Bridge

At the level of the Command Chair the operations gallery surrounds the periphery of the bridge. The gallery hosts monitoring and control stations for the major ship functions. Just to the right of the command chair is the communications console. The Comm. Officer mans the switchboard that can monitor and control all communications being transmitted or being received. The language lexiconographic engine is tied to this station for quick translation of alien tongues.

Next to the communications station is Æthervox control. All Æthervox data originating from the ship's sensors can be tied into this station. Adjacent to æthervox control is the science officer's station. Between the two stations are the controls for analysis engine management and access. Ada can be directly accessed from these two stations with simple voice interface. The full intelligence of the multi engine analyzers with the assistance of the all the data stacks can be brought to bear on any problem the science officers may enter or detect.

On the captains left there is a post for the bridge watch. This sole Æther Marine stands constant guard dressed in class "A" uniform. The security console is the first control station on the captain's left. This station is manned by a marine and includes ship's surveillance and security controls. The last two duty stations on the gallery are the engineering stations. The abundance of Gauges and read-outs is only surpassed by the plethora of control leavers, dials, knobs and buttons that monitor and control many of the ships vital systems. The ships engines can be directly controlled and monitored from this station. Additional functions include life support, damage control, and redundant control systems.

In the center of the bridge, slightly recessed below the gallery level, is orrey control. Orrey control consists of the helm, navigation and battery control stations. The helm sits directly in front of the command chair and consists of several control systems used to pilot the ship. The main wheel is in reality a wheel within a wheel with the outer wheel controlling horizontal attitude and the inner controlling vertical attitude. The engine telegraph has one lever that denotes steampulse output and direction and another lever designating æther factor. Opposite the engine telegraph is the braking lever that controls the keel brakes and inertial sinks used for stopping the ship. Directly in front of the Wheel is the ships chronometer and solar compass.

To the left of the helm is the navigator's station. From this station the ship's course is plotted. The station includes æthervox visographs of long and short range sensing as well as ætherometric readings of the solar winds, ætheric waves or turbulence, etc. Directly in front of the navigator's station is the navigational armillary sphere, which represents in a single three-dimensional model a majority of the navigational data available at the station.

On the right of the helm is the battery control or tactical station. Similar in design to the navigator's station the console controls the ships weapons and Defense systems. Several targeting visographs display the weapons sights and status. The main ballistic analyzing engine is tied into the station to provide firing correction data. Ahead of the console is a battle armillary with mechanisms to demonstrate targets, weapons and defenses.

Between the navigation and battery control station lay the ships orrey. The orrey is a mechanical model of brass and iron linked to the ship's navigational analysis engines. Demonstrating the relative position of the ship in relation to the planets. The ships chronometer, sextant, solar compass and distance counters are linked into the marvelously complex mechanism.

On either side of the commander's chair on the lower level of the bridge are chairs reserved for the first officer and the chief yeoman. These stations do not include any gauge panels or controls.

Front and center stands the main Visograph screen, which can be used for visual communication, exterior æthervox viewing or tactical displays in any combination.