USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)

Caption:	The USS Enterprise in drydock.
Registry:	NCC-1701-B
Affiliation:	Federation Starfleet
Class:	Excelsior class (modified)
Launched:	2293
Status:	unknown
The USS Enterprise in 2293.
Caption:	The USS Enterprise trapped by the Nexus in 2293.

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B) was an upgraded Excelsior-class starship, the third Federation starship to carry the prestigous name Enterprise.

History

The Enterprise-B was launched under the command of Captain John Harriman from a drydock orbiting Earth in 2293. The ship was christened with a bottle of Dom Pérignon, vintage 2265. Honored guests aboard for the ship's maiden voyage included Captains James T. Kirk, Montgomery Scott, and Commander Pavel Chekov, along with many journalists. The vessel was still incomplete at the time of launch and did not have a medical staff, photon torpedoes, or a tractor beam, all of which were scheduled for delivery the following Tuesday. The dignitaries were given a tour of the ship, which impressed even Scotty. Harriman requested that Captain Kirk give the order to get underway, and he accepted. Demora Sulu—a recent Academy graduate—served as helmsman, prompting Kirk to comment "It wouldn't be an Enterprise without a Sulu at the helm."

Its first journey was mostly for publicity purposes, and the ship was not scheduled to venture much past Pluto. However, the Enterprise-B was the only ship in range capable of responding to a distress call from two Federation transport ships, the Lakul and the Robert Fox. The ships, which were carrying El-Aurian refugees, had become trapped in an energy distortion called the Nexus. Because the Enterprise-B lacked equipment necessary to rescue the ships, the Robert Fox was destroyed before the Enterprise could transport its passengers. Only 47 were brought aboard from the Lakul before it too was destroyed; these included Guinan, future bartender on the Enterprise-D. Chekov served as a makeshift medical officer, enlisting several journalists to help treat survivors including Guinan and Tolian Soran.

It seems highly unlikely that the Enterprise-B was the only ship in range, which would mean there was no other Federation starship in the Sol system, the heart of the Federation. However, this is not altogether inconsistent with other portrayals of a very lightly defended Sol system, as seen in "Paradise Lost" and other incidents.

The Enterprise itself became ensnared within the Nexus when it maneuvered within transporter range of the Lakul. Scotty devised a plan to use a resonance burst from the deflector dish in order to simulate an antimatter explosion and free the Enterprise. Kirk went to deflector control to make necessary modifications as the Enterprise's engineering hull was struck by an energy tendril; Harriman was going to do it himself, but Kirk took the role instead, deciding that Harriman was needed in the chair. The Enterprise escaped with minor casualties and a hull breach along sections 20 through 28 on decks 13 through 15. Kirk was believed killed in the breach, and the mission became notorious because of his loss. (Star Trek: Generations)

File:Enterprise legacy tng.jpg

Featured in a display (middle, rear) of all ships named Enterprise prior to 2364.

A sculpture of the Enterprise-B would later adorn the wall of the observation lounge on the USS Enterprise-D during the first few years of that vessel's service. (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Known personnel

• See: USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B) personnel

Apocrypha

The fate of the Enterprise-B is unknown. According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, the Enterprise-B was involved in exploration beyond the Gourami sector, charting 142 star systems and making first contact with seventeen new civilizations prior to its decommisioning.

The Enterprise-B is involved in all of the following:

• The novel "The Captain's Daughter" by Peter David
• The PC-based simulation Star Trek: Starship Creator
• The Lost Era novel Serpents Among the Ruins by David R. George III
• The short story "Iron and Sacrifice", from the Tales from the Captain's Table anthology, also by David George

Which provide the following highlights:

• 2301 — Demora Sulu is promoted to first officer.
• 2311 — Following the Tomed Incident with the Romulan Star Empire, Capt. Harriman steps down, and Demora Sulu is promoted to captain.
• 2315 — Capt. Sulu gives up command—for a few months—to care for her terminally ill paternal grandmother, Shimizu Hana.
• 2332 — The Enterprise-C is commissioned. (novel Well of Souls)

This leaves even the non-canon fate of the Enterprise-B uncertain, but its destruction/decommisioning would fall within the years 2315–2332

Background information

The Enterprise-B was a reuse of the USS Excelsior model designed by Bill George for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. The miniature was given several modifications designed by John Eaves and Herman Zimmerman, including an extra set of impulse engines on the saucer section, flares on the side of the engineering hull, new caps on the front of the warp nacelles, and fins on the back of the nacelles. The blue accents on the ship were repainted to a teal color. The flares were added for the specific purpose of damaging them during the Nexus escape sequence and as a way to keep the Excelsior model beneath undamaged. The modifications were also by request of producer Rick Berman, who felt the Excelsior design had been overused in the previous motion pictures and in the television series. The 1701-B was also rendered as a CGI model for certain sequences within the Nexus. The physical model was later relabeled to become the USS Lakota in DS9: "Paradise Lost."

The bridge was a redress of the Enterprise-A bridge from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, which was also seen as the Amargosa observatory in the same film. The sickbay was the drydock observation area seen earlier in the film, while deflector control was a new set.

The Enterprise-B was established as an Excelsior class ship during the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation when a series of relief sculptures depicting the history of the Enterprise name was added to the Enterprise-D conference lounge set. They were present for the first four years of the series and a flashback during TNG: "All Good Things..." The sculpture used represented the original Excelsior design. However, the accurate models in the lounge of the Enterprise-E for Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Nemesis showed the Enterprise-B as it was in Generations. Furthermore, the USS Enterprise-C sculpture also differed from the final Ambassador class design, meaning the sculptures were probably meant to be abstract.

References

• Star Trek: Generations

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