Advanced Transporter Systems
Although Federations transporters are highly efficient and are continually being updated and refined, they are still rather limited in range. Many civilisations, such as the Sikarians (who fold space) and the Dominion, have invented and developed transporter systems capable of beaming people and equipment across vast distances.
Alien Communication Methods
Most alien beings so far encountered use either verbal or telepathic communication. Even with universal translators, some speech is very difficult to decipher. For instance, on stardate 45047.2 Captain Picard tried to converse with a group who spoke only in metaphor. Some very advanced species use methods which almost defy human understanding.
Astrometrics Lab
Combing facets of Starfleet and Borg technology, Harry Kim and Seven of Nine devised a new system for plotting Voyager's position in the galaxy. Specifically, Voyager's astrometric sensors measure the radiative flux of up to 3 billion stars simultaneously, then pass these to the computer which calculates Voyager's position relative tot he centre of the galaxy, and, by extrapolation, to Earth. The new system is ten time more accurate than current Starfleet systems, and produced an immediate positive effect by highlighting a new route to Earth, reducing Voyager's journey by five years.
Autonomous Weapons
Autonomous weapons systems have proved a menace to sentient life since their invention. Captain Kirk and his crew came across an entire war, conducted by computers between the planets Eminiar VII and Vendikar. The Minosians developed an arms system so powerful that eventually destroyed the inventors. It was finally defeated by Captain Picard's crew, when they came under attack while searching for the U.S.S. Drake. The missile Dreadnought was originally designed by the Cardassians to be the ultimate smart bomb, supposedly able to defend itself against all eventualities.
Bat'leth
An ancient piece of technology, the Klingon "sword of honour" resembles a two-metre long two-ended scimitar. Oral history holds that the first bat'leth was forged about 1,500 years ago when Kahless the Unforgettable dropped a lock of his hair into the lava from the Kri'stak Volcano and then plunged the burning lock into the lake of Lursor and twisted it into a blade. After forging the weapon, Kahless used it to kill the tyrant Molor and named it the "bat'leth", or sword of hour. This tale of the sword was never recorded in the sacred texts, but was passed down verbally among the high clerics.
Borg Cortical Node
Accessed through a circular interface above the right eye, the cortical node is the main processing unit of any Borg drone. Appearing as a silver metallic cylinder tapered towards each end, with a glass middle section encasing a glowing green centre, the cortical node controls all of the vital functions, and so a faulty node can quickly result in death for the drone. Despite this, no backup system is built into drone physiognomy, as faulty nodes are easily diagnosed and quickly replace. Given the intricate nature of the technology, it is inefficient to attempt to repair a cortical node. Cortical nodes left inactive quickly deteriorate into uselessness.
Cloaking Device
As an energy screen generator used to render an object (typically, a space vehicle) invisible to the eye and to most sensor systems, most cloaking devices require so much power that a vessel so equipped cannot use weapons systems without decloaking. Romulan and Klingon vessels are often equipped with cloaking devices, although Federation ships are prohibited from doing so under the Treaty of Algeron, except for the Federation starship "Defiant", by special arrangement with the Romulan government. Cloaking devices powerful enough to shield entire planets have also been encountered in the Alpha Quadrant, specifically around the planet Aldea.
Emergency Command Hologram
The Emergency Command Hologram is an extension of the Emergency Medical Hologram, designed to be called into action when there are no suitable officers left to command a starship. As befits a command officer, the ECH wears a red and black uniform, and has its own unique set of security clearance codes which give it full authority over every aspect of the starship, including the ability to jettison the warp core if necessary. The only documented uses of an ECH to date have been aboard the U.S.S. Voyager, as the EMH of that ship is uniquely advanced among the EMH-1 models.
Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH)
Advance Federation starships are now equipped with an EMH as standard. Intended as a short-term supplement to medical personnel in emergency situations, the EMH is manifested as a human physician who can work in areas equipped with holographic projectors. These holographic projectors not only generate an image, but also create a magnetic containment field within which electromagnetic energy is trapped, giving the EMH the ability to physically manipulate real objects. Developed at Starfleet's Jupiter Station, the EMH was designed by Dr Lewis Zimmerman in his own image.
EMH-1
The first version of the Emergency Medical Hologram was a very personal project for Lewis Zimmerman, who not only poured his every effort into the creation, but also gave the model his own physical appearance. Unfortunately, due to a series of perceived personality flaws, including arrogance, irritability, and an abrasive bedside manner, the EMH-1 was withdrawn from Starfleet medical service, and all but one of the 676 units were re-assigned to wasted transfer barges. Seeing 675 of his holographic lookalikes demoted in this way caused Zimmerman to bury himself for 2 years, creating the EMH-2 in an effort to erase his former embarrassment.
EMH-2
Status: Hologram
Purpose: Emergency Medical Procedures
Primary Accessor: EMH-1 of U.S.S. Voyager
The EMH-2 is an upgrade version of the EMH-1, the Emergency Medical Hologram now fitted as standard on Starfleet vessels of a certain class. Comparing itself to its predecessor, the EMH-2 would stress that the EMH-1 has "beady eyes and a terrible bedside manner" and is open to subroutine degradation if its program is allowed to run for too long, although it should be noted that the EMH-2 are equipped with holo-emitters on every deck, allowing the usual restriction of the EMH to Sickbay to be over-ridden. One thing remains the same between the two versions of the EMH: although both appear male, by default neither are equipped for sexual relations, a barrier that at least one example of the EMH-1 has been able to overcome - although the additional subroutines are jealously guarded!
Enhance Warp Drive
Discovering that the nuclogenic lifeforms could store massive amounts of energy within their molecular structure, the crew of the Equinox constructed a multiphasic chamber to trap the aliens in normal space. Using a polaron grid and a sub-molecular resequencer, the alien cell structures were converted into a crystalline compound from which base proteins could be extracted and introduced into the warp core via the plasma injectors. A mere 10 iso grams of the compound increased warp capability by 0.03% for on month. In this way, the Equinox travelled 10,000 light years in less than 2 weeks.
Korath's Chrono Deflector
The piece of technology which Admiral Janeway procured form the House of Koroth is known as a Chrono Deflector. When linked to the systems of even a small ship, it is capable of producing a tachyon pulse which can open a temporal rift in space-time large enough for a starship to pass through into another time. However, to avoid damage to biomatter during temporal transit, the increased levels of tachyon radiation need to be offset by the experiment drug Chronexaline. About 2000 milligrams of the drug are estimated to be enough to protect a standard size human female.
Long Range Tactical Armour Unit
Name: Undetermined
Description: Long Range Tactical Armour Unit
Target: Selenia Prime, Grid 11, Vector 6341
Manufacturers: Dru'oda
Discovered embedded in a wall of rock by a U.S.S. Voyager away team, this Long Range Tactical Armour Unit, or "Warhead", had suffered severe memory loss from its crash-landing. The symptoms at the time of first contact with the Voyager crew were that the device had no memory of its purpose or even of its nature, believing itself to be a humanoid that had lost both its sight and the feeling in its arms and legs as a result of the collision. Indeed, the Warhead expressed surprise that the being with which it conversed - Voyager's EMH - was not a "real" person. Reassured by the description of its own appearance as metallic, over a metre in length, cylindrical and "quite sleek", the Warhead's only initial objection was that it did not appreciate having to be carried around the Starship. It was only when Starfleet engineers attempted to separate the device's personality from its explosive that the Warhead's original personality returned.
Neurogenic Interface
Created from Starfleet technology given to the Hirogen by Captain Janeway, the Hirogen hunt holograms evolved beyond their initial programming to become sentient freedom fighters. Given that their initial design was that of voyager's EMH, who himself became sentient, it is unsurprising that the hunt holograms, with assistance from Hirogen technician Donik, learned how to take control of their environment and slay their masters, while developing the mobile emitter technology necessary to ensure their continued existence outside the holodeck. Hirogen hunt holograms were modelled on Alpha Quadrant species the Hirogen perceived to be the most worthy warriors, namely Klingons, Cardassians, Romulans, Humans, and Bajorans.
Replicators
Replicators use transporter technology to materialise the object desired by the user. A major use of replicators is to provide food and drink. Replicators work by channelling energy from engineering and converting it into the desired form of matter. This process is heavy drain on the Voyager's precious fuel supply so use by the crew rationed.
Series 5 Long Range Tactical Armour Unit
A creation of the Dru'oda, the Series 5 Long Range Tactical Armour Unit is designed to transverse enemy space and circumvent any attempts to deter it form its mission. Equipped with a class 11 intelligence, warp capability, and full armour, the Series 5 has a maximum range of 80 light years. The Series 5's intelligence is provided by advanced bio-neural circuitry which mimics humanoid synaptic functions to such a high degree that the device is more than capable of guiding itself to its target. Where a group of Series 5 missiles have been deployed, it has been known for the main group to seek out and retrieve any single units that have been diverted, to assist the mission of the entire group to succeed.
Tsunkatse Equipment
Although Tsunkatse is primarily a competition of speed, strength, and agility, a technological aspect also lends it a degree of strategy. The key components of the Tsunkatse kit are a series of disruptors and sensors worn on the chest, back, hands and feet. On both hands and both feet, contestants wear plasma disruptors, while on the chest and back target sensors are carried. When one of a contestant's disruptors comes into contact with his opponent's sensor, it delivers a bioplasmic charge. The addition of this technology means that a player has to think strategically, finding ways to attack his opponent's target while shielding his own.
Universal Translators
These devices quickly and efficiently translate other languages into English and vice versa. Originally they were handheld instruments, carried by members of the landing party. With 24th century miniaturisation, universal translators have been incorporated into communicators.
Vinculum, The
The Borg Vinculum is an incredible piece of technology. As the processing device at the core of every Borg vessel, it is responsible for providing the interconnection between the minds of all the drones on the ship. More than a simple conduit, the Vinculum actively seeks out and purges individual thoughts, and disseminates any information relevant to the Collective: "It brings order to chaos", as one Starfleet captain has observed. As well as managing information, the Vinculum also has the ability to identify errant drones and to implement procedures to re-integrate them into the Collective. This is achieved by establishing a subspace link to the drone's cortical implant, and realigning the neural patterns within. The link cannot be severed without permanent damage tot he systems oft he errant drone, meaning that to interpret the process,t eh Vinculum must be taken offline. As with most important Borg technology, the Vinculum is equipped with many safeguards, including the ability to re-route its internal circuitry to foil intrusive interference.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Unfortunately, the Metreon Cascade is not the only weapon of mass destruction know to the 23rd and 24th centuries. Captain Kirk encountered a doomsday machine which could destroy whole planets. Captain Picard found a device capable of destroying stars, the Tax Uthat, from the 27th Century and Dr Soran pioneered a method of producing the same result involving thrilithium.