Many things have happened over the past few weeks. As a result, it has been a nonstop whirlwind of activity aboard Enterprise Station (the former saucer of the USS Enterprise-D).
As of last week, Enterprise Station has been designated the Starfleet Command headquarters for the entire Bajor Sector. We have been given this status because we are the only Starfleet facility in this 20x20-light-year block of space. The only other Federation facility or settlement in this sector, is the Human colony on Solosos III, 14 light years away. They have 22,000 civilian inhabitants, and no orbital facilities. Deep Space 9, while assigned a Starfleet administrative staff, is still a Bajoran-owned space station, and our Starfleet operations there are limited.
As the Starfleet Command sector HQ, Enterprise Station is likely to be assigned an admiral or two, and we will, almost certainly, host an administrative staff that manages all Starfleet activity in this frontier sector. This designation also means that we may end up with a few more defensive vessels assigned to protect the station, and we will likely become the home base for one or more Starfleet vessels assigned to explore the Gamma Quadrant.
With this upgrade in starbase status, we also have a change in the Public Affairs Office. I have been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, and am now the senior PAO for the entire Bajor Sector. Lieutenant Jessica Reagan, and her PAO staff aboard DS9, now report to me in matters of sector administration. If Starfleet establishes any other facilities in the sector – that maintain a PAO office, they will report to me as well (at least as long as Enterprise Station remains the sector HQ).
I have also been named a member of the Enterprise Station senior staff.
In other news…
Yesterday, the USS Thunderchild (Akira-class) arrived at Enterprise Station carrying our remaining runabouts. Our own USS Liberty (a standard/science runabout) was returned to us from where we left it at Lya III, and we have gained the USS Chinook (another science runabout), as well as the USS Rushmore and USS Thunderbird (our new personnel transport runabouts). With the station/saucer’s only shuttlebay now being the massive Main Shuttlebay (Shuttlebays 2 and 3 were part of the now absent stardrive section), these two new personnel runabouts will be granted permanent parking in Main Shuttlebay, and will make daily transport runs to DS9 and Bajor. The Chinook, Rushmore, Thunderbird, as well as my own civilian runabout, SS Terra Nova, will be given exterior in-space parking coordinates, and can land (short-term) in our Main Shuttlebay as needed.
We have also seen the arrival of some new station crew, including our assigned chief engineer, Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge. He will be the man responsible for keeping Enterprise Station working properly. I’ll introduce him more appropriately at a later date.
Oh, yes, and we now have a Bajoran shrine to the Prophets on our mall deck. Prylor Kojim Ket arrived with a small support staff on Friday, and they have begun converting space on deck 10. They expect to serve a steady stream of Bajorans who will come to Enterprise Station to see the wormhole, and be closer to their Prophets.
As far as other guests coming to the station, we have not yet seen any visitors from the Gamma Quadrant, although, a (non-Starfleet) Federation vessel did just make first contact with a species (in the GQ) known as the Dosi. I’m told that we may see a trade vessel from Dosa II come into the Alpha Quadrant in the near future. That will certainly be an exciting day!
As you can see, much is happening at the wormhole. I never thought I’d say this about a starbase posting, but, to be completely honest, I think I’m going to like it here. I can’t wait until I get to start reporting on the missions we send into the Gamma Quadrant. 70,000 light years is the furthest any Starfleet vessel has ever traveled, and we’re right here, sitting on the doorstep to discovery.
No one goes into, or comes out of, the wormhole, except through us.
I don’t know about you, but I find that to be pretty exciting stuff!
-Lieutenant Commander Sam Archer
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August 16, 2369 – (Devron Timeline 3.0)
Enterprise Station :: Public Affairs Office :: 2370