FNN Edition 19

Star Fleet News

Headlines

Council’s Slim Vote Promotes Starfleet Admiral

KEVIN AVERY
Fleet News Editor
Stardate 20912.01

The Federation council gathered late last month to decide whether or not to promote Rear Admiral Joseph Daher to Vice Admiral. Admiral Daher is currently the Commanding Officer of the USS Ticonderoga as well as the Group Commander for the Second Battle Group. Daher’s career began on the USS Gettysburg where he rose through the ranks as a tactical officer. Daher was promoted to Chief Tactical Officer on the Battle cruiser and eventually, at the rank of Lieutenant Commander, was named the Second Officer of the vessel.

Daher’s career however has been marked with questionable tactics and odd events. This is trend was seen as early as his time on the Gettysburg when he was suspended from active duty and officially reprimanded shortly after. It is this style of acting that had council members like Sovek, the ranking Vulcan council member, leading an attempt to stomp out Daher’s promotion.

Daher however was returned to active duty shortly afterwards and was promoted to Commander and assigned to the USS Sheridan as First Officer. Daher’s career on the Sheridan was a decorated one and two years later the seasoned officer was promoted to Captain and given command of his first ship the USS Titan.

Daher’s career on the USS Titan had its up-and-downs. Once again the officer was highly decorated however at times situations arose that have council members like Sovek asking questions.

"Did you not as captain of the Titan, cross into Klingon space on Stardate 20610.09 and engage Klingon ships in combat?" Asked the Senior Council member to Daher during the council meeting.

Sovek also brought up situations where Daher had disobeyed Star Fleet general orders and entered the Federation/Romulan neutral zone as well as another incident Daher had with the Romulan Empire that aided in the hostilities between superpower Federation and the superpower Romulan Star Empire.

These events however did not hinder Daher’s ongoing career. In the continuing years Daher not only received promotions to Commodore but also to Rear Admiral. In addition the veteran officer was named the Group Commander for the Second Battle Group and was given command of the USS Ticonderoga, a Fearless Class Heavy Cruiser.

Daher has continued to serve as the commanding officer of the Ticonderoga for the past two years where he has excellently led his crew through numerous conflicts and missions.

“Joseph Daher is one of the finest people and the finest officer I have every served with! His methods have saved not only his crews life countless times but the lives of countless Federation citizens more times than I can count.” Said one high-ranking Star Fleet Officer who requested to not be named.

Numerous Star Fleet Officers and Federation Politicians alike believed that Daher however had reached his rank cap at Rear Admiral. “He’s done more good than bad in his career but you can only get away with so much before it takes a toll,” Said one officer who claimed to be fond of the Second Battle Group Commander.

“How this man ever reached the Admiral bar in the first place is a testament to the corruption and violence that plagues every avenue of the current Federation administration!” Said a Council member who aligned himself with Councilmen Sovek.

After much discussion the council finally took a vote. The official count has yet to be released however the council did announce that Daher’s promotion was approved by a slim margin and that the experienced officer was being promoted to Vice Admiral.

There appears to be mixed emotions about the decision. Multiple politicians seemed to be displeased at the overall consensus however several of them, as well as several Star Fleet officials gathered together afterwards to celebrate the Admiral’s promotion.

“I am glad to see someone properly rewarded for their dedication and loyalty to the Federation,” said a councilor who voted in favor of the promotion.

Whether readers believe Daher was due the promotion or not the FNN would like to congratulate the Vice Admiral and this reporter knows he will sleep better at night knowing that leaders like Daher are working diligently to protect the Federation and its citizens!

No Bodies Found During Investigation

KEVIN AVERY
Fleet News Editor
Stardate 20912.01

Recently the FNN brought you breaking news regarding the death of Starfleet Captain T.M. Wong and medical officer Lieutenant Tara ch’Thane during a hover-sled accident that occurred during the USS Dauntless’ shore leave.

At the time sources revealed that an unknown explosion occurred and that wreckage of the hover sled was discovered along with DNA samples of the two Starfleet Officers. Investigators have currently refused to release and official report citing that they were not allowed to comment on an ongoing investigation. A source however has recently leaked to the press that so far no traces of either bodies has been discovered.

Doctor Robin Whaley a forensic scientist and medical examiner said the following during an interview: “It is unlikely, or rather impossible, that an explosion caused by a holo-sled accident would burn hot enough to eliminate all traces of human remains.”

This of course led some to conclude one of two things. First, that this is a cover up and that both Wong and ch’Thane are still alive. Or second, the incident was no accident at all and the two were attacked by a weapon that could cause an explosion large enough and hot enough to destroy human remains.

Certainly this story has not ended yet and the FNN will continue to provide you with the most up-to-date facts as they are discovered. The FNN would also once again like to send their condolences/hopeful thoughts to the families of Wong and ch’Thane as they go through this difficult time.

Shocking Letdowns Frustrate Many

KEVIN AVERY
Fleet News Editor
Stardate 20912.01

No one can deny the fact that the Star Fleet Corps of Engineers is one of the most overworked groups during a time of war. Dozens of engineers are sent to repair a ship that is able to dock at a space station and they are expected to have the vessel battle ready in a fraction of the time it would usually take just to make it flight worthy. Obviously this opens the door for mistakes to occur and accidents to increase.

“It is an unfortunate side effect of war. Mistakes are of course more likely to happen when engineers are so overworked but steps and procedures are taken to minimize them,” said one Star Fleet official who requested not to be identified because they were not permitted to comment on the issue.

While it might be unfortunate that these mistakes occur it is not shocking. After all the engineers can only do so much while working against such time restraints. However, what about when a war is over? It is still acceptable for engineers to make mistakes? Unfortunately this question is relevant.

The USS Titan is the most recent example of engineers not properly preparing a vessel before it launched from Starbase. Within days of being assigned a mission and departing Starbase 294 the USS Titan began to show signs of not being flight worthy. The Light Cruiser, which went through a refit after the completion of the war, suffered numerous systems malfunctions many of which nearly claimed the lives of the crewmembers serving onboard. In fact, one such malfunction left the entire ship powerless and motion less an event that almost caused the destruction of the entire ship.

“It is an outrage that we are sending dedicated Star Fleet Personnel out on ships that are death traps!” said one outraged member of the Federation government.

No official investigation has been launched into the Corp of Engineers, however several government officials are calling for just that. The FNN will keep you updated on the developing issue that puts the risk of countless brave souls in jeopardy every day.

The Tribble

JIMMY “The Weasel” FRATIANNO
Tribble Columnist
Stardate 20912.01

Since the time the USS Gettysburg was declared destroyed, there was a rumor that has reached The Weasel that the Gettysburg is not gone; INSTEAD, the crew mutinied and they established orbit around a planet that would make Risa look like an elementary school play park. Upon inquiring to Star Fleet Command, they will neither confirm nor deny the current state of the USS Gettysburg. With many ships still missing after the end of the recent war, there are only rumors, ranging from dead in space to on their way back home.

What is confirmed is that the USS Hood, a Destroyer, has FINALLY returned to Star Base Bravo after being 3 weeks overdue. The Captain has been placed on courts marshal for disobeying direct orders to return to base, when asked why it took him 3 weeks to return to base after the last report saying that everything is normal, "We found a class M planet that had no humanoid life on it, so we went on vacation." The CMO of the ship reported 200 cases of alcohol poisoning, 400 cases injuries, and 1 OUI (operating under the influence) when a Tactical Officer flew a shuttle and crashed into a nearby mountain. No one was injured although the pilot almost "laughed to death" due to the incident.

The USS Copernicus and other Darwin-Class star ships were in dry-dock for what Star Fleet Command confirmed that "They are receiving Tactical systems upgrades in order to make them more offensively capable." What is not widely known about the Galactic Exploration Cruisers (GEC)'s is that they only have 2 banks of phasers and 1 torpedo launcher. When I asked, "Since the USS Copernicus is designed to be more maneuverable than the newest fighters, wouldn't it be more efficient to designate them also as 'Fighter Bombers'?" My question so far has not been answered.

Opinions

Holosuites

KEVIN AVERY
Fleet News Editor
Stardate 20912.01

What has been called, and likely is, the most significant invention in the entertainment business ever has done nothing but grow in popularity since it was first revealed so many years ago. Fully holographic environments were initially introduced in Federation territory as a method for training and experimenting in areas that were previously too hostile or dangerous. The technology also provided crewmemebers serving on ships with long missions the ability to ‘get off of the ship’ for rest and relaxation. The remarkable technology however quickly found a strong niche in the private sector as companies created holosuites for civilian use. In today’s society one can hardly go ten miles without locating a building that runs group simulations as well as having suites for private and personal simulations.

While it is clear that this technology opens numerous doors that had never been opened before, such as allowing students to accurately see and understand how ancient events played out, it is also clear that this technology has been abused by our society and in this writers opinion causes more damage than it does positive.

Holosuites, when used for personal use, does little more remove people from true modern society. It erases and eliminates contact with sentient beings and in many cases even causes the user to lose their ability to function and operate in normal society. Numerous Star Fleet psychologists have pointed out the dangers, with documented cases, of people who spend too much time in a holographic simulator.

“Holo-addiction is a psychological disorder in which a person spends time in the fictional world of the holodeck in preference to the real world. This phenomenon is usually an escape mechanism symptomatic of deeper psychological problems,” said Psychologist Drew Young who helps Star Fleet officers overcome holo-addiciton.

A civilian medical research facility recently looked into holosuite usage and found that violent scenarios are the most popular for men ages 18-28. Is it a coincidence that violent crimes committed in that same age group has steadily been growing the past five years? Similarly, it is shown that females ages 16-32 are much more likely to run simulations of romance. Is the rising divorce rate so surprising considering real people do not match up well next to a computer program designed to be the perfect significant other?

So, why do we so easily allow for people to fall into such a deadly snare? Sadly it is because the love of money and the desire for profit has overcome the moral sense that should be guiding business owners and society in general. Holographic simulation usage should be strictly monitored and looked into. Should there be a complete ban on the technology? Of course not, after all the technology clearly has numerous benefits. However it should reformed and reintroduced the way it was intended to be- educational and occasionally enjoyable- not a substitute for reality!

Travel the Galaxy

Disney Universe

CESTLY WRUSHER
Columnist
Stardate 20912.01

Almost two hundred and thirty years ago, a human from earth’s past, Walt Disney opened an entertainment park called Disney World in the city of Orlando in Florida. Over the past centuries, the park has changed and upgraded with the times, even changing its name to Disney Universe.

Yours truly had a chance recently to visit Disney Universe with my sister, my nephew and his family. And a wonderful time was had by all. It took us a whole week to taken in all the sites and this reporter isn’t as young a she used to be.

My nephew, his wife and children rode most of the intense rides such as the Shuttle of Terror, the Lost Expedition roller coaster, and the hundreds of others. My sister and I opted for the fun and slower rides such as it’s a small universe, just a hint though, after an hour, the music on the ride gets a little old.

We also enjoyed the different worlds represented at Epcot. Yesterday Land was a favorite of my sister. She couldn’t believe how our ancestors lived in such primitive times. Imagine life without Transporters or replicators.

There is something for the entire family. However, if you are going, be sure to allow for plenty of time to see all the various attractions and wear comfortable footwear for walking, unless of course you rent hover blades.

Until next time, safe travels. Enjoy!

FedSpace News

Fleet Updates

Enterprise, Gettysburg, Titan

KEVIN AVERY
Fleet News Editor
Stardate 20912.01

Please remember that these updates are ‘out-of-game’. This of course means that your character will likely not know this information. In essence, it is for you the player and not your character!

This month we will take a special look at three of Federation Spaces ships as they continue their missions/journeys in the galaxy!

THE USS ENTERPRISE:

Please note that currently the USS Enterprise is roughly 2 months behind where most of Fedspace Vessels are. For them the Romulan War is not officially over.

The USS Enterprise is stationed just outside of orbit of the planet of Acamar. The Enterprise, which led a task force of Federation and Acamarian vessels engaged a fleeing Romulan fleet of vessels. After a fierce space battle the remaining Romulan vessels warped away back toward Romulus.

The drama and tension however did not end there. General Olina, the self appointed leader of the Acamarian fleet, quickly places his ships in orbit of Acamar where he named himself the leader of the planet. In addition to that, Olina demanded that the Federation vessel depart from the area at once.

To further complicate matters a fleet of Tholian vessels appear to be on the way to Acamar to help ensure that the Acamarian people are not mistreated or ignored during their search for freedom from the Federation.

Will the USS Enterprise be able to negotiate with Olina and the Tholians or will they once again be forced to engage in battle? Continue to read the adventures of Admiral Thrawn and the crew of the USS Enterprise to find out!

THE USS GETTYSBURG

The USS Gettysburg still finds itself in another time and dimension. In addition to that unfortunate set of circumstances they also find themselves in an area of space where two super powers are at odds with one-another. The Gettysburg is still suffering from damage taken from a the space battle with the Romulans, the effects of the distortion in space that brought them to where they are, and a battle with an alien species of the strange place they find themselves in.

Due to the damage to the ship the crew of the Gettysburg, now under command of the first officer Commander Aloysia Yvette, must trust a group that calls themselves the “Grand Flammarions”. Currently the USS Gettysburg is docked at one of their massive space stations where many members of the senior staff are preparing for an official First Contact with a leader of the Grand Flammarion government.

Are the Grand Flammarions as peaceful of a society as they appear? Is the away team truly safe while off the ship? How will the ship adapt to not having the majority of their senior staff onboard? To discover the answer to all of these questions, as well as the biggest question yet: Will the USS Gettysburg ever return home, continue to read and find out!

THE USS TITAN

The USS Titan, Fedspace’s newest (rereleased) ship, is a few months deep into its first mission under Captain Alex Tregelen and without a doubt the mission has not had a dull moment.

Upon leaving space dock the USS Titan consistently found itself undergoing strange and unexplainable system malfunctions and shipwide problems. These included rampant malfunctions in the holodeck, nearly costing the life of a security crewmember and led up to a complete system failure on the ship that left the Light Cruiser dead in the water with an asteroid on a collision course. Luckily for the Titan the USS Tokyo was able to pull the vessel out of harm’s way before significant damage was caused.

The Titan then continued on its original mission, which was to escort a mining operation through an area of space that has been a hot zone for hostile activity. The Titan and her escorts however quickly found itself in the face of danger once again. Several Klingon vessels opened fire on the Federation vessels as well as the mining vessels. Strangely enough however the Klingon’s on the vessels are not typical Klingons but rather some sort of mechanical hybrid that strangely resemble Borg.

Will the USS Titan fight off the advancing “Klingon” vessels? What about the strange mechanical Klingons who beamed onboard the Titan, will the crew find a way to secure their vessel before it is to late? Follow the fleet’s newest ship to see what happens next!

Dear Abby

CDR ABIGAIL TAYLOR
Guest Columnist
Stardate 20912.01

Each month I will be taking your questions regarding FedSpace procedure and protocols, and getting answers from various Academy personnel and FedSpace admins. No question is too small!

Does Star Fleet have a NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) of its own since Star Fleet is a naval organization?
Yes they do, the Star Fleet Criminal Investigations Division (or SFCID for short). It is based in Washington, DC. The division head for Star Fleet Security, Rear Admiral Dan Wueste, has this to says about SFCID: "Under the direct authority of Internal Security and working with Star Fleet Intelligence, SFCID identifies and monitors potential and known criminals for the purpose of determining who poses a threat against Star Fleet and the Federation. Star Fleet Criminal Investigative Service functions as the direct point of contact for each Group. Each Group office of CIS is run by a Regional Director who reports directly to the CID Director Admiral Eric Lang and Deputy Director Commodore Jessica Reynolds.

A CMO has a lower rank than a tactical officer, who has more seniority?
We asked Commodore Jericho Roberts, a FS veteran, for his answer: “The Department Head has seniority. Rank is not always the deciding factor, sometimes it is the position. Just like how Captain Spock and Captain Scott were under Captain Kirks command.”

Why are the GMs so mean?
They haven’t been getting their daily quotient of redshirts.

What exactly does the “Dean of Admissions” do?
As Dean of Admissions I am in charge of welcoming cadets to the Academy. When a new cadet first sends an email to join Federation Space, I am the one who replies and points them in the right direction how to register, what the next step is, etc. Once they make their first post in the Academy Auditorium, I then get them set up in a holodeck and make sure the bio evaluators are ready for when the cadet posts their bio. I also help with other administrative duties including training new AIs, coming up with new Academy content, and making helping out instructors when they need.

Can you be thrown out of FedSpace for writing dull and boring posts?
If we expected everyone to have a riveting, mind-blowing piece of writing every time they posted, we wouldn’t have any members. Everyone is prone to writing a variety of types of posts, and sometimes we are hit with a case of writer’s block. It happens, it’s life. Federation Space is a game for people of all writing skill levels to enjoy. The only way you can get banned from the game is if you break any of the site rules.

Do you have a question for Abby? Please email her or the editor-in-chief.

20 Questions

Captain Mike Wong

RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 20912.01

This month we spoke with Mike who plays Captain Mike Wong, Commanding Officer aboard the USS Dauntless, BC-1553.

Age, Sex, Location?
47, male, Texas.

When did you first join FedSpace?
Best I remember June of 2003 took me about a month to get through the academy.

What brought you to FedSpace?
The need for distraction from RL... always been a Trek fan and can remember as a kid watching TOS when it was first run on tv. Was told once in college I could probably make a living at writing, laughed it off and have now come to wonder if that was the best decision.... so anyway I thought I'd try a text based Trek RPG and FEDSPACE looked the coolest.

Tell me a little about the process of developing your character.
Not much to tell. Medical was the obvious choice since it's what I do in real life. I wasn't creative enough to come up with a cool name so I took the easy way out too and used my own. Except for the being a doctor part, Mikey's original bio was just my real bio.

Do you think it is easier or more difficult to play someone based on yourself?
Easier, I can write from my real point of view without having to get into a radically different character's head. Oh and as an aside: every character I've ever created except for a couple aliens have been based on real people I‘ve known.

So far, what is your favorite part about being a member of FedSpace?
Best part of FedSpace: making friends.

If you were president for a day, what would you change?
I would try to be as communicative as possible... It's easier said than done of course since the vast majority of Fedspacer's have jobs/school and other such responsibilities, but it does take a long time to get feedback from the top few rungs of the food chain.

What do you spend your time outside of FedSpace doing?
Working and trying to sleep... then a bit of time watching stuff on the discovery, history, science and nat geo channels. Certain old movies when the come on... music taste is very eclectic but heavy on oldies, and classical.

What is your favorite Star Trek series?
I have loved elements of each, but if I had to pick only one..... Enterprise.

Do you have a favourite line or phrase from either a show or movie?
The Search for Spock: McCoy to Spock: "I liked you better before you died."

Do you have a favourite character from the shows and why?
McCoy: Bitched about everything but really deeply cared about helping people. The scene with his dying father in ST:V touched me as it reminded me of watching my own father's death.... and a bunch of other emotional junk.

What piece of Star Trek Technology would you most like to see today?
Medical tricorder.

What was it about Star Trek that made you fall in love with the show?
The idea that mankind didn't kill itself.... i grew up during the cold war... and that we did eventually reach the stars.

What FedSpace person would you most like to meet in real life?
Pete Sheppard. He helped me learn the ropes... I came into the game having never done anything like this before and he was patient and encouraging.... the kind of CO I strive to be.

What FedSpace character would you most like to meet in real life?
VAdm Thrawn.

If you could list one pet-peeve about your fellow players, what would it be?
Everyone needs to not take things too seriously, be patient when someone else pisses you off and strive to treat others well - like in the Trek version of the future. This is a creative diversion from the crap that drives us crazy in real life. I hate it when I have to stress over the thing I use to get away from stress in the first place.

Do you feel there is any disconnect between you and other players based on geographical location?
I don't in general make friends easily... but I do have to say the person I consider my 'best' friend also happens to be a Fed space member.

What is in your FedSpace future for your character?
Once Mikey gets his emotional issues under control he'll continue to try to grow as a commanding officer, mentor his crew to grow and prosper in the game and have as much fun as possible in between serious stuff.

If there was one thing you would want everyone to know about you, what would that be?
I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and I'd like everyone to know that life is precious and precarious and to be careful even while having fun.

Would you like to be featured in 20 Questions? Please email our editor-in-chief!

Movers & Shakers

Academy Graduates

Congratulations to everyone who graduated from the Academy this month!

Rank	Name	Ship
	George Tigauq	USS Gettysburg, BC-1863
	Matthew Askew	USS Dauntless, BC-1553
	Shilo Terris	USS Copernicus, GEC-9035
	Helene Morgan	USS Sheridan, DD-4086
	Scott Bradley	USS Titan, CL-2007

Trek News

Holonovel Review

Moon

LT GABRIEL FAIREN
Guest Columnist
Stardate 20912.01

MOON
Directed by: Duncan Jones
Written by: Duncan Jones (Original Story), Nathan Parker (Screen Play)
Starring: Same Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott
Music by: Clint Mansell

Looking back over this year of 2009, at the selection of sci-fi films we have been given to watch, I’ve come to notice that we have been shown to lowest of lows of the sci-fi genre… but we have also been shown that the genre is far from dead. There are three films that I, in my opinion, can point to tell people “that is how you do a science fiction movie!” The three I am talking about are Star Trek, District 9, and MOON.

MOON is about Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) who is nearing the end of his 3 year work contract on the lunar surface. He’s had no other human contact expect for recorded messages from Earth from his wife Tess Bell (Dominique McElligott), as well as messages from the corporation he is working for. His only companion for the three years is a robot named GERTY (Kevin Spacey) that monitors the small compound along with the health and well being of Bell.

This film marks the directorial debut of Duncan Jones who is probably best known for being the son of David Bowie. Jones has also directed some commercials, as well as writing and directing a short sci-fi film entitled ‘Whistle’ (2002). For a first full-length film, Jones has come out of the gate running as there is nothing amateur about this movie. The story that Jones wrote, adapted by Nathan Parker, feels like a love letter to sci-fi films of the past as anyone who are fans of older films, like ‘Silent Running’, ‘2001:A Space Odyssey’, ‘Solaris’, will easily feel right at home as the story unfolds.

The weight of MOON though falls solely on Sam Rockwell who is the only actor we truly see during the entire movie. This is Rockwell’s shining moment. Sam Bell is a fairly mundane character as he’s basically just a guy who is becoming burned out with his job and is looking forward to a much needed break. The character is delivered in a way that it is easy to become curious about the character and what he is going through… all thanks to Rockwell. I’ve not been a much of a fan of Rockwell, though his Guy Fleegman character in ‘Galaxy Quest’ was a scene stealer, but from here on out, I’ll be paying closer attention to his work as he was able to support the weight of the film on his own which is task not many actors can do… or at least not as well.

There’s not much a supporting cast with this film but given the story that was written, there really isn’t a need for a long list of extra actors. Though we never see the actor, the distinctive voice of Kevin Spacey is clear as GERTY, who feels like a mixture of HAL 9000 and the three robots that followed Bruce Dern around in ‘Silent Running’. GERTY has a reason for being in the movie so he’s not a tacked on robot character because it’s a sci-fi movie. The character of Tess Bell is the only other character really worth mentioning as she is the anchor for the Sam Bell character… he’s counting down the days to when he can be back in her embrace. Since Sam is up on the moon with just a robot, Tess is only seen through recorded messages, photos, and a couple of dream sequences but she is seen and talked about enough to not put her down as a “background” character.

Part of the reason why I call this a love letter is due to the use of models. The scenes with the lunar vehicles harkens back to the days of the original Star Wars trilogy, where you could look at the screen and see the days of labor to make a model that may only get a few passing seconds on the film reel. From the shape of the corridors to the look of the space-suit and every detail in-between, there is an all around retro feeling but that works for MOON; this was not meant to be a flashy movie.

Music plays a key part in setting the atmosphere of this movie. Clint Mansell, who has written music for films such as ‘The Wrestler’, ‘The Fountain’, and ‘Requiem for a Dream’, has given us a score that is a mixture of classical, electronic, trance, and a touch of rock. Long sweeping space-like notes give way to powerful drum and piano hits that one cannot help but tap their feet or bob their head too while watching the scenes play out. By the time the credits role, the simple musical theme to the movie will have been played enough times that one could sit at a piano and start to play the theme after just a couple of minutes of trying to find the correct notes.

In closing, I will say that this is not a perfect film. The CGI work they do have in the film is not the best but given that they only had 5 million dollars for a budget, it was good enough to not be a distraction. For those who are not fans of the older sci-fi films then this film won’t change your minds as it is not an action film or a horror film. MOON is a straight up hard science fiction film that has its feet firmly planted in what could really happen in our future. In all, MOON was a sign that science fiction films have not lost their ways… that a movie can be set in space and still have a real world message to be told.

9 Tribbles out of 10

Quote

Endgame

"You know what, I shouldn't be listening to details about the future." "Oh, the almighty Temporal Prime Directive – take my advice, it's less of a headache if you just ignore it."

• Captain Janeway and Admiral Janeway.

Voyager, Season 7 Episodes 25 and 26, Endgame

Trivia

This Month’s Questions

This month marks the one year anniversary of Trivia on the FNN! In 2009 the editor-in-chief managed to stump players 14 times! Can you beat our 2009 champ who had 91 points? The scoreboard is reset, and our top winner moves into the Hall of Fame!

Q10: Name this species.

1. In the TOS episode “The Doomsday Machine,” who was the Commanding Officer of the USS Constellation?
2. The Enterprise-D was what class of starship?
3. Before Deep Space 9 was relocated to the mouth of the wormhole, where had it been located?
4. What spatial phenomenon trapped the USS Voyager within its event horizon in the episode “Parallax”?
5. In Star Trek: The Motion Picture, who among these original crew was the only one not to have been promoted from his rank in The Original Series?

• a) James T. Kirk
• b) Spock
• c) Hikaru Sulu
• d) Pavel Chekov

6. At what institution did Sarek want Spock to study at instead of Starfleet?
7. Where is Starfleet Academy located?
8. What was the first episode featuring Jean Luc Picard’s favourite holonovel character Dixon Hill?
9. What series is the episode “Arena” from?
10. Name the species pictured to the right.

Last Month’s Answers

A10: This species is Imhotep.

1. Which class of starship was the Enterprise in The Original Series?

• Constitution Class

2. Whom did Katherine Pulaski replace when she was assigned to the Enterprise-D?

• Beverly Crusher

3. What entity possessed Keiko O’Brien’s body in the DS9 episode “The Assignment”?

• A Pah-Wraith

4. Voyager was catapulted to the Delta Quadrant after entering which region of space?

• The Badlands

5. In The Undiscovered Country, who opened negotiations with Gorkon at the behest of the Vulcan ambassador?

• Spock

6. What did Deanna Troi describe to Lwaxana as a “moldy old pot”?

• The Sacred Chalice of RIxx

7. In the episode “Mirror, Mirror”, what was the handheld punishment device used on the alternate Enterprise?

• Agonizer

8. Which member of the USS Voyager crew likes to use a holo-imager to take photos of everyone?

• The Doctor

9. In which Deep Space Nine episode did an ancient Bajoran ship come through the worm hole and its only passenger claims to be the Emissary of the Prophets?

• Accession

10. Name the species pictured to the right.

• Imhotep

Last Month’s Winners

1. Laura Macleod
2. Kyle DeWitt

All Around Champs

Rank	Player	Score
1.	Laura Macleod	91
2.	Kivsi Diaz	15
2.	Kyle DeWitt	15
3.	Rachel Christie	14
4.	Tara ch’Thane	8
5.	Joseph Daher	6

Hall of Fame
Player	Points	Year
Laura Macleod	91	2009

Joke

TOS Lightbulbs

Q: How many members of the USS Enterprise does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Six: Scotty to get on the intercom when the light goes out and say, "I canna do it, Cap'n! These bulbs are stoon dead”, Spock to tell Kirk he is proceeding illogically, McCoy to say "They're dead, Jim!" and "Dammit Jim-I'm a doctor not an electrician!!", Kirk to screw it in, and two red-shirt security men to die in the process.

Science News

Astropic

View from the International Space Station.
Credit: STS-129 Crew, NASA

Astronomy

Real Life News For Space Cadets

DIRK STRAIGHT
Guest Columnist
Stardate 20912.01

Hi boys and girls, Dirk Straight back again with tidbits from the “real world” of science.

The growing problem of space junk: Unfortunately the space immediately surrounding the earth is starting to look more and more like a Red Neck garage sale. Hunks and chunks of the debris of man’s evolution into space faring critters is making for headaches for the International Space Station and other current and future missions. It is estimated that over 100,000 objects larger than 1cm are cruising around in low earth orbit, some traveling at near 17,500 miles per hour. Once a fleck of paint from a satellite struck a space shuttle window causing a hole nearly a quarter of an inch wide. No one knows how many smaller objects are out there. The ISS and Shuttles have had to dodge space junk in the past and many people are employed full time both in the civilian and military sectors to keep track of what they can. The potentially catastrophic results of a collision are frightening and all too real… thank goodness for the future development of navigational deflectors and structural integrity fields.

Cool Space Junk Facts
-The oldest debris still in orbit is the second US satellite, the Vanguard I, launched on March 17th, 1958, which worked only for 6 years.
-In 1965, during the first American space walk, the Gemini 4 astronaut Edward White, lost a glove. For a month, the glove stayed on orbit with a speed of 28,000 km / h, becoming the most dangerous garment in history.
-More than 200 objects, most of them rubbish bags, were released by the Mir space station during its first 10 years of operation.
-The most space debris created by a spacecraft's destruction was due to the upper stage of a Pegasus rocket launched in 1994. Its explosion in 1996 generated a cloud of some 300,000 fragments bigger than 4 mm and 700 among them were big enough to be catalogued. This explosion alone doubled the Hubble Space Telescope collision risk.

More deep space destinations in the near future? Planning teams at Lockheed Martin hope to brief high level NASA types about a project called: “Plymouth Rock – An Early Human Asteroid Mission Using Orion.” The aerospace giant happens to be the builder of the new Orion spaceship tagged as the replacement for NASA’s soon to be retired fleet of space shuttles. The brains at Lockheed have responded to answer a call for concepts by the ‘Small Bodies Assessment Group’ a committee established by NASA last year to identify opportunities and establish priorities for the manned exploration of stuff like asteroids, comets, small moons and Trans-Neptunian Objects. (Note: not to be confused with a Neptunian Trans-Gender Object Rear Admiral Grant once dated for several weeks.) In the long run these missions will help develop protocol for manned exploration beyond our own moon and even Mars. “Just go back to sleep, everything’s fine.” – Space shuttle Atlantis astronauts aboard the International Space Station delayed their second spacewalk Saturday after being jolted awake by a false alarm, NASA said. Mission specialists Mike Foreman and Randy Bresnik had just two hours of sleep before a depressurization alarm sounded around 0253 GMT, forcing them to exit the Quest airlock, where astronauts "camp out" before spacewalks to purge nitrogen from their bloodstream to prevent decompression sickness. Mission control in Houston, Texas confirmed the original alarm and subsequent alerts set off around the orbiting outpost were false. The astronauts were allowed 30 extra minutes to snooze before their six-hour spacewalk, which will be 30 minutes shorter than planned. Saturday's spacewalk, the second exterior work effort of the shuttle's 11-day mission, is intended to install a new system for storing spare parts on the space station's exterior.

Note: As the informed reader no doubt knows the spacewalk was a success and the shuttle returned safely to earth after a successful visit to the ISS. Now for the funny part: Can you imagine? Sleeping in your quarters, oblivious to everything and a freaking depressurization alarm goes off??? I’d be sleeping in my EVA suite with an extra pair of adult space-pampers on…

Mental note: Plan some fun depressurization drills for a certain crew – muhahahahahaha!

Technology

Top Searches of 2009

RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 20912.01

In the world of internet searches, users have a lot of search engine choices. From the well known Google to the recently arrived Bing, internet users really don’t have to work hard to find something they want on the internet.

So what have people been searching for this year? Here are the top items that people have been Googling.

United States	Canada	United Kingdom	Australia
Twitter	Twitter	Stephen Gately	Facebook
Michael Jackson	Blackberry	Swine Flu	YouTube
Facebook	Yahoo mail	Susan Boyle	Hotmail
Hulu	Accèsd	Jade Goody	eBay
Hi5	Craigslist	Robert Pattinson	MySpace
Glee	Natasha Richardson	Rhianna	Google
Paranormal Activity	Justin Bieber	Michael Jackson	Yahoo
Natasha Richardson	New Moon	Google Maps	Gmail
Farah Fawcett	Michael Jackson	Twitter	Bebo
Lady Gaga	Google Street View	Iran	Seek

Aerospace Forum

LCROSS

LT VLADIMIR KOMOSCOV
Guest Columnist
Stardate 20912.01

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California and shadow an Aerospace Engineer who was the project manager for putting the LCROSS satellite onto the Ares rocket. He also worked on the satellite itself and traveled all the way to the launch site and watched LCROSS go air-born and into space. The whole mission, as known, is that the 2nd stage of the rocket was still attached to LCROSS and it was the rocket that crashed into a permanent shadow. A permanent shadow is only found in craters and there is absolutely 0 sunlight that hits those points on the moon. It has been theorized that there is Water Ice located in the permanent shadows. This theory is what has inspired the LCROSS mission. The satellite is designed to point it's sensors at the impact site and look for Hydrogen gas.

It has been confirmed by NASA that the mission has been a success.

Now some people are asking, "What's the big deal?" There is a document at least an inch thick that has a list of requirements that ALL needs to be satisfied before anything could be sent into space. If someone wants to transport a loaf of bread to the Space Station, the loaf must be packaged and even made to fulfill every requirement. This is why it cost's most people's annual salary to transport a bottle of water into space because the safety of the astronauts and the equipment needs to be put into consideration. With water being on the Moon, the possibility of establishing a lunar base now seems like a possibility. For everyone who wishes to learn more about the LCROSS mission, the link is:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/

Next month I will talk about the Aura Mission, a mission dedicated to the health of our atmosphere.

This Month...

Unity Module

RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 20912.01

This month in astronomy history…. on December 4th, 1998, the Unity Module was launched into space. It was the second module of the International Space Station and the first module of the station contributed by NASA. It was built by The Boeing Company at the Marshall Space Flight Centre in Hunstville, Alabama, and measures 4.57 metres in diameter and 5.47 metres in length.

On December 6th, 1998, the crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour attachted the Unity Module to the already orbiting Zarya Module.

With six berthing locations found at forward, aft, port, starboard, zenith, and nadir position aboard the module, this section of the ISS is considered to be a connecting module. Currently the Unity Module connects the US Destiny Laboratory Module, the Z1 truss, the PMA-3, and the Quest Join Airlock. Over the years, Unity has also had the Leonardo and Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules, and the Harmony connecting module attached to it. This hard working section of the ISS also serves as a space shuttle docking port.