10.0 Overview

This era closed the turbulent, expansive twenty-second century, a century that began in war and almost ended in anarchy, as outlined below. In between, hundreds of new worlds were explored, dozens of races befriended, and scientific and technological breakthroughs forever changed the shape of galactic history.

The supernova explosion of the past era that claimed the KEPLER had repercussions that extended into this period, as the shock wave of the Phi Puma cataclysm spread outward into the galaxy at the speed of light. Space sectors in the path of the expanding aftermath were issued periodic warnings, so that no more planet-wide emergency evacuations were necessary and so the affected residents could prepare for the possible destructive effects.

The century's major political crisis occurred in 2177, at the UFP's periodic Babel Conference. This turned out to be a most perilous affair, when different pressures that had been building for some time all came to a head, almost bringing about the dissolution of the Federation. One such tension was the swelling “Back-to-Earth” movement, filled with those who called for a halt in space expansion and a return to an Earth-centered society. Another came from Federation members who resented the UFP's authority and called for a severe curtailing of its powers and responsibilities. Conversely, the weaker member planets clamored for more defense, insisting the Federation's protection still left them prey to all sorts of space marauders.

All of these pressures blew up at Babel after a tragic (and to this stardate, unsolved) act of violence. On his way to the Conference, the Chief of Staff of Star Fleet Command was assassinated. Amid the gloom following this brutal event, recriminations, threats, and non-negotiable demands flew across the conference table. And at the height of the acrimony, a resolution was introduced to dissolve the United Federation of Planets. It was the darkest stardate in Federation history.

This crisis was averted largely through the skillful and unflagging efforts of two men, one military and one civilian. The military man was Admiral Shepherd, who ascended to Star Fleet Command to fill the tragic vacancy. He outlined a revised plan for Federation defense which increased Star Fleet Patrols in sensitive sectors and provided suitable guarantees for galactic security without being overly intrusive in planetary affairs.

The civilian was the famous businessman and philanthropist, Carter Winston, then a young man in the first bloom of personal success. He spoke with great eloquence about the promise and potential of space, about how individuals exercising their initiative and own genius could still control their destiny. He also argued for greater planetary and individual input into Federation affairs. The galaxy's future, Winston declared, would be decided by the people, not governments. The resolutions he drafted and got adopted by this Babel Conference are largely responsible for the continuing openness and freedom that characterized the UFP.

In an historical irony, this whole political crisis took place while the most ambitious starships ever, the Constitution Class, were being designed. Utilizing the most recent advances in technology, such as duotronic computers and the transporter, these interstellar starships have become the vanguard of Federation security and exploration.

A major innovation that occurred in this era was also included in the design of these Constitution Class starships. This, of course, was the discovery of dilithium's potential, accidentally discovered by a young mining engineer. Dilithium crystals align the matter/antimatter energy release along a coherent cylinder of flow, enabling warp engines to operate at twice their previous efficiencies. By now, dilithium crystals are an absolutely vital component for warp drive, deflectors and the maintenance of ships' energy production.

Constitution Class starships were initially equipped with advanced laser weaponry. On-going research and development made available, just before the century's conclusion, a new form of weaponry known as phasers. Combining the principles of particle-beam and laser weaponry, this new instrument has been used for hand guns as well as ship-sized phaser systems. All ships in this class were refitted to accommodate this advancement.

These amazing new starships extended mankind's exploration of space further than had even been dreamed of a few decades before. Along the way, new astronomical mysteries were opened up, such as the time gate stumbled through by the USS WELLS. The transition through this still unexplained hole in time nearly destroyed the ship, which managed to just limp home after a three solar-year journey, only to find it had been gone a mere month. Expansion had truly frightening consequences, like the encounter with the Talos Star System, which until recently, was declared off-limits to all Federation members on penalty of death. There were also incredible encounters with new races. However, like most forward steps, this new generation suffered a tragic step back. The dilithium equipped USS AJAX inexplicably blew apart, its disintegrated remains forming the mini-comet that bears its name.

Another space catastrophe was narrowly avoided with the rescue of the six hundred marooned passengers aboard a starliner that had been lost for twenty stardates. Through the sacrifice of its captain, who blew up the starliner to provide a traceable sign to searchers, all but five aboard were safely recovered having suffered with little more than minor cases of protein and vitamin deficiencies, and of course the psychological trauma of extended life-threatening anxiety. It was the largest deep-space rescue in history.

With the Babel Conference resolved and the Constitution class starships launched, the twenty-second century ended on a note of optimism and forward momentum. Mankind and his galactic peers were ready to face the challenges of the twenty-third century, stronger and more confident than ever before in history.