Einstein (science vessel)

The Einstein was a human science exploration vessel. Captain Howard Rappaport was in command of the Einstein in 2380, when Kathryn Janeway came aboard to investigate a Borg cube discovered in the Alpha Quadrant. The ship came under attack and was assimilated by the Borg during the course of the investigation. It was part of the Borg armada that surrounded Earth and intercepted the Enterprise. It was presumed destroyed in the resulting battle. 

In fact, it survived as part of a contingency plan devised by the Borg Queen (perhaps using Janeway's experience as a guide): it was sent away to ensure the survival of the Borg, and adopted a corrupted version of the Starfleet Modus Operandi:


 * "To explore strange new worlds - and assimilate them.
 * To seek out new life and new civilizations - and assimilate them.
 * To boldly go where no Borg had gone before - and assimilate them."

Later that year, the Borg-infested Einstein now dubbed "Frankenstein" appeared and attacked the USS Rhea. One crewmember, T'Ryssa Chen managed to get away with the help of a powerful alien lifeform and managed to warn the Federation. Starfleet instructed Captain Picard to locate and destroy the "Frankenstein" by any means necessary. To assist in its assignment the Enterprise was outfitted with prototype transphasic torpedoes in an effort to destroy the Borg vessel before it could assimilate the alien lifeform known as Qing Long. The Enterprise was aided by the Liberated led by Hugh, who sacrificed himself to end the threat posed by the "Frankenstein". 


 * The Einstein in Before Dishonor is different from the Nebula-class vessel, from Armada II, as the book states Janeway considered commandeering an entire (federation) starship a waste of resources, and the vessel is never referred to with the prefix U.S.S., only as 'a standard science exploration vessel' . In a post on TrekBBS writer Christopher L. Bennett said that he had no ship design in mind when writing the continuing story of the Einstein.