Atlas (cargo vessel)

For other uses, see Atlas.

Atlas, sometimes rendered as the USS Atlas, was a United Earth cargo vessel starship in service during the 22nd century.

Service history and disposition[]

In the 2150s, Atlas was under the command of Captain Genevieve Horowitz. The ship was one of the largest Earth freighters to operate along the frontier of explored space. (FASA RPG module: The Romulans: Starfleet Intelligence Manual)

At one point, Atlas was en route to an agricultural colony in sector 5D. (FASA RPG modules: The Federation, The Romulan War)

With a crew of 92, on reference stardate 0/9211.03, Horowitz diverted the vessel's course to avoid an ion storm, to protect their cargo, cobalt tetroxides and neutronic fuel. (FASA RPG module: The Romulan War)

On stardate 0/9211, Atlas encountered an unknown vessel which ignored friendly hails for 11 hours, and then the mystery ship suddenly stuck. Although Atlas broadcasted her surrender, the enemy ship disabled her defenses and propulsion. Horowitz was able to eject a recorder-marker before the vessel was captured. The ship and her crew were never heard from again. (FASA RPG modules: The Romulans: Starfleet Intelligence Manual, Spacelanes: The Magazine of Interstellar Trade)

During the attack on stardate 0/9211.03.95, a second, identical enemy vessel arrived. With non-stop bombardment from both ships, the hull integrity on Atlas began to fail, with breaches on most decks and surviving personnel donning environmental suits. (FASA RPG module: The Romulan War)

On stardate 0/9211.17 Atlas was listed as missing. Her space buoy, recovered a few months later on stardate 0/9302.21, contained records of Romulan language transmissions and visuals of the enemy vessel having giant bird markings. (FASA RPG module: The Romulans: Starfleet Intelligence Manual)

Legacy[]

The taking of Atlas was the first interaction between United Earth and the Romulan Star Empire. (FASA RPG module: Spacelanes: The Magazine of Interstellar Trade)

On stardate 0/9511/30, a special fleet was launched to scout the area where Atlas was lost. All 12 starships disappeared without a trace. (FASA RPG module: The Romulans: Starfleet Intelligence Manual)

In the 2250s, Professor Kenneth A.F. Brighton discussed the loss of Atlas in his work Psychohistorical Study of Known Space. (FASA RPG module: The Four Years War)

Lieutenant Rantha taught a class at Starfleet Academy that covered the Earth-Romulan War. One lecture focused on Atlas. (FASA RPG module: The Romulan War)

In her lecture, she said that Atlas was attacked by two enemy vessels. This is the only source to name more than one attacker.

According to Intelligence Analysis of the Romulan Empire, Volume IV, Atlas was a casualty of Romulan expansionism, with Atlas having traversed a region claimed by Romulus. (FASA RPG module: Star Fleet Intelligence Manual)

A few years prior to 2285, Terrance Lundbar gave his granddaughter Lila Lundbar Rannan a gamebox hidden within a hawk statue. When activated, it tested Earth-Romulan War knowledge via a hex-word game. The answer to the first of 18 questions, "First starship lost to Romulan pirates", was Atlas. (FASA RPG module: Old Soldiers Never Die)

Crew manifest[]

Genevieve Horowitz, commanding officer
Sprik, science officer
Withel, communications officer
O'Connell
Michaelson
Wiram
Jones

Appendices[]

Background[]

Because FASA RPG sets the Earth-Romulan War some 20 years after the founding of the Federation, several FASA sources identified this vessel as the USS Atlas. Later canon established the war as taking place prior to the Federation's founding. In that context, Atlas would have been a United Earth vessel.

Connections[]

Ships named Atlas
United Earth	Atlas (cargo vessel)
Federation, Starfleet	USS Atlas (NCC-1900, Atlas class) • USS Atlas (Sovereign class) • see also: Atlas-class