The Federation Tribune - May 2004

Fri May 14 22:02:34 CEST 2004

                  ==== The Federation Tribune ====
                           ==== May 2004 ====

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Academy Status Report April 2004, by Rob Verlinden
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Current Stardate 2387.01.20 and 2389.08.20

==================

Instructors (8):
Chief Instructor Sedaq, played by Adrian Rodd
Instructor Jonathan Rooms, played by Wes Buchanan
Instructor Joran Moore, played by David Susman
Instructor Jorgahn, played by Jonathan Hardy
Instructor Sophie Jaune, played by Rob Verlinden
Instructor Tirzah, played by Clare Bradley
Instructor Vivienne Creenan, played by Rob Versteegt
Instructor Patrick Kelly, played by William Lea

Instructors on LOA(5):
Instructor Primini Ster, played by Marvin Sijbinga
Instructor T'Raysa, played by John Wenerowicz
Instructor T'Pott, played by Bram Peeters
Instructor Solian Rixx, played by Mike Smith
Instructor Leal, played by Kelley McKinnon

==================

Lost Cadets (3):
Cadet Alexander Larsen, played by Brandan Ryan
Cadet Seragi Molotov, played by Grigor Styonovich
Cadet Jacob Greyson, played by Dustin Blankenship

Cadets on Standby(2):
Cadet Korak Haliski, played by Noel Haliski
Cadet Aiden Vasai, played by Jason Baker

==================

New Signups (21):
8 useless, leaves 13 new cadets.

Individual Cadets (9):
Cadet Shakaar Tekeny, played by Craig Dannenberg (to be determined)
Cadet Andromeda Lynn, played by Jennifer Madison (Wes)
Cadet Anastacia V'Rele, played by Jack Katsikaris (Adrian)
Cadet Draven Dark, played by Remy Abram (Bobby)
Cadet Hearst Morgan, played by Chris Alexander (Jonathan)
Cadet William Fraities, played by Chad Gormly (Clare)
Cadet Airika Calhoun, played by Rachel Cruz (Clare)
Cadet X'ok PaRel, played by Rick Clogston (David)
Cadet T'Lira, played by Joe Bouchard (Rob007)

Trainingslist (4):
Cadet Jonas Kr'ack, played by Joshua Willerton
Cadet Sean Dempsey, played by Sean Dempsey
Cadet Shelq Mecroll, played by Brandon Wooten
Cadet Benjamin Knight, played by Anderson Brooks IV

Graduates (5):
Cadet Malpaq Lilist, played by Jeremy Beeler
Cadet Hoshad, played by Simon Harris
Cadet Shy'la Ronal, played by Penelope Stubbs
Cadet Kyler Fletcher, played by Alonzo Soban
Cadet Aslam Tek, played by Gael Imadeddine

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Public Relations Status Report, April 2004, by Rob Versteegt
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It's been an active month for PR... some advertising, some talking to
people over PM, etc. This did reflect back in the signups: there were 21
signups this month! Here is where they all found Frontier Fleet: (In
between the brackets, I've added if these 'how they found us' reasons are
because something the PR department did, or not...)

1: E-mail I send to ex-members. (PR-related)
4: not specified. (unsure)
1: a voting site (not specified which one) (probably PR related)
6: a search engine/searching the net. (not PR-related)
2: topwebgames.com (PR related)
3: from a friend (not-PR related)
1: through a Yahoo ad (PR related)
2: via www.startpagina.nl (PR related)
1: via a link on a non-specified page. (probably PR related)

As you can see, 8 of the signups are PR related, 4 are not specified, and
9 of them are not PR related.

8 of 21 signups are PR related. Well, at least it's better than nothing...
but still... if you have any suggestions to make about advertising, or if
you have an idea concerning PR, then please, contact me at
pr at frontierfleet.com.

Thanks all!

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USS CALHOUN / DELTA ONE STATUS REPORT by Adrian Rodd
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Stardate 2391.03.30 / 2391.03.31

An unresolved issue from bygone years returns to haunt the crew, as
they find themselves re-opening the case on who, of Commander Summers
or Admiral Crane, was once a traitor in league with a group of
Cardassian murderers. The investigation unfolds, tense and emotional. .
. soon to be settled once and for all?

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STATUS REPORT: USS Odyssey April 2004, by Ben Versteegt
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Stardate 2391.03.20 and 2391.03.26.

The Odyssey takes massive damage as the battle with the Breen ship
continues. After a brilliant manoeuvre, however, the Odyssey manages to take
out the Breen's weapon systems. The Breen are now no longer a threat.
Meanwhile, on the planet's surface, the Pabloyan rebels prepare themselves
for a fight with the government soldiers, but Captain Bennek finally
convinces the government forces to put down their weapons. The Breen, who
are defeated on both fronts, transport back their soldiers and leave the
Pabloyan solar system. Seeing as how their mission is complete, and after
saying goodbye, the Starfleet crew leaves the surface and heads for the
Odyssey.

Six days later, as the ship is still orbiting Pabloias Prime, Starfleet has
sent two starships to take over from the Odyssey. One of them, the USS Troy,
brings new arrivals: Lieutenant Commander Dirk Pitt comes aboard as XO, and
Ensign Tashina Reyk arrives as ACSO. But people come and people go.
Lieutenant jg Andrusia has decided to leave the Odyssey and to pursue a
career elsewhere in Starfleet.

Now, the Odyssey is about to depart on a new mission, further into deep
space.

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USS Valkyrie Status Report April 2004, by Brandon Allard
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(] Current Situation [)

Stardate ending 2391.03.16 (No that is not a mistake, it's the same day as
last month's)

Minimal progress has been made after further examination of the Borg. Once
engineering has a chance to research the mechanical elements of the Borg,
the process of removing internal implants can begin. Which will be
appreciated by all, as the drones are certainly not getting any better on
their own. The cause of the Borg's recent imperfection has still not been
issolated, however it has been determined that this particular group of
drones was part of an information gathering mission in the area. It is not
certain whether or not it is directly related the Romulans also found in the
area, but interrogation of the surviving Romulans may prove enlightening.

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Pandora Station Status Report April 2004, by Bram Peeters and Rob Versteegt
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(] Current Situation [)

Stardate 2391.04.24
Mission 7 - Road to Perfection

An hour after the USS Epimetheus returned to the station, a Borg vessel
showed up. The aliens aboard the vessel have contacted the station to find
the Borg, which they call the Holified Ones.

(] Mission Summary [)

Stardate 2391.04.16 - 2391.04.18
Mission 6 - One Hour at Transwarp

Luckily, the crew of Pandora Station could handle the stress of the routine
on the USS Epimetheus. The mysterious illness was quickly counteracted,
because of quick thinking of Dr.'s Truesdale and Vok.

Mr. Vankirk, however, seemed to be very much confused. He escaped out of
sickbay, with Lt. Jalando, Ensigns Cha'qu', Petty Officer Zang, and some
other people running after him. When they realised that Petty Officer
Vankirk was going crazy because of something Lt. Jalando said, they
immediately followed him to deck 6, to a Jeffries tube. Lt. Jalando and
Ensign Cha'qu' took the Jeffries tube to get there, and Zang, together with
others, used the turbolift.

After they had found Vankirk in his confused state, dealing with his
threats, etc, Vankirk got knocked unconscious. When he woke up in sickbay,
he found that he had his memory returned...

When the crew finally arrived at Earth, almost all of them went to Earth,
either to meet some family, do some rock climbing, or something else. After
2 wonderful, relaxing, stressful, scary, funny, sad, angry, painful, etc,
days, the crew returned to the Epimetheus, only to find that several people
were being promoted. AOPS Nel was promoted to OPS, Ensign Truesdale was
promoted to Ltjg, and Lt. Jalando was promoted to Lt.Cmdr. There was also a
new arrival, Ensign Ronal, a new ACMO.

For Captain Janssens, the shore-leave ended in a dilemma: he was offered the
command of the Epimetheus... but he would have to leave Pandora for that...

Now, the crew would be going on the real test flight... 7000 lightyears,
through Federation space...

Stardate 2391.04.24
Mission 7 - Road to Perfection

After a 6-day test flight, the Epimetheus safely returned to Pandora
Station, where the crew got back to their daily business. However, the
'normal routine' would soon be broken, because a vessel approached them...
It was a Borg vessel!

Upon receiving hails, the crew saw that the inhabitants of this vessel were
an alien race called the Kotarrani, who seemed to worship the Borg. They had
found residual transwarp signatures, and thought the Borg, whom they called
The Holified Ones, would be on Pandora.

Now, the crew is stuck with another dilemma: either help those aliens, who
want to get to the Borg, to join them in their "Blessed Togetherness", as
they call it, (and then lead them to a certain death), or tell them about
their experiences with the Borg... and let them judge for themselves...

Captain Janssens has decided that it would be best to break the Prime
Directive, and tell these Kotarrani about the true nature of the Borg... To
do this, 7 of these aliens were invited to come over to Pandora Station. The
Kotarrani were enthusiastic: they wanted to find their Holified Ones. But
what they will hear will probably not be something they'll enjoy...

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STATUS REPORT: USS Atlantis April 2004, by David Susman.
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Stardate 2391.03.28

Under the command of Captain Ellie Charlile, the Atlantis continues to
explore the Gamma Quadrant.  The crew is adapting to the new inspection
schedule the Captain has instituted and are settling into the new
routines.
The crew is anxious to begin studying an anomolous Nebula in the region.
Meanwhile the holograms on board have discovered some of the other
holograms and are investigating this.  Also, the Diplomatic Team have
grown weary of reading and re-reading reports from the Diplomatic Corps
in
the Alpha Quadrant about potential species in the Gamma Quadant.

During the initial Departmental Inspections by the Command Staff, a
distress call is intercepted from an unknown species.  Captain Charlile
orders the Atlantis to respond and they discover a nearly destroyed
vessel
of an unknown type.  After hailing them and offering assitance, the
Captain of the alien vessel orders the Atlantis to leave the Sphere of
Influence.

Now the crew must decide how to help the crew of dieing vessel that
refuses assistance.

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The life of a Greasemonkey, by Federation Tribune Reporter Iana Darnena.
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Ah, what can I say about Greasemonkeys. Well, first of all, they are
non-sociable creatures. Yet, they can be seen everywhere. Especially on
Starfleet ships and bases. Here, during my stay on Pandora Station, I first
came into contact with the word 'Greasemonkey'. When I learned about them, I
started to study them.

As I said before, the Greasemonkey is a creature that prefers the solitude
of a Jeffries Tube, more than the company of friends, for example in a
messhall. This doesn't necessarily mean that Greasemonkeys can't talk with
others... it just means that they are usually too pre-occupied with whatever
they are doing.

The habitat of the Greasemonkey is his sanctuary, or so it seems. Nothing
may be done to damage this habitat, or the Greasemonkey will get extremely
angry. And believe me... it's not a pleasant sight, seeing a Greasemonkey
who gets angry. Whenever that happens, leave the habitat. If you'll stay,
you'll enter a fight you can't possibly win.

It's an interesting aspect, though: the fights of a Greasemonkey. Somehow,
by just using it's complicated language, it can defeat an enemy, by
confusing him! I doubt the Greasemonkey himself knows what he's saying, but
it's enemy sure doesn't: in most cases, after the Greasemonkey has confused
his enemy, this enemy gives up the fight. It is my personal belief that the
Greasemonkey's words hypnotise it's enemy, so that it's enemy doesn't want
to fight anymore. It is all very.. interesting.

Another thing I find exciting and interesting about this particular
creature, is that they seem to be slaves to other creatures. They are always
ordered around, having to fix... whatever, in a short period of time.
However, these Greasemonkeys don't really care. They actually enjoy doing
it! They spend most of their time fixing the mess other creatures have
caused... and they take pride in doing that. I don't understand that they
don't stand up for themselves!

Of course, they have an own hierarchy. It would seem that there is a special
Chief Greasemonkey, to command all the other Greasemonkeys. This Chief
Greasemonkey decides what everyone is going to do, based on the tasks they
have to finish, and based on whatever the other creatures had broken. This
Chief Greasemonkey sometimes has Assistant Chief Greasemonkeys, who think
they have power, but, actually, don't. This is an ingenious system, thought
up by the Chief Greasemonkeys, to keep his subordinate Greasemonkeys happy.

Now that we know all of these things about Greasemonkeys, there is one
question remaining: why do they do what they do? Why do they spend their
days crawling around in greasy Jeffries Tubes, fixing other people's mess? I
 tried to ask one of the Greasemonkeys... the Acting Chief Greasemonkey of
Pandora Station, to be exact. This Greasemonkey told me it was his way of
life... and somebody had to do it.

With this statement, I conclude my quasi-scientific report. It is my
conclusion that these Greasemonkeys do what they do, because nobody else
does it. And they like it, because that's an evolutionary necessity: if they
wouldn't like doing what they have to do, they would most certainly die of
all their own confusing Greasemonkey-terms.

We can only hope that Darwin's evolutionary theory also applies to these
Greasemonkeys. If that's true, we might see some Greasehumans in the far,
far future ahead.

This is Iana Darnena, for the Federation Tribune.
Goodday.

Written by Iana Darnena, aka Rob Versteegt.

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Promotions in April 2004, by Rob Versteegt.
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>From Cadet to Ensign:
Cadet Malpaq Lilist, played by Jeremy Beeler, was promoted to ASTC Ensign
Malpaq Lilist, on the USS Calhoun.
Cadet Shy'la Ronal, played by Penelope Stubbs, was promoted to ACMO Ensign
Shy'la Ronal, on Pandora Station
Cadet Hoshad, played by Simon Harris, was promoted by ACEO Ensign Hosad, on
the USS Valkyrie.
Cadet Kyler Fletcher, played by Alonzo Soban, was promoted to ACONN Ensign
Kyler Fletcher, on the USS Atlantis.
Cadet Aslam Tek, played by Gael Imad'eddine, was promoted to ACOUNS Ensign
Aslam Tek, on Pandora Station.

>From Ensign to Ltjg:
CMO Ensign Jessica Truesdale, played by Sussie Andersson, was promoted to
Ltjg on Pandora Station
ACMO Ensign William Lea, played by William Lea, was promoted to CMO and Ltjg
on the USS Odyssey.

>From Ltjg to Lt:
ASTC Ltjg Simon Byrne, played by Jonathan Hardy, was promoted to STC and Lt,
on the USS Odyssey.
CONN Ltjg Travian Enar, played by Dave Church, was promoted to Lt, on the
USS Odyssey.

>From Lt. to Lt.Cmdr:
2O/CEO Lt Paul Velden, played by Ben Versteegt, was promoted to LtCmdr, on
the USS Odyssey.
2O/CSO Lt. Jeff Jalando, played by Rob Versteegt, was promoted to Lt.Cmdr,
on Pandora Station.

Other Promotions:
AOPS Ensign Pieter Nel, played by Aaron Langston, was promoted to OPS, on
Pandora Station.
CONN Lt.Cmdr Luke Callahan, played by Laura Elliot, was promoted to 2O/CONN,
on the USS Calhoun.

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Top posters in April 2004, by Rob Versteegt.
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THE TOP TEN POSTERS IN FRONTIER FLEET:

10. Laura Elliot: 16 (Cal 16)

9. Sussie Andersson: 18 (Pan 17, Ody 1)

8. Ben Versteegt: 19 (Pan 5, Ody 14)

7. Vincent Raposa: 19 (Atly 19)

6. Aaron Langston: 20 (Pan 20)

5. Martin Miller: 25 (Ody 8, Atly 17)

4. David Susman: 31 (Pan 1, Ody 5, Atly 25)

3. Chantal Marie Sellers: 35 (Ody 22, Atly 13)

2. Adrian Rodd 63 (Cal 27, Pan 12, Ody 5, Valk 3, Atly 16)

AND THE NR. 1 POSTER IN APRIL IS:
1. Rob Versteegt: 65 (Pan 39, Ody 6, Valk 4, Atly 16)

FLEETWIDE RANKING:
1. Rob Versteegt: 65 (Pan 39, Ody 6, Valk 4, Atly 16)
2. Adrian Rodd 63 (Cal 27, Pan 12, Ody 5, Valk 3, Atly 16)
3. Chantal Marie Sellers: 35 (Ody 22, Atly 13)
4. David Susman: 31 (Pan 1, Ody 5, Atly 25)
5. Martin Miller: 25 (Ody 8, Atly 17)
6. Aaron Langston: 20 (Pan 20)
7. Vincent Raposa: 19 (Atly 19)
8. Ben Versteegt: 19 (Pan 5, Ody 14)
9. Sussie Andersson: 18 (Pan 17, Ody 1)
10. Laura Elliot: 16 (Cal 16)
11. Jonathan Hardy: 14 (Ody 13, Atly 1)
12. Bram Peeters 14 (Pan 13, Atly 1)
13. Dennis Church: 13 (Pan 4, Ody 9)
14. Wes Buchanan: 10 (Pan 10)
15. Jake Henlon: 9 (Cal 9)
16. William Lea 6 (Ody 6)
17. Rob Verlinden: 6 (Ody 6)
18. Astrid Henricsson 5 (Pan 5)
19. Ann Montague: 5 (Valk 5)
20. Jeremy Beeler: 4 (Cal 4)
21. Brandon Allard: 3 (Valk 3)
22. Dave Church: 3 (Ody 3)
23. Jed Cohen: 1 (Valk 1)
24. Jamie Davison: 3 (Atly 3)
25. John Gibson: 3 (Atly 3)
26. Dreamer Jopnes: 3 (Valk 3)
27. John Coughlan 2 (Cal 2)
28. Guido Dorssers: 2 (Ody 2)
29. Aaron deLay: 2 (Cal 2)
30. Mark Tucker: 2 (Valk 2)
31. Clare Bradley: 1 (Valk 1)
32. Cody Ferell 1 (Cal 1)
33. Simon Harris: 1 (Valk 1)
34. Eric Hess: 1 (Cal 1)
35. Tom Shilakes: 1 (Valk 1)
36. Penelope Stubbs: 1 (Pan 1)

Top 3 Posters of the USS Calhoun:
3. Laura Elliot: 16 Posts.
2. Adrian Rodd: 27 Posts.
1. Kelley MacKinnon: 35 Posts.

Top 3 Posters of the USS Odyssey:
3. Jonathan Hardy: 13 Posts.
2. Ben Versteegt: 19 Posts.
1. Chantal Marie Sellers: 22 Posts.

Top 3 Posters of the USS Valkyrie:
3. Adrian Rodd / Brandon Allard / Dreamer Jopnes: 3 Posts.
2. Rob Versteegt: 4 Posts.
1. Ann Montague: 5 Posts.

Top 3 Posters of Pandora Station:
3. Sussie Andersson: 17 Posts.
2. Aaron Langston: 20 Posts.
1. Rob Versteegt: 39 Posts.

Top 3 Posters of the USS Atlantis:
3. Martin Miller: 17 Posts.
2. Vincent Raposa: 19 Posts.
1. David Susman: 25 Posts.

Dutystation Rankings:
Pandora Station: 125
USS Atlantis: 118
USS Odyssey: 99
USS Calhoun: 96
USS Valkyrie: 24
Total Posts in FF: 462!

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Science Facts May 2004, by Bram Peeters.
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14-04 - The Missing Moon of Sedna

Astronomers examining Hubble Space Telescope images of distant Sedna say the
planetoid is even more mysterious than they first thought.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/14apr_sedna2.htm

19-04 - In Search of Gravitomagnetism

Gravity Probe B has left Earth to measure a subtle yet long-sought force of
Nature: gravitomagnetism.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/19apr_gravitomagnetism.htm

21-04 - DELTA mission and ESA astronaut dock with ISS

The DELTA mission, with European Space Agency astronaut André Kuipers from
the Netherlands, and the ISS Expedition 9 crew, successfully docked with the
International Space Station (ISS) today.

http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMP3M67ESD_index_0.html

21-04 - Western flank of Olympus Mons

These images from ESA's Mars Express show the western flank of the shield
volcano Olympus Mons in the Tharsis region of the western Martian
hemisphere.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEM59O67ESD_0.html

22-04 - Lure Of The Rings

Resembling a diamond-encrusted bracelet, a ring of brilliant blue star
clusters wraps around the yellowish nucleus of what was once a normal spiral
galaxy in this new image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0404/22hubblering/

22-04 - Seeds in Space experiment gets underway

This morning Maria van der Hoeven, Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and
Science, officially started the Seeds in Space experiment. ESA astronaut
André Kuipers is conducting the experiment on board the International Space
Station as part of the Dutch DELTA Mission.
Around 70 000 schoolchildren are taking part in the experiment, which looks
at the growth of rucola seeds in a special 'growing rocket'. Whilst Kuipers
planted rucola seeds on board the Space Station, the children did the same
in the classroom.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Delta_Mission/SEMHUQ67ESD_0.html
DELTA mission - http://www.esa.int/delta

23-04 - Researcher Predicts Jupiter Spots Will Disappear

If a University of California, Berkeley, physicist's vision of Jupiter is
correct, the giant planet will be in for a major global temperature shift
over the next decade as most of its large vortices disappear.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0404/23jupiterspots/

23-04 - Status Check Shows Gravity Probe B In Good Shape

Gravity Probe B - the newly-launched NASA mission to test two predictions of
Albert Einstein's Theory of General Relativity - is orbiting 400 miles above
Earth, and all spacecraft systems are performing well.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0404/23gpbstatus/

24-04 - Four Ways To See Saturn

A montage of Cassini images, taken in four different regions of the spectrum
from ultraviolet to near-infrared, demonstrates that there is more to Saturn
than meets the eye. Cassini is two months away from entering orbit around
Saturn.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0404/24saturn4/

26-04 - A Pocket of Near-Perfection

Right now, one of the most precise physics experiments ever attempted is
orbiting Earth: Gravity Probe B. Its builders have created "a pocket of
near-perfection" inside the spacecraft where spinning gyroscopes can sense
the twisting of spacetime around Earth.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/26apr_gpbtech.htm

26-04 - Buon appetito: Russian cosmonauts on a Mediterranean diet

In parallel with the DELTA Mission, two Russian cosmonauts on the
International Space Station (ISS) - Alexander Kaleri and Gennadi Padalka -
will perform the Mediet (Mediterranean Diet) experiment, demonstrating the
use of the Mediet food system on board the ISS.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMSRO67ESD_Life_0.html

27-04 - Enter the Dragon: ESA and China's joint Earth watch begins

More than a hundred leading European and Chinese scientists meet today on
the island city of Xiamen to commence the Dragon Programme - a wide-ranging
research initiative employing ESA Earth Observation data to focus on China.

http://www.esa.int/esaSA/SEMFJX67ESD_earth_0.html

27-04 - Space solutions for health

ESA today announced the launch of its 'Space Solutions' initiative, a
business-to-business provider of know-how and technologies to industries in
the wellness market. The launch was announced at an event featuring an
address by ESA astronaut André Kuipers, live from the International Space
Station.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMOMS67ESD_Improving_0.html

28-04 - Opportunity main mission complete

The US space agency's robotic Mars explorer Opportunity has completed 90
days on the Red Planet, bringing its primary mission to an end.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3668289.stm
The Mars Rovers - http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

28-04 - Plan for global Earth monitoring agreed at Tokya summit

Representatives from 47 countries and more than two dozen international
organisations met in Tokyo last week, coming a significant step closer to
achieving the goal of an integrated Earth monitoring network.

http://www.esa.int/esaSA/SEMTR077ESD_earth_0.html

28-04 - Mars probe radar search postponed

Europe waits on the deployment of the Mars Express instrument that will hunt
for the Red Planet's sub-surface water.
The MARSIS team has advised ESA to delay the deployment of the MARSIS radar
instrument on board Mars Express, scheduled for this week.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3665931.stm
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEM2J777ESD_0.html
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0404/29marsexpress/

29-04 - Advanced scope's mirror in place

The main mirror for what will be the most powerful telescope on Earth has
been installed at its Arizona site.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3666737.stm

29-04 - Demise in ice and fire

The Bug Nebula, NGC 6302, is one of the brightest and most extreme planetary
nebulae known. At its centre lies a superhot dying star smothered in a
blanket of 'hailstones'. A new Hubble image reveals fresh detail in the
wings of this 'cosmic butterfly'.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM2L477ESD_FeatureWeek_0.html
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0404/30fireandice/

29-04 - ESA astronaut André Kuipers prepares to leave ISS

Today, after eleven days in space, of which nine on board the International
Space Station, André Kuipers is preparing to return to Earth. He is expected
to land in the northern part of the Kazakh Steppe at 02:11 CEST (00:11 UT)
tonight.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Delta_Mission/SEMB5877ESD_0.html
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/exp9/status.html

30-04 - Paper Probes Pulsar Pair

The only known gravitationally bound pair of pulsars -- extremely dense,
spinning stars that beam radio waves -- may be pirouetting around each other
in an intricate dance.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0404/30pulsarpair/

30-04 - All Future Shuttle Missions Geared To Space Station

NASA's latest return-to-flight implementation plan for the first time
codifies an earlier decision by NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe ruling out
any non-space station flights, like one to save the Hubble Space Telescope,
after shuttle flights resume next spring.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts114/040430hubble/

30-04 - Saturn spacecraft gets an eyeful

The Cassini-Huygens mission continues to return tremendous images of Saturn.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3672921.stm
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0404/29saturncolor/
NASA - http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
ESA - http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=12

30-04 - Soyuz makes 'bull's eye' landing

Russia's Soyuz capsule with three crewmen from the International Space
Station has landed in Kazakhstan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3670785.stm
The ISS - http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/index.html

01-05 - Interviews With Just-Returned Station Crew

Expedition 8 commander Mike Foale describes what it is like to land in a
Soyuz capsule and flight engineer Alexander Kaleri reflects on the
accomplishments of the half-year mission aboard the International Space
Station in the post-flight interviews.

http://spaceflightnow.com/station/exp9/exp9video.html

01-05 - Scientists Announce Cosmic Ray Theory Breakthrough

University of California scientists working at Los Alamos National
Laboratory have proposed a new theory to explain the movement of vast energy
fields in giant radio galaxies.  The theory could be the basis for a whole
new understanding of the ways in which cosmic rays -- and their signature
radio waves -- propagate and travel through intergalactic space.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0405/01cosmicrays/

02-05 - Computer 'Mobile Agents' And Robot Tested By Nasa

NASA scientists has resumed testing 'mobile agent' software that someday may
help astronauts on Mars talk with mission control on Earth. The tests are
taking place in Utah's Southeast Desert in a NASA field operation that began
last week and continues through May 9.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0405/02mobileagent/

03-05 - Galaxy Family Has Close Interaction In Cosmic Tango

Stars like our Sun are members of galaxies, and most galaxies are themselves
members of clusters of galaxies. In these, they move around among each other
in a mostly slow and graceful ballet. But every now and then, two or more of
the members may get too close for comfort - the movements become hectic,
sometimes indeed dramatic, as when galaxies end up colliding.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0405/03triple/

04-05 - Illuminating The 'Dark Ages' Of The Universe

Astronomers who want to study the cosmic dark ages face a fundamental
problem. How do you observe what existed before the first stars formed to
light it up? Theorists have found a solution.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0405/04darkages/

04-05 - Blood-red moon

ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft has just made its 278th orbit, in good health and
with all functions performing nominally, but its target is expected to turn
blood-red in the evening of 4 May!

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/SMART-1/SEMWGG77ESD_0.html

04-05 - ESA's miniature Earth observer put to many uses

Think of ESA's Proba as the little satellite that does a lot. It is only the
size of a washing machine but its main instrument - the smallest
hyperspectral imager ever flown in space - has an expanding portfolio of
uses encompassing agricultural mapping, water quality monitoring, charting
forest fire damage and disaster management.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Proba_web_site/SEMHHH77ESD_0.html

05-05 - Dark matter detector limbers up

A US team has released the first results from a super-sensitive hunt for the
mysterious "dark matter".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3683267.stm

05-05 - NASA's Genesis Spacecraft On Final Lap Toward Home

The Genesis spacecraft flew past Earth a few days ago in a loop that puts it
on track for home - and a dramatic mid-air recovery Sept. 8. The mission was
launched in 2001 to capture samples of the solar wind for return to
Earth-bound scientists.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0405/05genesis/

06-05 - Was Galileo wrong?

Could one of the fundamental assumptions of modern physics be wrong? A group
of NASA-supported researchers are going to find out by bouncing laser beams
off the Moon. They'll use a new Moon-laser facility opening in New Mexico
this fall, and some mirrors left behind on the Moon by Apollo astronauts 30
years ago.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/06may_lunarranging.htm

07-05 - Nasa mulls dip trip for rover

Nasa scientists are considering whether to send the Mars rover Opportunity
into an impact crater the buggy has spent the last three weeks travelling
to.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3692137.stm
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/040506endurance.html
The Mars Rovers - http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

07-05 - Two Extremely Hot Exoplanets Caught In Transit

A European team of astronomers are announcing the discovery and study of two
new extra-solar planets. The observations were performed in March at the
Paranal Observatory in Chile.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0405/07exoplanet/

08-05 - Closer To The Monster

Fulfilling an old dream of astronomers, observations with the Very Large
Telescope in Chile have now made it possible to obtain a clear picture of
the immediate surroundings of the black hole at the centre of an active
galaxy.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0405/08blackhole/

08-05 - Cassini probe sights moon target

The Cassini-Huygens mission has caught sight of Saturn's largest moon,
Titan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3693721.stm
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0405/06cassinititan/
NASA - http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
ESA - http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=12

07-05 - Image reveals Mars' active past

Europe's Mars Express probe has sent back detailed images of a region of the
Red Planet that was shaped by intensive continental plate activity. These
images were taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board ESA's
Mars Express are of the Acheron Fossae region.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEMKRR77ESD_0.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3700111.stm

11-05 - X-Prize 'will be won this year'

The X-Prize, a $10m race to be the first private company to put a craft into
space twice in two weeks, will be won soon, believe its organisers.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3700855.stm

11-05 - Star seen to have ups and downs

Astronomers may have found a star that has a similar "heartbeat" of activity
to that seen on our own Sun.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3703683.stm

11-05 - Great Wall of China seen from space

ESA's Proba satellite here shows a winding segment of the 7240-km long Great
Wall of China situated just northeast of Beijing. The Great Wall's relative
visibility or otherwise from orbit has inspired much recent debate.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Proba_web_site/SEMTTHGHZTD_0.html

Disclaimer:

The news items in this article have been collected from the following
sources:
NASA - http://www.nasa.gov/ - Mailinglist/RSS Feed
ESA - http://www.esa.int/ - Mailinglist
BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/ - RSS Feed
Spaceflight Now - http://spaceflightnow.com/ - Mailinglist

--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Alpha Centauri Mystery, part 11: Collaboration, by Ben Versteegt
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: A Federation outpost on a planet in the Alpha Centaury system has
been raided by Romulans. They were looking for mysterious samples that were
recently discovered. Those samples are crystals which emit some sort of
radiation, which, if harnessed, will be a new and almost inexhaustible
source of power. The Romulans didn't find the crystals, though, since Ensign
Sandra Burke was using the samples at the time of the attack in an attempt
to capture a Cardassian who was also after the samples. She, her Ferengi
friend Zaag and the captured Cardassian were then beamed to the USS Aquinas:
Captain Ayer knew that Sandra wouldn't be safe on the planet. However, she
wasn't safe on the ship either: a Prometheus class Starship crippled the
Aquinas and beamed Sandra and the samples aboard. Later, the crew of the
Aquinas tries to begin repairs, but they are interrupted by a group of
Romulans beaming aboard. They want to know where the samples are, and
threaten to kill the Captain if he doesn't answer...

And now the continuation:

"We don't have the samples!" said Ayer, as he eyed the Romulan who put a
disruptor to his head.

"That might be so," the Romulan in charge said, "seeing how your ship is in
ruins. It's possible that somebody attacked you in order to acquire the
crystals. It is however also possible," he now stepped back, but continued
to point his weapon at Ayer, "that your attacker did not find the samples.
You might have hidden them before you were attacked. So I ask you again:
where are the samples, Captain?"

"And I tell you again," Ayer said between his clenched teeth, "we don't have
the samples."

Another Romulan forced Ayer down on his knees. He pointed a rather large
disruptor rifle at his back, and looked at his superior for the order to
fire. "Commander?" he asked.

"Not yet," he said, and kneeled down to look the Captain in the face.
"Captain," he said, in a friendly tone, almost to the point of mocking him.
"I am a peace loving person. I have no desire to kill you or have you
killed." He looked down, and sighed. "But my crew is much more fond of
violence than I am. They expect their leader to take drastic measures if you
don't tell me what I need to know." He looked Ayer straight in the eyes. "Do
you understand me, Captain?"

Ayer wasn't particularly fond of this little charade the Romulan commander
was playing. "Oh, I understand perfectly," he said defiantly. "If I don't
tell you where the samples are, you'll slaughter me."

"Oh come now, Captain," the Romulan said as he stood up. "We're no
barbarians. I promise it will be a quick and painless death." He took a
moment to reconsider. "Well, maybe not painless, but quick nonetheless."

"The ship that took the samples is gone," Ayer said forcefully. "So why
don't you go do something useful and go away?"

The Romulan commander came closer to Ayer and sat down besides him, moving
his face towards his ear. "That would take all the fun out of it, wouldn't
it?" he whispered. He stood up again, flashed the Captain a nasty smile and
then suddenly hit Ayer's face with the back of his hand. "Let the
interrogation begin," he said, smiling.

"Captain!" Watters shouted and tried to run towards Ayer, but he was held
back by two Romulans who grabbed him by the shoulders and the arms. A few
other Romulans also grabbed Zaag and forced him to sit on his knees.

Ayer looked at Watters and shook his head slowly. It implied an order not to
do anything. "You can scan our vessel," the Captain said to the Romulan
commander. "You know we don't have the samples. So get the hell off my
ship!"

"You're hardly in a position to make demands, Captain," said the Romulan.
"First of all, you don't seem to have a ship anymore, so we can't 'get the
hell off' it, and second, we're the ones holding the weapons, not you. So to
be perfectly honest with you Captain, I think that your demand doesn't carry
much weight, now does it?" He was beginning to get annoyed with Ayer for his
reluctance to co-operate. But, of course, that meant a challenge as well.
And he liked challenges. "I'll get you to talk, Captain Ayer. I'll get you
to tell us where the samples are."

"Good luck," Ayer replied. "I've already told you: the samples were taken
from us. Search the ship if you don't believe me. Or what's left of it
anyway," he murmured.

"Oh, I believe you," the Romulan commander said. "And if you're lying, we'll
find that out when we interrogate you." He looked around. "There's nothing
on this wreck that is of any value to us." He looked at Ayer again. "Except
you of course."

"What do you mean?"

"A Starfleet Captain always makes a fine hostage, although perhaps a bit
troublesome to deal with," explained the Romulan. "We could of course take
your entire crew hostage; we would just interrogate you and extract all the
information we want to know, after which we turn you over to the Federation
again. Come to think of it, that's beneficial for both parties: we get our
information and a fine reputation with the Federation, and the Federation
gets its crew back." Now, he looked at Zaag. "How's that for a deal,
Ferengi?"

It took a while for Zaag to work up the courage to speak. "Normally, I would
say that it is a fine deal," he began. "But there's more at stake here." He
turned to Captain Ayer, as far as that was possible with two Romulans
pinning him down. "Captain, what about Sandra?"

"I don't think we'll be getting around to a rescue mission any time soon,
Mr. Zaag," Ayer said with a sigh. "Unless..." he looked at the Romulan
Commander. "You can help us."

"Are you mad?" the Romulan asked. "Your lost crewmember is none of our
business. What makes you think we'll help you?"

"Because if we find her, we find the samples you're looking for."

The Romulan commander stood tall, and sighed. He seemed to be deep in
thought. "Come with me to my office, Captain," he finally said. "It appears
we have a lot to talk about." He walked towards the Ready Room and waited
for the Captain to enter it.

Ayer was dragged up from the ground and walked towards the Ready room on his
own. "Last time I checked, this was *my* ready room, commander." The both
entered.

"Check again," replied the Romulan. "I seized what's left of this vessel,
including your ready room. It's a puny spoils, but I suppose one has to be
happy with what one can get, wouldn't you say? After all, these are
troubling times."

He tried to sit down in the chair behind the Captain's desk, but due to the
damage the Aquinas had sustained, the chair broke and fell on the ground as
soon as the Romulan touched it. He stood up again. "Well, they certainly
don't make chairs like they used to, do they?" He smiled at Ayer, and if the
Captain didn't know better, he'd say that the Romulan was attempting to make
smalltalk.

"Get to the point please." Ayer didn't like to wait. The Prometheus class
Starship carrying Sandra and the samples could be out of sensor range by
now.

"My point is, Captain," the Romulan continued, as he pulled up another
chair. "that, as I have said only a moment ago, these are troubling times."
He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the desk. "Though the Dominion
war has ended, its effects are still noticeable throughout the quadrant.
Just look at the Federation. It has lost its glory, Captain. Before the war,
it was unthinkable that a Romulan ship could ever venture so deep in
Federation space. And yet here we are now, striking one of the founding
members of the Federation." He leaned back in his chair. "Doesn't that
bother you, Captain Ayer?"

"You attacked the outpost on Alpha Centauri," Ayer stated. "Of course that
bothers me."

"Of course it does!" the Romulan commander smiled and raised an eyebrow.
"That's only natural. And what's even more frustrating for you is that you
couldn't defend the outpost even if you wanted to. Face it, Captain. Our
ship -- a state of the art warbird -- is more powerful than your puny
Excelsior class vessel. You are obsolete and you know it. But you also
know," he leaned forward again and started to speak in a lowered voice,
"that these times require the Federation to send even an obsolete vessel
like yours into active service. What's that human expression again, Captain?
Desperate times call for desperate measures?"

"I still haven't heard your point."

The Romulan commander continued to speak as if Ayer had said nothing. "But
these times have proven to be more desperate than you had thought, haven't
they, Captain? After the events following the discovery of the crystals,
which could turn out to be powerful sources of energy, you found out exactly
how desperate these times are, and what kinds of desperate measures some
people -- even Starfleet Captains -- are willing to take. Am I right,
Captain?"

"You found out about the Federation ship that attacked us," Ayer said. There
was pain in his eyes as he remembered the battle. It was still fresh in his
memory, and he couldn't stop thinking about it.

"The impact patterns on your ship are consistent with that of Federation
weaponry," came the reply. "Furthermore, we detected a residual weapon
signature coming from the damaged areas in your ship. It is Federation in
origin."

"So what do you intend to do about it?" asked Ayer. There was no reason to
co-operate with his captor, so he made his replies as brief as he could. He
had no intention of helping these Romulans in any way, even though it could
mean finding Sandra again.

"I don't *intend* to do anything about it, Captain," the Romulan commander
answered, as he leaned forward a bit more. "Your problems are your own." He
sighed, and sat back in his chair. "At least, that's what I would normally
say. Unfortunately, your problems are ours as well." He paused to think. "It
seems that the Starfleet vessel that attacked you has indeed beamed the
samples off your ship."

"Together with my... one of my crewmembers," Ayer said, quickly correcting
himself. He was going to say 'my niece', but that was no information that
concerned the Romulans.

"Well then, it seems that you could use our help..." The Romulan grinned.
"We would be willing to help you find your missing crewmember. We would,
however, have to ask you something in return."

"Let me guess," Ayer replied. "You want the samples."

The Romulan's grin grew broader. "But Captain, how could we ask something of
you that you clearly do not have?" He stood up from his chair and began to
pace around the room. "No, the samples will be ours, don't worry. What we
want from you is your assistance in disabling that Federation vessel. Shield
codes, command overrides, weaknesses in their hull, weapon strength...
Everything."

"You must be crazy if you think I'm going to betray Starfleet secrets to the
Romulans!"

The Romulan commander shrugged. "Have it your way, Captain. We'll just have
to disable that vessel without you help. A pity, though."

"Pity?"

The commander appeared to be lost in thought. "The lives of the crew, I
mean. Clearly we have no choice but to destroy that starship once we beamed
up the samples."

"Destroy them?" Ayer got up from his chair. He was visible shocked. "Why?"

"Obviously they're not going to just *give* the samples to us," replied the
Romulan. "They will fight us for them. And judging from the damage to your
ship, I'd say that vessel has some massive firepower. They will no doubt do
at least some damage to our ship."

"Afraid you'll loose?" Ayer asked with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, no, it's not that," the commander said as he waved away the remark and
returned the smirk. "I know we will win. It's just that, if they do
significant damage, they will have to be punished."

"Punished?" Ayer shot back. "Surely they don't need to be destroyed if they
defend themselves!"

"Examples must be made, Captain. The enemies of the Romulan Star Empire must
know that crossing us is not a wise thing to do. Now if you'll excuse me,
Captain, I have to obtain some samples. I'll leave you here to wait for your
rescue. Goodbye, Captain." He turned to walk away from the desk and towards
the door, but Ayer's voice stopped him.

"Wait," the Captain said softly. A smile formed on the Romulan's face, but
when he turned around to face Ayer, the smile was gone.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Captain?"

"I'll..." It was hard for Ayer to get the words out. "I'll... help you." His
voice was the soft voice of a defeated man.

"You will 'help us'?"

"Yes, damnit!" Ayer said in a soft, subdued, yet strong voice. "I'll help
you. I'll give you the command codes if I can, I'll show you the way to
determine the frequency of their shields... but please, don't kill those
people."

"You are a wise man, Captain Ayer," the Romulan said with a broad grin. "I
do hope this won't be the last time you and I work together. I feel this
incident will help to develop the relationship between the Federation and
the Romulan Empire."

"Cut the crap, commander," Ayer said. "You know I don't have any choice. I
can't allow you to kill those people!"

"And thanks to you, I won't have to. I thank you, Captain." The Romulan
commander left the ready room and joined the others on the Bridge. There,
some Romulan soldiers were still aiming their weapons at Watters and Zaag.
"Lower your weapons," the Romulan commander said. "Their Captain has agreed
to help us."

"Captain?" Watters asked in disbelief.

"I had not choice," muttered Ayer. "They were going to destroy that ship if
I didn't help them capture the samples."

Watters and Zaag were both shocked and didn't know what to say. The Romulan
commander, however, had his words ready. "Beam what's left of this crew to
our brig," he ordered one of his subordinates. He then turned to Captain
Ayer. "Don't worry, your crew will be safe there."

"You're taking my crew captive? That wasn't the deal!" Ayer shouted.

"Really Captain, I already captured your crew before we reached any deal,"
came the reply. The Romulan then turned to the other Romulan he had been
addressing. "Beam their senior officers to our Bridge, but make sure they
are heavily guarded."

The Romulan who seemed to be in charge of transporters nodded, but
immediately thereafter asked a question, "Commander, we have detected a
Cardassian in their brig. What do we do with him?"

"Beam him to our ship as well, and put him behind a forcefield," said the
commander. "Who knows, maybe he'll prove useful."

The Romulan transporter chief tapped a padd and then looked up.
"Acknowledged, commander. The ship reports transporter sequence has been
locked in. We're ready to initiate transport."

"Then by all means..." said the Romulan commander with a grin. "Energise."

Ayer gulped as a green transporterbeam filled his sight, and his damaged
Bridge shimmered out of existence. He wasn't sure he was doing the right
thing by co-operating with the Romulans, but he didn't have any choice. As
the Bridge of his own ship, the Aquinas, was replaced by the interior of a
Romulan ship, he began to seriously doubt the possibility that he would ever
see his Aquinas again. A tear fell on the ground of the Aquinas's Bridge
before its Captain was fully dematerialised.

To be Continued.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
"All that Glitters" Prologue, by Bram Peeters.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
March 30, 2386, 10:30 - Din'ghes VII

The Starfleet shuttle descended slowly into the planet's atmosphere. For a
while the shuttle followed a small canyon, which cut through a large field
of green crystals. After several miles the shuttle landed on a small hill on
the edge of the field. The shuttle hatch opened and two people in
environmental suits stepped out. One of them scanned the surroundings with a
tricorder. He then looked at the other person and nodded. "This location
seems to be perfect, Dr. Moebius."

"I quite agree," the other man, who had been called Moebius, answered, while
he looked around. "Have you ever been to Rome, commander?"

"Sir?"

"This area reminds me of the Tiber Valley in Italy," Moebius said. He turned
around and pointed at the hills to their right. "Seven hills, just like the
location where the twin brothers Romulus and Remus founded the city of Rome
three thousand years ago."

"Should we return to the ship and let Starfleet know we found a suitable
location?" the commander asked.

Moebius looked at him. "Yes... Of course... The sooner we can get started,
the better."

The two men walked back to their shuttle but before they got in Moebius
turned around one last time and looked around. "It's surprising that nobody
ever visited this planet. The view is magnificent..."

"It is," said the commander. "But the air here is quite toxic, even at this
distance from the crystal fields." The officer paused. "We have to go now
Dr. If all goes well you can enjoy the view again in a few weeks."

"You're right," Moebius said and he entered the shuttle, closing the hatch
behind him. While the shuttle climbed higher and higher, something that
vaguely sounded like the howling of a wolf was heard in the distance.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Line of Duty, part 3: Making the Kill, by Rob Versteegt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Line of Duty.

Summary:
4th year Cadet Esther Keel, who is temporary stationed at starbase 375, has
committed a murder. She did that, because a mysterious man ordered her to do
so, in the name of Starfleet Security. This act of murder proved to this man
that Esther could be trusted. Now, she is accepted in this man's
organisation. However, Esther's next assignment is to kill her best friend:
Bernadette, a Huanni, who, according to this man, is a spy for the Romulans.

And now the continuation.

Part 3: Making the Kill

Esther's tears were all dried up: she still wanted to cry, but she couldn't.
After she had been given the assignment to kill Bernadette, she had gone to
her quarters, to pick up the special phaser she had been given. This phaser
was designed to create a phaserbeam at such a frequency which would still be
lethal, but would not cause alarms to go off.

And now... Esther stood outside Bernadette's quarters. She would tap the
button which would let Bernadette know there was someone at her door. She
would then invite Esther in, like she had always done. And then... after
they would sit down... Esther would kill her friend. Shoot her right in the
stomach. She would fall down, on the couch. She would feel pain, but not as
much as she would when she would be shot elsewhere.

Esther sighed. She knew it was for the best of the Federation, (at least,
that was what this man said,) but that didn't make it any easier. ~Think
what you are doing Esther!~ she told herself. ~You are killing your best
friend! Don't do this...~ "There's got to be another way..." she softly told
herself.

But she knew there wasn't. The mysterious man wouldn't settle for anything
less than Bernadette's death. These were her orders... this was what she had
to do. With pain in her heart, she tapped the calling button.

"A guest!" Bernadette's friendly voice sounded. "Just a minute! I'll be
right there!" Some noise was heard on the other side of the door. Probably
Bernadette trying to clean her place up a bit, in a short time. ~Bernadette
always was such a slob... but she did want everything to be tidy, when
guests arrive..~ Esther almost smiled... She had come to known this Huanni.
She had become her friend. And a true friend indeed. They were always there
for each other. They wouldn't betray her... no matter what. And now, she
would kill her best friend.

The doors opened.. and Bernadette's friendly face greeted the cadet.
"Esther!" The Huanni did absolutely no effort in hiding her surprise, and
joy to see her friend again. "Oh, come in! Please come in!" Bernadette was
almost jumping up and down of happiness. When Esther finally entered, and
sat down on the couch, Bernadette ran to the replicator. "Computer!" She was
shouting in excitement. "Please replicate some chocolate chip cookies!"

The computer acknowledged the order, by giving a beeping sound, and just a
second later, a plate appeared, with lots of chocolate chip cookies. "Here
you go Esther!" Bernadette said with a big smile on her face. "Take one!
They're your favourites, aren't they?"

Esther swallowed, and tried to smile. "T.. thank you." She said, and took
one cookie. She took one bite of the cookie. The delicious taste filled her
taste-buds. A tingling sensation went through her body: it was the reaction
to this cookie. She usually enjoyed it so much, that she wanted more of it.
And this was no exception. However, this wasn't a usual situation: she had
to kill Bernadette.

But when Esther was about to draw the phaser, she looked in Bernadette's
eyes. The Huanni had always been a great friend to her. Her kindness was
unlike anything she had experienced before, and her friendship meant a lot
to her. But now, she knew she had to put all of that aside. Although this
was easier said than done.

"So Esther." Bernadette said with a smile, while sitting next to the cadet.
"What brings you to my home? Do you wish to talk?" Before Esther could
answer, Bernadette continued. "You know that boy I was seeing?" she started
to giggle, and her face turned red. "Well... I really start to like him, and
he likes me! We have even.." Her face turned even redder then before...
something Esther didn't think was possible. "We have kissed... oh Esther, I
like him so much! You have to meet him some day!"

"Maybe.." Esther said, trying to hide her tears.

"What is it?" Bernadette immediately stopped smiling and giggling.. and
expressed a look of concern. "Something is wrong.. I know it. What's the
matter?"

"I.." Ester felt the first tears running down her cheek. "I... I have orders
to..." she looked into Bernadette's eyes. "do something terrible. And.. I'm
not sure if I want to do that." She sobbed. "But I have to!"

"Oh, Esther.." Bernadette started crying as well, and put her arms around
the cadet. "How terrible! Oh, I'm so sorry..." There was a silence, in which
Bernadette just kept her arms around Esther. The only thing that was heard,
was the sobbing of both women. Then, Bernadette broke the embrace. "You want
some advise from a best friend?"

Esther nodded. She couldn't say anything.. she knew what orders these
were... and Bernadette did not. "Well.." Bernadette began, wiping her tears
away. "I know it can be difficult... but orders are probably given for a
good reason, even though you don't see that reason right away." She smiled a
bit, put her hand through Eshter's hair. "I think you should follow these
orders... and just see what happens. Okay?"

"No..." Esther shook her head, and tears started to roll down freely.
"But... I have to.." She looked into Bernadette's eyes. "I have to..."

"Shhhh..." Bernadette said, also with tears in her eyes. "Don't tell your
orders to me... they are your orders, not mine." She smiled a bit. "What
would happen if you started telling your orders to everyone? The safety of
the Federation could be at risk, and we wouldn't want that to happen, now do
we?" She smiled a bit at the joke she had made... but to Esther, it seemed
as if Bernadette had just told her what to do.

Slowly, she moved closer to Bernadette, and with one arm, embraced her
again. "Oh Esther!" Bernadette giggled. "Come here.. I'll comfort you..."

With the other arm, Esther slowly grabbed the phaser. Without the Huanni
knowing it, she aimed the phaser, and stood ready to push the button.
"Bernadette.." Esther said, her voice full of emotion, "I'll never forget
you... you are my best friend. And.. I'm sorry."

"You're my best friend as well!" Bernadette said with a smile. But then, her
face become more serious. "Sorry? What do you mean? We'll be together
forever, won't we?" She paused, and then, more carefully, she added, "Won't
we?"

"No..." Esther said, with tears in her eyes. "We won't. Goodbye.. and.. I'm
so sorry..."

With a single push on the button, the phaser was fired. All Bernadette could
do, was show a face of pain... disbelief... despair. With her last breath,
she looked at Esther, and cried: "Esther.... I..." She couldn't say anything
else. She was dead. Her lifeless body hanging over Esther.

Esther sat there... motionless... stunned by what she had done. Only after a
minute, she realised: she had indeed killed her best friend. She was now
still looking in Bernadette's eyes, but these eyes didn't show the same
sparkle they did when the Huanni had been alive. These eyes only showed
death.

The cadet just stared in front of her. She didn't know what to say.. what to
do... So she did all that she could do.. she cried, and tightened the
embrace she still had with what used to be Bernadette. She realised she was
holding a corpse in her hands... the corpse of Bernadette.

"I'm so sorry.." she said through her tears. "I'm so sorry..."

To be continued...

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