FNN Edition 30
Star Fleet News
Mysterious Starship Spotted
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21012.06
STARBASE ALPHA – As merchanter ships and transport vessels pull into port, the local watering hole The Drunken Tribble is abuzz with news of a mysterious spacecraft. Apparently sightings of this craft have been occurring with increasing regularity, the first of which was reported on Stardate 21012.01.
"I've heard of this ship before, but never did I think I would see it!" Said Mallory Ichabod, captain of the Freighter Rainy Day. The Captain was completing his usual route between Earth and Vulcan when he spotted a ship that didn't get any hits in the Federation registry he had aboard. "It was painted bright red, and had these smaller ships pulling it with their tractor beams. At first I thought it was in need of help, and since my ship was bigger than the smaller ones assisting it, I thought I would offer a hand."
But when he tried to contact the ship, the only response he got in return was three words. "Ho ho ho, that's all it said to me," Ichabod tried repeatedly to contact the vessel, but at some point he gave up and continued on his route. "They didn't seem to be interested in help, so I went on my way. But I did send a notation to Star Fleet Command."
Several other civilian captains have reported similar sighting and occurrences, though no one seems to have an explanation for this strange ship. "It was just sitting there," said Captain Mickey Harrison, owner of the transport vessel Smooth Seas. "And after a few minutes it jumped to warp and that was that. It didn't look dangerous, but with these things you never know."
Officials from Star Fleet Command declined to comment, though sources inside Command indicate that sightings of this starship occur at the end of December every year.
SFA Creates New Classes
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21012.01
EARTH – At a relatively small press conference last week, the Star Fleet Academy Dean of Studies Commander T'Paria announced that there will be a slight change to the curriculum. The requirements for graduation will change, requiring cadets to take a different structure of courses than their predecessors.
"The changes were amended to increase the critical thinking skills of new officers, making them more efficient as they become senior officers", Commander T'Paria stated. "We'll also offer courses that will encourage cadets to further their multidisciplinary studies, while still being tied back to their primary focus."
While the Academy is known across the Federation for the high standards it asks of its students, some question whether this is putting additional stress on the cadets. Studies from the Trill Science Institute indicates when cadets are required to focus on multiples assignments and tasks, their ability to retain the information they are trying to learn is greatly reduced.
"The Academy has always demanded the best out of it's cadets," said Captain Abigail Taylor, the Superintendent of Star Fleet Academy, "So that when they go on to become starship captains or the admiralty making decisions, they can handle the pressure they're under. When you're in those positions, you're not always going to have the luxury of focusing on one problem at a time."
These course changes will be implemented for the school year starting 21109.01, and will only apply to freshmen. All other students will remain with the old course requirements.
FedSpace News
Fleet Updates
Copernicus, Sierra-18, Yeager
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21012.01
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!
USS COPERNICUS, GEC-9035
Ordered to continue the Enterprise-D's interrupted exploration of the Typhon Expanse decades later, this Galactic Exploration Cruise has run into some strange happenings. People are playing a disappearing act, vanishing and reappearing again. Whether intentional or not it remains to be seen. Will the Copernicus crew figure out what's going on before they blip out of existence?
SPACE STATION SIERRA-18
The centre of the 3rd Battle Group's Battle Group Gamma-3, the crew of Sierra-18 are investigating some occurrences within Gamma-3's ships. The USS Marion, DD-4067, and the USS Kiev, FF-6096, have both reported problems that left their warp engines out of commission. When the Marion limped back to, an initial investigation seems to indicate foul play. Meanwhile, Sierra-18's support vessel, the USS Jefferson, SE-17424 was dispatched to conduct science surveys of the nearby Hugora Nebula, but receive a distress call from a nearby colony. Will they make it back to Sierra-18 in one piece, or will the technical difficulties they're facing have them crash on the colony?
USS YEAGER
Dispatched to the Romulan Star Empire to investigate why their star Eisn went supernova, the Yeager has run into some strange happenings. Power has gone offline, and though life support is still online, all other systems appear to be offline. So close to the star, will the Yeager be able to get her engines back online before gravity decides to give the crew a major sunburn?
Dear Abby
Questions for 21012.01
CAPT ABIGAIL TAYLOR
Guest Columnist
Stardate 21012.01
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!
I always thought ships had different power sources, but somebody told me only the warp core powers a starship. Which is correct?
Starships do tend to have multiple power sources. The warp core, impulse engines, and emergency power sources can all power the ship.
What is the Chain of Command for the Academy?
For the Academy, the Chain of Command is as follows, starting from the first person who you would contact and going up from there:
- Bio Evaluator or Academy Instructor
- Dean of Admissions or Dean of Evaluations
- Superintendent
Where is the annual Academy Christmas Party!?
It will be coming soon, though we're going to mix it up a little bit this year. AIs and Cadets keep your eyes posted to the Academy area!
In-game time kind of confuses me compares to out of game time. How would I age my character?
Well, there's no set in stone method to do this, and every player has their own way. One thing to keep in mind that the missions we play out in game act as the highlights of a ship's history – in between these missions, the ships would have done regular tasks such as escorting ambassadors, transporting supplies, and the like where nothing noteworthy happens. Another thing to keep in mind is our players are supposed to be Star Fleet's best of the best, so they'd probably advance more quickly. Admiral Grayson has written an article, Character Aging Guidelines, which is a great resource!
Do runabouts/ shuttles have their own independent transporter system?
They usually do, yes.
Do you have a question for Abby? Please email her or the editor-in-chief.
20 Questions
Lieutenant Junior Grade Jonathan Cooper
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21012.01
This month we get to learn more about the player behind Lieutenant Junior Grade Jonathan Cooper, Chief Science Officer aboard the USS Yeager, SC-8018.
Age, Sex, Location?
24, Male, Huntsville, Alabama
When did you first join FedSpace?
Spring of 2002.
What originally brought you to FedSpace?
I enjoyed writing, having entered several writing contests every year and not doing half bad in them. I loved Star Trek. Just seemed like a good fit to me.
Tell me a little about the process of developing your character.
My two best characters (Jonathan and Aitrus), I started off knowing I wanted it to be similar to me. It helps me actually get in the character's head that way. For Jonathan, though, I then picked his speciality: Terraforming. It's not something I'd ever really thought about before, and wanted a bit of a challenge. From there, it was just a series of questions.
Do you think it is easier or more difficult to play someone based on yourself?
Easier. It makes knowing what my character wants to do easier, letting me focus more on describing what's going on rather than trying to figure out what I'm doing.
So far, what is your favourite part about being a member of FedSpace?
The people. I've made some friends here that I'm glad to say are some of my longest, best friends.
What makes a good Ship/Station?
People who care enough to try, who aren't afraid to put themselves out on a limb for the sake of a good story.
If you could name your own ship, what would you name it and why?
The Rommel, the Patton, the Cochrane, the da Vinci all stand up screaming to be chosen, but I think I'd go with the USS Phoenix. The connection to Cochrane's inagural flight is there, but also the mythological bird is a good choice.
What do you spend your time outside of FedSpace doing?
Mostly hanging out with my girlfriend, reading, and playing Warhammer, typically in that order of importance.
What is your favourite Star Trek series?
Deep Space Nine. The characters just seem more realistic to me, the storyline is wonderful, and I really have just one word to say: Garak.
If you watched the movies, which one was your favorite?
Star Trek VI. It was just incredible. Now, this is followed closely (in order, I believe) by First Contact, the new one, and Nemesis, but still, Undiscovered Country was just a great movie all around
Do you have a favourite line or phrase from either a show or movie?
Dialogue between Bashir and Garak, Bashir having just told Garak the story of the Boy who Cried Wolf.
"The point is, if you lie all the time, nobody's going to believe you even when you're telling the truth."
"Are you sure that's the point, doctor?"
"Of course. What else could it be?"
"That you should never tell the same lie twice..."
What piece of Star Trek Technology would you most like to see today?
The replicator. With just a small power supply, it would essentially give freedom from want to everyone nearby. Give them to those in the most dire need, and just think of how the world could be changed.
What was it about Star Trek that made you fall in love with the show?
Partially my parents, they watched the original series when they were young, and Next Gen when I was young. I was fascinated by space and the stars, and would imagine myself out there with them, exploring it all. Was quite the hook for a kid.
What FedSpace player would you most like to meet in real life?
Captain Quill Dramar. He was my first DH when I joined, and a good friend for years afterwards. It'd be great to meet him in person and get to know him face to face.
What FedSpace character would you most like to meet in real life?
Sevala. I've always found the Romulans to be interesting, and I'd love to talk to her about her culture and such.
If you could list one pet-peeve about your fellow players, what would it be?
Remember: it's just a game. Some people take things way too seriously, and just need to be reminded of what really matters in life.
Do you feel there is any disconnect between you and other players based on geographical location?
Not really. Here, we all have the common thread of Trek. Everything else is just a matter of figuring the semantics.
Has your character developed differently than what you had planned?
He's a little more of a coward than I'd hoped. I'd built him having been quite the bookworm, but hadn't realized the implications of him being thrown into the deep end, on a ship hanging dead in space as the nearby star boils. All I can say is, hilarity will ensue.
What is in your FedSpace future, for yourself and for your character?
For right now, getting myself more consistent with my writing, and continuing as DH. I'm not looking any further down the road than that. Too many real life plans to worry about that.
Thank you to Matt for answering my questions! Would you like to be featured in 20 Questions? Please email our editor-in-chief!
Academy Graduates
CAPT ABIGAIL TAYLOR
Guest Columnist
Stardate 21012.01
Please join me in welcoming all the recent graduates to Federation Space! Please note that this table reflects the new Midshipman who graduated in November.
| Rank | Name | Ship |
|---|---|---|
 |
Theo Caldecott | USS Dauntless, BC-1553 |
Trek News
Trek Favourites
Favourite Series
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21012.01
This month we're introducing a new column to the FNN, Trek Favourites. Each month we'll poll the FedSpace players to see what their favourite things about Star Trek are.
This month we ask…
What is your favourite Star Trek series?
- The Original Series
- The Animated Series
- The Next Generation
- Deep Space 9
- Voyager
- Enterprise
Trek Trivia
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21012.01
This month celebrated the second anniversary of Trivia on the FNN! Can you beat our 2010 champ who had 86 points? The scoreboard has been reset and our top winner moves into the Hall of Fame.
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. Good luck!
This Month's Questions
1. What ship captain became first citizen of a parallel Roman Empire in the episode "Bread and Circuses"?
2. What is the small captain's office located just off the bridge typically called?
3. The command center of Deep Space 9 is typically called what?
4. In what spatial phenomenon did the Komar live?
5. By the end of The Motion Picture, two of James Kirk's officers were no longer part of the crew. How did Kirk instruct Uhura to explain their absence for the record?
6. Who was Sarek's first human wife?
7. Who was Kirk's history teacher at Starfleet Academy?
8. In what childhood hobby did O'Brien and Picard both indulge?
9. Which series does the episode "Afterimage" belong to?
10. Name the species that operates the vessel pictured to the right.
Last Month's Answers
1. When the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701 travels faster than the speed of light, this is called ________________ speed.
- Warp
2. On what starship did Katherine Pulaski serve prior to the Enterprise-D?
- USS Repulse
3. What did Kasidy Yates do for a living?
- She was a freighter captain
4. Approximately how many lightyears was Voyager flung from home?
- 70,000
5. Which character had grown a beard in The Motion Picture?
- Leonard McCoy
6. Spock is a hybrid of two species: which species and by how much?
- Half Human, Half Vulcan
7. In the Mirror Universe, what device was key to Mirror Kirk's rise to power?
- Tantalus Field
8. When Spock was a child, he had what for a pet?
- Sehlat
9. In which episode is Seven of Nine left alone with the Doctor as the rest of the crew must remain in stasis during passage through a nebula?
- "One"
10. What was the name of T'Pol and Trip Tucker's child?
- Elizabeth
Last Month's Winners
1. Kyle DeWitt
2. Alice Dega
3. Azernal Rin
All Around Champs
| Rank | Player | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kyle DeWitt | 86 |
| 2. | Alexis Tregelen | 35 |
| 3. | Amarik I'Dartha | 29 |
| 4. | Azernal Rin | 12 |
| 5. | Buck Wausau | 10 |
| 6. | Alice Dega | 8 |
| 7. | Jericho Roberts | 6 |
| Hall of Fame | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Points | Year |
| Kyle DeWitt | 86 | 2010 |
| Laura Macleod | 91 | 2009 |
Joke of the Month
Data's Night Before Christmas
'Twas the nocturnal segment of the diurnal period preceding the annual Yuletide celebration, and throughout our place of residence, kinetic activity was not in evidence among the possessors of this potential, including that species of domestic rodent known as Mus musculus. Hosiery was meticulously suspended from the forward edge of the wood burning caloric apparatus, pursuant to our anticipatory pleasure regarding an imminent visitation from an eccentric philanthropist among whose folkloric appellations is the honorific title of St. Nicholas.
The prepubescent siblings, comfortably ensconced in their respective accommodations of repose, were experiencing subconscious visual hallucinations of variegated fruit confections moving rhythmically through their cerebrums. My conjugal partner and I, attired in our nocturnal head coverings, were about to take slumberous advantage of the hibernal darkness when upon the avenaceous exterior portion of the grounds there ascended such a cacophony of dissonance that I felt compelled to arise with alacrity from my place of repose for the purpose of ascertaining the precise source thereof.
Hastening to the casement, I forthwith opened the barriers sealing this fenestration, noting thereupon that the lunar brilliance without, reflected as it was on the surface of a recent crystalline precipitation, might be said to rival that of the solar meridian itself - thus permitting my incredulous optical sensory organs to behold a miniature airborne runnered conveyance drawn by eight diminutive specimens of the genus Rangifer, piloted by a minuscule, aged chauffeur so ebullient and nimble that it became instantly apparent to me that he was indeed our anticipated caller. With his ungulate motive power travelling at what may possibly have been more vertiginous velocity than patriotic alar predators, he vociferated loudly, expelled breath musically through contracted labia, and addressed each of the octet by his or her respective cognomen - "Now Dasher, now Dancer..." et al. - guiding them to the uppermost exterior level of our abode, through which structure I could readily distinguish the concatenations of each of the 32 cloven pedal extremities.
As I retracted my cranium from its erstwhile location, and was performing a 180-degree pivot, our distinguished visitant achieved - with utmost celerity and via a downward leap - entry by way of the smoke passage. He was clad entirely in animal pelts soiled by the ebony residue from oxidations of carboniferous fuels which had accumulated on the walls thereof. His resemblance to a street vendor I attributed largely to the plethora of assorted playthings, which he bore dorsally in a commodious cloth receptacle.
His orbs were scintillant with reflected luminosity, while his submaxillary dermal indentations gave every evidence of engaging amiability. The capillaries of his malar regions and nasal appurtenance were engorged with blood which suffused the subcutaneous layers, the former approximating the coloration of Albion's floral emblem, the latter that of the Prunus avium, or sweet cherry.
His amusing sub- and supralabials resembled nothing so much as a common loop knot, and their ambient hirsute facial adornment appeared like small, tabular and columnar crystals of frozen water.
Clenched firmly between his incisors was a smoking piece whose grey fumes, forming a tenuous ellipse about his occiput, were suggestive of a decorative seasonal circlet of holly. His visage was wider than it was high, and when he waxed audibly mirthful, his corpulent abdominal region undulated in the manner of impectinated fruit syrup in a hemispherical container. He was, in short, neither more nor less than an obese, jocund, multigenarian gnome, the optical perception of whom rendered me visibly frolicsome despite every effort to refrain from so being. By rapidly lowering and then elevating one eyelid and rotating his head slightly to one side, he indicated that trepidation on my part was groundless.
Without utterance and with dispatch, he commenced filling the aforementioned appended hosiery with various of the aforementioned articles of merchandise extracted from his aforementioned previously dorsally transported cloth receptacle. Upon completion of this task, he executed an abrupt about- face, placed a single manual digit in lateral juxtaposition to his olfactory organ, inclined his cranium forward in a gesture of leave-taking, and forthwith effected his egress by renegotiating (in reverse) the smoke passage. He then propelled himself in a short vector onto his conveyance, directed a musical expulsion of air through his contracted oral sphincter to the antlered quadrupeds of burden, and proceeded to soar aloft in a movement hitherto observable chiefly among the seed-bearing portions of a common weed. But I overheard his parting exclamation, audible immediately prior to his vehiculation beyond the limits of visibility: "Ecstatic Yuletide to the planetary constituency, and to that self same assemblage, my sincerest wishes for a salubriously beneficial and gratifyingly pleasurable period between sunset and dawn."
Science News
Astropic
A Dark Dune Field in Proctor Crater on Mars
Credit: HiRISE, MRO, LPL (U. Arizona), NASA
Astronomy News
Extragalactic Planet Found For the First Time
NINA GARCIA JENKINS
Staff Reporter
21012.01
The first extragalactic planet, HIP 13044b, is found in the Helmi stream. This is an important find since this is the first planet found outside of the Milky Way and it helps researchers learn more about the development of planets. The European Southern Lave at the La Silla Observatory in Chile found HIP 13044b. They were looking at HIP 13044 which is the parent star and noticed that the star was wobbling some and then focused the telescope on the wobble. Since scientists knew that the star would wobble due to a gravitational pull of an orbiting body, they started to focus more on the system. HIP 13044b is roughly the size of Jupiter and is mostly a gaseous planet. HIP 13044b completes an orbit every sixteen days around HIP 13044.
Discovering HIP13044b is important in other ways then showing planets can exist outside of the Milky Way galaxy. It also questions some of the theories held by the scientists about what is needed in planet and star formation. HIP 1304 is a light weight star and doesn’t have many heavy elements thus challenging the belief that heavy elements must be present in the star. Plus the HIP 13044 is in a bloating stage where it’s gaining a stronger gravitational pull and the destruction of HIP 13044b can show how the Earth will “die” as Sol ages since Sol and HIP 13044 are very similar stars in most ways but mass.
This Month in Astronomy History
USS Enterprise
NINA GARCIA JENKINS
Staff Reporter
21012.01
The USS Enterprise (CV-6) helped the US Navy strike back after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The Yorktown class carrier was one of the first ships to help defend Pearl Harbor by launching both scouting and bomber class planes to help defend the naval base. The USS Enterprise briefly refueled at Pearl Harbor before being sent back out to defend the US and Allied Fleets.
The Big E then went on to continue to make a mark in December by sending out the aircrafts that sunk the first Japanese combatant ship during World War II on December 10, 1941. The Japanese I-70 was sunk by the 4F Wildcats of the Fighting Squadron Six.
The rest of the month of December, the Enterprise continued to help defend the Hawaiian Islands before sailing on to Samoa in January. The Enterprise continued to be a key ship in battle during World War II fighting at the Battle of Midway, the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, the Battle of the Philippine Sea and took part in the “Doolittle Raid”. The ship was claimed to be sunk at least three separate times by the Japanese although the ship lasted through the war and earned more battle stars (20 in all ) for any US warship in World War II.
