15.4 Cruise Mode

This refers to the normal operating condition of the USS Enterprise. During Cruise Mode, ship's primary operational personnel are organized into three distinct working shifts. Each shift is assigned to duty status during one of three eight-hour work periods. Primary operations are defined as those functions that must be performed or enabled at all times. These are generally to insure the spaceworthiness of the vehicle, environmental support, propulsion systems operations, and the ability to perform primary missions.

Other support functions including secondary mission operations are not necessarily required to be maintained on a twenty-four-hour-a-day basis. Many such departments will confine themselves to one or two operational shifts to increase the interactivity among working personnel.

Cruise Mode operational rules include:

• Level 4 automated diagnostic series are run on all ship's primary and tactical systems at the beginning of each shift. (Key systems may require more frequent diagnostics per specific operational and safety rules.)
• At least one major power system to remain at operational status at all times. At least one additional power system to be maintained at standby. (For example, if the warp engines are currently providing propulsion and power, Cruise Mode operating rules require either the main impulse engines, the Saucer Module impulse engines, or an auxiliary fusion generator to be at standby.)
• Long-range navigational sensors to be active if the ship is traveling at warp speed. Lateral and forward sensor arrays to be maintained at ready status, although these instruments can be made available for secondary mission use at the discretion of Ops.
• Navigational deflector to be active as needed for protection of the spacecraft from unanticipated debris or drag from the interstellar medium.
• At least 40% of phaser bank elements and one photon torpedo launcher to be maintained at cold standby status, available for activation at two minutes' notice.
• One shuttlebay is maintained at launch readiness with at least one shuttle vehicle maintained at launch minus five minutes status.