A while back over on TrekBBS there was a fairly short-lived project to create a series of stories based around the 'alternate-history' concept – portraying a different take on the beginnings of Star Trek and the launch of Earth's first starship.

PIONEER was an attempt to create and develop an alternative to Enterprise, one which takes place in the same timeframe but with a darker, more militaristic undertone. Like the Enterprise NX-01, the Pioneer is the first starship constructed by humanity that is capable of achieving warp factor five, but this was where the similarities end.

Manned by a hybrid crew of scientists and soldiers who share a mutual dislike for each other, the Pioneer is launched ahead of schedule on a vital mission following an alien incursion of the Sol system.

These events were described in PIONEER'S 'pilot episode' Setting Sail, which can probably still be found lurking around the internet.

The series concept and its characters were developed by a poster known as 'R', who offered up his pilot episode and asked for other posters to contribute.

The story below is my unfinished attempt at a second episode, into which I tried to weave the important material from Setting Sail as a 'last time on Pioneer' sort of thing without hitting the reader over the head with obscure details – so that someone could (in theory) read the second episode and still understand what was going on.

Here is a brief outline of the 'bible' and main characters.

Caesar Hans – captain

Isabella Maxini – pilot

Antonio Levente – weapons officer

Svenn Holms – operations officer

Jolana Kahn – chief engineer

Quenton Marriot – medical officer

There are two primary groups on Earth that are concerned with space, these being the Solar Defence Force and the Earth Interests. The Solar Defence Force is a military organisation established to combat extraterrestrial threat forces, such as the hostile Orions who have launched a number of attacks on Earth. The Earth Interests is a science organisation who wish to expand the planet's space-program so that humans can explore other planets and meet alien races.

The Pioneer itself is humanity's first starship that is capable of attaining a velocity beyond warp factor five, and was constructed as a long-range exploratory cruiser. Its development was a private venture by the company DeSaab, and therefore the project has received no financial assistance from any government body. Whilst the military Solar Defence Force had no input into the Pioneer's construction, the science-based Earth Interests were permitted to make a contribution. This is the EI's second joint-venture to develop a prototype vessel that can travel beyond warp five, the first being a project that resulted into the building of the SS Perseverence during the 2120s.

Concerning the alien races that occupy the region surrounding Earth, the humans have had contact with a number of species as of 2154. Obviously, the Vulcans made First Contact with Earth following their detection of Zefram Cochranes prototype warp ship ninety-one years earlier in 2063. However, less than a year after First Contact, a Vulcan starship attempting to land in Arizona was destroyed accidentally by a nuclear missile launched by an Eastern Coalition submarine.

The Orions have launched a number of attacks on Earth, which have been repelled by the Solar Defence Force and the pilots manning their 'Bulldog' spacecraft. The Orions have also employed a number of mercanaries to carry out attacks in the past.

So if you'd like to take a look at a different take on Enterprise have a read and leave me some feedback!

Thanks.