Botany Bay

Botany Bay (TOS-24)
Botany Bay (TOS-24)

Botany Bay (TOS-24)
Botany Bay (TOS-24)

Nuclear-powered vessel of the DY-100 class. Named after an infamous Australian penal colony, the Botany Bay was launched in 1996 with refugees from the Eugenics Wars, namely Khan Noonien Singh and his band of genetically-bred “supermen.” The launch was kept secret in order to not alarm a war-weary population that the tyrant who controlled more than one-fourth of the planet from 1992-96 was still alive. After being defeated in Earth’s Eugenics Wars, Khan and his followers hoped to find another world to conquer and rule.[1]

The Botany Bay drifted in space for over two centuries with its passengers in suspended animation, until the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 discovered the sleeper ship near the Mutara sector in 2266. The ship’s automatic systems attempted to revive Khan first, since he was the leader of the group, but malfunctioned in the process, forcing the Enterprise crew to intervene and save him. Captain Kirk intended to keep the other passengers in stasis until the Enterprise reached Starbase 12 with the Botany Bay in tow, but Khan defied security and transported back to the sleeper ship to revive his crewmates and begin an insurgency. Of the 84 passengers, 72 survived, 30 of them women. The Botany Bay was discarded in deep space when Khan attempted to commandeer the Enterprise,[1] but a variety of belongings were retained, including a collection of classic books and a seatbelt, which found their way to Ceti Alpha V, where Khan and his people were exiled.[2]

References

  • [1]TOS-24: Space Seed
  • [2]ST-02: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 Enterprise, Library, Original Series, Ships

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