Into the Unknown

"Into the Unknown" is the first episode of the Frontier Fleet: USS Calhoun series.

Synopsis

The USS Calhoun, the Federation's first transwarp-equipped starship, was christened on May 5, 2390, amid much fanfare. The celebration was marred only by the illness of Trill chief medical officer Rovan Bren, who was unable to attend.

The following day, the ship was launched with Captain Sera Vaun in command, and began its journey to the Delta Quadrant, aiming to be the first Starfleet visitors since the USS Voyager. After an uneventful ten-day journey, the first problem occurred when the transwarp drive would not disengage. Three large -and apparently peaceful- creatures were found tailing the Calhoun within the transwarp conduit.

While the bridge crew attempted to think of a quick solution, Kevin Novia, young son of assistant chief medical officer Jerok Novia, entered the bridge without authorisation and clambered onto first officer Fox D. Main's lap. Much to the shock of the crew, Main struck the child. The first officer was immediately sent off the bridge and confined to quarters.

Memorable quotes

"The USS Calhoun, which we are about to christen today, is the first ship in the fleet with a working transwarp drive, although it still is experimental. You have of course all heard about the USS Excelsior which also was equipped with a experimental transwarp drive. Unfortunately, Starfleet had abandoned this project, when it turned out not to be reliable. Now, due to the information we got from the USS Voyager, Starfleet did start a new transwarp project, resulting in this fine ship. Our first mission will be to go to the Delta Quadrant and make new diplomatic relations."

— Fox Main

Trivia

• This is the first official Frontier Fleet episode. It follows the game "reboot" of late 2000. The previous story, begun in August 2000, was deemed non-canon, the two existing duty stations and crews were merged into the USS Calhoun, and a new story arc was begun, with the concept of transwarp drive and exploration of the Delta Quadrant. Game creators Clare Bradley and Guido Dorssers played the ship's captain and first officer.
• At this stage, the Calhoun was Frontier Fleet's only ship. It would later expand to four ships.
• Of the initial cast and crew, none remain at present. Players Guido Dorssers and Bram Peeters remain active, almost eight years after this episode, but no longer play their initial characters, and are no longer on the Calhoun. Guido Dorssers also owns the Frontier Fleet website, and hence the game itself. Bram Peeters is one of the game's four co-gamemasters.
• This episode's posts are missing from the archives, which only begin mid-way during episode 1x05 "The Parting of the Ways". "Into the Unknown" is thus one of the Calhoun's four and a half "missing episodes".
• The episode was not given a name at the time, and, until it received one retroactively in 2008, was simply known as "episode 001".

Characters

• Clare Bradley as Captain Sera Vaun
• Guido Dorssers as Commander Fox D. Main
• Derek Pears as Chief Medical Officer Rovan Bren
• Brandon Allard as Consul Devon Torlith
• Bram Peeters as Chief of Science Jim Janssens
• Jonathon Hargan as Chief Engineer Jason Buagh
• Melinda Martin as Chief Counsellor Laoise O'Ceallaigh
• Jaap Marsman as Assistant Chief Medical Officer Jerok Novia
• Kevin Dobson as acting Chief of Security Talan Serka
• James Cecil as Assistant Chief Counsellor Michael A. Stonewall
• Frank Rogers as Ambassador Deleane

Source

• Calhoun story page on the Frontier Fleet website
• The episode is given a title eight years later