FNN Edition 33

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Federation News Network

Headlines

Prankster Runs Amok at the Academy

RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21103.01

EARTH – Things aren't so quiet these days at Star Fleet Academy's main campus in San Francisco. Apparently a prankster has been keeping cadets in faculty on their toes with some tricks that have been played the past month.

It started on stardate 21102.14, when all of the men's water based showers started raining red coloured water. This had the unfortunate side affect of tinting the skin of unsuspecting humans and Vulcans a bright shade of pink, and several Andorian cadets a shade of royal purple.

A few days later this was followed up with the replicators in the faculty lounge dispensing nothing but a hyper-caffeinated rakitjino for every beverage request. Needless to say several instructors were sent to the Academy's infirmary when they started vibrating uncontrollably from caffeine overdose.

Other pranks have included dressing up the Superintendant's pet wombat in a ballerina's tutu, replacing the Kobayashi Maru test with a three dimensional simulation of a 20th century Earth video-game "Pong", and

Academy Superintendant Captain Abigail Taylor stated that while the pranks have been inconvenient, they haven't been enough to cancel any classes.

"Academy Security is close to apprehending the ones responsible for these pranks," Captain Taylor added. She noted that they would be dealt with according to their disruptions and damage to Academy property.

Travel the Galaxy

Tricks for Visiting Bolarus IX

ARTEMIS WALKER
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21103.01

Visiting other planets can be a culture shock even for those of us who travel a fair amount. Here are some great tips I've picked up and want to pass on to you should you decide to make your next travel destination the home of the Bolians, Bolarus IX.

  • Bolians tend to be quite friendly, and will go out of their way to make you feel comfortable.
  • Bolian people can sometimes be outspoken on their opinions. Do not take it in any way that they mean to argue; they simply like to talk!
  • Don't take offense to a Bolian's bad breath. They don't notice it, because they tend to eat foods that have sat rotting for a while (they claim it adds flavour!)
  • Bolians are very much into trade, and their markets are a great spot to find a gift for the hard to buy for. You'll find unique trinkets from just about every culture in the Federation, and from many that aren't.
  • Bolians tend to eat food that is quite acidic, so if you're system can't handle it I suggest picking up a dietary needs guides at Tourist Information. It will help you find restaurants more palatable for your species.
  • A great souvenir from Bolarus IX is tonic water from the Alandra spring. Bolian tonic water is known to have a calming affect on the nervous system.

Until next time, happy travels!

FedSpace News

Headlines

Short Story Contest 2011

RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21103.01

The Short Story contest is back, and is challenging as ever!

Written in a style similar to the Captain's Table novels and short stories, contestants are asked to write a first person narrative about a significant event that takes place before they joined Star Fleet. They need to be capped at both ends with a third person portion, of the character telling the tale in a bar or pub.

Entries should be between 1,500 and 2,500 words.

All contestants will get a points prize for entering, with the first place prize being 1,000 points and a rank cap removal.

Entries should be submitted to Rear Admiral Grayson no later than midnight site-time on March 15, 2011. It's coming up quickly, so don't wait too long!!

For more information please read RAdm Grayson's post here.

Good luck!!

Dear Abby

Questions for 21103.01

CAPT ABIGAIL TAYLOR
Guest Columnist
Stardate 21103.01

After a short break, I'm back to answer your FedSpace related questions! 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 want to host a FedSpace meet, am I allowed to?
Of course! You're welcome to start a post in Hailing Frequencies to see if anyone would be interested in meeting up, and go from there. You can see photos from past FedSpace meets on our Facebook page.

Somebody's posts are making me feel uncomfortable. What should I do?
Discuss the matter with the people in your chain of command, and they will help you resolve the issue.

Do I have to play an officer? Could I be enlisted instead?
Yup! Keep in mind that as an enlisted you likely wouldn't become a DH unless your character accepted a commission, and bridge duty would be the exception instead of the norm.

How often do you look for new Instructors?
Typically once a year.

Can the FO also be a DH?
Yes, they can. However, this is more likely to happen on a smaller vessel than a larger one.

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

20 Questions

LCdr Tokat

RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21103.01

This month we get to learn more about Jacob, the player behind Lieutenant Commander Tokat, First Officer aboard the USS Ticonderoga, CA-1471.

Real first name?
Jacob

Age, Sex, Location?
24, Male, North Arkansas

When did you first join FedSpace?
I first joined the Academy back in July 2008, by sometime in August I had graduated and joined the Ticonderoga's Tactical department.

What brought you to FedSpace?
I had been playing in other Online RPs for years, and had toyed with the idea of making a Star Trek RP site myself. But when I started googling phrases looking for examples and inspiration I came across a very well developed site called "Federation Space." I read the wiki and lurked about for a while, and eventually I decided to send in my application. Well, here I am going on three years later.

Tell me a little about the process of developing your character.
I started to build my character long before I even sent my application in, drawing from the wiki for the rules and information. I wanted to play an alien race, since there seemed to be so many humans on the site, and half the fun of Star Trek is the mix of so many fantastic cultures. Eventually I chose Vulcan since the idea of RPing a logical mind intrigued me. Well, that and Spock and Tuvok are two of my favorite characters.

Tokat's personality was a bit harder to come up with. I more or less just started answering the questions on the bio form and he kind of took shape as I went along. Once I had a response for every question I went back and tweaked it, removing contradictions and adjusting things as I wanted to. Of course, I couldn't resist throwing in a few of my own little quirks as well, such as his Vegetarianism and love of hot tea.

His history came in much the same way as his personality. I read up on FS canon, and did some math. When I found an event that happened around the right timeframe I started building on it, telling the story of the re-organization of the fleet through the eyes of a seven-year-old Vulcan child. Then it was just a matter of explaining his personality traits and concluding with him entering the academy. His story's gotten a lot more complicated than that now, but those were his humble beginnings.

Has your character developed differently than what you had planned?
Oh yes. When I first created Tokat I hadn't planned on him being quite so "open-minded" emotionally speaking. I also hadn't planned on him becoming romantically involved with another character. As RP played out however, his non-traditional stance toward emotion and his romantic interest with Miss Moore simply came about (the two were related, more often than not). It kinda makes me wonder, just how will he continue to develop?

Do you think it is easier or more difficult to play someone based on yourself?
I think it's both. Now, let me try and explain my "copout" answer. Playing a character based heavily on yourself can be hard if you let things that get to your character get to you as well. For example, someone who hurls an insult at the character's personality isn't necessarily directing it at you personally, but it can certainly seem that way sometimes. Of course, it makes the matter of deciding how your character would react in a given situation a lot simpler as well. You just have to ask, "What would I do?"

So far, what is your favourite part about being a member of FedSpace?
I'd say it's the fact that we get to play out our own adventures based on some of the greatest series in Sci-Fi history, and that we get to do so with players from all over the world. I think that the fact that Fed-Space has thrived for 11 years and established such a strong community speaks volumes for its effectiveness at allowing doing just that.

If you were president for a day, what would you change?
Our President and site administrators do an excellent job keeping all of us together, an I couldn't even start to pretend that I could do as well as they can.

What makes a good Ship/Station?
The people. If the players on a ship are truly excited about the game, and keep that enthusiasm, then a successful ship will build itself as a result. The challenge that faces the CO/FO team is to make sure that their players' enthusiasm and excitement persist.

If you could name your own ship, what would you name it and why?
I named a pair of ships in my 2010 short story entry, the USS Sekigahara and the USS \Hideyoshi. They were sister ships named after a key battle in Japanese history and one of the Daimyos from that battle. But if I were going to name a ship of my own, to be a PC ship, I'd have to name it after major American battle, or Capital city. USS Shiloh, Atlanta, or Richmond might be examples, but nothing solid.

What do you spend your time outside of FedSpace doing?
I am a Department Manager for a retail grocery store. I run the Fuel Department, the gas station off to the side. It's not what I see myself doing forever; I have a B.S. in Agriculture Science that I plan to use in the long run. I also am a student of Karate. I've only been training for about three months so I'm still a White Belt, but I am excited about my upcoming testing for Yellow Belt. As far as freetime, a lot of that goes to FedSpace, but the rest is mostly split between Lord of the Rings Online, and my Girlfriend, Autumn (who I have yet to convince to join FedSpace).

What is your favourite Star Trek series?
I may be in the minority, but my favorite Trek series is Voyager. Somehow the overall story of them trying to find their way home appealed to me. It also helps that it happened to fall that it was the series that was new and ongoing "in my day". I fell in love with the characters, and couldn't wait to see the next week's episode. I even programmed that ancient dinosaur called a VCR to record it when I couldn't watch it on TV. My best friend and I would discuss all things Star Trek at school, and start speculating on what would happen next. Man, those were simpler times.

If you watched the movies, which one was your favorite?
Nemesis is my favorite of the movies. I know it's not considered FedSpace canon, but I have drawn inspiration from it before. The plot held my attention, the special effects were awesome, and the battle scenes were intense, even moreso than my second favorite, Generations. All the movies are good though.

Do you have a favourite line or phrase from either a show or movie?
"Mr. Kim, we're Starfleet Officers. Weird is part of the job..." Capt Janeway to Ens Kim. A more serious favorite line also comes from Janeway, "Fear exists for one reason. To be conquered." Sound advice, that.

Do you have a favourite character from the shows and why?
The Doctor from VOY. His sarcastic wit amused me to no end, and his quest for personal growth and development never ended. Honestly, the first character concept I had (before I read the rules) was a sentient hologram inspired by our lovable EMH.

What piece of Star Trek Technology would you most like to see today?
Transporters. The ability to transport materials and personnel across any distance instantly would revolutionize every industry in the world. Shipping, Grocery, Wholesale, Travel, Tourism, you name it. Emergency crews could beam the critically injured directly into an Operating room, items purchased online would arrive in seconds or minutes, not days or weeks. Plus, on a more personal note, I mentioned my Girlfriend before... Well, transporters would make the miles between us disappear.

What was it about Star Trek that made you fall in love with the show?
The futuristic technology. I loved the sci-fi dream world of Star Trek from the start. Of course, as I got older I came to appreciate the social and political commentary and such as well.

What FedSpace player would you most like to meet in real life?
I can't pick just one! Ahh! Paul, Sarah, Jordan, and Amanda. We all talk over MSN all the time. Maybe we can have a big Tico meet up at a con or something? We can dream big, can't we?

Do you feel there is any disconnect between you and other players based on geographical location?
On the contrary, I think the geographical differences between us help make the site more diverse. Sure, it can get annoying when you want to discuss something with someone, but they aren't online because it's 3am where they're at, but that's what email is for. Overall, I think our different cultures and points of view have a positive effect more than a negative one.

What is in your FedSpace future, for yourself and for your character?
Well, Tokat has just recently undergone Pon'Farr and taken his mate, Lieutenant Amanda Moore (NPC played by Hauser). The two of them still have to deal with the aftermath of that situation, so that'll be coming up during Shore leave. Tokat is currently in command of the \i{Ticonderoga} during the co-op Mission with the 4th Fleet, so he'll get to spend a little more time filling the center chair as the mission continues. As far as long term goals go? Time will have to tell, won't it?

Thank you to Jacob 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 21103.01

Please join me in welcoming all the recent graduates to Federation Space! Please note that this table reflects the new Midshipman who graduated in January.

Rank Name Ship
Tac-mid.jpg Trac Klapphroth USS Columbia, FF-6145
Tac-mid.jpg Lee Dyson USS Titan, CL-2007
Sci-mid.jpg Persephone Nox USS Sheridan, DD-4086

Trek News

Reviews

Star Trek: Destiny

RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21103.01

Surprisingly, I haven’t read that many Star Trek books in my lifetime. The number is perhaps less than one dozen. When I’d first started reading Trek books, I’d found a few I’d enjoyed (Genesis Wave, Corps of Engineers series, Crucible: McCoy). But then I had a string of awful ones, and that was it. I couldn't face them anymore.

Then this past fall I decided I’d look into Trek novels again. A new series was being released by David Mack: Typhon Pact. I felt a fresh start would be for the best.

When the book finally arrived at my local bookstore, I immediately dove into it. Then I realized… I had to go back and read some other ones first so that I could bring myself up to date with the universe. The in-story time line had progressed a fair amount from where I had left it after Star Trek: Nemesis.

Not wanting to go back to right to where Nemesis had left it, I went back a few years to 2008. David Mack had written another series, Star Trek: Destiny, of which I’d picked up the first book from a thrift store. Star Trek: Destiny: Gods of Night had been sitting on my shelf for at least a year. When I’d initially bought it I’d tried reading it, but ultimately being burned out of Trek books, I’d maybe gotten a chapter or two in before giving up on it.

Was I ever pleasantly surprised at the end of last year when I gave Destiny another go. I practically devoured the first book!

The series weaves in characters from all four of the modern-day Trek television series, with Picard, Riker, and Dax and their crews playing central roles throughout the books. In the past I’ve found when I read books that focus on established characters from the TV series that I can’t take them seriously. It always feels like I’m reading halfhearted attempts at the characters I’ve come to love, or cheesy one shots or special appearances just to tie the book in to canon. Writing here on FedSpace with so many high caliber writers, I suppose I've come to hold Trek canon to a higher level now.

I found that David Mack managed to stay true to the characters, despite several years having passed since their last appearance on TV or film. I can logically picture how these characters have matured – for example, how Ezri Dax really comes into her own as a Fleet officer and commanding officer.

The story centers on a pending invasion of the Federation by the Borg. However the Borg have changed their tactics. Rather than simply assimilating the cultures and people they come across, they simply annihilate them leaving nothing in their wake. This means Starfleet needs to change their tactics as well and come up with a way to one-up against a species that doesn’t care how many losses they themselves take.

While trying to find solutions, an old United Earth Space Probe Agency / pre-Federation Starfleet starship is discovered, the Columbia, NX-02.

Spanning three books – Gods of Night, Mere Mortals, and Lost Souls – this series is worth getting through until the end. And while there are times the storyline is predictable, I would definitely recommend these books for any regular Trek novel readers or for anyone looking to get into Trek novels.


Trek Trivia

RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 21103.01

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. Good luck!

This Month's Questions

Q10. Name this technology.

1. The Horta found what aspect of Spock's appearance most appealing?
2. In "Hide and Q," the Q-empowered Riker offered to fulfill Data's fondest wish. What was that?
3. Who first recruited Odo to be chief of security aboard Deep Space 9?
4. B'Elanna Torres once reprogrammed a Cardassian missile to attack Cardassian targets in the Alpha Quadrant, only to be confronted with it again in the Delta Quadrant. What was the missile's code name?
5. True or False: V'ger was originally a space probe named Voyager VII.
6. Before she joined the crew of the Enterprise-D, Ro Laren had served aboard what ship?
7. According to Spock, what device is the basis for every important piece of equipment used by Starfleet?
8. Sylvia used a human form to try to seduce Kirk, but what animal form did she take to attack him when he rebuffed her?
9. According to Seven of Nine in "Hope and Fear," ___________________ is a word that humans use far too often.
10. Name the technology pictured to the right.

Submit your answers or email them.

Last Month's Answers

A10. This species is Takarian.

1. Who was James T Kirk's nemesis at Starfleet Academy?

  • Finnegan

2. By what title did Picard frequently address Riker?

  • Number One

3. Name the Bajoran scientist who raised Odo.

  • Dr Mora Pol

4. Who arranged Tom Paris's release from a Federation penal colony?

  • Kathryn Janeway

5. Who had left Starfleet but was brought back to service in The Motion Picture via a "reserve activation clause"?

  • Leonard McCoy

6. Rom once started a labour union after being inspired by _____________'s ancestor.

  • Miles O'Brien

7. From what plant did Professor Robert Crater claim Crewman Darnell died after investigating?

  • Borgia plant

8. Who is James Kirk's nephew?

  • Peter Kirk

9. Which series does the episode "Allegiance" belong to?

  • The Next Generation

10. Name the species pictured to the right.

Last Month's Winners

1. Azernal Rin
1. Alice Dega
2. Rachel Christie

All Around Champs

Rank Player Score
1. Alice Dega 14
2. Azernal Rin 13
3. Jonathan Cooper 12
4. Alexis Tregelen 8
5. Rachel Christie 6
Hall of Fame
Player Points Year
Kyle DeWitt 86 2010
Laura Macleod 91 2009

Joke of the Month

Top 10 Classes at Starfleet Academy

  • 10) Command 302: Wining in No-Win Situations
  • 9) Communications 101: Opening Hailing Frequencies
  • 8) Space Law 206: Avoiding Court-Martial
  • 7) Navigation 101: Standard Orbits
  • 6) Philosophy 203: Why All Major Systems Fail at the Same Time
  • 5) Command 255: Choosing Minor Landing Party Members Who Will Die
  • 4) Astrophysics 199: Recognizing Unknown Phenomenon
  • 3) Command 309: Creative Obedience to Starfleet Orders
  • 2) Engineering 422: Making Radical Technological Advances Under Time Pressure
  • 1) Space Law 499: The Prime Directive and How to get around it

Science News

Astropic

March2011astropic.jpg
Discovery Visits the Space Station
Credit: Space Shuttle STS-133 Crew, Space Station Expedition 26 Crew, NASA

Astronomy News

The Last Flight of Discovery

NINA GARCIA JENKINS
Staff Reporter
Stardate 21103.01

NASA and the United States will be saying a fond farewell to the Shuttle Discovery. The Space Shuttle program is coming to an end as the United States hopes to find a better heavy lift system.

Discovery will take its last flight into space in February and will land for the last time on March 9, 2011. The mission is to deliver supplies to the International Space Station. This final flight has been delayed a couple times due to bad weather and worries about the parts on the shuttle.

Discovery took 39 trips to space in its history with NASA. It’s one of the most capable shuttles in the United States fleets of shuttles. It took its first trip to space in 1984. It was the third orbiter in the shuttle fleet and is currently the oldest of the NASA shuttles. It went through some major refits over the years in order to keep up with the changing technology. One of the most important missions, it launched the Hubble telescope. It has also carried John Glenn when he returned to space at the age of 77. Plus Discovery has been twice been used as the first shuttle to take flight after a disaster (both Columbia and Challenger disasters).

But the end of Discovery and the end of the Shuttle Program (in June 2011) also leaves a hole in the United States’ space lift capability. Since the 80s, the shuttles have been the sole way to do heavy lift capability while at the same time, carry astronauts. By retiring Discovery, this means the only nation capable of manned heavy lifts are the Russians for future International Space Station missions. Although there are some new ships in the works but none of them are on target.

So while we may be welcoming Discovery into the arms of retirement. It won’t be without some sadness. It’s the end to a legendary career in space.

This Month in Astronomy History

MIR

NINA GARCIA JENKINS
Staff Reporter
Stardate 21103.01

Mir Space station came to a crashing end by falling into the Pacific Ocean in 2001.

Mir Space Station was launched by the Soviets in 1986. It outlasted the Soviet Union and spent most of its time in space as part of the Russian space program. Mir was the first consistently inhabited long-term research station in space and held the world record for the longest inhabited space vehicle in space until October 23, 2010. Mir also was home to one of the first stations to house international crews: which included astronauts/cosmonauts from twelve different nations.

Mir space station’s fate was determined by lack of funding and age. In 1999, it was announced that the Mir would be shut down. Although there were attempts to fix Mir and use it for private ventures in 2000, the station was doomed. After Russia started to commit more to the International Space Station, Mir’s fate was sealed. In 2001, the station was deorbited in three states to help limit the damage to the shuttle. The final deorbit was more unstable then was anticipated and it was completely destroyed upon landing into the Pacific Ocean.