Star Trek Hunter
Episode 26: Rain Over Rising Sun
Scene 21: The Atlas Class
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26.21
The Atlas Class
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The Atlas class ships under construction in geosynchronous orbit of the bolian homeworld were so large that each saucer section appeared from the ground to be a small moon, creating the odd and rather spooky illusion of a grid of 12 moons – 3 by 4. The three cigar-shaped engineering hulls were being constructed in another part of the sky – also in geosynchronous orbit and visible from the planet.
Most bolians were understandably proud of this monumental technological achievement. Only a few protested that building these monstrosities required nearly hollowing out two moons in the outer solar system – removing so much mass that the moons' orbits had to be adjusted and other debris removed. Long term studies were underway to determine the impact this change in mass and orbits would have on comets and other bodies passing near the outer planets.
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Few bolians were thinking about that tonight. Tonight, every bolian that could be outdoors to view the spectacle was outdoors. Millions had traveled half-way around their world to be able to see this unprecedented event. Millions more had come in from various colonies and the hundreds of other worlds to watch through telescopes from the planet's surface.
The Vulcan Science Academy had gone to the length of reprogramming the weather control satellites so that an entire hemisphere could watch through cloudless skies. Tens of thousands more watched from various space-borne platforms.
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Gradually, one of the three cigar shaped engineering hulls pulled away from the other two. Then one of the enormous saucer sections left the grid and approximately five minutes later it joined with the engineering hull. For a moment, the gigantic vessel looked somewhat like a traditional Star Fleet design until a second saucer section attached itself, upside down on the underside of the engineering hull. Then a third saucer attached itself to the other end of the engineering hull – then finally the fourth saucer section connected underneath the third. This final configuration had the odd effect of making the ship look like a celestial version of an antique formula race car with gigantic wheels.
Then the odd looking, giant spacecraft gradually flew away as, all over the Bolian homeworld, the announcement rang out: "This is Executive Web Planner Xagg Boles. I am proud to announce that the U.S.S. Atlas, Registry number Navy-Bolian Web Craft 1002, has successfully launched and is now leaving the Bolarus star system. We are proud to announce that more than 70% of the crew of the U.S.S. Atlas is bolian, tipping the scales: There are now more bolians currently commissioned or enlisted in Star Fleet than any other non-human species…"
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26.21