Catwalk

A catwalk.

The catwalk was the unofficial designation for the lateral access conduit running the entire length of the warp nacelles of an NX Class starship. Located at the center of the nacelle, just below the ship's warp coils, the catwalk was accessible through a single vertical Jefferies tube.

Protected by an outer shell composed of an Osmium alloy, the catwalk was used as a maintenance shaft, though it was only operative if the ship's warp drive was shut down. With warp systems online, the catwalk was subject to extreme high temperatures and was not suitable for habitation.