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 USS Enterprise-E. It was presumed destroyed in the resulting battle. (TNG novel: Before Dishonor)