' The most visible part of the Starfleet is its interstellar starships. Additionally, Starfleet maintains a far-flung network of starbases to support deep-space operations. Starfleet is administered by Starfleet Command whose headquarters is in San Francisco, North America, Earth.
Starfleet Academy	Training facility for Starfleet personnel located at the Presidio of San Francisco on Earth. Established in 2161, the academy is a four-year institution. All the original Starfleet crew and several of Chakotay's Maquis crew have attended Starfleet Academy. Chakotay, for instance, graduated, though Torres dropped out part-way through the course. It is often abbreviated to "the Academy".
starship	Interstellar spacecraft capable of faster-than-light travel using warp drive. USS Voyager is a Federation starship, and its crew encounters many space-faring species who also travel in starships.
structural integrity field	Shaped force field used on Federation starships to supplement the mechanical strength of the ship's spaceframe. Without the structural integrity field, a starship would not be able to withstand the tremendous accelerations involved in spaceflight. Whenever the LCARS computer reports that structural integrity is failing, it's panic time.
subspace	Spatial continuum with significantly different properties from our own, a fundamental part of warp drive. Warp-driven starships employ a subspace generator to create the asymmetrical spatial distortion necessary for the vessel to travel faster than the speed of light. Subspace is also used as a medium for subspace radio transmissions.
synthehol	An alcoholic substitute available in the Federation, and therefore aboard USS Voyager especially in the Chez Sandrine nightclub holoprogram. One can imbibe loads of synthehol but not feel any ill-effects. The crew encounters one species that is susceptible, however (in [#116 Someone To Watch Over Me]).
Temporal Prime Directive	The Starfleet General Order that prohibits interference with the normal development of history, which includes giving aid or information to inhabitants of previous eras because that might influence future eras.
the Doctor	see Emergency Medical Hologram
the Maquis	see Maquis, the
[TNG]	Standard abbreviation for [Star Trek: The Next Generation], first aired for seven seasons from 1987, starring USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D. References are made in [Voyager] to certain [TNG] events and persons in [Voyager] e.g. to the Enterprise's captain Jean-Luc Picard after he was assimilated by the Borg as Locutus of Borg. The back-story of the Maquis was deliberately included in certain [TNG] episodes ready for [Voyager]. Characters from [TNG] appear in [Voyager] too: Lt. Reginald Barclay, Counsellor Deanna Troi, Geordi La Forge, Q, and a brief appearance by Cmdr. Will Riker.	picture: TOSTW Q and Riker on USS Voyager [#34 Death Wish]
Tom Paris	see Paris, Tom
Torres, B'Elanna	Formerly one of Chakotay's Maquis crew, she becomes chief engineer aboard USS Voyager. She is half-Klingon and half-human.	[#3 Parallax]
[TOS]	Standard abbreviation for [The Original Series], meaning 'Star Trek', first aired in three seasons starting in 1966. Occasional references to events in [TOS] are made in [Voyager] e.g. to James T. Kirk, captain of the starship USS Enterprise registry number NCC-1701, and to the chief medical officer Dr Leonard McCoy.	source: TOSTW
tractor beam	A focussed graviton force beam used by a starship for holding onto and/or towing an object in space over short distances.	the Delta Flyer uses a tractor beam on an old space module [#128 One Small Step]
transporter	Matter-energy conversion device used to provide a convenient means of transportation. The transporter briefly converts an object or person into energy, beams that energy to another location, then re-assembles the subject into its original form (hopefully! - if not, you have a transporter malfunction and the result makes for an entertaining episode). Federation facilities have transporter rooms to contain the equipment which includes a computer control console with operator and a dais on which people stand in order to be transported. USS Voyager has at least three transporter rooms. Transporters cannot function when deflector shields are operational. When people refer to "beaming", "beam-out" etc. they mean using the transporter. See also annular confinement beam.
tricorder	Starfleet handheld portable multi-purpose sensor and recorder device used to gather all kinds of scientific and technical data. It is standard issue for an away mission and is often used on board Voyager too. Technologically advanced species tend to have their own tricorder equivalent. There are specialised tricorders for specific engineering, scientific, and medical applications. The medical tricorder, for instance, incorporates a tiny detachable cylindrical sensor device that the Doctor (or someone) passes close to a subject's body and give a diagnosis from the instrument's readings. The presence of thoron particles can interfere with a tricorder scan.
turbolift	The elevator system aboard USS Voyager. The system is used aboard Federation starships and other facilities for intraship personnel transport. Turbolifts are controlled verbally, with a voice-recognition computer device that directs elevator movement both horizontally and vertically. A turbolift also has a wall-mounted manual over-ride control panel, and also a hatch in the roof that can be removed to allow an emergency escape or, in a [Voyager] Season 6 story, illicit penetration of ship security.	picture: TOSTW
Tuvok	A native of the planet Vulcan (born on Vulcanis lunar colony), and Voyager's chief of security/tactical officer. His disappearance, on board Chakotay's Maquis ship as an undercover Starfleet agent, is what causes USS Voyager to be launched on the mission to the Badlands - searching for Tuvok (and the missing Maquis). Vulcans live much longer than humans on average, and Tuvok is the oldest person aboard Voyager, having been born in 2264. As Vulcans devote themselves to the science of pure logic, Tuvok is also the most logical person on board. Vulcans have pointed ends to their ears.	[#32 Meld]
universal translator	Device that enables Voyager's crew and aliens to converse immediately on meeting each other without having to learn the other's language. (Or almost immediately - technically a sample of the language is required first.) There is a universal translator inside every combadge. Voyager's LCARS computer of course includes a universal translator, and the Doctor's holographic program incorporates a universal translator too.
USS Voyager	see Voyager, USS.
Utopia Planitia	Location on planet Mars that was first explored by the automated space probe Viking 2, which soft-landed there on 3rd September 1976 as part of mankind's first attempt to employ spaceflight to search for extraterrestrial life. In Star Trek history it later becomes the name/location for Starfleet's Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, a vast depot in orbit round Mars and on the planet's surface. USS Voyager was constructed at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, usually abbreviated to "Utopia Planitia".	USS Voyager under construction [#118 Relativity]
viewscreen	Display screen which is wall-mounted or integral with a portable computer. It is a monitor on which data can be viewed, anything from computer statistics and graphics to televisual-style communications. Voyager's bridge has a large viewscreen at the front of the bridge, and all workstations face toward it.
Voyager, USS	Federation starship, Intrepid class, Starfleet registry number NCC-74656, commanded by Captain Kathryn Janeway. Voyager has 15 decks, an initial crew complement of 141, and a sustainable cruising velocity of warp factor 9.975. The ship features a state-of-the-art computer system in which the LCARS' traditional optical processors have been replaced with bio-neural circuitry. (Voyager also has conventional isolinear optical circuits.) Voyager has the capability of landing on the surface of a Class-M planet, then returning to space. It is aboard this starship, crewed by our heroes, that the show's adventures mainly take place, as Voyager conveys them toward home in the Alpha Quadrant.	USS Voyager scan from ST:M, star/nebula background by me
warp core	The centre of Voyager's warp drive. Within it are the controlled matter-antimatter reactions required to power the ship. In appearance it is a large tall cylindrical object the height of several decks, and the gases within can be seen swirling about. Because of the dangers of uncontrolled matter-antimatter reactions, a report of an imminent warp core breach means the starship is about to blow up. Causing a warp core explosion is in fact how, in dire circumstances, starships achieve deliberate self-destruction. It is possible to eject the warp core from the ship - this is quite a sight - and it happens in a few episodes.	bottom part of warp core can be seen behind the computer console source: TOSTW
warp factor	Unit of measurement of faster-than-light travel. At its launch, Voyager is the most state-of-the-art starship in Starfleet, and its fastest sustainable cruise velocity is warp 9.975. (Warp 9.9 is about 4 billion miles per second.) Voyager does not head for home at maximum warp because it would require too much power.
warp nacelle	In starship design, a large outboard structure that houses a warp-drive engine. Each warp nacelle also has a Bussard collector to gather interstellar hydrogen. On Voyager, the warp nacelles are raised whenever the ship makes a warp jump. Raising the warp nacelles avoids damaging subspace - details are given in [TNG] not [Voyager].	warp nacelles raised [#16 Learning Curve]
wormhole	A subspace bridge or tunnel between two points in 'normal' time and space. Most wormholes are very unstable; their endpoints fluctuate widely across time and space; and they often collapse after only a short while. On their look-out for shortcuts home, the Voyager crew would ideally like to find a stable wormhole (and one large enough to take Voyager) with the other endpoint in the Alpha Quadrant, which would thus get them home very quickly.
yellow alert	A state of significantly increased readiness aboard Federation starships and starbases. In the event of an actual or imminent emergency, the commanding officer can order the state of readiness increased even further to red alert which is the maximum state of readiness.