The Federation Tribune - March 2005
Rob Versteegt
chiefeditor at frontierfleet.com
Fri Mar 18 14:32:33 CET 2005
==== The Federation Tribune ====
==== March 2005 ====
Got a question? Visit the Newspaper FAQ!
(http://www.frontierfleet.net/lcars/newspaper/newspaper_faq)
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USS Calhoun / Delta One status report February 2005, by Adrian Rodd.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
With a cure having been developed by Doctor Kyalda, Lieutenant MacPhelsmore
and Counsellor Jurnyk, and the crew back on their feet, it would appear
everything is back to normal, off in the distant Delta Quadrant. However,
when we next take a look at our valiant crew, we find them on an alien
planet, living new lives, with no memory whatsoever of who they really are.
. . Only a few crewmembers have disturbing suspicions of another life, but
as the crew begin to gather together, perhaps the delusion cannot be held
indefinitely. . . Join us next month to find out!
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USS Odyssey Status report February 2005, by Dennis Church.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Location: KPS Starcluster
Stardate 2391.04.27
After the fusing of the double pulsars, the Odyssey sets course for Starbase
44, as CMO O'Gallagher checked the crew for any remaining signs of infection
from the mysterious Tarr - and nothing was found.
Location: En route to Starbase 44/Starbase 44
Stardate: 2391.04.28
While on their way back to Federation territory, transfer orders are
received for Commander Paul Velden and Lieutenant Simon Byrne. While the
crew is far from happy with the news, a party is held in both officers'
honor during the evening - goodbyes are said. Soon afterwards, Lieutenant
Simon Byrne left the Odyssey for his promotion to the Valkyrie.
Location: Deep Space Nine
Stardate: 2391.05.09
The crew enjoys some time to explore one of the most significant landmarks
in Federation history - still in active service today - while they drop off
Velden and pick up Nerfertii. A staff meeting is called for the next
morning, to explain the Odyssey's next mission.
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USS Valkyrie status report February 2005, by Brandon Allard.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Stardate: 2391.04.30 - 2391.05.01
Location: Alpha Quadrant, Northern rim of Betreka nebula. (relative to
Federation standard orientation)
FO's log: Here we are, waiting more or less defenseless on the edge of an
increasingly mysterious nebula, possibly swarming with Borg and who knows
what else. With our single exploration capable shuttle out of communication
range, and our sensors incapable of penetrating to a useful distance we sit
here blind. Waiting. Now, on top of all that, there seems to be an outbreak
of gross unprofessionalism. Perhaps too many violations been overlooked in
the past. I have only myself to blame for the lack of discipline. Not
normally a priority for me, but those... bureaucrats on Earth will come
looking for me if things don't start running smoother. ...If the captain
doesn't first. Log ends.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Pandora Station status report February 2005, by Bram Peeters and Rob
Versteegt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2391.05.21
The Delta Flyer Phoenix got back to Pandora Station, after being attacked by
an unknown enemy. The Engineering and Security departments immediately
started repairing the Flyer, and trying to find out what happened. They were
hindered by Reporter Darnena, who was trying to write an article about it
all...
2391.05.25
Commander Jalando and four Dholari, Agent T'hims included, arrived at the
Solstice. The Dholari had liberated Commander Jalando and T'hims from
captivity by Mr. Zytl, but they also brought terrible news: In the staff
meeting that followed Jalando's return, the Commander showed three scarred
and battered commbadges: the commbadges of Ensigns Flanigan and Vok, and
Petty Officer Zang.
These officers had been part of a negotiation team to negotiate for the
Commander's release. Unfortunately, their shuttle had been attacked, and
crashed on the moon, after which the officers had been taken prisoner and
taken before Jalando when he was still imprisoned by Mr. Zytl. When Jalando
still refused to tell secrets of Pandora Station to Mr. Zytl, the Ythokan
had executed Flanigan, Zang and Vok.
Immediately after Jalando had told this at the meeting, he requested
counseling sessions with Counselor Tek.
2391.05.27
When the Solstice finally returned at Pandora Station, the news, which both
Captain Kane and Commander Jalando had to bring to 2O Truesdale, was far
from pleasant: telling someone that one's lover had died was, according to
the two command officers, best done in private. Truesdale's reaction would
obviously be far from pleasant either.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
USS Atlantis status report February 2005, by Ben Versteegt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2391.04.20:
With the Away Team in quarantine and off the planet and the mystery
regarding the Creators solved, the crew now had to repair the damage and
tried to get things back to normal.
2391.04.21:
The USS Atlantis left orbit of Ogawatchi Prime to return to Tau Epsilon 4,
for some well deserved shore leave.
2391.04.22:
Still en-route to Tau Epsilon 4, the crew had to deal with the events of the
past few days. Bart, the holographic bartender, proved to be essential in
the healing process: his advise and his drinks are a good mix.
2391.04.24:
In orbit of Tau Epsilon 4, the senior staff gathered for a staff meeting,
where several people got promoted, including Commander Torn, who is now
Captain in rank as well as position. There was also sad news: several
crewmembers were re-assigned off of the Atlantis, leaving the ship
desperately in need of new crew. This new crew turned out to be arriving on
Deep Space Nine, waiting for the Gamma Flyer to take them to their new
posting.
2391.04.25:
The new crewmembers of the Atlantis, Lieutenant junior grade Xiox, Ensign
Andersson and Ensign Boisseau, enjoyed their free time on DS9.
2391.04.26:
On Deep Space Nine, the new crewmembers met each other. The new ACEO, ACONN
and ACOUNS seem to get along quite well, which was a good thing, since they
still had to wait together for a few more days before the Gamma Flyer
arrived.
2391.05.07:
It was finally time for the departing officers to leave the Atlantis. After
saying goodbye, the leaving crew, among them Lieutenant Commander Nerfertii,
the new Second Officer of the USS Odyssey, departed the Atlantis and steered
the Gamma Flyer through the wormhole. They subsequently arrived at Deep
Space Nine, where the Gamma Flyer will receive a minor overhaul.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Public Relations status report February 2005, by Rob Versteegt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow... there were indeed lots of signups this month. That's probably because
of all of you, who have been voting this much! Keep at it!
In total, there were 23, which is actually less than last month, but there
were more good signups: 11 of the 23 were actually pretty good!
Here is where the signups found us:
11: Searching the web / searchengine.
2: Unknown.
7: Voting site or other link.
3: Through a friend.
Well, it seems as if most of us are searching on the web for star trek, or
are looking at voting sites. So keep voting, and keep telling your friends
about us! ;-)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
SF Academy status report February 2005, by Rob Versteegt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Instructors: (8)
Chief Instructor Sedaq, played by Adrien Rodd
Instructor Joran Moore, played by David Susman.
Instructor Vivienne Creenan, played by Rob Versteegt
Instructor T'Pott, played by Bram Peeters.
Instructor Miranda Winter, played by Ben Versteegt
Instructor Sophie Jaune, played by Rob Verlinden
Instructor Liz Bronson, played by Laura Elliot
Instructor Hernan Ortiz, played by Aaron Langston
==================
Instructors leaving: (1)
Instructor Randy Orsolo, played by Dennis Church. Thanks for everything
Dennis, and we'll miss you here! ;-)
==================
Cadets lost: (3)
Cadet Victoria Winter, played by Tara Marcum.
Cadet Gerard Lafayette, played by Irsan Olii
Cadet Straden Kile, played by Shawn Prince.
==================
New Signups: 23 (12 useless, leaves 11 new cadets, some of which haven't
mailed me back after the first mail though.)
==================
Individual Cadets: (10)
Cadet Lichfield, played by Mike Hutton (Adrian)
Cadet Alyson Kazanjian, played by Kass Nessbit (Bobby)
Cadet Callum Armour, played by Callum Armour (Laura)
Cadet Toran Nakine, played by Richard Norton (Bobby)
Cadet Adam Grey, played by James Clarke (Bobby)
Cadet Job Lavigne, played by Joseph Wood (Not assigned yet at time of
writing)
Cadet John Harmondale, played by Jovan Gegov (David)
Cadet John Shreriden, played by John Shreriden (Adrian)
Cadet Michael Webster, played by Phil Cooper (Aaron)
Cadet Sobra Rena, played by Noel S. (Rob007)
==================
List Cadets: (6) (List instructor: Bobby)
Cadet Alisa Alexander, played by Tiffany Boggs.
Cadet Andre Thomas, played by Andre Thomas
Cadet Julian McDermot, played by Yugoslav Zingovski.
Cadet Aleana Netal, played by Selin A.
Cadet Sumina Doe, played by Whitney Peters.
(]Mission Summary:[)
Stardate 2389.04.29
Instructor Creenan took the Cadets for a holographic tour of their lives,
when she made the holographic shuttle crash on a holographic planet. There,
the Cadets had to survive...
==================
Graduates: (2)
Cadet Alex Greystone, played by Daniel Balding => ACONN Alex Greystone, USS
Odyssey.
Cadet Una Andersson, played by Hanna Brunefeldt => ACONN Una Andersson, USS
Atlantis.
==================
And... that's it again. I hope to have more graduates next month! ;-)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleetwide Status Report February 2005, by Guido Dorssers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
=============
USS Calhoun
=============
---------------------
Stardate 2391.06.09
---------------------
With a cure having been developed by Doctor Kyalda the crew is back on their
feet and everything appears to be back to normal. However, afterwards the
crew found themselves on an alien planet, living new lives, with no memory
whatsoever of who they really were.
---------------
VACANCIES (5)
---------------
AOPS
ACOUNS
OPS
CMO
COUNS
==============
USS Odyssey
==============
---------------------
Stardate 2391.04.27
---------------------
After the fusing of the double pulsars, the Odyssey set course for Starbase
44, as CMO O'Gallagher checked the crew for any remaining signs of infection
from the mysterious Tarr - nothing was found.
---------------------
Stardate 2391.04.28
---------------------
While on the way back to Federation territory, transfer orders were received
for Commander Paul Velden and Lieutenant Simon Byrne. While the crew is far
from happy with the news, a party was held in both officers' honor during
the evening - goodbyes were said. Soon afterwards, Lieutenant Simon Byrne
left the Odyssey for his promotion to the USS Valkyrie.
---------------------
Stardate 2391.05.09
---------------------
The crew is enjoying some time to explore one of the most significant
landmarks in Federation history - still in active service today - while they
drop off Velden and pick up Nerfertii. A staff meeting is called for the
next morning, to explain the Odyssey's next mission.
----------------
VACANCIES (10)
----------------
AOPS
ASTC
ACMO
ACSO
ACEO
ACONN
ACOUNS
CSO
COUNS
CONN
==============
USS Valkyrie
==============
----------------------------------
Stardate 2391.04.30 - 2391.05.01
----------------------------------
The USS Valkyrie is waiting, more or less defenseless, on the edge of an
increasingly mysterious nebula, possibly swarming with Borg and who
knowswhat else. With our single exploration capable shuttle out of
communication range, and our sensors incapable of penetrating to a useful
distance we sit here blind. Waiting. On top of all that, there seems to be
an outbreak of gross unprofessionalism. Perhaps too many violations been
overlooked in the past.
---------------
VACANCIES (8)
---------------
AOPS
ASTC
ACOUNS
CEO
CMO
CSO
CONN
COUNS
=================
Pandora Station
=================
---------------------
Stardate 2391.05.21
---------------------
The Delta Flyer Phoenix got back to Pandora Station, after being attacked by
an unknown enemy. The Engineering and Security departments immediately
started repairing the Flyer, and tried to find out what happened. They were
hindered by reporter Darnena, who was trying to write an article about it
all.
---------------------
Stardate 2391.05.25
---------------------
Commander Jalando and four Dholari, Agent T'hims included, arrived at the
Solstice. The Dholari had liberated Commander Jalando and T'hims from
captivity by Mr. Zytl, but they also brought terrible news: In the staff
meeting that followed Jalando's return, the Commander showed three scarred
and battered commbadges: the commbadges of Ensigns Flanigan and Vok, and
Petty Officer Zang.
These officers had been part of a negotiation team to negotiate for the
Commander's release. Unfortunately, their shuttle had been attacked, and
crashed on the moon, after which the officers had been taken prisoner and
taken before Jalando when he was still imprisoned by Mr. Zytl. When Jalando
still refused to tell secrets of Pandora Station to Mr. Zytl, the Ythokan
had executed Flanigan, Zang and Vok.
Immediately after Jalando had told this at the meeting, he requested
counseling sessions with Counselor Tek.
---------------------
Stardate 2391.05.27
---------------------
When the Solstice finally returned at Pandora Station, the news, which both
Captain Kane and Commander Jalando had to bring to 2O Truesdale, was far
from pleasant: telling someone that one's lover had died was, according to
the two command officers, best done in private. Truesdale's reaction would
obviously be far from pleasant either.
---------------
VACANCIES (7)
---------------
STC
CSO
ACSO
ACMO
ACEO
AOPS
ACOUNS
==============
USS Atlantis
==============
---------------------
Stardate 2391.04.20
---------------------
With the Away Team in quarantine and off the planet and the mystery
regarding the Creators solved, the crew now had to repair the damage and try
to get things back to normal.
---------------------
Stardate 2391.04.24
---------------------
In orbit of Tau Epsilon 4, the senior staff gathered for a staff meeting,
where several people got promoted, including Commander Torn, who is now
Captain in rank as well as position. There was also sad news: several
crewmembers were re-assigned off of the Atlantis, leaving the ship
desperately in need of new crew. This new crew turned out to be arriving on
Deep Space Nine, waiting for the Gamma Flyer to take them to their new
posting.
---------------------
Stardate 2391.05.07
---------------------
The departing officers departed the Atlantis and steered the Gamma Flyer
through the wormhole. They subsequently arrived at Deep Space Nine, where
the Gamma Flyer will receive a minor overhaul.
Vacancies [9]:
ACONN
AOPS
CEO
ACEO
STC
CMO
ACMO
COUNS
ACOUNS
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Th..th..that's all folks!!!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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TOS trivia, by Tiffany Boggs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1. What was the title of the pilot episode of Star Trek the original series?
A. Space Seed
B. The Cage
C. The Squire of Gothos
D. Dagger of the Mind
2. Mr. Spock, leading shuttle craft to investigate a quasar, crash lands on
a planet with Giant Humanoids that try to destroy the shuttle and all
aboard...
Name the episode?
A. A Taste of Armageddon
B. Day of the Dove
C. The Paradise Syndrome
D. The Galileo Seven
3. In the episode, What Little Girls are Made from, we find out that Nurse
Christine Chapel had a fiancée, what is his name?
A. Dr. Rodger Korby
B. Dr. Richard Kimble
C. Dr. Jonas Salk
D. Dr. Henry Powell
4. What actress was the computer voice for the Enterprise?
A. Nichelle Nichols
B. Majel Barret
C. Jennifer Jones
D. Jill Ireland
5. In, Dagger of the Mind, Kirk goes to a penal colony to investigate claims
of brainwashing. Who accompanies him to the surface?
A. Mr. Spock
B. Dr. McCoy
C. Dr. Helen Noel
D. Nurse Chapel
6. In the Episode called, Arena, Kirk is forced to fight a duel to the death
with the captain of what alien race?
A. Gorn
B. Vulcan
C. Andorian
D. Klingion
7. In the episode, Shore Leave, McCoy first encounters what?
A. A Klingion
B. A Vulcan
C. A Gorn Captain
D. Life-Size white rabbit in a waistcoat
8. Landru appeared in what episode?
A. Space Seed
B. The Return of the Archons
C. A Taste of Armageddon
D. None of these above
9. In the episode, The Squire of Gothos, what actor played Trelane?
A. William Campbell
B. Michael Barrier
C. Michael Dorn
D. Marc Daniels
10. Who played Khan in the episode, Space Seed?
A. Christopher Lloyd
B. Marc Daniels
C. James Douglas
D. Richard Montalban
Try your luck on these questions. Let me know what you think.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Posting Stats January 2005, by Rob Versteegt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Top 10 Posters of January 2005:
10. Matt Brown: 27 (Ody 10, Valk 17) PC: 17
9. Adrian Rodd: 28 (Cal 22, Panda 6) PC: 5
8. Jeremy Beeler: 30 (Cal 30) PC: 11
7. Laura Elliot: 30 (Cal 30) PC: 15
6. Kelley MacKinnon: 36 (Cal 36) PC: 18
5. David Susman: 37 (Ody 7, Valk 6, Panda 10, Atly 14) PC: 7
4. Gael Imaddedine: 38 (Panda 38) PC: 18
3. Sussie Andersson: 40 (Cal 8, Ody 3, Panda 29) PC: 13
2. Bram Peeters: 52. (Ody 9, Valk 6, Panda 30, Atly 7) PC: 15
AND THE NR. 1 POSTER OF JANUARY 2005 IS:
1. Rob Versteegt: 71. (Cal 6, Ody 7, Valk 10, Panda 37, Atly 11) PC: 5
Posting stats:
1. Rob Versteegt: 71. (Cal 6, Ody 7, Valk 10, Panda 37, Atly 11) PC: 5
2. Bram Peeters: 52. (Ody 9, Valk 6, Panda 30, Atly 7) PC: 15
3. Sussie Andersson: 40 (Cal 8, Ody 3, Panda 29) PC: 13
4. Gael Imaddedine: 38 (Panda 38) PC: 18
5. David Susman: 37 (Ody 7, Valk 6, Panda 10, Atly 14) PC: 7
6. Kelley MacKinnon: 36 (Cal 36) PC: 18
7. Laura Elliot: 30 (Cal 30) PC: 15
8. Jeremy Beeler: 30 (Cal 30) PC: 11
9. Adrian Rodd: 28 (Cal 22, Panda 6) PC: 5
10. Matt Brown: 27 (Ody 10, Valk 17) PC: 17
11. Patrick Buidin: 19 (Cal 13, Atly 6) PC: 8
12. Richard Clogston: 17 (Valk 17) PC: 14
13. Ruben Hilbers: 17 (Valk 17) PC: 17
14. Aaron DeLay: 14 (Cal 14) PC: 13
15. Jake Hanlon: 14 (Cal 14) PC: 14
16. Vincent Raposa: 14 (Cal 14) PC: 9
17. Mark O'Bannon: 13 (Cal 13) PC: 12
18. Dennis Church: 12 (Ody 9, Panda 3) PC: 9
19. Martin Miller: 11 (Atly 11) PC: 4
20. Dawn Johnson: 9 (Ody: 4, Panda 5) PC: 4
21. Aaron Langston: 7 (Panda: 6, Atly1) PC: 4
22. Angelic Noble: 7 (Cal 7) PC: 4
23. Cody Ferro: 6 (Cal 6) PC: 6
24. Ann Montague: 6 (Valk 6) PC: 6
25. Ben Versteegt: 6 (Ody 5, Panda 1) PC: 4
26. Abby Leib: 6 (Ody 6) PC: 6
27. Rob Verlinden: 6 (Ody 6) PC: 4
28. Werner Knoesen: 5 (Cal 5) PC: 5
29. Brandon Allard: 4 (Valk 4) PC: 4
30. Jonathan Hardy: 4 (Ody 1, Valk 3) PC: 1
31. Chris J.: 4 (Valk 4) PC: 4
32. Alonzo Soban: 4 (Atly 4) PC: 4
33. Will Barrett: 3 (Panda 3) PC: 3
34. Gareth Davies: 3 (Atly 3) PC: 3
35. Richard Bowes: 2 (Atly 2) PC: 2
36. Matthew Cobble: 2 (Ody 2) PC: 2
37. Guido Dorssers: 2 (Valk 2) PC: 2
38. Rickardh Karlsson: 2 (Atly 2) PC: 2
39. Gabriel Pelletier: 2 (Panda 2) PC: 2
40. Clare Bradley: 1 (Valk 1) PC: 1
41. Chantal Marie Sellers: 1 (Atly 1) PC:1
42. Mike Sheinin: 1 (Atly 1) PC: 1)
Top 3 Posters of the USS Calhoun:
3. Adrian Rodd: 22 Posts.
2. Jeremy Beeler / Laura Elliot: 30 Posts.
1. Kelley MacKinnon: 36 Posts.
Top 3 Posters of the USS Odyssey:
3. David Susman / Rob Versteegt: 7 Posts.
2. Dennis Church / Bram Peeters: 9 Posts.
1. Matt Brown: 10 Posts.
Top 3 Posters of the USS Valkyrie:
3. Bram Peeters / Ann Montague / David Susman: 6 Posts.
2. Rob Versteegt: 10 Posts.
1. Matt Brown / Ruben Hilbers / Richard Clogston: 17 Posts.
Top 3 Posters of Pandora Station:
3. Bram Peeters: 30 Posts.
2. Rob Versteegt: 37 Posts.
1. Gael Imadeddine: 38 Posts.
Top 3 Posters of the USS Atlantis:
3. Bram Peeters: 7 Posts.
2. Martin Miller / Rob Versteegt: 11 Posts.
1. David Susman: 14 Posts.
Dutystation Rankings:
1. USS Calhoun: 213 Posts.
2. Pandora Station: 169 Posts.
3. USS Valkyrie: 93 Posts.
4. USS Odyssey: 68 Posts.
5. USS Atlantis:63 Posts.
Total number of posts in Frontier Fleet in January 2005: 606 Posts!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Posting Stats February 2005, by Rob Versteegt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Top 10 Posters in February 2005:
10. Sussie Andersson: Cal 2, Ody 5, Panda 14) PC: 6
9. David Susman: 23 (Ody 6, Valk 5, Panda 3, Atly 9) PC: 9
8. Ruben Hilbers: 24 (Valk 24) PC: 17
7. Laura Elliot: 25 (Cal 25) PC: 15
6. Richard Clogston: 25 (Valk 25) PC: 15
5. Matt Brown: 28 (Ody 6, Valk 22) PC: 16
4. Bram Peeters: 32 (Cal 4, Ody 7, Valk 7, Panda 11, Atly 3) PC: 4
3. Jeremy Beeler: 40 (Cal 34, Atly 6) PC: 13
2. Rob Versteegt: 48 (Cal 6, Ody 5, Valk 7, Panda 17, Atly 13) PC: 4
AND THE NR.1 POSTER OF FEBRUARY 2005 IS:
1. Kelley MacKinnon: 51 (Cal 51) PC: 9
Posting stats:
1. Kelley MacKinnon: 51 (Cal 51) PC: 9
2. Rob Versteegt: 48 (Cal 6, Ody 5, Valk 7, Panda 17, Atly 13) PC: 4
3. Jeremy Beeler: 40 (Cal 34, Atly 6) PC: 13
4. Bram Peeters: 32 (Cal 4, Ody 7, Valk 7, Panda 11, Atly 3) PC: 4
5. Matt Brown: 28 (Ody 6, Valk 22) PC: 16
6. Richard Clogston: 25 (Valk 25) PC: 15
7. Laura Elliot: 25 (Cal 25) PC: 15
8. Ruben Hilbers: 24 (Valk 24) PC: 17
9. David Susman: 23 (Ody 6, Valk 5, Panda 3, Atly 9) PC: 9
10. Sussie Andersson: Cal 2, Ody 5, Panda 14) PC: 6
11. Adrian Rodd: 21 (Cal 21) PC: 21
12. Jake Hanlon: 19 (Cal 19) PC: 15
13. Ben Versteegt: 17 (Ody 13, Atly 4) PC: 7
14. Dawn Johnson: 16 (Ody 6, Panda 5, Atly 5) PC: 6
15. Martin Miller: 16 (Ody 1, Atly 15) PC: 9
16. Patrick Buidin: 14 (Cal 12, Atly 2) PC: 10
17. Dennis Church: 14 (Ody 10, Panda 4) PC: 10
18. Gael Imaddedine: 14 (Panda 14) PC: 7
19. Jonathan Hardy: 13 (Ody 9, Valk 2, Panda 2) PC: 7
20. Werner Knoesen: (Cal 12) PC: 11
21. Mark O'Bannon: 11 (Cal 11) PC: 10
22. Angelic Noble: 11 (Cal 11) PC: 11
23. Abby Leib: 9 (Ody 9) PC: 9
24. Ann Montague: 9 (Valk 9) PC: 9
25. Gabriel Pelletier: 9 (Panda 9) PC: 9
26. Aaron Langston: 7 (Panda 7) PC: 5
27. Rob Verlinden: 6 (Ody 6) PC: 6
28. Mike Sheinin: 5 (Atly 5) PC: 5
29. Brandon Allard: 4 (Valk 4) PC: 4
30. Hanna Brunefeldt: 4 (Atly 4) PC: 4
31. Aaron DeLay: 4 (Cal 4) PC: 4)
32. Guido Dorssers: 4 (Valk 4) PC: 4
33. Cody Ferro: 4 (Cal 4) PC: 3
34. Rickardh Karlsson: 4 (Atly 4) PC: 4
35. Alonzo Soban: 4 (Atly 4) PC: 4
36. Daniel Balding: 3 (Ody 3) PC: 3
37. Matthew Cobble: 3 (Ody 3) PC: 3
38. Will Barrett: 2 (Panda 2) PC: 2
39. Richard Bowes: 1 (Atly 1) PC: 1
40. Chris J.: 1 (Valk 1) PC: 1
41. Vincent Raposa: 1 (Cal 1) PC: 1
Top 3 posters of the USS Calhoun:
3. Laura Elliot: 25 Posts.
2. Jeremy Beeler: 34 Posts.
1. Kelley MacKinnon: 51 Posts.
Top 3 posters of the USS Odyssey:
3. Jonathan Hardy / Abby Leib: 9 Posts.
2. Dennis Church: 10 Posts.
1. Ben Versteegt: 13 Posts.
Top 3 posters of the USS Valkyrie:
3. Matt Brown: 22 Posts.
2. Ruben Hilbers: 24 Posts.
1. Richard Clogston: 25 Posts.
Top 3 posters of Pandora Station:
3. Bram Peeters: 11 Posts.
2. Sussie Andersson / Gael Immadeddine: 14 Posts.
1. Rob Versteegt: 17 Posts.
Top 3 posters of the USS Atlantis:
3. David Susman: 9 Posts.
2. Rob Versteegt: 13 Posts.
1. Martin Miller: 15 Posts.
Total dutystation rankings:
1. USS Calhoun: 217 Posts.
2. USS Valkyrie: 110 Posts.
3. USS Odyssey: 88 Posts.
4. Pandora Station: 87 Posts.
5. USS Atlantis: 70 Posts.
Total in Frontier Fleet, February 2005: 572 Posts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Promotions in January and February 2005, by Rob Versteegt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Promotions in January 2005:
>From Cadet to Ensign:
Cadet Alenis Kallen, played by Matthew Cobble => Ensign ACEO Alenis Kallen,
USS Odyssey.
Cadet Jadin Tucker, played by William Barett => Ensign AOPS Jadin Tucker,
Pandora Station.
Cadet Edan, played by Gabriel Pelletier => ASTC Edan, Pandora Station.
Promotions in February 2005:
>From Cadet to Ensign:
Cadet Una Andersson, played by Hanna Brunefeldt =>ACONN Una Andersson, USS
Atlantis.
Cadet Alex Greystone, played by Daniel Balding => ACONN Alex Greystone, USS
Odyssey.
>From Ensign to Lt.jg:
ACEO Ensign Leo Montgomery, played by Bram Peeters => ACEO Lieutenant junior
grade Leo Montgomery, USS Atlantis
>From Commander to Captain:
CO Commander Alfred Torn, played by David Susman => CO Captain Alfred Torn,
USS Atlantis.
Other promotions:
ACONN Ensign Kyler Fletcher, played by Alonzo Soban => CONN Ensign Kyler
Fletcher, USS Atlantis.
STC Simon Byrne, played by Jonathan Hardy => 2O/OPS Simon Byrne, USS
Valkyrie.
STC Leon Nerfertii, played by Martin Miller => 2O/STC Leon Nerfertii, USS
Odyssey.
Congratulations to all who have been promoted!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Behind the Scenes, by Clare Bradley.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Tucker Smallwood and Rick Worthy had prominent recurring roles as Xindi
Council Members in the third season of Enterprise but their characters were
never given names. Smallwood solved that problem by choosing names for them
both, calling his character 'Deepak', and Worthy's 'Chopra'. When Smallwood
signs autographs, he signs "Tucker Smallwood, Xindi Council".
In Star Trek Generations, William Shatner rides two different horses. In
most shots, he rode one of his own Western Pleasure Horses, but a stunt
horse was brought in for the shot where the horse jumps.
The Kazon were originally meant to be teenagers. They were based on Los
Angeles street gangs. They were conceived as street gangs in space, that
killed off other sects, or gangs and that none of them lived to be more than
20-25 because of the violence that ruled their area of space.
When Voyager began filming, they shot for several days with Kate Mulgrew's
hair down. The studio didn't like her look, so they had to reshoot with the
new hairdo. Caretaker became the only Star Trek pilot where the hairdressing
ending up costing more than the special effects.
Have trouble getting your character's names just right? You're not alone.
When Voyager was being developed, Neelix was named Felox, Tuvok was called
Vicon, and Kes was named Dah. The Doctor was called Doc Zimmerman. Genevieve
Bujold was originally cast as Captain Nicole Janeway. When Kate Mulgrew was
cast, her character was called Elizabeth Janeway. Ensign Kim was named Jay
Osaka.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Trek Trivia #5, by Clare Bradley.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please avoid researching answers, so everyone has a fair shot. :>
1. Which warp-capable species did NOT visit the planet Valakis prior to
2151?
A. Andorians
B. M'klexa
C. Ferengi
D. Humans
2. What is the name of Captain Kirk's brother?
A. Stephen Gabriel Kirk
B. David Michael Kirk
C. John Augustus Kirk
D. George Samuel Kirk
3. When was Mars colonized?
A. 2053
B. 2103
C. 2153
D. 2203
4. The Ferengi stole a T-9 energy converter from a Federation outpost on
what planet?
A. Alpha Carinae II
B. Delta Rana IV
C. Gamma Tauri IV
D. Beta Antares IV
5. Who was the first to call Benjamin Sisko the Emissary?
A. Kai Winn
B. Kai Opaka
C. Vedek Bareil
D. The Prophets
6. In what year did Vulcan make first contact with Earth?
A. 2053
B. 2063
C. 2073
D. 2083
7. What is the Stone of J'kah?
A. A gift given to visitors at P'Jem.
B. A telepathic weapon.
C. An ancient Bajoran artifact.
D. A Klingon ritual object.
8. What is the name of Trip's sister who was killed in the Xindi attack on
Earth?
A. Elizabeth
B. Eileen
C. Ruby
D. Rebecca
9. Captain Kathryn Janeway held the rank of Commander on what vessel?
A. U.S.S. Intrepid
B. U.S.S. Billings
C. U.S.S. Hood
D. U.S.S. Livingston
10. Ruk was an android created by the inhabitants of what planet?
A. M-113
B. Ceti Alpha V
C. Delta Vega
D. Exo III
11. Who was once compared to a two-headed Malgorian?
A. Spock
B. William Riker
C. Kira Nerys
D. Chakotay
12. What disease did Admiral Mark Jameson have prior to taking an illegal
rejuvenation treatment that made him young again?
A. Iverson's Disease
B. Clark's Disease
C. Sharat Syndrome
D. Pottrik Syndrome
13. Captain Keogh commanded what vessel?
A. U.S.S. Odyssey
B. U.S.S. T'Kumbra
C. U.S.S. Bellerophon
D. U.S.S. Lakota
14. Christine Chapel gave up a career in what field to sign aboard the
Enterprise?
A. Xenobiology
B. Archaeological medicine
C. Dentistry
D. Bio-research
15. Nikolai Rozhenko was a cultural observer on what planet?
A. Boraal II
B. Bolarus IX
C. Benzar
D. Bilana III
Email your answers to clarerose at yahoo.com no later than 2005.04.03, with the
word 'Trivia' in the subject line. Remember to check the Newspaper Forum for
bonus questions throughout the month!
Here are the answers to Trivia Quiz #4. The difficulty rating indicated the
number of responders that got the question incorrect.
1. On what ship did Riker serve as executive officer prior to the USS
Enterprise?
A. USS Potemkin
B. USS Hood
C. USS Pegasus
D. USS Drake
Answer: B. The USS Pegasus was Riker's first posting. He later served as a
Lieutenant on the USS Potemkin. Riker was promoted to commander and
executive officer on the USS Hood. He was then offered command of the USS
Drake, but he turned it down to continue serving on the USS Enterprise.
(difficulty 0%)
2. What was the prescribed penalty for teaching Skagaran children on the
North Star Colony?
A. Death
B. Life in Prison
C. Ten Years in Prison.
D. It was legal.
Answer: C. Bethany was sentenced to ten years for teaching Skagaran
children, until Archer launched a jailbreak. (difficulty 25%)
3. What did Bashir invent that had better nutritional value than combat
rations?
A. A milkshake
B. A candy bar
C. A cookie
D. A donut
Answer: B. Julian Bashir claimed that while in medical school, he designed a
candy bar that was far superior to combat rations in food value. (difficulty
25%)
4. What was the name of Spock's mother?
A. Amanda
B. Abigail
C. Patricia
D. Perrin
Answer: A. Although Perrin married Sarek later in his life, Amanda was
Spock's mother. (difficulty 0%)
5. How old was Geordi LaForge when he lost his vision?
A. He was two years old.
B. He was a baby.
C. He was born blind.
D. He was five years old.
Answer: C. Geordi LaForge was born blind. (difficulty 50%)
6. What is Q called on the planet Brax?
A. The God of War
B. The God of Mischief
C. The God of Lies
D. The God of Fear
Answer: C. On the planet Brax, Q is called the God of Lies. He claimed they
meant it affectionately. (difficulty 37.5%)
7. Who was the first Klingon character ever seen in Star Trek?
A. Kang
B. Kor
C. Kurn
D. Gorkon
Answer: B. Kor first appeared in the TOS first-season episode "Errand of
Mercy". Kang first appeared in the TOS third-season episode "Day of the
Dove". Kurn was Worf's brother and first appeared in the TNG episode "Sins
of the Father". Chancellor Gorkon appeared in "Star Trek IV: The
Undiscovered Country". (difficulty 62.5%)
8. Nicki the Nose was a character in which holodeck program?
A. Vic's
B. Chez Sandrine
C. Dixon Hill
D. The Queen's Gambit
Answer: C. Picard sought out this character for his machine gun, which he
used on the Borg pursuing him and Lily Sloane in "Star Trek: First Contact".
(difficulty 12.5%)
9. Who did the Traveler compare Wesley Crusher to?
A. Einstein
B. Aristotle
C. Mozart
D. Himself
Answer: C. The Traveler compared Wesley to Mozart, except with time and
space, instead of music. (difficulty 50%)
10. What fast food drive thru did Archer, T'Pol and Loomis visit in Detroit
in 2004?
A. McDonald's
B. Fatso Burger
C. Burger Barn
D. Burgerland
Answer: D. Archer, T'Pol and Loomis visited Burgerland's drive through.
Fatso Burger is the restaurant where Eric Forman worked on That 70's Show.
Burger Barn was the name of a fast food restaurant in a Saturday Night Live
sketch. (difficulty 50%)
11. Who served as Federation mediator during the Klaestron civil war?
A. Odan
B. Dax
C. Rivas
D. Picard
Answer: B. Curzon Dax served as Federation mediator during the Klaestron
civil war. (difficulty 12.5%)
12. Which USS Enterprise crewmember wasn't killed by the salt creature of
M-113?
A. Darnell
B. Mitchell
C. Green
D. Sturgeon
Answer: B. Gary Mitchell was killed by Kirk when he became endowed with
superhuman powers on Stardate 1313. The rest were killed by the salt
creature on Stardate 1513. (difficulty 37.5%)
13. The Federation President's office is located in what city on Earth?
A. New York
B. Moscow
C. Paris
D. Beijing
Answer: C. (difficulty 0%)
14. What race was responsible for bringing the 37's to the Delta Quadrant?
A. Nacene
B. Q
C. Skagarans
D. Briori
Answer: D. The Briori abducted humans from Earth in 1937, and brought them
to the Delta Quadrant for use as slave labor. (difficulty 12.5%)
15. What musical instrument did Harry Kim play?
A. Flute
B. Clarinet
C. Violin
D. Cello
Answer: B. Harry Kim spent one week's worth of replicator rations to
replicate a clarinet so he could practice. (difficulty 0%)
Bonus Question #1:
What was Beverly Crusher's maiden name?
A. Argyle
B. Howard
C. Scott
D. Wallace
Answer: B. Beverly's last name was Howard until she married Jack Crusher.
(difficulty 0%)
Bonus Question #2: Who was the first person in Star Trek history to have a
mind meld performed on them?
A. James Kirk
B. Dr. Simon Van Gelder
C. Gary Mitchell
D. Dr. Roger Korby
Answer: B. Spock first used a mind meld on Dr. Simon Van Gelder, who was
unable to reveal all he knew about Tantalus Colony due to a hypnotic beam
Dr. Tristan Adams subjected him to. (difficulty 0%)
Bonus Question #3: What natural disaster befell the first settlers of the
Human colony Terra Nova?
A. A tsunami
B. An earthquake
C. An asteroid impact
D. A volcanic eruption
Answer: C. An asteroid struck the planet Terra Nova, causing the deaths of
all the adult settlers, and poisoning the surviving
children. (difficulty 0%)
Bonus Question #4: How long did the Xindi civil war last?
A. 10 years
B. 25 years
C. 50 years
D. 100 years
Answer: D. The Xindi civil war lasted nearly 100 years. (difficulty 42%)
Scores:
1. Merijn Donders: 14 + 4 = 18 points
2. Bram Peeters: 13 + 4 = 17 points
3. Ben Versteegt: 13 + 3 = 16 points
4. Rob Versteegt: 12 + 3 = 15 points
5. Sussie Anderson: 9 + 4 = 13 points
6. Rickardh Karlsson: 12 + 0 = 12 points
7. Adrian Rodd: 9 + 3 = 12 points
8. Rob Verlinden: 8 + 4 = 12 points
Cumulative Rankings:
1. Bram Peeters: 50 points (4 quizzes)
2. Rob Verlinden: 47 points (3 quizzes)
3. Rob Versteegt: 45 points (4 quizzes)
4. Merijn Donders: 31 points (2 quizzes)
5. Sussie Anderson: 28 points (3 quizzes)
6. Ben Versteegt: 26 points (2 quizzes)
7. Pat Buidin: 26 points (1 quiz)
8. Adrian Rodd: 15 points (2 quizzes)
9. Rickardh Karlsson: 12 points (1 quiz)
10. Martin Miller: 10 points (1 quiz)
Rankings based on average:
(only includes people who answered more than one quiz)
1. Rob Verlinden: 15.6 point average
2. Merijn Donders: 15.5 point average
3. Ben Versteegt: 13 point average
4. Bram Peeters: 12.5 point average
5. Rob Versteegt: 11.25 point average
6. Sussie Anderson: 9.3 point average
7. Adrian Rodd: 7.5 point average
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The Alpha Centauri Mystery, Part 20. By Ben Versteegt.
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The Alpha Centauri Mystery - Part 20 - Return to the Aquinas
Summary: After having escaped the Iapetus in a shuttlecraft with the
samples, Ayer sets course for the disabled Aquinas, hoping to find help
there before returning to Alpha Centauri, the nearest Federation world in
the vicinity. Ayer, Zaag, Sandra and Zjavick may have recaptured the highly
important crystals, but they have lost Enbek and Watters. Yet, despite their
sacrifices, the battered crew is not out of danger yet. The Romulan ship and
the Iapetus, although both heavily damaged, are making repairs. Soon, their
propulsion systems will be on line again, and they will come after the
shuttle, determined to steal the shuttle's valuable cargo. A distress call
has been sent, but will Starfleet be able to send help before the shuttle is
intercepted?
And now the continuation:
Time was not on their side. Ayer knew the limitations of the type 11
shuttlecraft, but he also knew that they had to get to Alpha Centauri as
quickly as possible. The wreck of the Aquinas was only minutes away at warp
6 -- the shuttle's top speed -- but the engines were already beginning to
overheat after three hours at maximum warp. Ayer, determined to get to the
Aquinas as soon as possible, had ordered Zjavick to deactivate all
non-essential systems and route the resulting extra energy directly to the
engines.
"We're not going to be able to keep this up for much longer," Zjavick warned
as he felt the shuttle beginning to shake. "The engines are overheated, sir.
Pretty soon they won't be able to form a stable warp field anymore."
"We only need a few more minutes, Commander," Ayer replied. "Just a few more
minutes until we reach the Aquinas... Five or six minutes more ought to do
it. If we drop out of warp now and continue on impulse, we'll need hours to
reach the ship."
"Actually, more like days," Zjavick corrected him. Warp six was many, many
times faster than impulse, and they all knew that the Iapetus or the Romulan
vessel would catch up with them if they lost the ability to go to warp. "I
see your point, sir. But don't you think we should slow down to, say, warp
four?"
"And add twenty minutes to our trip?" He sighed and shook his head. "If we
slow down to warp five instead, would the engines still be able to hold out
until we reach the Aquinas?"
"ETA at warp five: ten minutes, forty-seven seconds," Zjavick reported, and
thought for a moment. "If this were any other mission, sir, I would have
disengaged warp drive already. The engines are overheated, and our warp
field in danger of becoming unstable. Slowing down to warp five will help,
*slightly*, but I seriously doubt the engines will last another ten minutes,
even at a lower warp. One thing's for sure, though," he added. "At our
current warp, the engines will automatically disengage within a minute. At
least at warp five, they may cool down a bit."
"I'm taking us to warp five," Ayer said with a sigh. "It seems that this
trip is going to take slightly more time than we had hoped. Sandra, anything
on sensors?"
Sandra was standing in the back of the compartment and looked at the sensor
readouts. The last half hour, Zjavick had been extremely busy monitoring and
tweaking their warp field, and Ayer was flying the shuttle, so Sandra had
taken it upon herself to watch for anything unusual on the sensors. She
shook her head. "Still nothing. Then again, sensor efficiency is drastically
reduced. The overheated engines are creating a slight imbalance in our warp
field -- it's distorting sensor readings."
"Can you compensate?" Ayer asked, while still looking at his controls.
"Negative," Sandra replied after a few tries. "Subspace interference from
the overheated engines is driving the sensors crazy. There's nothing I can
do about it. Sorry to say this, Uncle Pete, but we're essentially blind."
"Damn," Ayer muttered under his breath, and then turned to Zjavick. "Any way
to get rid of that imbalance?"
"Not at this time, Captain," replied Zjavick. "I'm already having trouble
maintaining a stable warp field with these overheated engines. I really
can't be bothered to get rid of a few imbalances, sir, I'm sorry. That would
require tweaking the warp field even further, which will most likely get us
out of warp... Or our engines would explode."
"Ah," Ayer said and nodded. "Point taken. We'll just have to fly blind then.
We still have the co-ordinates for the Aquinas, so as long as we know where
to stop, we'll be fine. I hope."
"As long as the Romulan ship and the Iapetus don't get their engines back on
line, yes," Zaag added. "But they can't have repaired so quickly, can they?
I mean, they were both pretty badly damaged. You don't think that-"
"There's no sense is speculating, mister Zaag," Ayer told the Ferengi. He
then turned around and showed a cautiously optimistic smile. "But I think we
can assume that they'll be far too busy fighting each other while repairing
their systems. By the time they get to the Aquinas, I hope to be back in
Alpha Centauri space already -- hopefully with a few Federation starships
waiting for us there."
"That is, if we even get to Alpha Centauri," Zjavick told them. "Our warp
engines are overheated... badly. That means that we won't be able to go to
warp again before they are cooled down."
"How long?" Ayer asked.
"Couple of hours," Zjavick reported. "If I had my tools and a shuttle bay in
which to work, I could speed up the cooling process and maybe even increase
the maximum speed of this shuttle a bit." He shrugged. "But we don't have
the time for that, or the equipment."
"We do have a shuttle bay," Ayer said. "At least, I hope the bay on the
Aquinas wasn't destroyed in the explosion." He looked at his Chief Engineer.
"I'd like you to work on the shuttle anyway, if possible. The sooner you can
cool the engines down, the faster we can get underway again."
"What about the shuttles on the Aquinas?" Sandra cut in. "Surely you have a
shuttle similar to this one aboard."
Ayer nodded. "We do. But we should assume that that shuttle was either
destroyed, or in any case severely damaged in the attack." He sighed
inaudibly. "But you are right, Sandra. If a shuttle on the Aquinas is
capable of high warp, and if it is less damaged than this one, we'll take
that shuttle."
Sandra nodded. "Fair enough." She paused for a moment. "What about the rest
of the Aquinas crew? They weren't all killed, right?"
The Captain stared at his console. "I hope not," he said softly and then
turned around to face Sandra. "The Aquinas is in shambles. I doubt any
system on the ship still works, so we won't be able to count on any backup
from the ship, when the Iapetus or the Romulan ship arrives. Most areas of
the ship have become uninhabitable due to the explosion, so many of the crew
may have ejected in escape pods or they used shuttles to abandon ship. Once
we're out of warp, I'd like you to scan for those shuttles, and possibly
their warp trails if they're not near the Aquinas."
"Got it." Sandra readied the sensors for a quick, short range scan. While
they were at warp, the sensors were useless, but in a couple of minutes, the
warp field would be shut down and she would be able to scan again.
"Warp field is severely fluctuating!" Zjavick reported. "Automatic shut-down
sequence activated... Core shut-down in eight seconds, sir."
"Abort," Ayer ordered. "Abort the shut-down sequence. We can't afford to
loose warp drive now."
"Automatic shut-down sequence aborted, Captain," Zjavick told Ayer after he
had deactivated the shut-down systems. "I don't know how long I can keep us
at warp, though. It's becoming increasingly difficult to keep the warp field
stable."
Ayer put his hand on Zjavick's shoulder for a moment before returning his
attention to his own console. "Understood, Commander. Keep at it. We *have*
to get to the Aquinas quickly."
"Oh, I'll get us there, sir," Zjavick replied. "I just don't know in how
many pieces."
"That... doesn't sound very encouraging," Zaag interjected. "You mean that
we could blow up if we stay at warp too long?" He took a step backwards and
bumped into the wall. "Okay, that's it. Just put me in an escape pod... I'll
wait in space for you to come back, then. I don't like this risky
'maybe-we'll-blow-up-and-maybe-we-won't' business, so kindly leave me behind
in an escape pod and go on your way." He felt sorry for Sandra, and hoped
she wouldn't be angry at him for being a coward.
Zjavick actually chuckled. "Launching an escape pod at warp is a risky
undertaking on its own, but launching one out of a ship at warp with a
highly unstable warp field is simply asking for trouble. Unless you want to
be torn to bits by the subspace stresses that our unstable warp field
produces, I suggest you stay here and sit tight -- one way or another, this
will all soon be over."
Zaag sighed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means," Zjavick explained, "that we may reach the Aquinas as planned...
But with our luck, that won't happen, and the overheated engines will
malfunction, causing lapses in the already fluctuating warp field. Some
parts of the shuttle will be subjected to intense gravimetric stress... The
subspace torque we'd experience when dropping out of warp that way would be
enormous."
Zaag took a step closer and looked at Zjavick as if the man had just spoken
in another language. "And what is *that* supposed to mean?"
Zjavick turned around for a moment. "Mister Zaag," began the engineer, "it
means that if we don't drop out of warp real soon, we'll all die."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Zaag now practically yelled. He didn't want
to die before, and he didn't want to die now either. "Let's drop out of
warp! There's no sense in dying... If we blow up, nobody will be able to
retrieve the samples."
Ayer nodded. "I agree that dying and taking the samples with us would sort
of defeat the purpose of wanting to take the crystals to a safe place, but
for all we know, the Iapetus is right behind us. We can't allow the Iapetus
or the Romulans to get their hands on the samples. I'd rather blow ourselves
up than hand the samples to them." He looked at Zaag, and then at Zjavick.
"We stay at warp until we reach the Aquinas, no matter what."
Zjavick nodded. He understood the severity of the situation; if exploding
was what it took to prevent the crystals from falling into the wrong hands,
then that is what they would do. "Besides," he added, hoping to lighten the
mood. "What was that rule again, mister Zaag? The riskier the road, the
greater the profit?"
Zaag grumbled. "I've heard that before." He walked away to his chair and sat
down. There was little for him to do but wait until they either arrived...
or died.
"ETA?" Ayer asked to Zjavick. He preferred to arrive at the Aquinas before
the warp engines blew up and before the shuttle was disintegrated because of
the subspace torque. After arriving at the Aquinas, they would of course
still have to warp to Alpha Centauri, but that was of later concern. For a
moment, Ayer doubted that they would eventually reach the system, or even
that they would reach the Aquinas, but he stopped himself. He had to keep
thinking positive -- even though he knew very well that the odds were vastly
against them. After all, what resistance could a single shuttle offer if
they were intercepted by the Iapetus or the Romulan ship?
"Three minutes, twenty-two seconds to the Aquinas, Captain," Zjavick
reported.
Nodding, Ayer proceeded to ask the next question. "How long before... well,
before we explode?"
Zjavick checked his readings. "I can't really tell, sir. But I estimate that
we have just about three minutes before the warp field goes critical. After
that, we *have* to shut down the engines, or we'll be scattered throughout
the sector."
"Damnit," Ayer cursed. "That simply isn't good enough, commander!"
"Unless you want us dead, it's the best I can do, sir!" Zjavick shouted
back.
The next few moments were filled with silence. Zjavick, Sandra and Zaag were
wondering what Ayer was going to decide -- shut down the engines after three
minutes and risk being intercepted in the last stretch, which was actually a
very good possibility, or continue forward at high warp, knowing that it
would probably kill them and destroy the crystals? After three minutes, they
would still be twenty seconds away at warp five, which translated in more
than four hours at impulse -- plenty of time for the Iapetus or the Romulan
ship to catch up with the shuttle.
"Increase to warp six," Ayer suddenly ordered.
Zjavick looked at him as if his Captain had gone crazy. "Captain?" he asked
incredulously. "Sir, if we go to warp six, it'll only increase the stress on
the engines. They won't last long at warp five, let alone at warp six!"
"We don't need them to last long, Commander," replied Ayer. "At warp six,
the journey would take us less than half of the time it'll take us at warp
five, am I correct?"
Zjavick nodded reluctantly and checked his console. "At present speed, we'll
arrive at the Aquinas in two minutes, fifty-eight seconds. At warp six,
it'll take us..." he retrieved the information from the computer, "one
minute, thirty-six seconds. But I must point out, sir, that the increased
stress on the engines will cause them to overload and the warp field to
collapse a whole lot faster than three minutes."
"How much faster?"
Zjavick sighed and made a fist. "I don't know, sir. I'll have to run more
calculations and scans on the status of the engines as they are now, but I
suspect that, taking into account the subspace variance and the fluctuations
in the warp field, combined with the increased subspace torque-"
"Commander, I need a guess *now*."
"Anything from one minute twenty to one minute, forty seconds," Zjavick
answered reluctantly. He knew what was coming.
Ayer showed a slight smile and turned to his console. "I'm taking us to warp
six."
"Captain," began Zjavick, "I must object to this-"
"Objection noted, Commander. Engaging." Ayer punched in the final command,
and the shuttle accelerated to warp six. Within moments, an explosion on one
of the aft consoles lit the compartment. A second later, another panel blew
up in flames.
"Sandra, Zaag, get that fire out!" shouted Ayer as he felt the shuttle shake
around him. "Zjavick, status?"
"The warp engines are overloading," reported the Chief Engineer. "The warp
field is deteriorating, and I'm having trouble keeping the field, or what's
left of it, stable. Hence the bumpy ride, sir."
"Can you hold on for a minute and a half?"
Zjavick nodded, but didn't look up from his console. "I can, sir, provided
that the engines don't blow up." He took a quick look at Ayer and then
returned to his console again. "Still so sure this is a good idea, Captain?"
"I never said it was a *good* idea, commander."
"That's reassuring," muttered the engineer. "One minute, twenty seconds to
the Aquinas."
The shuttle shook heavily again when another console behind them blew.
Sandra almost fell to the ground as she moved towards the front of the
shuttle, but managed to grab hold on Ayer's chair. "The fire is out, but so
are our weapons," she reported. At Ayer's puzzled, yet concentrated look,
she elaborated, "our warp field is breaking down. The resulting subspace
torque is wreaking havoc to our systems. We've already lost our forward
phaser, and power surges have destroyed the aft one as well. We're
defenceless."
"We're definitely going to switch shuttles once we get to the Aquinas," Ayer
muttered.
"Temperature in the port warp nacelle is already 120 degrees above maximum,"
Zjavick reported, "and rising rapidly."
"They'll just have to hold on." Ayer paused and looked at Ensign Burke.
"Sandra, see if you can increase power to the cooling systems. We need to
cool down the nacelles, or we may not make it."
Sandra nodded. "I'll get on it," she said and took her station.
"One minute to the Aquinas," Zjavick announced. "Warp field critical."
"Hold us together," said Ayer as he wiped the sweat of his forehead. The
heat from the overheated nacelles made the temperature inside the rest of
the shuttle rise as well. "We're almost there. We're going to make it."
An explosion right next to Zaag seemed to contradict that statement. "Zaag!"
Sandra shouted and kneeled down next to the fallen Ferengi. "Are you all
right?"
Zaag squealed loudly when Sandra touched a badly burnt part of his ear.
Fortunately, that was the only part of Zaag that was hurt -- other than his
burnt ear, he seemed to be fine. "My lobes, my lobes!" he shouted. "Sandra,
my lobes!"
Quickly, Sandra took a hypospray and a dermal regenerator out of the nearby
medkit and used them on Zaag's ear. The Ferengi was still squealing, but not
so loud anymore. "That was close," Sandra said with a sigh of relief. "For a
moment there, I thought I lost you."
Zaag smiled despite the pain, and tried to sit up. "Funny. I was just
thinking the same about you."
Sandra returned the smile. "Nobody's going to die," she said, trying to
comfort him.
Zaag's smile disappeared. "Watters did," he said softly, his look betraying
his fear.
Sandra swallowed hard. She hadn't been able to save Watters after he had so
bravely sacrificed himself for the rest of them. She looked away for a
moment and blinked a few times before looking back. "That's precisely why we
won't die," she finally said after a couple of seconds. "If we die, Watters
and Enbek would have died for nothing. We can't let that happen, Zaag, and
we won't." She was surprised to find herself smile as she placed her hand on
his shoulder. "We won't."
As if it was the most natural thing to do, Zaag subsequently embraced
Sandra, and she hugged him back. Sitting on the floor, they were locked in
an embrace that made their sadness go away and their fear subside. They
found comfort in each other, and the heavy shaking and the periodical jolts
that rocked the shuttle only made them cling to each other more. The outside
world didn't seem to matter anymore; there was only Sandra and Zaag, holding
on to each other and finding support and strength in one another.
"Thank you," Zaag said softly. "Thank you for everything."
Sandra closed her eyes and enjoyed the embrace. She didn't reply, but simply
hugged Zaag tighter. After a while, they both let go and stood up. Sandra
smiled and gave the Ferengi a quick kiss on the forehead, before winking to
him and returning to her station.
"Twenty seconds to Aquinas!" Zjavick yelled. The shuttle was shaking a lot,
and Sandra and Zaag could barely keep their balance. A conduit had breached,
and had quickly been sealed again, although it had resulted in the
temperature inside the shuttle rising another few degrees.
"Anything on sensors yet?" Ayer asked Sandra. Another shock went through the
shuttle, and Ayer had to steady himself before continuing. "Any sign of the
Aquinas yet? Or the Iapetus or the Romulan ship?"
Sandra checked her console and shook her head. "Negative. Sensors are still
being disrupted by the fluctuating warp field -- I can't scan outside the
shuttle."
"Then let's hope we don't run into a trap," Ayer said softly. The shaking of
the shuttle made it extremely hard to hit the right buttons on his console,
but so far he had managed. "Zjavick, report!" he ordered.
Zjavick was having trouble staying seated as well. "The port nacelle is one
hundred and fifty degrees above maximum," he reported. "Breaches are forming
in the nacelle housing. Same with the starboard nacelle -- the engines are
about to blow, sir!"
"Just a few more seconds..."
The Chief Engineer shook his head. "We don't have a few seconds. Our warp
field is collapsing, our engines overloading. We have to drop out of warp,
or we'll be destroyed!" The shuttle shook violently as if to prove Zjavick's
point.
"Vent all plasma from the nacelles," Ayer suggested. "That might cool the
engines down and give us the seconds we-" He got no further, for a large
explosion at the back of the shuttle threw them all to the ground. Smoke and
fire was seemingly coming at them from every corner of the compartment.
"Report!" Ayer demanded.
"Pressure in the nacelles is growing rapidly. Starboard bussard collector
has exploded, and the port injector has cracked," said Zjavick, reading the
data off his console. "We're venting drive plasma... Pressure is not
dropping." He turned to the Captain with an urgent and almost pleading look.
"Captain, we *must* drop out of warp, now!"
Ayer stared at his console. They only needed a couple of seconds... But they
didn't seem to have any time left. Before he could make a decision, the
shuttle lurched heavily again. "The plasma conduits have fused shut,"
Zjavick reported. "Warp plasma is blocked to the starboard nacelle. We're
losing the warp field!"
Knowing that maintaining warp would kill them all within seconds, Ayer made
his decision. "Dropping out of warp," he announced as he worked his console.
"All stop. Zjavick, deactivate the warp core. Sandra, I want sensors."
The stars stopped flowing by as the shuttle came to a halt. While Ayer,
Zjavick and Sandra were busy working at their consoles, Zaag took a step
forward and looked out of the window. There, not terribly far away, he saw
the wreckage of the battered Starship Aquinas. The saucer section had been
cut from the engineering section in the explosion, and various pieces of
small and large debris were still floating through space. "Never thought a
destroyed ship could look so good," the Ferengi said softly.
Ayer looked up, and smiled wryly. "The Aquinas," he said in barely more than
a whisper. He sighed. "We made it."
Suddenly, from behind the wreck of the Aquinas, a second shuttle moved
towards Ayer's type 11. "Shields," the Captain ordered, even though he knew
this shuttle was coming from his own ship.
"Captain, we're being scanned," Zjavick reported, "and now they're hailing
us."
Ayer nodded for Zjavick to put it up on the monitor, and turned his chair to
face the small viewer. On the monitor appeared the inside of the other
shuttle, with several of Ayer's crew cramped inside it. "Captain, it *is*
you!" an overjoyed Ensign yelled.
"Ensign Reaves, good to see a friendly face again," Ayer returned the smile.
"What's your status?"
The look on Reaves' face told Ayer little good. "Since you left, things have
gotten worse," said the Ensign. "We've lost life support on all decks, and
we've evacuated everyone. Most of the shuttles are off looking for help, but
a few of us have stayed behind with the escape pods." He sighed. "We sent
out a distress call, and even received a response from Starfleet. They say
that they'll have a ship here as soon as they can, but it might take a
while. Until then, we are to stay put."
Zjavick rolled his eyes. "We're in the bloody middle of Federation space!
You'd think Starfleet would have at least *one* ship in the area."
Ayer nodded and looked at the engineer. "They had, commander," he said, and
gestured towards the wreck of the Aquinas. "We were that one ship."
"Captain!" Sandra's distressed voice ended the conversation. "I'm reading
two warp signatures, closing fast."
"Federation?" Ayer asked.
"Affirmative... But I'm not reading any Federation transponder signal." She
looked at Ayer with fear visible all over her face. They both knew what that
meant.
Ayer gulped. "Time to arrival?"
"Expected arrival in..." Sandra double-checked her readings. "Five, four,
three-"
"Evasive manoeuvres!" Ayer shouted when he realised that the Iapetus would
be arriving shortly. "Reaves, get out of there!"
In a blinding flash of light, two of the three sections of the Iapetus
dropped out of warp. The three modules, separated during the Prometheus
class' characteristic Multi-Vector Assault Mode, were all ships of their
own, making them a force to be reckoned with. The third module, however,
seemed to be missing. The second module immediately opened fire on Reaves'
shuttle, while the saucer section locked on a tractor beam on Ayer's craft.
The crew could do nothing but watch as one of the modules of the Prometheus
class vessel destroyed Ensign Reaves and his shuttlecraft.
"Captain, we're being-"
Sandra didn't have a chance to finish her sentence, for a channel was
already opened. Instead of Ensign Reaves on the shuttle, Captain Donovan was
now visible on the Bridge of the Iapetus. "Hello, Captain Ayer," Donovan
said with a sly grin on his face. "I believe you have something that belongs
to me."
Ayer squinted his eyes at his opponent. Finally, the Captain of the Aquinas
had returned to his ship, but it had all been in vain. After all this,
Donovan, it seemed, had finally won.
To be continued...
By Ben Versteegt
==========
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