USS Apparition

United Federation of Planets	SECURITY RATING 8, MOST SECRET

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The USS Apparition is a special operations vessel under the command of Star Fleet Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Based at Area 42, knowledge of the ship's existence is classified, as is much of its experimental equipment. The Apparition is typically one of the first ships to get new advances in technology.

The Apparition's mission profile centers around covert armed reconnaissance and rapid response missions. As such, it possesses specialized technology to help it achieve success. The ship's hull plating is a non-reflective black in color and features no name or identifier that would label it a Star Fleet vessel. Its dark hull-plating and sensor scrambling technology allow it to hide in the black of space, appearing as a sensor glitch or ghost on other vessels' scanners. The Apparition also possesses a stealth system, to completely cloak the ship during emergencies, and external holographic emitters, to disguise the appearance of the vessel and make it resemble small civilian or non-Federation ships. The latter allows it to land in populated areas without drawing attention to itself.

Speed is also key to the Apparition's mission success. The ship has been stripped of non-essential systems to lighten its mass and direct as much power as possible to its specialized engines, making it the fastest ship in Star Fleet. As a consequence, the Apparition lacks the standard offensive capabilities of most Star Fleet Vessels, having only one phaser bank for defense. The ship is not meant for combat and must rely on its speed and technology to evade attackers.

STARSHIP
USS Apparition
Class	Incursion Class
Allegiance	Federation/Star Fleet
Launched	21801.01
Status	Classified
Specifications
Type	Infiltrator
Length	42 Meters
Beam	31.7 Meters
Height	5.28 Meters
Mass	70 Metric Tons
Decks	2
Crew Compliment	4 Crew (minimum) 6 Crew (standard) 12 (maximum) Emergency: 20
Engines
Warp Engines	2 Type 5E6b
Cruise Speed	8.2 (7.0 while Stealth System active)
Sustainable Speed	9.75 (8.0 while Stealth System active)
Emergency Speed	9.98 (8.9 while Stealth System active) (12 hour automatic shutdown)
Impulse Engines	1 Main Type 5
Maximum Impulse Speed	.93 C
Systems
Defensive Systems	Type 4 Main Shield Generator MSG-4 Holographic hull emitters Sensor Dampening for when not cloaked Type 1X Stealth System
Armament	1 bank of 1 Type G (F)
Other	Planet Landing Capabilities - Blue Alert
Computer	Daystrom Industries Computer Core HSCS-5b1/HSCS-5b2
Tractor	1 Docking Tractor
Sensors	Andorian Industries FSMSA-4
Combat Rating
Offensive	35
Defensive	70
Maneuverability Rating	95
CER	66.4

Lineage

The USS Apparition first entered service in 2408 as part of a design for the Special Intelligence Services (SFSIS), a former black ops division of Star Fleet. Drawing heavily on research generated by Defiant class engineers as well as research from the Pathfinder project, the Incursion class was created as a high speed, low sensor profile vessel. It is only lightly armed and designed to rely more on its high maximum speed to escape from potentially hostile situations. This design feature was originally negated somewhat on the only ship of the class that has entered service. At the tail end of the construction phase of the Apparition, an experimental, highly illegal, and extremely expensive phase cloaking device was added to aid in the ship’s ability to complete its clandestine mission profile. This phase cloak was derived from a continuation of the research conducted by the USS Pegasus.

The Apparition was originally carried aboard the USS Gettysburg in a specially constructed bay and functioned as a semi-independent starship. In 2409, the vessel was seized by rogue elements of SFSIS, led by the former Lieutenant Commander T'Kir, and became linked to unusual phenomena that threatened to destroy the planet Vulcan. Discovered by the USS Dauntless, which entered pursuit, the Apparition was reported destroyed in late 2409 near the planet Risa with all hands originally thought lost. Later intelligence found that the ship had been set to self-destruct, with the rogue crew transporting away at the last moment.

In late 2417, an emergency beacon bearing the Apparition's signature was heard near the same location as the vessel's destruction. The relatively intact wreckage of the ship was discovered and towed to a SOCOM ship facility for examination. An analysis showed that, though its interior was burned, the ship's structural integrity was relatively sound. Its engines however were missing. The original powerplant of the Apparition-class was a triple core, comprised of a standard warp core, mated to a quantum singularity similar to that used in Romulan vessels, mated to an intertemporal generator which generated power by tapping into the space-time continuum directly. It was determined that the vessel's computer system must have triggered a safety procotol, detaching its engines near the end of a self-destruct sequence and using the force of the explosion and the resulting brief rift in space-time to send itself into the future, thus escaping greater harm.

With much of the vessel still intact, SOCOM decided to refit the ship for special service within its own branch of Star Fleet. Ditching much of the original technology in favor of safer and more updated alternatives, the Apparition was fitted with experimental engine technology designed to give it even greater speeds with less danger. The phase cloak was dropped in favor of the same stealth system used aboard the USS Columbia. Stripped of much of the bulk and power draining systems of other starships, speed was considered the primary design factor in the ship's rebuild. Dark hull plating, sensor scrambling technology and holographic emitters were also installed, allowing the vessel to hide in the open rather than rely on cloaking to achieve its objectives.

The newly rebuilt Apparition entered service in early 2418, with many of the officers of the USS Columbia as its crew.

Current: USS Apparition
Vessel Class: Apparition

Vessel Dedication Quote

"People have only as much liberty as they have the intelligence to want and the courage to take."

- Emma Goldman

Uniform

While aboard the Apparition, crewmembers will wear a plain black jumpsuit or fatigues that may bear no rank, name or unit patch. For formal occasions or operations of a covert nature aboard a Star Fleet vessel or outpost, crew wear the uniform of the department they originally came from. This bears their rank and medals, but does not indicate the ship/station to which they are assigned. For all intents and purposes, the crewmember outwardly appears as a generic officer.

Members of the Special Forces wear civilian clothing when off duty, or on duty in situations where they are to come into contact with the civilian population of a planet, as this aids the Operator's ability to blend in with his/her environment. Non-regulation hairstyles and facial hair are encouraged for the same reason.

Specialized Technology

Stealth

The Apparition's mission success relies on its ability to infiltrate locations where regular Star Fleet vessels could not openly operate. As such, it has several types of equipment to help it in that task.

The Apparition's dark hull-plating combined with sensor scrambling technology allows it to hide in the black of space, appearing as a sensor glitch or ghost on other vessels' scanners. Sensor scramblers can also make the ship appear to be another type of vessel than what it really is.

External holographic emitters can change the Apparition's visible appearance. Used in combination with sensor scrambling technology, the ship can appear to be a civilian vessel or non-Federation ship of similar size.

The Apparition's stealth system, based on a Romulan cloaking device, can hide the ship completely if necessary.

AI

When the USS Columbia crew was assigned to the Apparition, SOCOM also transferred that ship's AI, Ike, into the new ship's systems. Ike is a sentient AI, existing separate from the Apparition's computer system. He acts as a layer in between the crew and the computer, helping them in ways that the computer cannot. He can appear physically as a hologram.

In addition to Ike, the Apparition's computer system is an AI unto itself, programmed by SOCOM for procedures and tasks relevant to achieving successful missions. It can think for itself and may even override orders given to it by its crew. It is not as sophisticated as Ike, however, and lacks his familiarity. The Apparition is also capable of flying itself, allowing it to return to base if something happens to its crew or to remove itself from harm's way.

Hologaphic System

As with its exterior, the Apparition's interior is fully fitted with holographic emitters. Extra furniture, walls, tools, and other items the crew may need can be rezzed in place wherever they need them rather than be kept in a cargo hold. This allows for a more efficient storage of matter on such a small vessel.

Weapons & Equipment

As a SOCOM vessel, the Apparition crew has access to specialized equipment developed by and for that branch of Star Fleet. Non-Star Fleet weaponry is also allowed and encouraged on undercover assignments. Any such weaponry must be cleared by both the commanding officer and the security chief.

Procedures

Omega Signal

The Omega Signal is issued as a last resort when a mission is on the verge of catastrophic failure. Simply put, once the Omega Signal has been issued it is every Operator for themselves. Operators scatter and attempt to evade pursuit and capture before rendezvousing at a pre-arranged "Omega Site".

Blacklight Protocols

Blacklight Protocols are engaged when stealth is required but the stealth system is not or cannot be activate. Exterior lights are extinguished, heat-resistant sheaths are extended over the warp nacelles and impulse exhausts, and shutters are automatically closed over every viewport.

Combined with the Apparition's black hull-plating, this allows the ship to be rendered virtually invisible against a starry backdrop. Sensor scramblers may be engaged, giving the impression that the vessel is simply a sensor ghost or a hole in space.

Code Black

Code Black is issued when the stealth system is engaged. The stealth system requires a great deal of power to maintain, and many systems are taken offline while it is active. This, in combination with the need to not draw attention to the ship, requires the following:

• Replicators, communications and transporters are offline
• Intra-ship communication is by combadge only.
• No active sensors in use. Only passive scans are allowed.

Mission Logs

None available at this time.

Exterior Views

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  USS Apparition under Blacklight Protocols

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  USS Apparition profile

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  USS Apparition forward view

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  USS Apparition dorsal view

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  USS Apparition starboard view