Tour - Main Bridge

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Summary

The main centre of ship operations, the bridge serves as the point from which the commanding officer manages the operation of the vessel along with the other bridge officers.

Additional Information

Location Deck 1
Description The latest bridge configuration of the USS Iapetus follows one of the standard bridge designs for fleetwide application in newer starships. The central area of the Main Bridge provides seating and information displays for the Captain and two other officers, and is surrounded by an oak-effect railing similar to that seen on a Galaxy class starship. The computer interface panel on the uppermost part of the railing is a multi-purpose console labelled as 'Mission Ops', which is manned as necessary. The two Officer seats either side of the Captain's are equipped with fully programmable consoles for a variety of uses.

Directly in front of the command chairs is the large helm console, following the same design ethos as the Intrepid line of ships of providing the pilot of the vessel maximum space for control manipulation and system feedback, and providing a chair fixed to a rail to allow the officer to move between either end of the console as required. Directly in front of the helm and attached to the forward bulkhead of the bridge is the main viewscreen, which can be utilised for a number of different purposes, the primary one of which to provide the bridge crew a visual representation of the space around the ship via external cameras mounted on the ship's hull.

To either side of the helm and on a higher level are the Operations and Security/Tactical consoles, each freestanding and configured in such a way that the officer manning them can choose to either stand or sit to perform their duties. Behind each of these stations are a number of consoles mounted directly onto the bulkheads of the bridge; science stations and environmental control on the starboard side, behind Operations, and engineering, communications and a library access console along the bulkhead to port, behind tactical. To the rear bulkhead of the bridge is mounted a large Master Systems Display for monitoring of all ship's systems which can also be utilised to help coordinate internal operations such as anti-boarding or search-and-detain intruder scenarios.

The bridge has five exits; the two towards the bow of the ship both lead to the conference room, or 'Observation Lounge' at the very front of deck one, off of which can be found an additional turbolift for transit through the ship. Either side of the MSD at the rear of the bridge are two turbolifts for direct access to the bridge.

To the starboard side of the rear of the bridge is a recessed doorway which leads to the Captain's ready room. The comparable space on the port-side bulkhead is occupied by an emergency weapons locker, which rotates into the wall to secure the weapons from view and from access when they are not required.