Page 3

GENERAL DESIGN OF THE BRIDGE

In the physical design of the timeship, most particularly its Bridge which is all that is seen in [#118 Relativity], the basic configuration follows Starfleet the design philosophy that can be traced back some 700 years.
           3D Cutaway Drawings: Bridges Of The USS Enterprise As Design Predecessors To Voyager's Bridge
As with Starfleet vessels from the early NX-01 Enterprise onwards, the vessel's main area of command activity is focussed on a single Bridge facility, continually attended by a minimum of six crewmembers, and now known as the command centre. On the Relativity, this area as a whole is a combination of elements now very familiar in Starfleet design, with a horseshoe-shaped design featuring integrated communications and monitoring systems specifically tailored to the timeship's role as a protector of history. The command centre, like certain Federation starship designs before it, is laid out on more than one level, with distinct and easily identifiable sections each devoted to a particular function. The Bridge is far wider in comparison with that of the Intrepid-class starships of the 24th centuries, but is similar to the wideness seen in the USS Prometheus which, at the time it was visited by USS Voyager's Doctor in 2374, was a prototype vessel. The floor covering and captain's chair upholstery is more like that seen on the USS Prometheus, and even in the Galaxy-class starships of the era of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D, than on USS Voyager.

At the front of the Bridge there is a rectangular viewscreen, which is used to display data about the timestream and the timeframe being monitored by the ship. In front of the viewscreen is a large helm console which has seating for two officers. On the left-hand side of the viewscreen is a long, thin window which allows a direct view out into space.

Behind the helm are four steps that lead to the upper level of the Bridge; the two levels are separated by a metal rail, which curves from the stairs to the front wall of the Bridge. On the port side of the upper level is the captain's chair, which is positioned behind a work console. At the rear of the Bridge are four work stations. The principal illumination for the command centre is derived from a series of large curved white ceiling panels which are built into the facility's forward section, which produce bright but diffuse light.

There are no turbolifts visible or immediately accessible from the Bridge. Instead, a long corridor curves gently away from the command centre to other locations throughout the ship including the Brig (the Brig is not seen on the television screen), and the Briefing Room is reached by steps. The following are dealt with in more detail on the following pages: the captain's control station, the temporal transporter, computer interfaces, screenshots of the Bridge, the Briefing Room, and exterior screenshots and schematics.