FNN Edition 5

Breaking News

ACAMAR FALLS

BREAKING NEWS --- ACAMAR FALLS --- BREAKING NEWS --- ACAMAR FALLS

Reports are flooding in to the FNN that the Acamar system, a key Federation system, has fallen after a several week struggle. The FNN had heard rumors that they were unable to confirm due to restricted traveling abilities brought on by the war, that the Acamar system had fallen under attack nearly a week ago. It has now been confirmed that the Acamar system was indeed attacked by the Romulan Star Empire. According to FNN journalist Kevin Avery the outer defenses of Acamar fell within two days and the actual planet several weeks later.

It is expected that later today the leader of Acamar, Sovereign Ranool, will officially sign a document of allegiance to the Romulan Star Empire, and the Praetor; and officially declared Acamar no longer part of the United Federation of Planets. It is also believed that remaining members of Star Fleet and the Federation have seventy-two hours to vacate the Acamar system.

Preliminary reports indicate that during the battle of Acamar over 100,000 Star Fleet officers are dead, injured or captured and that over two and a half million Acamarians were killed trying to defend their planet. Many are outraged by the Federation’s lack of defense of the Acamar system. Many ask why the same fleet that had been assigned to protect a Star Fleet run starbase was not also sent to protect much larger and more populate system.

This lack of action by Star Fleet certainly has members of the Federation wondering if they will be protected from the threats of the Romulan Star Empire, or if Star Fleet systems and bases the only priority.

FLEET SHAKEUPS

KEVIN AVERY
Fleet News Editor
Stardate 20809.03

In an unexpected move the Star Fleet vessel USS Pulsar was removed from mothballs early today. The USS Pulsar is a famous Battleship that was retired several years ago. Her previous commanding officer was none other than current President, former Fleet Admiral Jon Beckett.

It is currently unclear what caused the retired ship to be brought back to life but it does come on the heels of several shakeups fleet wide. As announced previously Admiral Dan Wueste was recently named the Group Commander of the First Battle Group. While at the time it was unclear where the Enterprise would end up it can now be confirmed that Enterprise has been named to a Special Operations group.

Other shakeups have been confirmed and the FNN is pleased to announce that current Captain Alanna Treborn has been promoted to Group Commander of the Third Exploration group. Captain Treborn replaces the recently retired Commodore Jal, previously of the USS Darwin.

Star Fleet News

Star Fleet Headlines

New Battle Group Commander

KEVIN AVERY
Fleet News Editor
Stardate 20809.01

The FNN is proud to be the first to release breaking news that the First Battle Group will be undergoing another change. As many know, in recent months the first battle group had seen several small shake-ups in what is known was a move to strengthen the group foe the war with the Romulans.

Just recently the FNN, via a top official in Star Fleet, has learned that the battle group in charge of leading the war with the Romulan Star Empire is undergoing more changes. According the to the top level official in Star Fleet, who wished to remain unnamed, Rear Admiral Daniel Wueste- current Commanding Officer of the USS Dauntless BC-1533 has been named the Group Commander of the First Battle Group.

According to research done by the FNN Vice Admiral Matthew Thrawn, Commanding Officer of the previous flagship of the First Battle Group the USS Enterprise CV-07 has not stepped down as CO of the vessel. It is currently unclear what the Enterprise and her commanding officer will be doing in the future but some have arisen and said that Star Fleet Command has deemed Thrawn not able to lead the Federation in a time of war.

Whatever the cause of the change, or what is in store for both highly decorated Star Fleet Officers the FNN and citizens of the Federation can only hope that Rear Admiral Wueste is able to lead and defend the Federation during its current crisis.

Highly Decorated Commodore Resigns From Star Fleet

KEVIN AVERY
Fleet News Editor
Stardate 20809.01

Only a few months ago I had the privilege of sitting down with one of the Federation’s most highly decorated Commodores. I spoke with Kinziri Jal onboard a Starbase as the trill woman awaited to take command of a brand new Star Fleet vessel.

Jal had originally decided to leave behind her career in Star Fleet when she met and married her current husband. Star Fleet however was able to talk the woman out of retirement to once again lead the Third Exploration Group. Jal’s career history includes being the commanding officer of the USS Dauntless when it was the flagship of the Third Exploration Group, as well as the first Commanding Officer of the USS Darwin GEC-9000.

It was merely weeks into the first mission of the USS Darwin when once again Jal decided that it was time for her to move on from her Star Fleet career. After an incident that forced the Darwin back in to space dock the Commodore once again resigned her comission in Star Fleet to pursue her family and what life outside of Star Fleet will offer.

The FNN would like to wish Jal a pleasant retirement as well as thank her for her years of service to the Fleet. According to a friend of Jhesev, the husband of Jal, the two are expecting their first child. This however has not been confirmed but the FNN wishes Jal and Jhesev success in all that they do.

Fleet News

Ships Go Separate Ways
KEVIN AVERY
Fleet News Editor
Stardate 20809.01

Just weeks after declaring war on the Romulan Star Empire and the massive battle of Starbase 157 Star Fleet has sent many of the fleets vessels off in different directions. It is debated whether or not the Federation could truly claim victory during the costly battle with the Romulans, but one thing is for sure. Neither side has admitted any kind of defeat or surrender, something that raises a disturbing question: When will the Romulan Star Empire strike next and will the fleet be prepared to deal with the situation.

For two weeks now several protestors have gathered outside key Star Fleet buildings, including the Academy, Tactical Headquarters, and of course the Presidents office. Despite the groups of protestors it appears that most of the Federation citizens are behind the war with the Romulans. The Academy has also still seen an increase in number of Cadets despite the daily protest.

Opinions

He Who Desires Peace Should Prepare for War
ANONYMOUS
Opinions / Editorial
Stardate 20809.01

It is with great sadness that I read the FNN "opinion" on Stardate 20808.01 by the "Citizens for Peace" group. The worst part was that they claimed to, if not speak FOR us who serve in Star Fleet, then at least on our behalf. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Behind all those fancy clichés about "Our sons and daughters, our nieces and nephews, or aunts, sisters, parents" (that is us who have chosen to serve the Federation in Star Fleet) lies the age-old naïve view of "If we just back off we can all get along". That attitude has had disastrous consequences throughout the history of my homeworld, Earth, and I would not be surprised if this also was true of other worlds.

The fact of the matter is that the Romulan Empire must be stopped. It has no interest in peaceful coexisting in the long run. A prolonged cease-fire, to allow for reorganization and rearmament? Sure. A truly lasting peace? No. Not until the banner of the Romulan Empire flies across every corner of the galaxy. It is the duty of all sentient, peace-loving species to resist that "Lebensraum"-thinking, and to resist it by force if need be. "Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum", that is: "Therefore, he who desires peace should prepare for war". There has never in the cause of sentient life been a single GOOD war. War is never good, period! But there have been several necessary wars, wars that, although horrific, served a greater good. The war against Nazi-Germany on Earth is only one example - I could be here all day if I should make a list.

I am tired of pacifists hiding behind the "our family is out there" argument, trying to convince the rest of us that all war is per definition always wrong because fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters fight them, and sometimes die. A line of reasoning so flawed and illogical that even I, who doesn't have a single drop of Vulcan blood in me, can see that it makes no sense. But ok - I'll go along with that. As far as losses and worries go, my royal straight flush beats all of your 2-2's. My father has been recalled to the captaincy of a ship square in the middle of the fight (and I myself have only just been re-assigned to a ship away from the front lines - and have both bled and killed for the Federation). Do I worry about losing my father? Of course! What kind of person wouldn't? But neither has it shaken my beliefs in the fact that our cause is just and necessary.

Why not simply come out and admit the truth, all you pacifists out there? The truth is that although family relations probably DO influence that faulty line of reasoning somewhat, the primary reason is naive on the level of a 3-year old. "If we just sit down and talk about it, it will all be fine". You will find no people more committed to peace than the men and women who serve in Star Fleet. I long for the day where Star Fleet can focus fully on the exploratory and scientific aspects of our mission, but that day has not come yet, and will unfortunately probably not come for several centuries or millennia. Not until the galaxy is united in a single Federation, and until that day comes, we need to have our proverbial swords sharpened, and go to war as often as our enemies force war upon us. It is people like you who would be the end of the Federation if you had the chance - and I have more than once suspected the "Citizens for peace" organization of being 5th column infiltrators, trying to destabilize the Federation to better defeat us. I will not claim this as a fact, since I have no proof, but I DO find it odd that you people fail to see what sentient species have been seeing since the dawn of time, and the Federation since its birth, that the ONLY way to achieve a lasting peace is make the enemy think twice before attacking you. And this is NOT achieved by handing him flowers or a horga'hn. If you people had had your way, there would not even have BEEN a Federation in the first place - because various tyrants on the founding planets would have prevailed over those liberal societies who, by force, dethroned them and in doing so paved the way for the global, democratic governments that were a necessity in the forming of the Federation"

Your "sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, or aunts, sisters, parents" are not pleased with your wanting to undermine the war effort, and naive pacifism. It sickens us.

Rethink the Prime Directive
ANONYMOUS
Opinions / Editorial
Stardate 20809.01

The Federation, and especially Star Fleet, likes to have the high moral ground. We like being able to look around and puff up and feel superior because we don’t interfere with pre-warp cultures. The humans in Star Fleet like to feel proud that we’ve learned our lesson from the days of our ancestors when we shamelessly exploited the people and the lands of cultures less civilized than our own. Now, should we stumble across such a culture, we leave them untouched, unblemished; pristine, and we certainly don’t use them for our own ends—except for when we do. It lets us turn a blind eye to events that we rather not see, while sometimes tossing the whole concept out the window when it suits, making us hypocrites. It’s a convenient crutch, one whose purpose is even questionable at its face value. I propose that it is time to throw out the Prime Directive and begin life anew without it. The Federation will be stronger for it.

Having such a staid policy is great—when it actually works. In reality, there have been far too many moments of us picking and choosing when to interfere and when to turn a blind eye. There are many instances of interference, from some of the earliest days of Star Fleet (such as arming formerly pacifist races to counter a Klingon move to arm their enemies and deactivating a care-taking computer that Kirk deemed to be “preventing” the group’s development) to more recent times, where there have been numerous instances of violations of both the “original” Prime Directive as well as the Temporal Prime Directive. For instance, there are rumors that Romulan involvement in the Federation/Dominion war didn’t just happen along when it did purely by chance. While there is no proof that we provoked the Romulans into the war by faking a Dominion assassination of Romulan Senators, there is some evidence to suggest that perhaps the Federation doesn’t always keep its hands so clean. What we do have more concrete proof of is what could be considered direct interference in the development of Bajor, and the path that it took to almost join the Federation. That the Federation allowed the Occupation to occur, yet gladly jumped on the chance to guide Bajor after is best left for another discussion.

When the Cardassians pulled out of Bajor, the Federation it was agreed would take over the now abandoned Terok Nor. Then Commander Sisko arrived on the station and within days of his arrival had been declared the Emissary—a link to the Prophets, the gods that the Bajorans believed in and gave power to. In theory, right then and there, he should have been relieved of command of Deep Space Nine, because of the inherent conflict of interest. But he wasn’t. Granted, at the beginning of his tenure, he did not fully embrace his role and it could be said that he didn’t directly cause any shift of development. And then one day, he had a vision. He had a vision of locusts swarming Bajor and warned that to join the Federation would bring about Bajor’s demise. So they didn’t join. If a Star Fleet officer advising a people to not join the Federation based on a vision—that they took as the words of a Star Fleet officer as the words of their gods isn’t interference, then what exactly is? And yet, even though it was noted that he should be reprimanded (if not worse) for such interference, nothing happened to Sisko as a result. If they are going to interfere and they aren’t going to follow-through on the punishment for such interference, then there isn’t much point in keeping the Prime Directive, is there?

Finally, the Prime Directive puts us at a disadvantage. While we wish to stay neutral, our enemies may not, rather, they may be all to happy to step in and try and give one side or another a hand, knowing they’ll gain influence and possibly territory, by intervening. I’m not saying that this is a good, or that we should start doing this ourselves, but we must be able to step in when it is necessary to protect our borders if we see others. If the other side has been aiding border systems and we have not, who are they going to join? Who are they going to turn to, them, or us? These civilizations are not going to stay at an earlier stage of development forever, especially if they’ve been given a hand. It’s not something to be abused, and I think that it can be safely said that almost no Star Fleet personnel would abuse such a right, but it is something that we must have as an option for us, especially during these unstable times.

At the end of the day, the major goal of the Prime Directive is rather straightforward: to not interfere in the development of less technologically-advanced cultures. Simple enough. Since the Federation doesn’t impose penalties on citizens who don’t comply, it means the ones who have to worry about interfering are Star Fleet personal. Why do need this rule? It’s a safe bet to say that crews won’t be heading to pre-warp worlds for R & R any time soon. When looking for new resources, there are plenty of uninhabited planets within Federation space that are plum for the picking and don’t require engagement with civilization of any kind. If a world is pre-warp, then they likely haven’t made First Contact and wouldn’t know to reach out to the wider galaxy to call for assistance. So really, what incentive is there to even go to a pre-warp world? You could argue about the mission to “seek out new life and new civilizations,” but that’s effectively limited to those cultures that are sufficiently advanced for us to interact with anyway. Therefore, if you trust in your commanders to follow the missions within the general guidelines set out, then they should be able to trust them to do the job properly, with or without the Prime Directive looming overhead. A relaxing of, or better still, removal of the rules won’t change the core principles that the Federation was founded on, or suddenly result in a military all too eager to stick their nose in where it doesn’t belong. It will remove the hypocrisy of saying we don’t interfere when we do, it will give us flexibility when we need it most.

Like the pre-warp civilizations it tries to protect, Star Fleet is a living, breathing entity that is growing and changing. It’s time to recognize that we ourselves have changed and that the Prime Directive no longer serves the purpose it once did. Let’s free ourselves from the restraints and continue to grow. It’s the best option for Star Fleet and for the Federation.

One-on-One

Commander Gaelio Princip
KEVIN AVERY
Fleet News Editor
Stardate 20809.01

This interview takes place as the USS Sheridan is en-route to the Rosox System. The Rosox system is a small pre-warp system a few light years from Earth. FNN Reporter Kevin Avery was able to put through a sub-space transmission with Commander Gaelio Princip, First Officer of the USS Sheridan DD-4086. Commander Princip is a five foot four inch Andorian who recently took over the First Officer job on the Destroyer.

FNN: I would like to thank you Commander Princip for taking a few minutes of your very busy day to speak with the FNN. Princip: It's no problem at all, it will be nice to have a few minutes of sane conversation.

FNN: Commander please tell the FNN audience a little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up? Princip: I grew up all over the place, born on Andoria, but soon moved to Earth Colony V with my mother

FNN: Was it on that Earth Colony that you first learned about Star Fleet? Princip: Well in a way yes, I can't remember when I first learned of Star Fleet's existence, I had always known as my father served on the USS Dublin, but never during my early life did I intend to follow him into Star Fleet

FNN: What was your father's role on the USS Dublin? Was he in command as you are? Princip: No he was a Tactical Officer, working mostly in navigation, occasionally serving the Helm during night cycle.

FNN: According to your record you began your career in Medicine. What made you choose a career in the medical field? Princip: Well, after my mother passed away from an illness I was brought aboard the USS Dublin by my father and with it being a relatively small ship I got known, my main pass time was to go into sickbay where I had made some particular friends, from there, seeing the work they did and learning so much through observation, I felt at the time if I was to go into Star Fleet then Medicine would be my ideal department

Princip’s feeling at the time seemed to carry over with the Andorian. His career record displays several awards and recognitions for his work in the medical field. Before being named First Officer, Princip was the Chief Medical Officer on the vessel. While serving in that position he has saved the lives of the crew of the Sheridan countless times.

FNN: Have you served on the USS Sheridan since graduating the Academy? Princip: Yes the Sheridan was my first assignment and I can't say I have much intention of changing that; I have been here a long time now so it really is my home.

FNN: What are some of the biggest changes you have seen on the Sheridan in the years you have been aboard it? Princip: Well I suppose the biggest would have to be the change of the actual ship itself after the recent battle of 157, after the ship... accidentally hitting a Romulan Ship we were given a Sun-Tzu refit and had it renamed.

FNN: How are the crew of the 4486 refit and the original crew of the USS Sheridan getting along? Princip: Not quite as well as I personally would have hoped, they work together, but there is a lot of hard feeling as the original Sheridan crew seems to get first pick at promotions and what not, this is considered unfair by the 4486 members of the crew

FNN: According to records the Sheridan has recently had several shifts in its senior staff. Can you tell us why you were promoted to First Officer, and what happened to the previous First Officer? Princip: Unfortunately there was an incident during battle 157, some sort of temporal shift. Personally there is little I know, but medically it has caused mayhem for many Star Fleet personnel present at the time. The act of being killed then brought back to life has caused severe post traumatic stress to officers, including Commander Ralston, it was decided that things would be easier on him if he was given lighter duties so now he has resumed his previous position

During some research it was discovered that Princip’s father was killed by a group of pirate Klingons. It is believed that the Andorian is not fond of Klingons because of this incident.

FNN: How do you feel about the new senior staff? Is it a good fit? How do you feel about having a part Klingon serving in a leadership position on the vessel? Princip: Well from a personal point of view I am a little... anxious around Klingons, but I know Mr. Hendrix well having served with him in intense situations, I don't see him as a Klingon particularly I see him as our chief of security and a fine job he is doing, I believe that our new senior staff is one of the most stable that the Sheridan has had for years, Lt McKenzie who has taken over from me in Sickbay has really made a good impression with me, she knows exactly what she is doing and what she wants

In the last several months two former Chief Medical Officers have been named First Officers. It is curious that candidates without command or tactical experience are being named to command positions during a time of war.

FNN: Commander I will not keep you much longer, but I have to ask: Do you feel up to the task and challenge of leading one of the fleets few Destroyers during a time of war having little tactical or command experience? Princip: I would not have the accepted the position if I did not feel I was up to the task, this will be a learning curve for me I do admit, but how else is such experience to be gained, with the crew backing me 100 percent I feel confident that I will make best of my position

FNN: Commander Princip I thank you once again for your time today. The FNN and I would like to wish the Sheridan the best of luck wherever the Federation sends her next.

Princip: Thank you very much

FedSpace News

FedSpace Headlines

Votes Pour in Regarding Name Change

VERNON IGNOFFO
Opinions Editor
Stardate 20808.27

On Stardate 20808.22 President Beckett began a topic in the “Red Alert” section of Federation Space. In the topic he placed to a democratic vote the final say in profile formatting here on FedSpace.

The three options are: 1) Rank Last Name (Ex. Lt Smith) 2) Last Name, First Name (Ex. Smith, John) 3) Rank Last Name, First Name (Ex. Lt Smith, John)

This FNN journalist would first like to extend its thanks to President Jon Beckett for even placing this to a vote. Federation Space is a privately owned, and financed website and it is truly a testament to President Beckett’s desire to see it succeed to see his asking our opinion.

With that said, please allow me to fill you in with how the results have to far pooled in. [Please note that this pool of results was taken August 27th and therefore will not reflect votes cast after that date]

Option #1: 44 votes Option #2: 19 votes Option #3: 7 votes

It appears that most of the Federation Space members have grown accustomed to the design we have now been using for several weeks and are content to keep it that way.

20 Questions

Lieutenant Callum Hicks
VERNON IGNOFFO
Opinions Editor
Stardate 20809.01

This month we get to learn more about Paul Wilson, currently playing Lieutenant Callum Hicks on Space Station Sierra 18.

Age, Sex, Location?
37, Male, UK North East of England.

When did you start playing on FedSpace?
August 2006.

What brought you to FedSpace?
It was the result of a quiet day at work and general internet browsing - wasn't looking for RPG's or anything in particular - I can't remember how I happened across FedSpace but once I'd found it I thought it would be interesting.

Tell me a little about the process of developing your character.
Well I was in the Royal Navy when I was younger, which is why I got interested in Star Trek to start with. I always thought that I would love to be serving aboard a starship so when it came down to my characters gender and species then it's simply just me. As to department I have been a first aider in a number of my jobs so it seemed a decent choice and one that I could pull off, even though I was an engineer in the Navy. Hicks personality is a bit of a mix actually - I just made it up as I went along.

Do you think it is easier or more difficult to play someone who has a basis in real life?
Hmmm. I suppose it would be fairly easy to play a character based on yourself, but in my opinion it wouldn't be as much fun. Although Hicks looks like me, my personality isn't really in there. I have done a bit of acting in my time and the one thing I like about is the opportunity to be someone else. It's the same in FedSpace. I get to react in ways that I never would - and that's fun.

With your specialty being in Engineering, but your Character being a Doctor, do you ever find yourself being too technical or wanting to help on an engineering problem?
I don't find myself wanting to help out in Engineering. Sierra 18's engineering department is excellent as it is. But I do find myself being very technical sometimes. Whether that is 'too' technical is a different matter. I don't suppose it gets noticed in my posts as it's the story around the technicalities that counts. It's just me being picky with myself. I've always found medicine and engineering to have similarities anyway.

What surprises have happened that caused your characters to develop differently then you had envisioned?
My promotion to CMO. It's made a huge difference to Hicks. He has responsibility now and I find that he has to act a lot differently. That has been a real character development that I wasn't figuring on so soon and I've seen Hicks grow quite rapidly on the confidence front.

Do you feel there is any disconnect between you and other players based on geographical location?
A little, maybe. It's not down to the distance between us though. It's more down to the time differences. I lead quite a busy life and so don't often have the luxury of staying up late and so don't get much opportunity to speak to my crewmates across the pond as I'm always in bed when they are online.

What do you see as some goals for the future of your character?
One thing I haven't had the chance to do yet is promote somebody in game. I can't wait for that to happen because even though it is a game you do feel a certain sense of pride in those in your department. I would love my own command one day. My only fear of that is leaving the medical department.

So far, what is your favorite part about being a member of FedSpace?
Without a shadow of a doubt it's those who are in FedSpace with me. First and foremost it's interacting with the different characters and there are some truly excellent players around. But every now and again you get to know the people behind the characters too and it's always good to make new friends.

What activities outside of your main PC do you partake in on FedSpace?
I have a Temp NPC Luke Hardy who is a Medical Assistant and an NPC Nurse Katy Maplin. I have just been recruited as a GM too but I'm just finding my feet in that department.

Do you feel that activities outside your main PC have helped you stay involved on FedSpace?
Yes - definitely. Part of my real life job involves CAD (computer aided design) and I do a lot of engineering drawing for the firm I work for. I have used those skills to do some drawings for FedSpace. I have designed S18's sickbay and helped out with doing the drawings for the Command Deck. I have also recently done some drawings for the Gettysburg and really enjoyed all of that. I've always had love of designing stuff and used various software to achieve what I want. I've also created some Character Images in photshop for some players (including my own obviously - I don't actually own that uniform - lol).

If you were President for a day, what would you change?
Until you asked I've never even considered it and to be honest I'm happy with what I do and where I am. I was happy when I joined and I have seen improvements, the likes of our very own Wiki site. It was good before but it's even better now with player resources getting more and more extensive. Whilst typing this I've been racking my brains to come up with something I would change. One thing I would like is more opportunities to react with other crews instead of just in OOC as in Hailing Frequencies. I thought that may happen when the USS Yeager crew became Space Station Sierra 18. I envisioned the other crews/ships docking with us and getting to meet all the characters and that excited me. There are a lot of players out there who Hicks has never met and that would be cool.

If you could name your own ship, what would you name it?
The USS Raleigh or the USS Sultan. HMS Raliegh was where I did my basic training in the Navy and HMS Sultan was where I did mechanical training.

What is your favorite Star Trek series and who is(are) your favorite character(s)?
The Next Generation. I mentioned in one of the Hailing Frequency threads that I was never a fan of the Original Series. When I came out of the Navy I was out of work when TNG hit our screens. I mentally groaned at the prospect but as it played in the background I realized I was watching a futuristic Navy. That's how I got hooked and it will always be my first love. And besides, Captain Picard reminded me of a divisional officer I once had. Not in looks but in leadership styles. My favorite characters are Captain Picard, the Doctor from Voyager and Chief O'Brien.

What piece of StarTrek Technology would you most like to see today?
Transporters so I wouldn't have to pay today's petrol prices. Lol. Oh and holodecks.

What do you spend your time outside of FedSpace doing?
I volunteer with a charity that works with drug addicts, prostitutes and the homeless. That really takes up quite a lot of my time and I get to drive a double deck bus which is cool. I also love the cinema. Me and my friend have unlimited membership cards so we can go as often as we like and only pay a set price each month.

What person would you most like to meet in real life?
I'd like to meet Rich who plays Dietrich Kaiser on S18. I'm sure we have a lot in common.

What character would you most like to meet in real life?
Well that falls to my new Middie Elliot Rice. I've loved his character so far and he's helped me to develop Hicks too in his leadership/DH role.

If there was something you would want everyone to know about you, what would that be?
That I'm a Christian.

Thanks to Paul Wilson for granting us the time for this interview. If you are interested in being interviewed, please send an email to Vernon Ignoffo at the.cute.birl@gmail.com.

Star Trek News

Movie News

Irony-Free Zone
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-In-Chief
Stardate 20809.01

Simon Pegg, the actor who plays Scotty in the upcoming Star Trek movie, says this new flick will not be a parody or an attempt to closely mimic the original Star Trek series. Instead, Pegg said, the actors all tried to pay tribute to The Original Series without mocking the original actors portrayal.

“It’s proper to the pantheon,” Pegg said, “But J. J. kept reminding us this is not a parody of any kind. We were all keen to avoid playing the actors from the old series, but instead play our characters as we saw fit.” All of the actors feel responsible and are eager to see what reaction the fan audience has to the film – but they are all aware that they won’t be able to please everyone, no matter how hard they try.

Pegg reassures that the new movie will be an irony-free zone, void of sly winks, spoofy nudges, or over exaggerated references to the Original Series of which the movie is based. The new Star Trek movie releases May 8, 2009.

Read more.

Reviews

Book: Daedalus's Children
Daedalus’s Children
AUTHOR: Dave Stern
PAGES: 384
SERIES: Enterprise
REVIEWER: Rachel Christie
RATING: 4/5

DESCRIPTION:
Crippled by a freak accident, Enterprise has crossed over into an alternate universe -- and into the middle of a civil war set off by a brutal warlord who has used technology stolen from the Daedalus to enslave his people.

Forcibly removed from their ship, imprisoned and brutalized by their captors, Captain Archer and crew soon find themselves confronting an even more immediate challenge than escape -- subtle biochemical differences in this universe that make their continued survival an impossibility. Every hour they spend in this parallel continuum brings them closer to death.

Yet Archer discovers that in order to recapture Enterprise, he may have to cripple his ship once again. And even if he manages to find a solution to that dilemma, one last survivor of the doomed flight of the Daedalus stands between Enterprise and her safe return home....

REVIEW:
This is book two of two in the Daedalus series – you can read the review of book one in last month’s edition of FNN.

I have to say, I quite enjoyed this book. In this second book, you finally get to see more of the NX-01 crew apart from Trip Tucker despite the fact that this series is supposed to focus mostly on the engineer. It’s nice to see more of the other main characters, not only because I want to see those characters, but because it helps to develop the character of Tucker even more. We get to see his a more rounded character because how he interacts with everyone comes into play – it shows how he cares and worries for his crewmates (we finally get to see a bit more of the interaction with Hoshi Sato), and the author manages to chip away why he cares and worries for them so much. We especially get to see this when it comes down to Tucker’s team of engineers, particularly because of his experience during the Daedalus project in the past.

The pace of this book is considerably faster than the first book, however it’s not detrimental to the storyline at all. It’s one of those books that keeps you on your toes where action is concerned. Though right at the end it goes much too quickly, wrapping up a considerable amount of story line in the epilogue! But despite that, it was still enjoyable.

I don’t particularly enjoy series books, but this one is only a series of two so it wasn’t so bad. I think they could have easily combined both books into one without it being too long, because the typeface they use is quite large for a novel (12 point whereas most novels are only 10 point). But it makes both books an easier read as two books, so I don’t mind.

My final say is that Daedalus and Daedalus’s Children are both great books, and I definitely recommend them.

Joke of the Month

Signs that the Enterprise is nearing the End of its Warranty
VERNON IGNOFFO
Opinions Editor
Stardate 20809.01

Signs That the Enterprise is nearing the End of its Warranty

• Impulse engines stall when used in reverse.
• Digital speedometer on helm console stuck at "88".
• Shields fail to work on alternate Fridays.
• Rust problem in engineering causes support failure: one corner of warp coil now held up by phone book.
• Computer fails to process any instruction beginning with "w".
• Booster cables become permanent fixtures in transporter room.
• Captain's chair must be propped up against screen to keep image from flickering.
• Guinan stops wearing large, heavy hats for fear of falling through squeaky part of floor in 10-forward.
• Main sensor array unable to pick up anything except CBS.
• Lower part of bridge falls even lower and ramps along either side become to steep for crew to climb. *Turbolift cannot climb past deck 5 when there are more than 2 people on board.
• Holodeck becomes caught in infinite loop: ship is overcome by ten thousand tribbles.
• Ship cannot enter warp while food dispenser is working.
• Bug in main computer speech processor: computer voice will either stutter or talk like Barbara Walters.
• Untraceable glitch in plumbing periodically replaces water in the showers with other random liquids.
• Ship's dryer indiscriminately shreds crew's uniforms, and related problem in fabrication machinery will only produce new clothing with Roger Rabbit caricature prominently displayed.
• Computer refuses to carry out commands unless captain says "Pretty please, with sugar on it."
• Replacement parts for automatic door to captain's ready room are exhausted, and door must be replaced with bead curtains.
• Saucer section separates whenever ship makes left turn.

Science News

Astronomy Picture of the Month

Apollo 11 Bootprint. PHOTO CREDIT: NASA Images

Technology News

One Step Closer to a Cloaking Device
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-In-Chief
Stardate 20809.01

Scientists have brought us a step closer to functioning cloaking technology by not only developing one new material that can bend light, but two. These new materials, called metamaterials, bend light in an unnatural fashion. The light then travels around the object, making the object invisible.

However, at this stage in the development of metamaterials cloaking a large object isn’t possible because these materials are only able to bend the light in minimal wavelengths. However, immediate uses for such materials would be the improvement of imaging technologies, such as microscopes being able to see living viruses.

One of the materials was constructed by stacking layers of silver and metal dielectric materials and then punching holes into it. The other used a template of porous aluminum oxide and grew small silver nanowires between the small holes.

Read more.

Astronomy News

Solar System… Dented
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-In-Chief
Stardate 20809.01

In last month’s issue of the FNN our new section ‘This Month in Astronomy History” debuted featuring the launch of the Voyager I and Voyager II space probes in August and September of 1977. Once complete with their original missions, both probes were sent to the outer limits of our solar system to investigate what might be out there. What scientists have recently discovered has surprised them: our solar system is not round, as they previously though, but instead is like a pie with a piece taken out.

Though rather than having a piece of our solar system removed, there are forces acting upon it that are pushing inwards towards the Sun. This push is caused by the magnetic fields found in the Milky Way between the different stars. Because of turbulence found in our galaxy, most likely caused by stellar explosions, these magnetic fields hit our galaxy at differing angle and thus cause the dent.

Scientists discovered this when the two Voyager probes hit our solar system’s heliosheath, where solar wind abruptly slows, at different distances from our Sun. The two probes will continue on their journey long after we have lost contact with them.

Read more.

This month in Astronomy History

Luna 2
RACHEL CHRISTIE
Editor-in-Chief
Stardate 20809.01

On September 13th, 1959, Luna 2 was launched by the Soviet Union, and became the first spacecraft to make a hard landing on the surface of the Moon. It was the second in a series of space probes, part of the USSR’s Luna Program, and did not have a propulsion system of it’s own. This small probe ended up impacting the Moon east of Mare Serenitatis 33.5 hours after it was launched – all radio signals from Luna 2 had ended abruptly, indicating that it had indeed impacted.

Not only is Luna 2 known for being the first spacecraft to land on the Moon, but it also determined that our Moon had no appreciable magnetic field and it found no evidence that the Moon had radiation belts. Luna 2 was also able to confirm the detection of solar winds, originally found by Luna 1.