Replicating a shuttlecraft
A vehicle replicator was a large-scale replicator that was able to quickly "create any means of transport," including shuttlecraft. It was a major component of Protostar-class starships.
Technical data[]
The vehicle replicator worked by stringing together individual replicated components at a time, providing audio updates for each ten percent of completion. (PRO: "Starstruck") It was capable of building escape shuttles as well as land vehicles like the Runaway and aquashuttles. (PRO: "Dream Catcher", "Asylum")
The vehicle replicator was capable of creating more than just Federation vehicles. With specifications provided to her by Ilthuran, Hologram Janeway was able to construct a Vau N'Akat ship using it. (PRO: "Touch of Grey")
The vehicle replicator wasn't limited to creating just vehicles and was capable of creating anything that had its schematics loaded into it. By hacking into it remotely, The Diviner was able to create a perfect replica of his Drednok. If the creation of this replica had not interfered with his efforts, Dal R'El could've used it to build a replacement warp matrix for the ship. The Protostar crew were also able to create a replica of Zero's containment suit using the vehicle replicator. Later, Jankom Pog used the vehicle replicator to create the new containment suit that he'd designed for Zero from scratch by uploading his schematics to the device. (PRO: "Time Amok", "A Moral Star, Part 1", "Ascension, Part II")
Service history[]
The USS Protostar was equipped with such a replicator in its shuttlebay. Gwyndala used it to replicate a shuttle in an attempt to escape, but she was stopped by Rok-Tahk before the shuttle was completed. (PRO: "Starstruck")
The vehicle replicator was used by the Protostar crew to replicate a Runaway for their mission to Murder Planet. (PRO: "Dream Catcher")
The Diviner managed to hack into the vehicle replicator and create a replica of his Drednok while the Protostar was fractured in time which interfered with Dal's plan to use the vehicle replicator to build a warp matrix to fix the proto-core. Although Dred 2 was blown out into space, after the anomaly was fixed, a partially built version of him was left lying beside the replicator. (PRO: "Time Amok")
As part of the rescue mission to Tars Lamora, the vehicle replicator was used to create a perfect replica of Zero's containment suit for Murf. (PRO: "A Moral Star, Part 1")
The vehicle replicator was presumably used to create an aquashuttle to lure an aquathawn away from poachers and lead the creature to a safe area where she could live in peace with others of her species. (PRO: "Asylum")
When the living construct locked the crew out of control of the ship, Zero mentioned that the locked controls would keep them from beaming out or replicating an escape shuttle. (PRO: "Mindwalk")
In order to escape from the Protostar before its destruction, the crew used the vehicle replicator to create a bare-bones shuttle for themselves. However, due to a lack of time to build a full shuttle, the shuttle lacked seats or proper navigation. Nevertheless, it was enough to get the crew to Earth a month later. (PRO: "Supernova, Part 2")
Later that year, the vehicle replicator on the Protostar from an altered timeline was used by Jankom Pog to build a new and improved containment suit for Zero after their physical form began to fall apart. (PRO: "Ascension, Part II")
In 2385, the Protostar's vehicle replicator was used by Hologram Janeway to replicate a Vau N'Akat ship at Ilthuran's specifications for Vice Admiral Janeway, Chakotay, The Doctor, and Wesley Crusher to use to rescue the young Protostar crew. (PRO: "Touch of Grey")