The Federation Tribune - December 2003
Bram Peeters
B.Peeters at FrontierFleet.com
Sat Dec 20 18:04:30 CET 2003
==== The Federation Tribune ====
==== December 2003 ====
Got a question? Visit the Newspaper FAQ!
=================================================
Public Relations Status Report by Rob Versteegt
=================================================
(] Activities November 2003 [)
The PR department has posted ad's and links at several websites,
including Pbem.com, Pbem-portal.com, sfintel.com, startrek.com (message
board), startrek.pagina.nl, and several others.
Those ad's were usually an interview with a character (thanks to
everybody who participated in this PR campaign... <G>). We have also
started to promote the science, medical, ops and engineering departments
in our ad's, because we could use some more people for those
departments.
A lot of people have applied to ST Frontierfleet, in November: 15 in
total. Unfortunately, some of those were useless... ;-)
But nonetheless, 15 people applied... They found us at these places:
Voting site - 2
Banner exchange - 1
Startrek.com (message boards) - 2
Startrek.pagina.nl - 1
Links on several pages - 2
Other - 7
The people who found us through "other", have found us because they were
searching for a startrek website, or a startrek RPG, on google, or
somewhere else. Maybe they found a link to us, on some page. ;-)
We're planning on doing some other "projects", like putting the ST FF
song on the web, and coming up with some nice looking ad's... ;-)
We hope there will be lots more people joining us in December.
Greets,
Rob Versteegt, Chief PR.
Martin Miller, Assistant chief PR.
========================================
Academy Status Report by Rob Verlinden
========================================
Number of incoming cadet has increased, due to PR or to the fix of the
joinform?
Nobody knows.
(] November 2003 [)
Current Stardate 2386.9.14 and 2388.9.13
Lost Cadets (2):
Cadet Lily Barns, played by Garrett M.
Cadet Thomas Cartright, played by Daniel Mckinlay
Unknown (4):
Cadet Giskard Reventlov, played by Giskard Reventlov (Sec/Eng/Dont)
Cadet Astri, played by Darla Shaw (Ops/Med/Dont)
Cadet John Stalker, played by Mike Sheinin (Sec/Helm/Ship)
Cadet Bryan Lewis, played by Paul Clark
New Signups (11):
8 useless, leaves 3
Individual Cadets (7):
Cadet Ben Pierce, played by Dan Winters (Clare)
Cadet Kate Armstrong, played by Jemimah Hawley (John)
Cadet Da´nel Stephensen, played by Martin Gonzales (Marvin)
Cadet Sean Dempsey, played by Sean Dempsey (Wes)
Cadet Jed Natale, played by Jed Natale (Merijn)
Cadet Ballis Maxwell, played by Dean Inglis (Rob007)
Cadet R'von, played by Glenn Parker
List Training (1):
Cadet Kicent K'meric Qusiar, played by Eric Hess (Sec/Eng/Ship)
Graduations (3):
Cadet Jhellisa, played by Colleen Desilu => ASTC Valkyrie
Cadet Jessica Truesdale, played by Susanne Andersson => ACMO Pandora
Cadet Pete Russet, played by Alex "Farske" Brown => ASTC Pandora
=============================================
Status Report: USS Odyssey by Dennis Church
=============================================
(] Stardate 2391.03.02 [)
The crusade to retake the Odyssey continues, with most of the
escapees/rebels having met up in the science lab to further organize
their efforts to retake the ship. The OPS team escaped from the Klingon
ship, and are now sabotaging the computer to slow down Bennek and the
Klingons. A team is heading to engineering in a daring plan to regain
control of the ship, while some people remain in the science lab to find
a way to get the probe off of the Odyssey's hull.
CEO Velden is still being held hostage by ACEO Plox in engineering, and
Captain Bennek is on the bridge, directing the Odyssey towards the
mysterious "Home". What will happen when the Odyssey gets there is
unclear, but what is clear is that the Odyssey cannot be allowed to
reach it, so time is against this noble crew.
Also, unknown to everyone else, Captain Bennek has changed his name from
S'Mon ch'Nel Bennek to just Ch'nel Bennek.
==================================================
Pandora Station Mission Summary by Rob Versteegt
==================================================
(] Stardate 2391.03.06 [)
Still on the Solstice, the away team, consisting of Captain Janssens,
Commander Essar, Ensigns Ja'al, Jalando, Murdock, and Russet went down
to the surface, after Ensigns Ja'al and Jalando made sure they had
scanned the planet. The away team went down in a shuttlecraft, because
transporting would be too great a risk. (there was still some sort of
power drain) On the surface, the away team found a cave, with an
elevator, which was apparently out of power.
At that moment, the captain started to see Elkor, the entity only the
captain could see, again. He told the captain they could power up the
elevator. The science ensigns figured out that the elevator and the
other equipment on the surface could use the Solstice's sensors as a
power supply. That's why the Solstice experienced that power drain. The
Captain ordered the Solstice to scan the elevator site, and within a few
moments, the elevator was reloaded.
Meanwhile, on the Solstice, XGO Underhill, the new xenologist arrived.
He started helping Dr. Vok to clean up sickbay, when another ACMO walked
in: ACMO Truesdale. The 3 of them were now going to awake Mr. Robertson,
in order to try and cure him of his amnesia...
On the surface, the away team now went down to the bottom of the cave.
What will they find there? Stay tuned...
=============================================
USS Valkyrie Status Report by Clare Bradley
=============================================
(] Stardate 2391.03.15 [)
On stardate 2391.01.26, Captain Lo'ana El'arna yilish Kin'j alej'oh
xi-zo qon'il called a senior staff meeting and announced that former
Captain Rylie Tir would be returning. During the meeting, a two new
crewmembers arrived, Ensign Jhellisa and her mate, nurse Mellani
Dellaris. After the meeting and introductions, the Valkyrie set out on
its latest assignment, patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone.
The first month of the assignment gave way to little excitement, but on
Stardate 2391.03.15, Astrometrics officer Andromeda Jaro made a
disturbing discovery while reviewing the routine sensor sweeps.
===========================================
Calhoun Status Report by Kelley MacKinnon
===========================================
(] Stardate: 2391.03.18, 1337 [)
After finding Commander Summers on the planet Darennia almost totally
taken over by the Borg, the crew struggle to find a way to transport her
back to the ship and home. While Captain Sarin tried to find away around
the Cardassians traditions to get Summers home Ensign Lorvok mind melds
with her to Dawn fight off the influence of the nanoprobes, causing both
of them to fall into an unconscious state and melding their minds closer
than they anticipated. After convincing the Cardassians to release
Summer to her care Sarin transport them all to the Calhoun. During this
time a military cue takes place on Darennia causing a change of Command.
The new Cardassian leader immediately follows the Calhoun and demands a
return of Summers. Harris at the Command quickly disables the Cardassian
ship and help restore order. The Calhoun races home while the medical
crew works desperately to save both Lorvok and Summers who have entered
comatose states.
===========================================
Fleetwide Status Report by Guido Dorssers
===========================================
(] USS Calhoun [)
Stardate: 2391.03.18
After finding Commander Summers on the planet Darennia almost totally
taken over by the Borg, the crew struggled to find a way to transport
her back to the ship and home. While Captain Sarin tried to find away
around the Cardassians traditions to get Summers home, Ensign Lorvok
mind melded with her to fight off the influence of the nanoprobes,
causing both of them to fall into an unconscious state and melding their
minds closer than they anticipated.
Just as the crew of the Calhoun was preparing for leaving orbit, a
military coup took place. The new Cardassian leader immediately followed
the Calhoun and demanded a return of Summers. Harris quickly disabled
the Cardassian ship, after which the Calhoun raced home while the
medical crew worked desperately to save both Lorvok and Summers.
-----------
Vacancies
-----------
OPS
CMO
CSO
ACSO
(] USS Odyssey [)
Stardate: 2391.03.02
The crusade to retake the Odyssey continued. The OPS team escaped from
the Klingon ship, and are now sabotaging the computer to slow down
Bennek and the Klingons. A team is heading to engineering in a daring
plan to regain control of the ship,while some people remain in the
science lab to find a way to get the probe off of the Odyssey's hull.
CEO Velden is still being held hostage by ACEO Plox in engineering, and
Captain Bennek is on the bridge, directing the Odyssey towards the
mysterious "Home". What will happen when the Odyssey gets there is
unclear, but what is clear is that the Odyssey cannot be allowed to
reach it, so time is against this noble crew.
-----------
Vacancies
-----------
CMO
CSO
(] USS Valkyrie [)
Stardate: 2391.03.15
On stardate 2391.01.26, Captain Lo'ana El'arna yilish Kin'j alej'oh
xi-zo qon'il called a senior staff meeting and announced that former
Captain Rylie Tir would be returning. During the meeting, two new
crewmembers arrived, Ensign Jhellisa and her mate, nurse Mellani
Dellaris. After the meeting and introductions, the Valkyrie set out on
its latest assignment, patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone.
The first month of the assignment gave way to little excitement, but on
Stardate 2391.03.15, Astrometrics officer Andromeda Jaro made a
disturbing discovery while reviewing the routine sensor sweeps.
-----------
Vacancies
-----------
AOPS
ACEO
ACSO
(] Pandora Station [)
Stardate: 2391.03.06
Aboard the Solstice, the away team, consisting of Captain Janssens,
Commander Essar, Ensigns Ja'al, Jalando, Murdock, and Russet went down
to the surface, after Ensigns Ja'al and Jalando made sure they had
scanned the planet. The away team went down in a shuttlecraft, because
transporting would be too great a risk. On the surface, the away team
found a cave, with an elevator, which was apparently out of power.
At that moment, the captain started to see Elkor, the entity only the
captain could see, again. He told the captain they could power up the
elevator. The science ensigns figured out that the elevator and the
other equipment on the surface could use the Solstice's sensors as a
power supply, causing the Solstice to experience power drains. The
Captain ordered the Solstice to scan the elevator site, and within a few
moments, the elevator was reloaded.
-----------
Vacancies
-----------
AOPS
ACMO
ACOUNS
ACSO
======================================================
The Alpha Centauri Mystery - Part 7 by Ben Versteegt
======================================================
(] Summary [)
It seems the Alpha Quadrant is in danger - again. The Dominion war is
just over, and now another danger comes looking around the corner: some
mysterious samples with radiation which can be used as an enormous power
source. Ensign Sandra Burke has fled the Starfleet base on Alpha
Centauri, which was destroyed by Romulans who were after the samples
Sandra has with her. A Cardassian was also after those samples, but has
been captured by Sandra and Zaag, a Ferengi bartender who has come with
Sandra to the Excelsior class USS Aquinas, captained by "Uncle Pete"
Ayer, a Starfleet Captain who knows Sandra very well. Now, they are
chased by another Starfleet vessel, a Prometheus class, which has them
outgunned and outclassed. The Aquinas gets fired upon by this vessel,
and is forced to drop out of warp. Determined to not go down without a
good fight, Captain Ayer orders the ship to be turned around and fire
everything she's got. The showdown between the Aquinas and the
Prometheus-class vessel is about to begin...
(] And now the continuation [)
"Disengaging warp drive," the Lieutenant at Helm reported right after
Ayer's mark. "Hard turn to starboard."
The stars on the viewscreen seemed to stop flying past the ship, and
stood still for a moment. Then, they moved to the left with great speed,
as the ship turned to the right. The crew braced themselves as the
inertia almost threw them to the port bulkhead. The stars stopped moving
again, and in their midst a Prometheus class dropped out of warp and
came closer to the Aquinas, firing weapons at the less modern ship.
This was Lieutenant Watters' cue. His hands flew across his console, and
a moment later, a salvo of phasers and photon torpedoes were flying
towards the Aquinas' assailant.
"Direct hit!" the STC shouted. It was answered by even more quantum
torpedoes from the Prometheus class vessel.
"Increase power to the forward shields!" Ayer voice was barely heard
through the sound of the explosions. The Bridge was now on fire, as was
the rest of the ship. "Keep firing!"
"Casualty reports coming in from all over the ship!" A voice cried in
the chaos.
"Shields down to 16 percent!" another one shouted. "That last blast
knocked out our forward phasers!"
"Turn us around!" the Captain yelled to the CONN. "Tactical, all power
to the aft shields! CONN, full impulse! We have to put some distance
between us and that ship!" He tapped his comm badge, as he grabbed hold
of the Captains Chair's armrest to prevent him from falling onto the
ground. The explosions were shaking the ship apart. "Engineering,
prepare to eject the warp core."
"Sir?" was the response from Engineering.
"You heard me, Commander Zjavick. Stand by to dump the core. And while
you're at it, throw in one or two antimatter pods."
"Sir, if the core or either of those pods are hit... It'll create a
massive explosion! We could be vaporized if we are too close to it!"
"That explosion is what I'm counting on, Commander. Eject the core and
the pods on my order."
"Aye Sir..."
It was at that moment the Captain noticed the Aquinas wasn't moving.
"CONN, I thought I had ordered you to..." he stopped mid-sentence, as he
saw the Lieutenant at the Conn laying on the floor next to his station.
Blood poured out of his head, which was covered with burns. His console
had exploded in his face. The CONN officer was dead.
Sandra immediately walked towards the officer, felt his pulse and then
retreated her hand. It was covered in blood. She turned to Ayer with a
shocked look on her face. "He's dead."
For a moment, the whole Bridge was quiet. Until the next explosion,
which rocked the ship. "Shields are failing!" Lieutenant Watters, the
STC, shouted. "Forward phasers and torpedo tube one are destroyed!"
Sandra knew what to do. She sat down in the empty chair the Helmsman had
just occupied, and started to lay in a new course. "Turning the ship
around," she reported. "Full impuls."
>From space, one could see the impulse engines of the Aquinas flare up,
as the ship desperately tried to evade the deadly blows of its Starfleet
enemy. Phasers and quantum torpedoes punched through what was left of
the shields, impacting in the hull of the nearly defenseless ship. There
were a number of explosions, followed by the loud hissing of a
compartment decompressing. Crewmen were sucked out into space with the
air, awaiting a horrible death in the vacuum of the endless space.
"Multiple hull breaches!" Watters yelled, almost in panic. "Emergency
forcefields generators are destroyed on some decks, Captain."
"Seal off those sections." Ayer ordered with a lump in his throat. Lives
had been lost. "Mr. Zjavick," he called through the open comm channel.
"Eject the core and the antimatter pods... Now!"
Again from the vastness of space, one could see a hatch open at the
lower part of the Engineering hull of the old Excelsior class. Out of
the hatch shot the warp core, along with two antimatter pods. As the
Aquinas hurried to get to a safe distance from the core and the pods,
and the Prometheus-class came closer and closer, the three important
pieces of equipment floated aimlessly through space, just waiting to be
blown up.
Another shock went through the Aquinas, as phaser fire punched through
its hull... again. "Are we at a safe distance?" Ayer asked.
Sandra shook her head. "At this speed, we need at least two minutes more
before we destroy the core and the pods. Otherwise we might risk the
chance of being blown up with them. I suggest we..."
She was interrupted by another explosion. A part of her console went up
in flames. Other consoles exploded as well. Sandra could just barely
hold on to her chair. "That last torpedo..." she said, after looking at
the readings she was getting from her scorched, but still mostly intact,
console. "It destroyed our impulse engines!"
"Damn..." Ayer cursed softly. "Looks like we won't be going anywhere."
He thought about what he was going to do for a moment, but he knew there
was nothing else he could do. "Evacuate the Engineering section. I want
all the crew to go to the saucer section."
"But sir..." the Vulcan FO began. She was cut of by the Captain.
"Just do it."
Moments passed, filled with explosions, sparks and flames. A nod of the
FO confirmed that most of the crew had been evacuated to the saucer
section. Some brave officers had stayed behind to man the key positions
in Engineering and the rest of the lower section.
Ayer looked at Watters, his STC. "I want all the power you can give me
to the aft shields. Reinforce structural integrity too."
He stood up from his chair, looking at his damaged Bridge and the
exhausted crew. "I want you all to know..." Everyone on the Bridge knew.
It was the farewell speech. "I'm proud of you all. The time we have
served together may have been short, but it was memorable." He paused,
swallowing the lump in his throat. He then tapped his comm badge. "Mr.
Zjavick," he began. The words he was about to say didn't come out easy.
With pain in his heart, he gave the order. "Detonate the core."
To be continued...
=====================================
Christmas FF Songs by Rob Versteegt
=====================================
These are all Christmas FF songs... Well, at least on a Christmas
melody... Enjoy! <G>
(] On the melody of Jingle Bells [)
Posting with your mail,
On a starbase or a ship,
Interact with us,
It'll get you out of your dip! (hohoho!)
If you're a startrek fan,
And you like to play a game,
Just join us if you want right now,
Just think about this name:
(Refrain:)
Frontierfleet, frontierfleet, funny all the way
Post a lot, and have some fun, that's all that I can say, hey!
Frontierfleet, frontierfleet, join us now, today,
Think of the good times you'll have, we hope that you will stay!
The members here are great,
This game is just the best,
The forums and Lcars,
Just put the to the test.
We all like this game,
And hope you like it too.
The missions and the characters...
Are waiting here for you!
(Ref)
All the different char's,
>From a Klingon to a pet,
You can see them all,
At Frontierfleet.net!
I am signing off,
I've got to right more posts,
The members are competing now,
And I want to have the most!
(Ref)
Star Trek Frontierfleet!
(] On the melody of Last Christmas [)
Last Christmas,
I gave you this game.
But the very next day,
You resigned again.
This year,
To join the Frontier,
I'll give it to someone special.
The game is a Pbem
And a roleplaying game
It's called the FrontierFleet
I've been hooked since I came, ooooohhhh..
Now I'm asking you to join us, got to think of a name.
Your char will interact with the rest of the crew,
You'll be asked to write replies, even though you'll be new.
oooooooohhhhhh
If you are a fan of StarTrek, here is what you must do:
Visit our website, at Frontierfleet.net
Come in to join us, we'll be ready for that, ooooooohhhhhhhh
Now you'll be learning how to post, are *you* ready for that?
After the training, we will welcome and meet.
On a station or a ship, which the Captain will lead, ooohhhh
And once you're on board, we'll welcome you to the fleet.
Last Christmas,
I gave her this game,
But the very next day,
She resigned again.
But now, you know how much fun this is,
So just join us now, or you won't know what you'll mis!
Star Trek Frontierfleet: To make each day count
(] On the melody of "War is over" (Happy Christmas) [)
So this is a Pbem.
And a roleplaying game.
It's looking so funny,
So what is it's name?
This is Frontierfleet!
It's a whole lot of fun.
Just join us and post some.
So join, then you're done.
(Ref)
So this is Frontierfleet! Join Frontierfleet,
Please visit our site. If you want to
We hope you will join us! Join Frontierfleet,
We've got nothing to hide! Nooooooooowwww!
You'll get posted on a ship,
Or a starbase will do.
Take care of you character,
We'll take care of you.
(Ref)
The members are funny,
And the forums are great.
We've got a big database,
It's all been handmade.
(Ref)
So if you are lonely,
And you want to post?
Just join then in our game,
After that you can boast:
I'M IN FRONTIERFLEET!
(] On the melody of Rudolph the Red nosed Raindeer [)
Bennek, the Blue-skinned Captain,
Had antannea on his head,
And if you ever saw him,
You would quickly notice that.
All of the other members,
Started making fun of him,
He was a poor Andorian,
His mood started to be grim! Very Very Grim!
But one stardate, early on,
The captain suddenly said. Hey Bennek!
"Bennek, with your skinn so blue,
You know what I'm gonna do?
I'll promote you to captain,
Then you can command this crew."
Bennek then gave a big grin...
He now knew what he should do! Poor crew!
(] On the melody of "Blue Christmas [)
I'll have a blue, christmas, without it.
And I'll be here, thinking about it.
'Cause my holiday, me,
My computer and tv,
won't mean a thing if FF's not here with me!
I'll have a blue, christmas, without it
And I'll be here, thinking about it
Cause my server is gone,
t won't be repaired 'till dawn!
So I'll have a blue blue christmas.
---
But when that Frontierfleet is online,
And when the posts are coming, then all's fine.
Cause I'll read them and post,
And I'll cheer for the host!
Cause I'll have a warm, nice, christmas!
With Frontierfleet!
===============================
Science Facts by Bram Peeters
===============================
Yes, it's back this month, but not with all the news that I didn't send
to the newspaper last month. I didn't have time to include that all this
time.
There was something about a new ISS crew, and something about Solar
storms and some discoveries. If I have time next month, I'll try to
include the most interesting things, but the news will not be really new
anymore then ;)
Bram
(] First Images From Spitzer Space Telescope Unveiled [)
NASA unveiled the first images from the $670 million Spitzer Space
Telescope Thursday, spectacular infrared glimpses of the
optically-hidden heart of a distant galaxy, the dusty cradle of an
infant solar system and a peek at heretofore unseen stars lurking inside
a vast cloud of gas and dust. (Includes video!)
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/17sstresults/
(] NASA's Last Great Observatory Renamed [)
The Space Infrared Telescope Facility has been renamed the Spitzer Space
Telescope. It was named in honor of the late Dr. Lyman Spitzer Jr., one
of the 20th century's most distinguished scientists. (Includes video!)
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/17spitzer/
Spitzer biography:
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/17spitzer/bio.html
(] Mars May Be Emerging From An Ice Age [)
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey missions have provided
evidence of a recent ice age on Mars. In contrast to Earth's ice ages, a
martian ice age waxes when the poles warm up and water vapor is
transported toward lower latitudes. Martian ice ages wane when the poles
cool and lock water into polar icecaps.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/17icymars/
(] X-Ray View Of The Red Planet [)
As the Mars Express spacecraft nears the Red Planet, another European
Space Agency mission is turning its gaze towards Mars. This recent X-ray
image of the planet was taken by the XMM-Newton observatory.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/15marsxray/
(] Why Astrobiologists Look To Saturn's Moon Titan [)
Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is the best place in the solar system to
study primordial soup -- the stuff from which life emerged. In January
2005, planetary scientists will get a closer look at Titan's version of
soup when the European Space Agency's Huygens probe floats to the
surface.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/12titan/
(] Planet Rings May Live Longer By Recycling [)
Although rings around planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune
are relatively short-lived, new evidence implies that the recycling of
orbiting debris can lengthen the lifetime of such rings, according to
University of Colorado researchers.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/14rings/
(] A Giant Cocoon Discovered Around Massive Young Star [)
Astronomers have discovered a giant envelope or disk of glowing gas more
than half a light year across, illuminated by shockwaves caused by winds
travelling at up to 220,000 miles/hour. The disk is orbiting a massive
star 20,000 light years from Earth. This is the first time such a disk
has been found emitting its own light.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/12cocoon/
(] Has XMM-Newton Cast Doubt Over Dark Energy? [)
In a survey of distant clusters of galaxies, European Space Agency's
XMM-Newton observatory has found puzzling differences between today's
clusters of galaxies and those present in the Universe around seven
thousand million years ago. Some scientists claim that this can be
interpreted to mean that the 'dark energy' which most astronomers now
believe dominates the Universe simply does not exist.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/12darkenergy/
(] Sunstorm Electron Clouds Surrounding Earth Studied [)
Using an orbiting camera designed to block the light from the sun and
stars, an international team of solar physicists has been able for the
first time to directly image clouds of electrons surrounding Earth that
travel from the sun during periods of solar flare activity.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/12aurora/
(] Galex Observatory Captures Galaxies Galore [)
The most sensitive and comprehensive ultraviolet image ever taken of the
Andromeda Galaxy, our nearest large neighbor galaxy, has been captured
by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer. The image is one of several being
released to the public as part of the mission's first collection of
pictures.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/11galex/
(] Earthlike Planets Might Be Common, Model Indicates [)
Astrobiologists disagree about whether advanced life is common or rare
in our universe. But new research suggests that one thing is pretty
certain -- if an Earthlike world with significant water is needed for
advanced life to evolve, there could be many candidates.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/10earthlike/
(] Galaxy Shows Key Evidence For Furious Star Formation [)
Astronomers have discovered a key signpost of rapid star formation in a
galaxy 11 billion light-years from Earth, seen as it was when the
Universe was only 20 percent of its current age. Using the Very Large
Array radio telescope, the scientists found a huge quantity of dense
interstellar gas -- the environment required for active star
formation -- at the greatest distance yet detected.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/10cloverleaf/
(] Japan's Star-Crossed Mars Mission Ends In Failure [)
A stricken Japanese Mars probe lost its last chance at success Tuesday,
as the deadline for a remedy to its problems came and passed with no
solution in sight. Nozomi continues to speed toward a close fly-by of
the planet later this week.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/nozomi/031209abandon.html
(] Extensive Destruction Powers Solar Explosions [)
Large-scale destruction of magnetic fields in the sun's atmosphere
likely powers enormous solar explosions, according to a new observation
from NASA's Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI)
spacecraft.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/09rhessi/
(] Odyssey Studies Changing Weather, Climate On Mars [)
Mars may be going through a period of climate change, new findings from
NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter suggest. "One explanation could be that Mars
is just coming out of an ice age," a mission scientist says.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/08odyssey/
(] Trail Of Black Holes, Neutron Stars Points To Collision [)
An image of an elliptical galaxy by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has
revealed a trail of black holes and neutron stars stretching more than
fifty thousand light years across space. The trail of intense X-ray
sources is evidence that this apparently sedate galaxy collided with
another galaxy a few billion years ago.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/08collision/
(] Interstellar Hydrogen Shadow Observed [)
More than a year before Cassini arrives at Saturn, the spacecraft has
made the first in situ observations of interstellar pickup ions beyond
the orbit of Jupiter. By observing these pickup ions, researchers can
better understand the interstellar medium, the low-density gas and dust
that fill the space between stars.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/08shadow/
(] Details Of Saturn Become Visible To Cassini Spacecraft [)
One year since last sighting Saturn, and less than eight months before
reaching the planet, the cameras on NASA's Cassini spacecraft have
caught another glimpse of the ringed planet, growing more detailed with
time. The image shows details in the rings and atmosphere not seen a
year ago, as well as five of Saturn's icy moons.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/07saturn/
(] SMART-1 Is Changing Ion Engine Thrust Strategy [)
Europe's Moon-bound SMART-1 spacecraft is now in its 130th orbit high
above Earth, in good status and all its functions are performing
nominally. As in previous weeks, the spacecraft was operated in electric
propulsion mode almost continuously. However, it has experienced three
flame-outs.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/05smart1/
(] NASA Scientists Use Radar To Detect Asteroid Force [)
NASA scientists have for the first time detected a tiny but
theoretically important force acting on asteroids by measuring an
extremely subtle change in a near-Earth asteroid's orbital path. This
force, called the Yarkovsky Effect, is produced by the way an asteroid
absorbs energy from the sun and re-radiates it into space as heat. The
research will impact how scientists understand and track asteroids in
the future.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/05asteroid/
(] Endurance Test On Cryogenic Engine Successful [)
India's space program has successfully conducted an endurance test for
duration of more than 16 minutes on the indigenous cryogenic engine for
Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0312/07cryoengine/
=============================================
Aquarium Adventures, Part 2 by Bram Peeters
=============================================
(] Phlox meets a friend [)
(Pandora Station - CO's quarters, Aquarium - 2391.03.06, 1250)
~Swim, swim... Eat, Eat... Swim, swim,~ Phlox thought while he was
enjoying his evening meal. Something about two-legged airbreather who
fed him seemed to have changed, but Phlox didn't really care about it,
as long as he got his food on time. ~Eat, eat... Swim, swim,~ he thought
while he continued eating.
Some movement to his left attracted his attention. "Who's there? Show
yourself!" Phlox said, "I warn you, my father was a shark, and he
learned me a lot of tricks." Phlox looked around. "I can kill you in one
bite!"
Two small eyes looked at him from behind a plant. "P...P...Please sir...
D... Don't kill me."
For a moment Phlox stared at the eyes that had answered him, then he
turned around and swam as fast as he could towards his hiding place.
~There can't be someone else here, I must be hallucinating...~
"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to scare you," he heard the voice behind
him. The stranger had followed him! He was trapped. Phlox turned around,
trembling.
A small blue fish darted towards him. "Hello sir, I'm Styx. Nice to meet
you, is this your place? It sure looks nice, do you want to play with
me, sir? Please?" Styx started to circle around Phlox. Even before his
fear could go away, Phlox started to get dizzy.
He lifted his fin and the small fish bumped into it. "I'm sorry, sir, I
didn't mean to swim there, and I..."
"Calm down, Styx," Phlox said. "I don't know who you are, or how you got
here, but this is my territory."
The blue fish started to circle him again, now in the opposite
direction. "Of course sir, I understand, but I just wanna play."
"WILL YOU STOP CIRCLING ME?" Phlox shouted. Styx stopped and looked at
him. "Yes sir, I'm so sorry sir if I upset you, sir."
Phlox looked at the fish. "If you are going to stay here, there are some
rules."
Styx nodded.
"First, you will not swim circles around me. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Rule number two, this here is my hiding place, if you want one, find
your own. And when I'm in here, I want to be left alone."
The small fish nodded again. "Yes sir, I understand, sir. No circles,
and not disturbing you when you're in here, sir."
"Good," Phlox said. "Now follow me, there is one other thing you should
know."
"What is that sir? Please tell me, sir."
"Just follow me and I'll show you."
"Okay sir, I'll follow you and you'll show me, sir," Styx said.
A moment later they approached a line of purple pebbles on the floor.
"This," Phlox started, "is the Purple Pebble Border, also known as the
PPB. Whatever you do, do NOT cross it, or terrible things will happen."
"Why's that sir? What will happen? What's behind the PPB sir?"
Phlox looked around and then back at Styx. "Behind the PPB is The
Corner. A monster lives there."
"A monster, sir?" The small fish looked frightened.
Phlox nodded. "A horrible monster..." He shuddered when he thought about
it. "But don't worry, it has never dared to cross the PPB before, and as
long as I am here, the monster will stay in that Corner."
Styx looked in the direction of the Corner, a bit less frightened now.
Phlox started to feel hungry again and he remembered that he hadn't
finished eating yet. "I'll give you a tour later, but first I need to
finish my meal."
Phlox turned around and swam away, followed closely by Styx.
===============================================
Da Trivia Edition 4 Results by Guido Dorssers
===============================================
Correct answers were:
1) B
2) C
3) C
4) A
5) D
6) C
7) A
8) C
9) D
10) 5471
So it puts the following participants in this ranking:
3) Adrian Rodd: 2 pts, tie guess: 0
2) Rob Versteegt: 4 pts, tie guess: 5745
1) Bram Peeters: 7 pts, tie guess: 5455
=====================================
November Promotions by Bram Peeters
=====================================
(] Graduated Cadets [)
ASTC Ensign Jhellisa, played by Colleen Desilu (USS Valkyrie)
ACMO Ensign Jessica Truesdale, played by Susanne Andersson (Pandora
Station)
ASTC Ensign Pete Russet, played by Alex "Farske" Brown (Pandora Station)
(] Lieutenant Junior Grade to Lieutenant [)
CONN Lieutenant Greg "Goose" Champlin, played by Tom Shilakes (USS
Valkyrie)
=============================================
Top Ten Posters in November by Bram Peeters
=============================================
(] Top Ten (actually Eleven) Posters in November [)
#11. Bram Peeters, 7 posts - TIE
(PS: 5, Ody: 2)
#10. Clare Bradley, 7 posts - TIE
(Valk: 7)
#9. Kelley MacKinnon, 10 posts - TIE
(Cal: 10)
#8. Jake Hanlon, 10 posts - TIE
(Cal: 10)
#7. Aaron Delay, 10 posts - TIE
(Cal: 10)
#6. Ben Versteegt, 11 posts
(Ody: 11)
#5. Laura Elliott, 13 posts
(Cal: 13)
#4. Dennis Church, 15 posts
(Ody: 11, PS: 4)
#3. Martin Miller, 17 posts
(Valk: 4, Ody: 13)
#2. David Susman, 26 posts
(Ody: 17, PS: 9)
And the number one poster in November 2003 was:
#1. ROB VERSTEEGT, 28 posts
(PS: 20, Ody: 8)
The Top 10 posters posted a total of 154 posts (68.1% of the fleetwide
total)
(] Top 4 Posters of the USS Calhoun [)
#4. Kelley MacKinnon, 10 posts - TIE
#3. Jake Hanlon, 10 posts - TIE
#2. Aaron Delay, 10 posts - TIE
#1. Laura Elliott, 13 posts
(] Top 4 Posters of the USS Odyssey [)
#4. Ben Versteegt, 11 posts - TIE
#3. Dennis Church, 11 posts - TIE
#2. Martin Miller, 13 posts
#1. David Susman, 17 posts
(] Top 3 Posters of the USS Valkyrie [)
#4. Martin Miller, 4 posts - TIE
#3. Dreamer Jopnes, 4 posts - TIE
#2. Jamie Davison, 4 posts - TIE
#1. Clare Bradley, 7 posts
(] Top 4 Posters of Pandora Station [)
#4. Bram Peeters, 5 posts - TIE
#3. Merijn Donders, 5 posts - TIE
#2. David Susman, 9 posts
#1. Rob Versteegt, 20 posts
(] Dutystation Totals [)
USS Odyssey, 84 posts (13 posters)
USS Calhoun, 53 posts (7 posters)
Pandora Station, 50 posts (9 posters)
USS Valkyrie, 39 posts (14 posters)
Fleet Total: 226 posts (37 posters)
(] Fleet Wide Rankings [)
1. Rob Versteegt, 28. (Ody: 8, PS: 20)
2. David Susman, 26. (Ody: 17, PS: 9)
3. Martin Miller, 17. (Ody: 13, Valk: 4)
4. Dennis Church, 15. (Ody: 11, PS: 4)
5. Laura Elliott, 13. (Cal: 13)
6. Ben Versteegt, 11. (Ody: 11)
7. Aaron Delay, 10. (Cal: 10)
8. Jake Hanlon, 10. (Cal: 10)
9. Kelley MacKinnon, 10. (Cal: 10)
10. Clare Bradley, 7. (Valk: 7)
11. Bram Peeters, 7. (Ody: 2, PS: 5)
12. Dave Church, 6. (Ody: 6)
13. Merijn Donders, 5. (PS: 5)
14. Cody Ferro, 5. (Cal: 5)
15. Chantal Marie Sellers, 5. (Ody: 5)
16. Rob Verlinden, 5. (Ody: 5)
17. Jamie Davison, 4. (Valk: 4)
18. Jonathan Hardy, 4. (Ody: 4)
19. Dreamer Jopnes, 4. (Valk: 4)
20. Adrien Rodd, 4. (Cal: 4)
21. Wes Buchanan, 3. (PS: 3)
22. Mark Cornelissen, 3. (Valk: 3)
23. Colleen Desilu, 3. (Valk: 3)
24. John McGinty, 3. (Valk: 3)
25. Tom Shilakes, 3. (Ody: 2, Valk: 1)
26. Sandy Alexandra, 2. (Cal: 2)
27. Brandon Allard, 2. (Valk: 2)
28. Mark van der Laan, 2. (Valk: 2)
29. Vedran Marinich, 2. (Ody: 2)
30. Ann Montague, 2. (Valk: 2)
31. Shannon O'Dain, 2. (Ody: 2)
32. Linia Saddington, 2. (Valk: 2)
33. David Wilson, 2. (PS: 2)
34. Sussie Andersson, 1. (PS: 1)
35. Alex Brown, 1. (PS: 1)
36. Jed Cohen, 1. (Valk: 1)
37. John Wenerowicz, 1. (Valk: 1)
--
Bram Peeters - Temporary Editor
CO Captain Jim Janssens, Pandora Station
http://pandora.frontierfleet.net/
ST: Frontier Fleet: http://www.frontierfleet.net/
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