FNN Edition 22
Contents
Star Fleet News
Headlines
USS Nova Commissioned and Launched
KEVIN AVERY
Managing Editor
Stardate 21003.01
In the 20th Edition of the FNN readers were introduced to Star Fleet's newest Battle Ship, the USS Nova. At that time the USS Nova was still undergoing final flight ready preparations. Likewise, at the time the USS Nova was not only without a crew but also without a Commanding Officer. The FNN is pleased to report that not only has the ship been fully completed but the ship has also had a command staff and crew assigned to her.
Read Admiral Derrick Hiram Ulysses Grant, former Commanding Officer of the USS Gettysburg, has been named the Commanding Officer of the USS Nova. Rear Admiral Grant is followed to the USS Nova by numerous members of his former crew including newly named First Officer, Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Ristone (former Chief of Security), and the rest of the Gettysburg Senior Officers. Joining the senior staff of Nova is Commander Tyra Crawford who will work as the Chief of Security.
The USS Nova underwent its launch party earlier today. In attendance were multiple VIPs including recently promoted Admiral Matthew Thrawn. Admiral Thrawn, the guest of honor, did the honors of introducing the USS Nova and transferring command of her to Rear Admiral Grant.
( A holoprojection of Admiral Thrawn now appeared as he gave his speech )
[Welcome to you all on this important occasion, the launch of a new and powerful ship.
The past year has seen significant challenges face the Federation and her people, and has resulted in the need for civilian communities and Starfleet forces to rally together in a fight to protect our way of life, against the forces of an opportunistic and fanatical neighbours intent only on capturing the products of our efforts. I am immensely proud of the way everyone, collectively and at great risk to themselves, pulled together in a common front, faced the enemy and eventually expelled them from our space. I salute those that fell and those that were injured in the struggle, on all sides, and am humbled that through their efforts and sacrifice, peace and our way of life have finally triumphed.
We are now looking again at the future, one of peace, rebuilding, exploring, making new friends and re-establishing old friendships, improving the life of all our citizens, and we are also learning from past events, mistakes, and ill placed trust. We have never made it our policy to invade and subjugate those peoples and territories that belong to our neighbours, or who wish to live their lives outside of our help and support. Whilst we might disagree on occasion with their way of life, we nonetheless respect their rights to choose their own path, and we expect them to respect ours in return.
Sadly three times in the past six years enemy forces have attacked us without provocation, but each time through the efforts of our people we have succeeded in expelling them. As we replace those ships and bases badly damaged or destroyed, and quickly repair ships that took part in the defence of the Federation, we do so purely to secure our way of life, and to enable us to carry out the duties and responsibilities that being a member of the Federation requires of us all.
This new ship will increase our defensive capability, and demonstrate to our neighbours that whilst we desire peace and co-operation we will not place at risk our own defence. We are explorers, scientists, angels of mercy bringing aid without pre-conditions to those that require or request it, seekers of information, understanding and harmony between us, but we are also ready at any moment to defend our peoples and our civilisation.
Colleagues, friends and citizens of the Federation, I present to you our new ship .... the Battleship USS Nova.
I now ask Rear Admiral Derrick Grant, the first Commanding Officer of the Nova to approach the podium.]
( Grant appears on the projection next to Thrawn. )
[Many Congratulations. There are no doubt a large number of officers sincerely envious of you at this moment, but I cannot think of another officer so suited to command this vessel. I am sure the Nova will do us all proud
Computer. Transfer Executive Command Codes for Commanding Officer of the USS Nova to Rear Admiral Derrick Grant, Authorization Thrawn Fleet seven alpha niner bravo.]
( The projection ends here. )
The launch ceremony then included a number of other speeches from various high ranking Star Fleet Officials. Eventually, after the ceremony concluded, crewmembers and invited guests made their way onto the ship to prepare for the launch of the Battleship which is scheduled to occur within the next hour.
The USS Nova has a crew size of roughly 8,500 plus numerous civilians onboard. The ship has 73 decks is 1127 X 900 X 475 meters and weighs 7,600,000 tons. The ships dedication quote comes from an ancient United States leader George Washington. If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War.
Panic Abounds as Ferengi Stocks Crash
MOLLIE MATTS
Columnist
Stardate 21003.01
Ferenginar - Panic swept throughout the financial markets in the quadrant today, as investors were worried about continued signs of weakening in the Ferengi economy. Ferengi markets fell 3002 points today, or 17%, in a massive selloff that has the Ferengi Trade Commission reeling.
The effects of this crash were felt throughout the region. Federation bonds were down nearly 40% and Cardassian mutual funds - which are highly invested in gold-pressed latinum - fell more than 20% in one hour.
Even the isolationist Romulans were not immune to the effects as the Praetor was forced to close the market three hours before the trading day was complete.
The Federation credit soared to levels not seen since the pre-replicator era. However, Ludwig von Hayek, a leading Federation economist, said that's not necessarily a good thing.
"Our economy is primarily based on exports of goods and materials. The Federation has an abundance of natural resources and we can produce finished goods rather cheaply. This is what we sell to other powers.
"If our currency is appreciating it costs more to produce goods and therefore it becomes more expensive for others to purchase them from us. Additionally if our currency is rising it is because it is someone else's is depreciating. Therefore they will have less money to purchase from us."
We could begin to see a sharp decline in net exports, he warned, which could adversely affect the Federation GDP.
It is unclear exactly what caused the Ferengi crisis, however most economists believe it was a combination of excessive deficit spending and the collapse of increasingly risky debt collateralized obligations markets.
USS Gettysburg Mysteriously Returns Home
KEVIN AVERY
Managing Editor
Stardate 21003.01
In a surprising turn of events the USS Gettysburg, which had previously been reported by Star Fleet Command as being destroyed and lost in action, made a miraculous and mysterious return to Federation Space. The USS Gettysburg, which was under the command of Rear Admiral Derrick Grant, was reported destroyed after a space battle with one or more Romulan ships while on a classified mission. Star Fleet never released rumored black box recordings or elaborated on exactly what had occurred to the Fleets prized Battle Cruiser but did strongly stand behind their belief that the ship had been lost in the war.
This of course proved not to be the case late last month when the Gettysburg returned to Federation Space under the escort of a Romulan Vessel. Currently Star Fleet has not released any official information regarding where the Gettysburg has been the last several months and what they had been doing.
“This information is still being processed and is therefore classified as it is an ongoing investigation.” Said a member of Star Fleet who was speaking on behalf of the organization. “While we are beyond joy at the return of what was considered a completely lost crew we still recognize that far too many lost their lives during the Gettysburg’s mission. Star Fleet would like to continue to send their sympathies to the families who did indeed lose loved ones.”
The Gettysburg is currently docked at Starbase Alpha were it is undergoing extensive repairs and refits. One engineer, who requested to remain nameless given the fact that he is not authorized to speak on the subject said: “I’ve seen some ships in bad shape but this one [Gettysburg] takes the cake. She’s been through the fire that’s for sure.”
While it still remains unclear what will become of the USS Gettysburg one thing is clear; she has returned home once again.
USS Enterprise to Undergo Major Refit
KEVIN AVERY
Managing Editor
Stardate 21003.01
The USS Enterprise, the long time face of the Federation fleet, has recently been scheduled for a major refit. Though it is not entirely uncommon for ships to undergo refits after a war the major refit of such a popular vessel does not occur every day.
“The Enterprise has stood the test of time. It has been ages since she has seen a major refit, which is a testament to her engineering staff. She is long overdue a refit and because of that her scheduled time down is slightly longer than most standard refits.” Said a member of Starfleet Corp of Engineers.
When pressed for a timeframe the Engineering Corps refused to speculate. One source, who use to work for the Star Fleet Engineering Corp told the FNN that a major refit on a ship the size of the USS Enterprise would take at the very least six months and potentially up to a year.
Star Fleet has also not verified what is to become to the crew of the USS Enterprise but did say that the crew would be at least temporarily reassigned to positions throughout the Sol System and on other ships.
High Ranking Star Fleet Officer Promoted
KEVIN AVERY
Managing Editor
Stardate 21003.01
It has been confirmed that Vice Admiral Thrawn, the well known Commanding Officer of the USS Enterprise, which has recently been assigned to a major refit, had been promoted to the rank of Full Admiral and reassigned (at least temporarily) to a position on Earth working closely with Fleet Admiral Rasmus Benestad.
No specific information has been released regarding Admiral Thrawn’s new position or whether or not the position is just temporary while the Enterprise undergoes a refit. The FNN would however like to congratulate the well decorated Star Fleet Officer on reaching such a milestone in his career.
Changes for the Gettysburg
LCDR GIORDANO SANTIAGO
Guest Columnist
Stardate 21003.01
The long-thought destroyed USS Gettysburg has returned, following the end of the Second Romulan War. Rear Admiral Derrick Grant and crew found their way back to Federation Space after a long and trying voyage through time and space.
At present time, Rear Admiral Grant had been relieved of duty pending an investigation and the remainder of the crew would be transferred to other ships and duty stations. This left a storied ship without a commanding officer. The Gettysburg’s Commanding Officer lineage includes now Rear Admiral Daniel Wueste (20206.01 – 20308.28), Commander Alexander Lorien (20308.28 – 20311.26), Captain Darsyn Syntranos (20402.23 – 20708.20), Captain Torgh (20708.20 – 20712.25), Rear Admiral Derrick Grant (20801.06 – 20909.12, 20912.31-21001.31), and Commander Aloysia Yvette (Acting CO From 20909.12 – 20912.31). Lucky for the USS Gettysburg, the USS Enterprise returned from its mission to Acamar in dire need of major repair and refit.
Star Fleet Command, following the end of the war, decided that the Carrier, Enterprise, can be placed on a standby list while she underwent repairs and that a majority of the crew, including the senior staff, would be transferred to the USS Gettysburg.
The new commanding officer will be Commander Kenneth Fitchel. His career includes First Officer of the 1st Battle Group’s flagship, the USS Pulsar, as well as First Officer of the USS Dauntless prior to that. He holds a background in Security, holding office as Chief of Security of the USS Dauntless prior to his promotion to First Officer.
The senior staff arriving from the Enterprise includes First Officer Lieutenant Commander Giordano Santiago, Chief Science Officer and Chief Tactical Officer Lieutenant Commanders Phoenix Carter and Tek Jansen, and Chief of Security Lieutenant Karina Ptaka.
Commander Santiago joined the Enterprise Staff as Chief Engineer following the decommissioning of the USS Philadelphia. During the mission to Acamar, an injury to the First Officer, Commander Sheppard, left the position vacant, which Santiago as Second Officer, stepped into the role, earning the permanent position right before the Enterprise was taken off of Active Status.
Commander Carter is a career Enterprise Officer, serving as her Chief Science Officer since Stardate 20804.01. Commander Jansen served on the Philadelphia for a short while with Commander Santiago, before he was transferred to the Enterprise in an attempt by Starfleet Command to redistribute new and experienced talent amongst tactical officers throughout the Fleet.
Lieutenant Ptaka graduated from Starfleet Academy as a Lieutenant [Junior Grade], which is an honor reserved for the greatest of students, and was immediately assigned as the Chief of Security to the USS Fargo. However, whilst waiting at Starbase 24 was grabbed by the USS Enterprise who was in need of a replacement Chief of Security.
Two new department heads join the staff of the Gettysburg. Lieutenant Commander Thomas Stack has been named as the new Chief Medical Officer and Lieutenant [Junior Grade] Raymond Varner has been named the Acting Chief Engineer.
Conversations with Cestly
RAdm Derrick Grant
CESTLY WRUSHER
Columnist
Stardate 21003.01
Hello all, it’s Cestly Wrusher and this month I am coming to you from Star Base Alpha and I just had the most wonderful conversation with a very special guest: Star Fleet’s own Rear Admiral Derrick Grant. Enjoy!
CW: Oh, Admiral Grant, I must say you are even more handsome in person. Sorry ladies, this one’s taken. Thank you, Admiral for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with me.
As an avid genealogist, I must ask Admiral, are you related to that famous General from Earth’s past that bears the same name as yours?
Tell us about a little about your family history.
DG: Actually I'm not married, however I have a life-partner in Commander Imina Sevala--so I'm very much taken.
The Grant name has existed for a very long time, and I won't pretend to know the full family history, but my full name is Derrick Hiram Ulysses Grant, and the two middle names come from a distant ancestor, General and later American President, Hiram Ulysses Grant, who had changed his name to Ulysses S. Grant. He was born Hiram Ulysses, though--at least that's what I've been told.
CW: For a young man in his early forties, you have had an interesting and successful career, already a Rear Admiral at such an early age.
How have you reached such a pinnacle in your career so young?
DG: Sometimes being in the right place at the wrong time has its rewards, Ms. Wrusher. Everything you need to know about my Star Fleet history is published in my official star fleet public profile.
CW: With those piercing light blue-gray eyes and your rugged handsome looks, I imagine you had several girls chasing after you. But only one caught you. And it was a Romulan. Just fascinating. Talk about forbidden love.
Who is the Romulan that captured your heart and how did you two meet?
DG: As I mentioned earlier, I am involved with Commander Imina Sevala. We originally met when I was sent to interview her as a potential Chief Medical Officer for my last command, the USS Gettysburg. You could say that we hit it off very well early on.
As for it being 'forbidden', I'm not sure that's exactly the view that we try to project in the Federation. Just because someone is a Romulan does not instantly make them the enemy. We should, as our Federation was founded, try to view each person on their own merits, and not make judgments about them.
CW: I would imagine that there are some suspicions and perhaps a little prejudice surrounding your relationship, how have you managed to deal with it?
DG: Imina and I have had some interesting challenges, especially with relation to the perceptions of others. Let's just say that we've both discovered that many in the Federation are not as enlightened as some would have you think.
CW: You previously commanded the USS Gettysburg, but you have been named the Commanding Officer of a Battleship. The USS Nova. In fact, you and the Nova launch tomorrow.
With the Romulan war over and the Federation at peace again, is the best place for a highly decorated and talented officer such as you and the best interests of the Federation best served with you commanding such a massive warship?
DG: Star Fleet seems to have decided that the interests of the Federation put me in command of the ship, and that's good enough for me.
CW: What sort of missions will the Nova take on, now that there are no wars to fight?
DG: All Star Fleet vessels are vessels of peace and exploration. The USS Nova is no exception. She has the most advanced scientific and medical facilities available on a starship, and her missions I am certain will leverage her strengths, both in peace and in war.
CW: Already a Rear Admiral and commander of a battleship; what are your career aspirations at this point?
I mean where do you see yourself in 10 years. CINC perhaps? Or perhaps a career change to politics or diplomacy even?
DG: I try not to think that far ahead. I tend to focus on the current situation I find myself in and the near future... the current or next mission or year. I highly doubt that I would ever be seen in diplomacy or politics, as neither hold any interest for me. And I have no more desire to sit behind a desk at HQ than I do to have my face chewed off by a rabid targ. I'd retire and go into private life before either of those options would appeal to me.
Well, that was my interesting conversation for this month, my thanks to Admiral Grant. I hope you enjoyed our conversation. Until next time, Au revoir!
FedSpace News
Headlines
Yearly Award Winners 2009
JONATHAN BECKETT
President
Stardate 21003.01
Here are the Yearly Award Winners for 2009. The numbers in parenthesis represent the number of votes for each nominee. W=Winner, NRU=Next Runner Up. I’m showing these numbers to demonstrate how close the voting was. Congratulations to the winners and to the nominees!
Best CO: Grant (W=11, NRU=7, NRU=6, NRU=1)
Best FO: Nielson (W=9, NRU=8, NRU=7)
Best DH: Hudson (W=7, NRU=6, NRU=4, NRU=4)
Best Junior Officer: Ankar (W=8, NRU=6, NRU=3)
Best PC: Grant (W=12, NRU=6, NRU=4)
Best NPC: Linden (W=11, NRU=9, NRU=2)
Best Writer: Sevala (W=8, NRU=7, NRU=6)
Most Improved: Santiago (W=7, NRU=6, NRU=5)
Best GM: GM-22 (W=8, NRU=5, NRU=4)
Best AI: Kidder (W=8, NRU=7, NRU=5)
Best Subplot: Mortal Coil (W=10, NRU=4)
Short Story Contest 2010
RADM DERRICK GRANT
Creative Director
Stardate 21003.01
Introduction
The 2010 Short Story contest marked the 10th anniversary of Federation Space.
The challenge presented was to write a 400-800 word short story in the flash fiction format, which would include Star Trek/Fedspace elements--e.g. it would take place in our universe and timelines.
There were 11 entrants, and the stories were judged and scored on their spelling/grammar, content quality, enjoyability, Trek/Fedspace canon, and flash fiction worthiness.
The Judges
I'd also like to thank the judges who helped out:
Commander Aloysia Yvette
Admiral Matthew Thrawn
Robyn (non-Fedspace)
The Stories
Winner: Untitled by Erein Neral, RIS Shadowhawk
1st Runner Up: Into Benjiro by Ensign Tiguaq, USS Nova
2nd Runner Up: Casualties of War by Lt Tokat, USS Ticonderoga
Runner Up: Blue Moon by LCdr Macleod, USS Nova
Runner Up: Breath of Light by Lt [JG] Roland, USS Pulsar
Runner Up: Fleeting by LCdr Hawk, Space Station Sierra-18
Runner Up: Misjudgement by LCdr Katzenjammer, USS Sheridan
Runner Up: My Morning Jog by Lt Fairen, Space Station Sierra-18
Runner Up: Newton's Last Stand by LCdr Komoscov, USS Dauntless
Runner Up: Unnamed by Ens Gylanna, USS Copernicus
Runner Up: Working Security by Lt Ptaka, USS Gettysburg
Conclusion
Thank you once again to all who participated and helped with the contest. It was enjoyable to read each of the entries and to see the creativity from these 11 players!
I am honored to be in the presence of each and every member of Federation Space.
Thank you,
Rear Admiral Derrick Grant
Commanding Officer
USS Nova, BB-106
Site Creative Director
Fleet Updates
Enterprise, Nova, Gettysburg, Titan
KEVIN AVERY
Managing Editor
Stardate 21003.01
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 four of Federation Spaces ships as they continue their missions/journeys in the galaxy!
USS Enterprise
The USS Enterprise is now vacant. In game the ship is undergoing a refit. Out-of-game the ship is being set aside (at least for the time being)
USS Nova
The USS Nova is undergoing her launch ceremonies and procedures. The crew of the Nova (former crew of the Gettysburg) are wrapping up various subplots and are looking forward to settling back into a mission posting cycle but not before engaging in one last subplot – the marriage of Commander Aloysia Yvette and Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Ristone.
Changes to note for the Nova: Nicholas Ristone (former Chief of Security) is now the First Officer, Commander Aloysia Yvette (former First Officer) is now the Personnel Officer (She is pregnant), and Tyra Crawford (former First Officer – USS Drake, Former Chief of Security- USS Gettysburg) is the Chief of Security, Lieutenant Commander Terra Arking has been named the Chief Engineer.
USS Gettysburg
The USS Gettysburg is preparing for launch under the command of newly named Commanding Officer Kenneth Fitchel. Lieutenant Commander Gio Santiago has been named the Fist Officer of the USS Gettysburg.
Along with Santiago the rest of the crew of the USS Enterprise also make their way to the USS Gettysburg to serve on the Battlecruiser.
Changes to note for the Gettysburg: Kenneth Fitchel named Commanding Officer, Gio Santiago named First Officer, Thomas Stack named Chief Medical Officer.
USS Titan
The USS Titan finally reached their destination on Altair IV, the mining colony they were escorting a convoy to. The Titan sent an away team to the colony to investigate claims of illegal activities occurring on the colony. The away team, lead by the First Officer, found not only illegal activity but also a group of determined Romulans. The Romulans managed to eliminate every member of the away team except the First Officer who they tortured and poisoned in an attempt to retrieve information.
A second away team, this one more security based, was sent to the colony where they were able to easily reclaim the near death First Officer. While transporting Cooper, the first officer, back to the Titan several Romulan’s piggybacked their way onto the USS Titan where they are attempting to sabotage and take over the ship.
Dear Abby
Questions for 21003.01
CDR ABIGAIL TAYLOR
Guest Columnist
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!
Are characters allowed to have specialties?
Yup. While at the Academy your character could have chosen to stick with general studies in their field, or specialized. It's a great form of character development either way, because you could give reasons why they chose to specialize or not to, or why they chose that particular field. If you're looking for an idea of a specialty, a list of positional titles can be found here.
Your character can also have more than one specialty, but keep in mind the more specialties they have the longer they would have spent at the Academy learning everything.
When you send a person a PM, does it go to their inbox, or do they check it on the site?
It gets sent to them like an email, so it goes to their inbox.
Who is a senior officer?
The Commanding Officer, First Officer, and Department Heads are senior officers aboard a ship.
What is the SFSIS?
The what now?
Do our ships have saucer separation capabilities?
Some ships do, yes. Cruisers, Carriers, and Battleships can, while anything smaller typically can't.
Do you have a question for Abby? Please email her or the editor-in-chief.
20 Questions
President Jonathan Beckett
CESTLY WRUSHER
Columnist
Stardate 21003.01
This month I spoke with Jon who plays President Jonathan Beckett.
How did you come up with the idea for Federation Space?
A long time ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, there was an online service called Prodigy. (Circa 1993ish) It was a direct competitor to America Online and offered the same types of services as AOL. I was looking for an online game I could waste some time with and found Prodigy’s text based gaming section. I had never seen anything like it and I was drawn into the community very quickly. I was originally looking for a fantasy based game, but every game I could find made extensive use of dice programs to adjudicate the results of the player’s actions. As a long time pencil and paper gamer, I was familiar with that system of play, but that simply wasn’t what I was looking for. I was looking for a Role-Playing Game, not a roll-playing game. So when I stumbled into the Star Trek section, one of the first things I noticed was that none of the simulations (SIMS) used dice to determine results. They were GM guided games that used fiction to decide what happened. I opted to join a small SIM called TNG. At the time it was a 2 ship SIM. Shortly after joining, the SIM kind of fell apart. The leader of the game left and gave control to a player that really had no idea how to maintain/run the SIM. So, another player and I offered to help out. The other player became the vice-commander while I became the Personnel Director (PD). My job as PD was to grow the SIM. In the space of 30 days, we went from 8 players to 53 players. (Insert pat on the back.) Unfortunately, I was only able to play a few months after that as I had joined the Air Force and was shipping off to basic. I recall those early days on Prodigy with a great deal of fondness. It was those days that led to the spark that became Federation Space.
My first duty assignment was Germany. When I got there in 1994, I didn’t have a computer and even if I did, there was no internet service available. (The internet was still in its infancy at this time.) It wouldn’t be until 1999 that I began to put the pieces of my own online community together. Even more than a Star Trek fan, I am a Lord of the Rings fan. You know how some Trekkers can quote technical manual? Well, I can tell you just about anything Tolkien. So, my first idea centered on a LOTR RPG titled either Legends of Middle Earth or Realms of Middle Earth. Again, I wanted a Role-Playing Game and didn’t want to have any dice programs. I searched the internet for a good model to base my game after. In all my searching, I couldn’t find a single fantasy based game that didn’t use dice. I also found a thriving Star Trek community. Most were email based SIMS, one of which I joined. While I enjoyed the SIM, it was different from my experience on Prodigy, which was based on a very primitive forum based style. The email based SIMS didn’t have the structure I was looking for so I began a search for a Bulletin Board System (BBS) and to find a way to shape it more like my prodigy experience. Creatively I teamed up with a co-worker, Ken, who helped to lay the foundations of the site. We started our first ship, the destroyer USS Yoritomo, crewed mostly by personal friends hosted on free servers. Throughout the years we’ve made several changes to the site, however we’ve maintained a strong and consistent player base.
This is the ten-year anniversary of Federation Space, are you surprised that is still going strong after all these years?
Sometimes, I’m absolutely amazed we’re still going. We’ve had our share of tumultuous times. After our 3-4 year mark, there was definitely a thought to shut things down. We’d had quite a bit of turmoil on the site, during that time, and it was difficult to push through that and move forward. I’ve learned, over the years, that we’re occasionally going to experience some drama on the site. Sometimes we bring it on ourselves and sometimes a player gets a wild hair and decides they’re going to stir the pot. Sometimes we handle things good and sometimes we make a decision with the information we have and it turns out that information is wrong and we’ve put our foots in our mouths (Feel free to read we as I). Despite all of that, I look at our core group of players and am glad we’ve managed to work through the issues we’ve had and press forward. It’s sounds cliché, but it truly is our core of dedicated players that’s made it possible to continue after all these years.
I last counted over one hundred active members from all over the world on Federation Space. People have had gatherings, dated and even gotten married because they met on Federation Space. Did you ever imagine that it would grow or affect so many people?
No. I knew I wanted to build a strong community, but looking back I’m not sure I really knew what that was or how to build it. In fact, while I may have provided the space for the community, it’s really our players that built the community. It’s hard not to feel good about seeing a seed you’ve planted grow into far more than you thought possible.
There are rumors that you anonymously play another PC or PCs on site other than President Beckett. Any truth to this? And if not, have you ever considered it?
I’ve done this in the past under limited conditions. However, I’m not doing it right now…or maybe I am…
Do you fear that posting rates will slow among current players or that some may leave because of Star Trek Online?
I was, initially, worried about STO. However, after playing STO myself since open beta, I’m not really worried. We don’t have the fancy graphics or game play STO has, but we have in depth stories and characters that STO will never have. I feel like the FS version of the ST universe has more depth without all the bells and whistles of a MMO. That’s not to say that STO is not fun, because it is. However, we cater to a different type of player.
What is your favorite Star Trek series why?
TNG was the Trek I really cut my teeth on. I watched TOS, but for me, it was all about TNG. I liked all of the characters, which is something I can’t say about the other shows. It also presented the most optimistic view of the future. Being a child of the Cold War era, it gave me hope we could progress without blowing ourselves up in a nuclear war.
What was your favorite Star Trek movie and why?
ST II: The Wrath of Khan. To me, it had a little bit of everything and was probably one of the best written stories we’ve seen in a ST movie. It was certainly the most interesting, in my opinion.
Who is your favorite character(s) in the shows and why?
Jean Luc Picard was my favorite of the Captains. He had a great deal of depth and really personified a military officer better than the others.
What piece of Star Trek Technology would you most like to see today?
It would be a tossup between transporters and replicators. A universal translator would be nice too… Of the 3, the UT is probably what we’re the closest to actually doing.
What was it about Star Trek that made you fall in love with it?
As I said above, I’m not the type of person that can quote tech manuals. While I find the technical aspects of Trek interesting, it’s not what drew me to ST. For me, Star Trek personifies optimism. It personifies what we could become if we put aside our petty differences and come together for the common good. It’s that message of optimism that draws me towards Trek.
What did you think about the last Star Trek movie?
There are a lot of Trekkers that think J.J. Abrams is the anti-Christ of Star Trek because of this movie. Trekkers are a finicky group—even more so the purists. I think some people would not have been happy unless they dusted off the original models of the Enterprise and used 1960’s technology to make this film.
Personally, I really enjoyed this re-boot. I’m not going to argue the virtues of this movie, nor am I going to say it was perfect, but I will say this: I work in an office with 12 other people, none of which are Trek fans. Every single one of them said this was a good/cool movie and that they’d see a sequel if it came out. This is exactly what a franchise that was being allowed to languish into death needed. In my view, it did exactly what a re-boot should do…introduce Trek, in a positive way, to a whole new generation. BTW, I thought the casting was excellent.
What Fed Space person would you most like to meet in real life?
Well, I’ll have to give you the cheesy but true answer. I’d like to meet everyone on the site. We’ve had several regional meets to include the one I attended in Las Vegas. I’d love to see, even though I know it’s not possible, a world FS meet. I think it could be great fun to get the majority of the site together in one place and just spend a few days together. If I win the lottery, we’ll have a world FS meet!
What Fed Space character would you most like to meet in real life?
Well…that’s a tough one. Off the top of my head I’d say Raymond Gage, Matt Thrawn or Sevala. I’ve enjoyed reading each of those characters and watching them grow.
What was the last book you read?
I generally read 2-3 books at the same time so I’ll tell you the last 3.
The Radicalism of the American Revolution by Gordon S. Wood.
Lord Foul’s Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson (Reread)
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (I try to read one ‘classic’ a week)
If there was one thing you would want everyone to know about you, what would that be?
A lot of folks seem to think FS rotates around me. It doesn’t. It rotates around the people reading this. It rotates around the players on the site that take on extra duties like running the Academy or the GM’s, maintaining the wiki, or creating a newsletter. I used to have a hand in everything that went on at FS. FS has grown, over the last 10 years, to the point that I simply can’t be everywhere or do everything. So I’ve placed my trust in a few dedicated players to help me out and thus help you, the reader out. It might be my sandbox, but there’s a lot of people making castles.
Thank you to Jon for answering my questions! Would you like to be featured in 20 Questions? Please email our editor-in-chief!
Movers and Shakers
Academy Graduates
Trek News
Headlines
Kirk in the Olympics
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21003.01
So I wouldn't be very much of a Canadian Trek fan if I didn't write even a little blurb about William Shatner taking part in the Olympics.
If you didn't catch them last night, the Shat took part in the Closing Ceremonies for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. While the Opening Ceremonies were much more subdued, showcasing more tradition aspects of the Canadian arts (regional fiddle styles, acrobatics, and various types of dance), the Closing Ceremonies were Canadians making fun of themselves. A poke in our own ribs, so to speak, with pretty much every stereotype of Canadians making at least one appearance (Mounties, beavers, hockey players, moose, lumberjacks, etc).
“My name is Bill and I’m proud to be a Canadian.”
Shatner was one of three famous Canadians to take part in the stand up comedian portion, and was followed by Catherine O'Hara, and Michael J Fox. He spoke about all the Canadian things he was proud of, from the maginificent lakes, the Rocky, and the fact that Canadians know how to make love in a canoe.
And of course, Shanter also said that Canadians dream big, "We have to, in a land that is… the final frontier."
Holonovel Review
Galaxy Quest
LT GABRIEL FAIREN
Guest Columnist
Stardate 21003.01
GALAXY QUEST
Directed by: Dean Perisot
Written by: David Howard- Story/Screenplay; Robert Gordon- Screenplay
Starring: Tim Allen- Jason Nesmith/Capt. Peter Quincy Taggert; Sigourney Weaver- Gwen DeMarco/LT. Tawny Madison; Alan Rickman- Sir Alexander Dane/ Dr. Lazarus of Tev’Meck; Tony Shalboub- Fred Kwan/ Tech Sergeant Chen; Daryl Mitchell- Tommy Webber/LT Laredo; Sam Rockwell- Guy Fleegman; Enrico Colanteni- Mathesar; Robin Sachs- General Roth’h’ar Sarris; Justin Long- Brandon; Missi Pyle- Laliari; Jed Rees- Teb
Music by: David Newman
It’s time again for another one of my holonovel reviews but instead of reviewing a new movie, I’m going to take a step back to the year 1999. Sure, it was the last year of the century and of the millennium but looking back, it was a year of big movies. That year, the Star Wars prequels started with The Phantom Menace, the Matrix was born, Buzz and Woody came back to life in Toy Story 2, a little boy saw dead people on The Sixth Sense, Ed Norton and Brad Pitt decided to start a Fight Club… I could go on and on about the movies of 1999. In the mix of films that year was a small love letter to Star Trek by the name of Galaxy Quest.
The story of Galaxy Quest is a simple one as it follows a group of older actors from a cancelled sci-fi series as they are suddenly thrust into a real life space conflict thanks to a group of aliens (Thermians) who have mistaken their characters and their televised adventures to be real. Of course hilarity ensues as these actors try their best to work through a hostel situation they have no clue how to really handle.
Instead of talking about the director first, or even the actors and writers, I’m going to just explain why I keep coming back to this film to the point I wore down my DVD copy of it. I grew up watching films like “Naked Gun”, “Young Frankenstein”, “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”… movies that were more than just parody films. Sure, they poked fun at the other movies but it was done in a way that was respectful, very funny, and not cheaply written… they’re even considered classics in their own right. The same goes for Galaxy Quest as it wasn’t trying to throw any sucker punches to try and take Star Trek down a few pegs. Knowing how the Trek fan-base can be at times, if that had happened, there wouldn’t have been a 10 year anniversary edition of Galaxy Quest and the cast would have had to go into hiding for fear of retaliation. I’m joking of course.
Alright… on to talking about the director and to the writers, which will ended up being short I suspect. Dean Perisot has directed a handful of TV shows, as well a few movies though none really stand out to me with the exception of “Fun with Dick and Jane” and “Home-Fries” as I have seen both of those films. Looking at IMDB, David Howard has only written one movie of which I am reviewing while Robert Gordon as written “Men in Black 2” and “Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events” screen plays. Given how funny Galaxy Quest is, I’m actually kind of surprised to see so little major film work from all three parties. Galaxy Quest appears to be the only memorable film they have had a hand in making.
Composer David Newman has a more noticeable name as his scoring credits include “Serenity”, “Ice Age”, “Death to Smootchy”, “Coneheads”, “The Mighty Ducks”, “The Nutty Professor”… just to name a few. The only song from Galaxy Quest I remember though is the movie’s theme song which is played a few times throughout out the film. Since it was the theme to the show within the movie, it does feel like something from a sci-fi show, which isn’t a bad thing for a movie like this.
Now the cast which will be a long one so bare with me…
- Tim Allen plays the Commander of the group who actually loved all of the attention he was receiving though the other character thought him to be a bit of a jerk about it.
- Weaver’s character was the only reoccurring female character on their old show so she is having to come to terms with the fact that people were more concerned over her breast size and not her character development.
- Alan Rickman role is of the Shakespearean actor who happened to become famous for his work on a small sci-fi show and his character’s quote instead of his work on the stage.
- Shalboub’s character doesn’t seem to care anymore while Daryl Mitchell’s is the kid from the show who has grown-up stuck doing conventions.
- Sam Rockwell plays the funniest part as the character appeared on only one episode of the show as a ‘glorified extra’ but hasn’t been able to let it go.
- Colanteni’s Mathesar is the dimwitted alien in charge of other dimwitted aliens, Pyle and Rees’s character, who are being attacked by Sachs’s General Sarris.
- To finish, Justin Long plays the fan-boy of whom I certain most of us can relate too.
The cast has great chemistry together which gives this film that sense of these characters have known each other a very long time. If that feeling wasn’t there, I doubt this film would have been as good as it was.
Galaxy Quest is comedy that, from the first viewing, I was able to easily relate to in some way or another as a Star Trek fan and sci-fi in general. Just as effortlessly as I can throw up the Vulcan hand gesture and say ‘Live long and Prosper’ or even leave someone with a ‘May the Force Be With You,’ I can put my fist to my heart and tell someone ‘By Grabthar's hammer, by the sons of Worvan, you shall be avenged.’ Even after more than 10 years, this film has stuck with me.
I gave Galaxy Quest… 9 Tribbles out of 10.
Trek Trivia
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21003.01
Each month on the FNN we ask 10 Trek Trivia questions! Some may be easy, some may be difficult. Think you know some or all of the answers? Submit them to the Editor-In-Chief. Each month we'll post the Top 10 Scoreboard and Top 10 All Around Champs, along with the previous month's answers and new trivia questions.
This Month's Questions
1. What was Spock's dual position aboard the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701?
2. Which two people built Data?
3. In the episode "Ascent," what first edition of Ferengi literature does Quark offer to sell to Odo?
4. What was B'Elanna Torres' job aboard Voyager?
5. Who was the new navigator assigned to the Enterprise in The Motion Picture?
6. From what Starfleet training program did Ro Laren graduate before joining the Maquis?
7. According to Spock, what device is the basis for every important piece of equipment used by Starfleet?
8. What was the name of Christopher Pike's horse?
9. Who addresses his spirit guide in the following manner: "A-koo-chee-moya… we are far from the sacred places of our grandfathers. We are far from the bones of our people".
10. Name the class of starship pictured to the right.
Last Month's Answers
1. In "Where No Man Has Gone Before," what member of the USS Enterprise crew is mentioned to have attended Starfleet Academy with James T Kirk?
- Gary Mitchell
2. On what planet did William Riker and Deanna Troi first meet and fall in love?
- Betazed
3. Where was Odo discovered?
- In the Denorios Belt
4. What is Tom Paris' middle name?
- Eugene
5. How many Federation assassins boarded Gorkon's ship in The Undiscovered Country?
- Two
6. Prinadora was who's mother?
- Nog
7. What did the shape shifting creature in "The Man Trap" require to survive?
- Salt
8. Who is Kirk's son?
- David Marcus
9. Which series is the episode "Accession" from?
- Deep Space Nine
10. Who is attributed with developing the linguacode translation matrix?
- Hoshi Sato
11. In "Return of the Archons," which of the following characters was not absorbed by Landru?
- a) Kirk
12. True or False: Q once appeared to Jean Luc Picard in a stream of cigar smoke.
- True
13. What Dominion species supervises the Jem'Hadar?
- The Vorta
14. Which continuing character from Deep Space Nine made a brief appearance in the episode "Caretaker"?
- Quark
15. Besides Leonard McCoy, which reoccurring The Original Series character was an MD in The Motion Picture?
- Christine Chapel
16. What is the area dividing the Romulan Empire from the Federation?
- The Neutral Zone
17. What is Starfleet Directive 101?
- The right of an individual who is accused of a crime to remain silent.
18. What did Spock throw at Nurse Chapel in "Amok Time"?
- A bowl of plomeek soup.
19. What other Federation starship did the USS Voyager encounter after several years in the Delta Quadrant?
- USS Equinox
20. Name the species pictured to the right.
Last Month's Winners
1. Alexis Tregelen
All Around Champs
| Rank | Player | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Alexis Tregelen | 20 |
| 2. | Kyle DeWitt | 10 |
| 3. | Jericho Roberts | 6 |
| Hall of Fame | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Points | Year |
| Laura Macleod | 91 | 2009 |
Science News
Astropic
Slope Streaks in Acheron Fossae on Mars
Credit: HiRISE, MRO, LPL (U. Arizona), NASA
Astronomy News
Great Sights for 2010
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21003.01
Fans of stargazing should mark their calendars for these great astronomical sights coming this year! (Note these are for the Northern Hemisphere).
Saturday, March 20th
MOON CLOSE TO PLEIADES
Binoculars will provide the best view of this site. For the first time in several years, the Moon won't be passing in front of the Pleiades star cluster. For North America the Moon will be a waxing crescent shining close to Pleiades.
Sunday, March 21st
SATURN AT OPPOSITION
The first day of spring brings in the first date of Saturn's opposition, when the planet looks the most large and bright for the entire year.
Thursday, April 15
MERCURY AND VEUS PAIR UP
On this night the planet Mercury and Venus will only be about a binocular field apart. Mercury will be super bright, as the previous week it will have reached it's greatest angle away from the Sun.
Wednesday, July 14, to Friday, July 16
MOON PASSES A PLANET TRIO
Venus, Mars, and Saturn will be tightly grouped together during this time, and the Moon will make a sweep past each.
Thursday, August 12
PERSEID METEORS PEAK
The Moon will be setting early this night, leaving the sky dark for this annual event. Prime viewing hour in North America will be early evening.
Wednesday, September 22
MOON MEETS JUPITER-URANUS PAIR
Jupiter will be chasing Uranus around for most of the summer, starting about June 8th. On this day, the Moon will join the pair in the race in the sky.
Saturday, October 30
TWIN SHADOWS ON JUPITER
Jupiter will be the only planet visible to the naked eye during this time, and if you take a look at it through a telescope two of it's moon will give you a show of eclipses and occultations as they dance around their planet. On this day Europa and Ganymede will both cast shadows on the planet.
Monday, December 20th
MOON TOTALLY ECLIPSED
Across North America at this time, the Moon will be totally eclipsed. It will last for just over an hour starting at 2:40 am EST. (The next lunar eclipse for North America won't look as nice, and won't happen until December 10th, 2001… so be sure to catch this one!)
Technology News
39 Days
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21003.01
Thirty-nine days. That's all it might take for humans to visit another planet, says former American astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz.
The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket, or VASIMR for short, is a new propulsion system being designed by Chang-Diaz and his team at the Ad Astra Rocket Company. The non-chemical rocket would use electricity to transform a fuel like hydrogen, helium, or deuterium, into a plasma gas that is then heated to 11 million degrees Celsius. This plasma would then be channeled into tailpipes using magnetic fields, which then propel the spacecraft (sound familiar?). The engines would produce enough forward momentum to propel the ship at up to 55 kilometers per second, until the engines are reversed.
Using an ionized fuel, as being researched for the rocket, would also have the benefit of creating a magnetic field around the spacecraft to protect it against radiation.
Models of the VASIMR rocket have been built and tested. The next major step for the project will be running an orbital test in 2013.
This month in Astronomy History
Venera 3
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21003.01
This month in astronomy history… Venera 3 became the first spacecraft to "land" on another planet.
Built by the Soviet Union, the Venera 3 was part of the Venera space probe program designed to explore Venus. The mission of this particular probe was to land on the planet's surface and send back information. The probe contained a radio communication system, various scientific instruments, a power source, and medallions bearing the State Coat of Arms of the USSR.
Venera 3 was launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on November 16th, 1965. It crashed into the surface of Venus on March 1st, 1965, on the night side of the planet. However, the communication system failed before the probe could return any information about the planet itself.
