TNG Era:
Captain Farrell reports a signal received from the Kazon-Oglamar warship approaching Oblissa Three, stating that First Maje Eeluk would agree to meet with them upon their arrival in system. Ambassador Khan has advised that Captain Farrell will maintain a defensive posture while not showing any overt aggression.
Captain Murphy reports some success in extracting alien biomechanical DNA from the bodies of Romulan soldiers on Oshionian Six. The soldiers had died when scientists on the RIS Decius attempted to graft biomechanical circuitry with their DNA in an attempt to construct cyborg soldiers. Survey teams from the Guadalcanal are still on the surface. Captain Murphy also reports that he has advised Captain Reggie Farrell that the disabled and released Decius has left Oshionian Six and proceeded, at warp one, in the general direction of Oblissa Three. The warbird was stripped of its weaponry and limited to warp one as an alternative to capturing or destroying it.
Following unconfirmed reports of an unprovoked attack on a Romulan warbird by a Federation starship in the triangle zone, the USS Entebbe reports detecting a Romulan warbird in the neutral zone. The RIS D'Shoanna was on a stealth mission when the starship attempted to warn it off. When the warbird failed to withdraw, Captain Shaw was forced to open fire. After fierce fighting, the Entebbe escorted the disabled D'Shoanna to a neutral starbase where the ship and crew were turned over to Romulan diplomats.
The USS Lily Sloane arrived in the Coramonde system to find no sign of the USS Sternbach or the Yorktown, which it had been sent to search for. It did find an unusual amount of neutrinos in the area. It is conducting an extensive sweep of the system.
USS Archer and USS Arizona report increased military activity in the Triangle Zone following clashes between Romulan forces and those of the Klingon Empire and the Federation.
TOS Era:
Starfleet monitor stations report the first signal in close to a month received from the USS Xerxes at Archer Four. Captain Lionidas reported that science teams from the outpost and the Xerxes had succeeded in disabling the jamming device set up in the vicinity that had cut off communications from the region. Starfleet Command is reportedly studying several options for getting a fleet of starships to the area without making a major move through Klingon space.
The USS Magellan has continued its search for the USS Coramonde, following reports that its transponder signal had been detected more than a hundred lightyears away from the site of its disappearance.
ENT Era:
There have been no further communications from, nor reports of the Challenger NX-07 on its mission to circumnavigate Romulan space.
Sources on Denobula report sightings of possible Romulan ships within their system. Columbia NX-02 has been dispatched to confirm.
Two Sloane Class light cruisers have arrived at the site where hull plating from the EX-01 Roddenberry science ship was discovered. The Roddenberry was lost on a mission towards the center of the galaxy.
Command College
"What Are Your Orders, Captain?"
(TNG Era) "Dangerous New Worlds" Resolution
The USS Agamemnon entered the Coramonde system, investigating the disappearance of the Science Ship USS Lily Sloane. It discovered an object similar to a wormhole that appeared to be in a state of constant flux. Scans are inconclusive, but a probe sent through the anomaly reveals a Federation warp trail on the other side. All indications show that the anomaly is stable and safe to pass through. Based on this, Captain Decker chooses to proceed.
An analysis of star positions fails to show any familiar stars, but the warp trail is now identifiable as belonging to a Constitution Class ship lost almost a hundred years ago in the same area. The USS Coramonde, for which the system was named, vanished without a trace while on a humanitarian mission. While a detailed analysis of the warp trail confirms that it came from a starship of that era, its state of decay is consistent with having been produced within the last month. After sending a communications probe through the anomaly to update Starfleet, Captain Decker orders the conn officer to follow the warp trail, which leads to a nearby star system
They arrive to discover that the Coramonde was pulled down, nearly intact, to the surface of a Class M planet. Life signs are inconclusive, and visual scans show that the ship is on the surface, partially buried in a large desert area.
Captain Decker has more than one mystery on her hands, and all of them could be critical to her crew and mission. Is the anomaly a temporal wormhole that brought the Coramonde ahead in time, or the Agamemnon back in time? What brought the Coramonde down to the planet yet kept it impossibly intact? While realizing that resources could be split, she also feels a sense of urgency and impending danger. Should she:
A) First try to determine if they've traveled back in time,
B) Concentrate first on finding out what happened to the Coramonde, or,
C) Attempt to divide her resources to answer both questions at the same time.
Captain Decker decided that determining what happened to the Coramonde was a more critical objective, and could answer the time travel question as well.
(TNG Era) "Biomechanical Threat"
The first step in Captain Decker's investigation is to conduct an intensive scan of the planet-bound starship to confirm the apparent lack of life signs and to search for evidence of weapons fire on the hull. After establishing a synchronous orbit over the Coramonde, intensive scans are directed at the ship. Readings show no discernible weapons fire, and no definitive life readings. There is, however, an unusual and unexplainable electromagnetic signature across the length and breadth of the ship that probes launched from orbit cannot penetrate. The next step is to send an away team. In light of the mystery surrounding the ship, Captain Decker chooses four Hazard team members and the chief science officer to join her. They were all outfitted with Hazard team personal force fields and vital sign monitors continuously transmitting to the ship.
They are transported to the surface, a few meters from the Coramonde. Intensive scans show biomechanical circuitry covering the hull that was not detected from orbit. The circuitry is similar to bio-neural gelpaks found in modern starships, as well as some Borg circuitry, but it lacks the familiar Borg 'footprint' found in every recorded encounter with them. According to scans, the circuitry is covering twenty percent of the hull and growing at a rate of one percent a day.
At this point, Captain Decker determines a potential threat to personnel if they come in physical contact with the ship. At the same time, she knows that they won't learn any more without getting inside the ship. The team does have limited protection thanks to their personal force fields, but they might not protect them from whatever power brought down the Coramonde. What should be her next step?
Choose what you think should be the next course of action, and write a brief summary. You can also feel free to join the investigation with your own ship.
(Moderator's Note: There are no predetermined right or wrong answers. Feel free to discuss the challenge with other players. Every player who submits an entry receives a "Command College Point". Ten of those equal an experience point. The most popular choice will determine the next step taken)
Captain's Log
(From last week) "...nothing like I remember it..."
Class J Gas Giant
Age: 2-10 billion years
Diameter: 50,000-140,000 km
Location: Cold Zone
Surface: Tenuous, comprised of gaseous hydrogen and hydrogen compounds; radiates some heat
Atmosphere: Zones vary in temperature, pressure and composition
Life forms: Hydrocarbon-based
Example: Jupiter, Saturn
13) Members of your crew decide they want to be left behind on the planet.
(TOS Era)
USS Kabul Constitution Class Heavy Cruiser
Captain Jim Lacy
We were ordered to investigate a reported sighting of an abandoned Suliban helix within a Class J planet in the Beta Orinoco system. The Suliban people have been scattered since their sun went nova in the year 2161. Since then Suliban refugees have found themselves forced to abandon their planets and helix, moving from star system to star system, unable to settle, even on uninhabited planets, because nearby inhabited systems wouldn't tolerate them. That stems from the part the Suliban played in a temporal cold war that stretched, or will stretch from the 29th century to the 22nd. They also interfered with the mission of the Enterprise NX-01 from its launch to its trip home to be decommissioned. It wasn't until the end of the Earth/Romulan war that the Suliban cabal broke with their temporal benefactors and attempted to form an alliance with Earth. While there was never any proof, it is generally accepted that the Suliban's masters punished the cabal by destroying their sun. Since then the Suliban have existed by moving from planet to planet, living like gypsies until they are pushed along. The ships they travel in vary from ancient cell ships to even more ancient DY-500 freighters. And, of course, the occasional Federation starship. In this case, a Suliban named Talac petitioned to Starfleet for an investigation of a helix sighting in the Beta Orinoco star system, located on the fringe of a stellar nursery more than a hundred lightyears from the nearest inhabited planet. Indeed, the system would be perfect for the Suliban except for the fact that there are no habitable planets there. It is sad but true that in a time that we consider to be tolerant and enlightened, there are still innocent populations condemned to live in places where nobody else wants to.
I was relieved, then, to discover the helix sitting, as promised, within the soupy, unpredictable atmosphere of one of six Class J gas giants in the Beta Orinoco system. I happily include these words from Salac, who asked to be left behind to explore and begin repairs to the helix. "I have been not been aboard a helix in many years, and that one was nearly destroyed by people who were terrified to have us living within a lightyear of them. This helix is small and remote and, like the last one, in need of repair. But in one respect, the experience of being here is nothing like I remember it on the last one. There, I lived as a refugee. Here I live as a settler. A pioneer for my people. I have come home."
For Next Week: "...no obvious answer..."
(Expand the following into a log entry of at least 100 words. Members post answers to the yahoogroup or the 'comment' feature on the blogsite. Lurkers feel free to leave comments on the blogsite)
Developer's Diary:
It hasn't been one of the most productive weeks on Fantasy Trek. RL continues to be a distraction (don't you hate that :)?), a
nd having the computer dump two weeks worth of work didn't help. But I've also continued to flesh out and streamline the heavy combat part of the game. I've created different heavy combat templates for the different races (so, for example, you don't have to add or take away plasmas as applicable), and I started to think about secondary systems like transporters that are not weapons, nor are they necessary to the basics of combat, but they are tools for advanced tactics. It also occurred to me that the idea that a ship is destroyed only when you take out all of the internals really isn't realistic. I mean, one surviving tractor emitter isn't going to save your crew if the rest of the ship is gone. So while that may not really alter the mechanics of heavy combat, it does change the context that results of the combat fit into the game. Maybe, if someone feels the need to physically destroy a ship and/or kill the crew, they would need to think about environmental systems for life-support or intruder defense systems, and then what it takes to literally destroy the underlying space frame. And if a ship has comm capability left, it can send a distress signal and hope that someone is close enough to help.
Readers of the storyline might notice an underlying theme of mysterious biotech spreading over everything. That will continue to build. And Enterprise era fans can look forward to news of the Romulan war starting to seep in. I've also included an experimental option for command college participants to add their ship to the ongoing storyline taking place in "What Are Your Orders, Captain?". I'll see how that works.
I've designed an emblem/mission patch for the Kri'staK Fleet. All I have to do now is scan and paintshop it for presentation. I'm also going to be designing a new Enterprise era ship, a Roddenberry Class Explorer. If my artistic skills are up to it.
Fleet Action. Head-To-Head Bare Knuckles Naval Combat. Boarding Party Action. Solid Interactive Storytelling Like No Commercial Game Can Offer. How Much Star Trek Can You Handle?
Fantasy Trek. Not Just a Game. It's a Star Trek Experience
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Sunday, March 29, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Fantasy Trek: Summary of Events Stardate 0309.20
Summary of Events
Stardate 0309.20
TNG Era:
Captain Farrell reports no communication from the Kazon-Oglamar warship approaching Oblissa Three. According to Kazan-Ogla First Maje Jabin, Kazon ships frequently maintain communications silence while approaching uncertain situations.
Captain Murphy reports that landing parties from the USS Guadalcanal are conducting a thorough survey of Oshionian Three in its investigation of Romulan activity in the Delta Quadrant. The Guadalcanal will also return to Jibalia Three to continue its investigation of that artificial planet.
The Romulan Ambassador issued a formal complaint to the Federation Council, stating that a D'deridex Class Warbird was attacked without provocation by a Federation Starbase in the Triangle Zone. There has been no comment by the Federation Council.
The USS Yorktown has been declared lost in Coramonde system following the unsuccessful search performed by the Galaxy Class USS Sternbach. The Sternbach will remain on station while the science ship USS Lily Sloane is enroute to conduct an investigation of the spike in neutrino emissions in the area.
USS Archer and USS Arizona have been dispatched to the Triangle Zone in response to heightened tensions with the Romulan Empire.
TOS Era:
Starfleet Intelligence report large movements of Klingon ships away from the area of the Archer system and towards Romulan Space. The USS Xerxes is still at Archer Four attempting to reinforce the outpost there.
The USS Magellan has abandoned its search for the USS Coramonde after the missing ship's transponder signal was reported to be in a system almost a hundred lightyears away. There is currently no explanation for this occurrence.
ENT Era:
There have been no further communications from, nor reports of the Challenger NX-07 on its mission to circumnavigate Romulan space.
Two Sloane Class light cruisers are due to arrive in less than a week at the site where a Tellarite long-range cargo hauler reported finding hull plating that apparently belonged to the EX-01 Roddenberry science ship, which disappeared on a mission towards the center of the galaxy.
Command College
"What Are Your Orders, Captain?"
(Ent Era) "The Fleeting Phenomenon" Resolution
On the way, however, Challenger's sensors pick up an energy source that Carpenter finds hard to ignore. Waves of subspace displacement are detected, coming from an unidentifiable spot more than a lightyear away. The ship's science officer, Commander Cholena Janeway informs him that despite the obvious power behind it (it is at least a hundred times more powerful than the Challenger's warp drive), the source of the waves are dying and may vanish before another ship can be dispatched. It would take approximately thirty minutes to divert to investigate, but several hours to thoroughly scan. If they do not investigate, the potential scientific loss would be indescribable. Carpenter is concerned, however, that endangering the Kzinti prisoner and corpses would endanger the chance of a peace with them. Should he:
A) Risk the ship and crew (and Kzinti on board) to investigate the fleeting phenomenon, or:
B) Hope that another ship will someday discover another such phenomenon.
Captain Carpenter chose a third course of action, diverting long enough to get a brief scan of the phenomenon without wasting too much time. He transmitted the sensor data to Starfleet Command for further analysis and transferred the Kzinti to authorities at nearby Earth Base Alpha.
(TNG Era) "Dangerous New Worlds"
The USS Agamemnon entered the Coramonde system, investigating the disappearance of the Science Ship USS Lily Sloane. It discovered an object similar to a wormhole that appeared to be in a state of constant flux. Scans are inconclusive, but a probe sent through the anomaly reveals a Federation warp trail on the other side. All indications show that the anomaly is stable and safe to pass through. Based on this, Captain Decker chooses to proceed.
An analysis of star positions fails to show any familiar stars, but the warp trail is now identifiable as belonging to a Constitution Class ship lost almost a hundred years ago in the same area. The USS Coramonde, for which the system was named, vanished without a trace while on a humanitarian mission. While a detailed analysis of the warp trail confirms that it came from a starship of that era, its state of decay is consistent with having been produced within the last month. After sending a communications probe through the anomaly to update Starfleet, Captain Decker orders the conn officer to follow the warp trail, which leads to a nearby star system
They arrive to discover that the Coramonde was pulled down, nearly intact, to the surface of a Class M planet. Life signs are inconclusive, and visual scans show that the ship is on the surface, partially buried in a large desert area.
Captain Decker has more than one mystery on her hands, and all of them could be critical to her crew and mission. Is the anomaly a temporal wormhole that brought the Coramonde ahead in time, or the Agamemnon back in time? What brought the Coramonde down to the planet yet kept it impossibly intact? While realizing that resources could be split, she also feels a sense of urgency and impending danger. Should she:
A) First try to determine if they've traveled back in time,
B) Concentrate first on finding out what happened to the Coramonde, or,
C) Attempt to divide her resources to answer both questions at the same time.
Choose A or B, or C, or a fourth course of action, and write a brief summary.
(Moderator's Note: There are no predetermined right or wrong answers. Feel free to discuss the challenge with other players. Every player who submits an entry receives a "Command College Point". Ten of those equal an experience point. The most popular choice will determine the next step taken)
Captain's Log
(From last week)
"...our orders are clear..."
5) A being, seemingly consisting of only energy communicates with the crew.
Class E Geoplastic
Age: 0-2 billion years
Diameter: 10,000-15,000 km
Location: Ecosphere
Surface: Molten, high surface temperature
Atmosphere: Hydrogen compounds and reactive gases
Evolution: Cools to become Class F
Life forms: Carbon-cycle
Example: Excalbia
(TNG Era)
USS Crazy Horse Galaxy Class Heavy Cruiser
The Beta Arrangulii Star system was home to nine planets and an advanced culture of nine billion lifeforms until five years ago. At that point, the star began to destabilize, throwing off chunks of solar debris that hit the three inner planets and caused tidal forces to go crazy on the next two. The inhabitants, most of whom were native to the fourth planet, petitioned for Federation membership twenty years ago and were quickly accepted. They were an optimistic, adventurous people who chose not to send candidates to Starfleet, but were scientists easily on a par with the Vulcans.
Unfortunately, the destruction of the two inner planets, as well as a lunar collision on the third wreaked havoc on the idyllic fourth planet, resulting in increased solar radiation and a distinct orbital 'wobble'. On the plus side, it was determined that the fourth planet would still sustain life for another five years. The Federation jumped into action, sending a steady stream of huge evacuation ships to the system. So what could have been a tragedy has turned out to be a very sad but survivable experience for the inhabitants of Beta Arrangulii Four. Six months from now, the planet will be wrecked, and the sun is showing signs of going nova, but the last shipful of refugees will soon arrive at their new home several sectors away. In the meantime, the Crazy Horse has been ordered to do a final survey of the system to triple check that no other planet has any indigenous life. We were surprised by the third planet.
It was Class E, with a molten, high surface temperature and an atmosphere consisting of hydrogen compounds and reactive gases. We didn't expect to find any life, but something hailed us from the surface, with a simple, plaintive message interpreted with difficulty by the universal translator. "Please don't leave me behind." Our sensors quickly traced the sender as a cloud of energetic plasma spread across a large portion of the planet's north pole. Detailed scans showed electrical impulses throughout the cloud that closely resembled the processes that occur in the humanoid brain. Further communication with the creature revealed that it was capable of condensing itself to a space that would fit, with difficulty, in our main cargo bay. We quickly dropped into a low orbit and beamed the creature into our cargo bay. Fortunately, there is a similar planet in the system chosen for the other refugees, and we can redeposit our energy-based friend in a place that will seem familiar to it.
This has been one of those times when our orders are clear and there is no moral conflict. It is not an easy thing to remove a people from their home. We're just lucky the people wanted to be moved
For Next Week:
(Expand the following into a log entry of at least 100 words. Members post answers to the yahoogroup or the 'comment' feature on the blogsite. Lurkers feel free to leave comments on the blogsite)
"...nothing like I remember it..."
Developer's Diary:
I finally combed through the blog archives and I'm working on completely documenting my service record. I had said at one point that I wasn't going to count things before I sent the Guadalcanal into the Delta Quad, but then decided that if I was going to document things I needed to document everything. And going through it all I also got a good look at all the work I'd done, so I figured why not. I'm still going through it all, but the forty-five simple combat engagements put me over the top for "Veteran" status. Once that's all done, I'll add a link for everyone's service record on the blog.
The battle between the D'Soanna and the Entebbe was turning out, after seven rounds, to be such an unbalanced rout that I've taken another look at the Romulan CA. The Romulan Warbird should be a formidable opponent, and now it is. I've added a second plasma torpedo bank, as well as fore and aft photons. I'll restart the match soon and see how it goes.
I've also set up a simple combat tourney between all three sides. Here is the set-up:
KLINGON EMPIRE:
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Perseus
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Stovokor
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS DuranQo
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Temujin
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS qajunpaQ
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS tiQghoB
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Hammer
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Anvil
UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS:
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Guadalcanal
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Exeter
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Resolute
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Achilles
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Archer
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Arizona
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Crazy Horse
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Agamemnon
ROMULAN STAR EMPIRE:
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS D'deridex
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Donatra
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Shrike
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Talon
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Honor Blade
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS D'Shoanna
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Romulus
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Romii
Round One:
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Perseus vs Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Stovokor
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS DuranQo vs Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Temujin
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS qajunpaQ vs Heavy cruiser KCA IKS tiQghoB
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Hammer vs Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Anvil
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Guadalcanal vs Heavy cruiser FCA USS Exeter
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Resolute vs Heavy cruiser FCA USS Achilles
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Archer vs Heavy cruiser FCA USS Arizona
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Crazy Horse vs Heavy cruiser FCA USS Agamemnon
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS D'deridex vs Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Donatra
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Shrike vs Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Talon
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Honor Blade vs Heavy cruiser RCA RIS D'Shoanna
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Romulus vs Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Romii
Round Two will take us down to two survivors per team. Round Three will leave one survivor per team. Of the remaining three, the most damaged will sit it out while the other two take each other on. Then it'll come down to the last two. I'm not really a basketball fan, but I have to admit that the big tourney kind of inspired me. And of course, since the big dance wouldn't be the big dance without a wee wager, here's what I've set up:
If your initial pick wins in the end, you win three experience points. If you pick the final winner at the second round, you win one experience point. (If three experience points doesn't sound like much, remember that to earn that in the game, you'd have to play thirty of these simple combat game, and in the whole time I've been playing this game I've only documented forty-five. This tourney just by itself will be twenty. So a long-shot pick like really gives you a good pay off.)
Here are the results of the first round:
Winners and losers:
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Perseus
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Stovokor*
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS DuranQo
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Temujin*
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS qajunpaQ*
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS tiQghoB
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Hammer
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Anvil*
So, moving on to Round Two are the StoVoKor, the Temujin, the qajunpaQ, and the Anvil. The Feds go at it next.
I've also modified the Command College setup just a bit. Now, anyone who submits a solution for "What Are Your Orders, Captain?" gets a Command College Point.
Stardate 0309.20
TNG Era:
Captain Farrell reports no communication from the Kazon-Oglamar warship approaching Oblissa Three. According to Kazan-Ogla First Maje Jabin, Kazon ships frequently maintain communications silence while approaching uncertain situations.
Captain Murphy reports that landing parties from the USS Guadalcanal are conducting a thorough survey of Oshionian Three in its investigation of Romulan activity in the Delta Quadrant. The Guadalcanal will also return to Jibalia Three to continue its investigation of that artificial planet.
The Romulan Ambassador issued a formal complaint to the Federation Council, stating that a D'deridex Class Warbird was attacked without provocation by a Federation Starbase in the Triangle Zone. There has been no comment by the Federation Council.
The USS Yorktown has been declared lost in Coramonde system following the unsuccessful search performed by the Galaxy Class USS Sternbach. The Sternbach will remain on station while the science ship USS Lily Sloane is enroute to conduct an investigation of the spike in neutrino emissions in the area.
USS Archer and USS Arizona have been dispatched to the Triangle Zone in response to heightened tensions with the Romulan Empire.
TOS Era:
Starfleet Intelligence report large movements of Klingon ships away from the area of the Archer system and towards Romulan Space. The USS Xerxes is still at Archer Four attempting to reinforce the outpost there.
The USS Magellan has abandoned its search for the USS Coramonde after the missing ship's transponder signal was reported to be in a system almost a hundred lightyears away. There is currently no explanation for this occurrence.
ENT Era:
There have been no further communications from, nor reports of the Challenger NX-07 on its mission to circumnavigate Romulan space.
Two Sloane Class light cruisers are due to arrive in less than a week at the site where a Tellarite long-range cargo hauler reported finding hull plating that apparently belonged to the EX-01 Roddenberry science ship, which disappeared on a mission towards the center of the galaxy.
Command College
"What Are Your Orders, Captain?"
(Ent Era) "The Fleeting Phenomenon" Resolution
On the way, however, Challenger's sensors pick up an energy source that Carpenter finds hard to ignore. Waves of subspace displacement are detected, coming from an unidentifiable spot more than a lightyear away. The ship's science officer, Commander Cholena Janeway informs him that despite the obvious power behind it (it is at least a hundred times more powerful than the Challenger's warp drive), the source of the waves are dying and may vanish before another ship can be dispatched. It would take approximately thirty minutes to divert to investigate, but several hours to thoroughly scan. If they do not investigate, the potential scientific loss would be indescribable. Carpenter is concerned, however, that endangering the Kzinti prisoner and corpses would endanger the chance of a peace with them. Should he:
A) Risk the ship and crew (and Kzinti on board) to investigate the fleeting phenomenon, or:
B) Hope that another ship will someday discover another such phenomenon.
Captain Carpenter chose a third course of action, diverting long enough to get a brief scan of the phenomenon without wasting too much time. He transmitted the sensor data to Starfleet Command for further analysis and transferred the Kzinti to authorities at nearby Earth Base Alpha.
(TNG Era) "Dangerous New Worlds"
The USS Agamemnon entered the Coramonde system, investigating the disappearance of the Science Ship USS Lily Sloane. It discovered an object similar to a wormhole that appeared to be in a state of constant flux. Scans are inconclusive, but a probe sent through the anomaly reveals a Federation warp trail on the other side. All indications show that the anomaly is stable and safe to pass through. Based on this, Captain Decker chooses to proceed.
An analysis of star positions fails to show any familiar stars, but the warp trail is now identifiable as belonging to a Constitution Class ship lost almost a hundred years ago in the same area. The USS Coramonde, for which the system was named, vanished without a trace while on a humanitarian mission. While a detailed analysis of the warp trail confirms that it came from a starship of that era, its state of decay is consistent with having been produced within the last month. After sending a communications probe through the anomaly to update Starfleet, Captain Decker orders the conn officer to follow the warp trail, which leads to a nearby star system
They arrive to discover that the Coramonde was pulled down, nearly intact, to the surface of a Class M planet. Life signs are inconclusive, and visual scans show that the ship is on the surface, partially buried in a large desert area.
Captain Decker has more than one mystery on her hands, and all of them could be critical to her crew and mission. Is the anomaly a temporal wormhole that brought the Coramonde ahead in time, or the Agamemnon back in time? What brought the Coramonde down to the planet yet kept it impossibly intact? While realizing that resources could be split, she also feels a sense of urgency and impending danger. Should she:
A) First try to determine if they've traveled back in time,
B) Concentrate first on finding out what happened to the Coramonde, or,
C) Attempt to divide her resources to answer both questions at the same time.
Choose A or B, or C, or a fourth course of action, and write a brief summary.
(Moderator's Note: There are no predetermined right or wrong answers. Feel free to discuss the challenge with other players. Every player who submits an entry receives a "Command College Point". Ten of those equal an experience point. The most popular choice will determine the next step taken)
Captain's Log
(From last week)
"...our orders are clear..."
5) A being, seemingly consisting of only energy communicates with the crew.
Class E Geoplastic
Age: 0-2 billion years
Diameter: 10,000-15,000 km
Location: Ecosphere
Surface: Molten, high surface temperature
Atmosphere: Hydrogen compounds and reactive gases
Evolution: Cools to become Class F
Life forms: Carbon-cycle
Example: Excalbia
(TNG Era)
USS Crazy Horse Galaxy Class Heavy Cruiser
The Beta Arrangulii Star system was home to nine planets and an advanced culture of nine billion lifeforms until five years ago. At that point, the star began to destabilize, throwing off chunks of solar debris that hit the three inner planets and caused tidal forces to go crazy on the next two. The inhabitants, most of whom were native to the fourth planet, petitioned for Federation membership twenty years ago and were quickly accepted. They were an optimistic, adventurous people who chose not to send candidates to Starfleet, but were scientists easily on a par with the Vulcans.
Unfortunately, the destruction of the two inner planets, as well as a lunar collision on the third wreaked havoc on the idyllic fourth planet, resulting in increased solar radiation and a distinct orbital 'wobble'. On the plus side, it was determined that the fourth planet would still sustain life for another five years. The Federation jumped into action, sending a steady stream of huge evacuation ships to the system. So what could have been a tragedy has turned out to be a very sad but survivable experience for the inhabitants of Beta Arrangulii Four. Six months from now, the planet will be wrecked, and the sun is showing signs of going nova, but the last shipful of refugees will soon arrive at their new home several sectors away. In the meantime, the Crazy Horse has been ordered to do a final survey of the system to triple check that no other planet has any indigenous life. We were surprised by the third planet.
It was Class E, with a molten, high surface temperature and an atmosphere consisting of hydrogen compounds and reactive gases. We didn't expect to find any life, but something hailed us from the surface, with a simple, plaintive message interpreted with difficulty by the universal translator. "Please don't leave me behind." Our sensors quickly traced the sender as a cloud of energetic plasma spread across a large portion of the planet's north pole. Detailed scans showed electrical impulses throughout the cloud that closely resembled the processes that occur in the humanoid brain. Further communication with the creature revealed that it was capable of condensing itself to a space that would fit, with difficulty, in our main cargo bay. We quickly dropped into a low orbit and beamed the creature into our cargo bay. Fortunately, there is a similar planet in the system chosen for the other refugees, and we can redeposit our energy-based friend in a place that will seem familiar to it.
This has been one of those times when our orders are clear and there is no moral conflict. It is not an easy thing to remove a people from their home. We're just lucky the people wanted to be moved
For Next Week:
(Expand the following into a log entry of at least 100 words. Members post answers to the yahoogroup or the 'comment' feature on the blogsite. Lurkers feel free to leave comments on the blogsite)
"...nothing like I remember it..."
Developer's Diary:
I finally combed through the blog archives and I'm working on completely documenting my service record. I had said at one point that I wasn't going to count things before I sent the Guadalcanal into the Delta Quad, but then decided that if I was going to document things I needed to document everything. And going through it all I also got a good look at all the work I'd done, so I figured why not. I'm still going through it all, but the forty-five simple combat engagements put me over the top for "Veteran" status. Once that's all done, I'll add a link for everyone's service record on the blog.
The battle between the D'Soanna and the Entebbe was turning out, after seven rounds, to be such an unbalanced rout that I've taken another look at the Romulan CA. The Romulan Warbird should be a formidable opponent, and now it is. I've added a second plasma torpedo bank, as well as fore and aft photons. I'll restart the match soon and see how it goes.
I've also set up a simple combat tourney between all three sides. Here is the set-up:
KLINGON EMPIRE:
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Perseus
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Stovokor
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS DuranQo
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Temujin
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS qajunpaQ
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS tiQghoB
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Hammer
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Anvil
UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS:
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Guadalcanal
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Exeter
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Resolute
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Achilles
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Archer
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Arizona
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Crazy Horse
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Agamemnon
ROMULAN STAR EMPIRE:
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS D'deridex
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Donatra
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Shrike
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Talon
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Honor Blade
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS D'Shoanna
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Romulus
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Romii
Round One:
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Perseus vs Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Stovokor
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS DuranQo vs Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Temujin
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS qajunpaQ vs Heavy cruiser KCA IKS tiQghoB
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Hammer vs Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Anvil
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Guadalcanal vs Heavy cruiser FCA USS Exeter
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Resolute vs Heavy cruiser FCA USS Achilles
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Archer vs Heavy cruiser FCA USS Arizona
Heavy cruiser FCA USS Crazy Horse vs Heavy cruiser FCA USS Agamemnon
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS D'deridex vs Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Donatra
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Shrike vs Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Talon
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Honor Blade vs Heavy cruiser RCA RIS D'Shoanna
Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Romulus vs Heavy cruiser RCA RIS Romii
Round Two will take us down to two survivors per team. Round Three will leave one survivor per team. Of the remaining three, the most damaged will sit it out while the other two take each other on. Then it'll come down to the last two. I'm not really a basketball fan, but I have to admit that the big tourney kind of inspired me. And of course, since the big dance wouldn't be the big dance without a wee wager, here's what I've set up:
If your initial pick wins in the end, you win three experience points. If you pick the final winner at the second round, you win one experience point. (If three experience points doesn't sound like much, remember that to earn that in the game, you'd have to play thirty of these simple combat game, and in the whole time I've been playing this game I've only documented forty-five. This tourney just by itself will be twenty. So a long-shot pick like really gives you a good pay off.)
Here are the results of the first round:
Winners and losers:
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Stovokor*
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS Temujin*
Heavy cruiser KCA IKS qajunpaQ*
So, moving on to Round Two are the StoVoKor, the Temujin, the qajunpaQ, and the Anvil. The Feds go at it next.
I've also modified the Command College setup just a bit. Now, anyone who submits a solution for "What Are Your Orders, Captain?" gets a Command College Point.
Fleet Action. Head-To-Head Bare Knuckles Naval Combat. Boarding Party Action. Solid Interactive Storytelling Like No Commercial Game Can Offer. How Much Star Trek Can You Handle?
Fantasy Trek. Not Just a Game. It's a Star Trek Experience
http://fantasytrek.blogspot.com
The Only Rebel Underground Star Trek PBEMMMORPG
Fantasy Trek. Not Just a Game. It's a Star Trek Experience
http://fantasytrek.blogspot.com
The Only Rebel Underground Star Trek PBEMMMORPG
Friday, March 13, 2009
Fantasy Trek: Summary of Events Stardate 0309.14
Summary of Events
Stardate 0309.14
TNG Era:
Captain Farrell reports picking up a Kazon-Oglamar warship on extreme long range scanners. At its present velocity, it would be due to arrive at Oblissa Three in two days. Ambassador Endara Khan reports that she has been working with Kazon-Ogla First Maje Jabin on ways to approach the Kazon-Oglamar.
Captain Murphy reports disturbing details of a major Romulan operation with the aim of incorporating alien biotechnology into their soldiers using genetic engineering. The operation has branches in the Alpha Quadrant and the Delta Quadrant, and suggests that artificial planets like Jibalia III might stretch into territory closer to home. Captain Murphy is also investigating the possibility that the Romulans have found a way to travel through the Durandal wormhole covertly and in both directions.
There have been confirmed reports that the Klingon High Council and Chancellor Martok have normalized relations and restored all peacetime contact with the Federation following secret meetings at an undisclosed location.
Galaxy Class USS Sternbach reports no evidence of the USS Yorktown that disappeared in the Coramonde system more than a week ago. It did report a sudden ongoing spike in neutrinos that didn't seem to be related, but could also not be readily explained.
USS Archer and USS Arizona have been released from patrol duty in the Archanis Sector following the thawing of relations with the Klingon Empire.
TOS Era:
There has been no progress in moving Starfleet ships to reinforce the USS Xerxes at Archer Four. In the meantime, there is still no contact from the nearby MZ-5 outpost.
The USS Magellan reports that the Barzan system is bathed in neutrino emissions. There is still no clue to the disappearance of the USS Coramonde in the area, and the ship's transponder signal is no longer being detected in that system.
ENT Era:
Challenger NX-07 left communications range on its mission to circumnavigate Romulan space. In his last transmission, Captain Carpenter reported several nebulas along Challenger's projected course.
A Tellarite long-range cargo hauler reports finding hull plating that initial reports say might belong to the EX-01 Roddenberry, an experimental science ship on a mission towards the center of the galaxy. The hull plating was found in a previously uncharted system. Two Sloane-Class light cruisers were dispatched to investigate.
Command College
"What Are Your Orders, Captain?"
(Ent Era) "Out Of The Frying Pan..." Resolution
As the starship emerged from the asteroid field, a Kzinti heavy cruiser hailed them and ordered them to surrender. Apparently the heavy battlecruiser that Challenger had fired on earlier managed to transmit sensor data before it was destroyed. The Kzinti recognized Challenger and wanted revenge. While Carpenter regretted aiding in the destruction of their ship, he wasn't prepared to surrender to a proven hostile force. He ordered Challenger into an evasive course that led to the distant outer cometary cloud at the edge of the system. Kzinti forces followed, firing missile after missile as the ship dodged frantically. Finally passing through a shower of ice shards, the NX-class ship found itself in open space and jumped into warp. But their problems didn't end there. Before Challenger escaped into warp, the pursuing ship beamed a hit and run squad aboard. MACO troops on Challenger defeated the invaders, killing five of the six enemies. Captain Carpenter thinks that by returning the bodies of the dead as well as the survivor, it might be possible to reconcile with the Kzinti before things escalate. Should he:
A) Return the Kzinti prisoner and casualties and hope to quickly reconcile, or:
B) Take all six Kzinti to Starfleet and hope the diplomats can reach an agreement. Keep in mind that while the diplomats might be better skilled at making peace, a quick gesture by Captain Carpenter could impress the Kzinti.
Captain Carpenter decided that the Kzinti were unlikely to allow him to get close enough to make a peaceful gesture, so he altered course for Earth Base Alpha to drop off the Kzinti.
(Ent Era) "The Fleeting Phenomenon"
On the way, however, Challenger's sensors pick up an energy source that Carpenter finds hard to ignore. Waves of subspace displacement are detected, coming from an unidentifiable spot more than a lightyear away. The ship's science officer, Commander Cholena Janeway informs him that despite the obvious power behind it (it is at least a hundred times more powerful than the Challenger's warp drive), the source of the waves are dying and may vanish before another ship can be dispatched. It would take approximately thirty minutes to divert to investigate, but several hours to thoroughly scan. If they do not investigate, the potential scientific loss would be indescribable. Carpenter is concerned, however, that endangering the Kzinti prisoner and corpses would endanger the chance of a peace with them. Should he:
A) Risk the ship and crew (and Kzinti on board) to investigate the fleeting phenomenon, or:
B) Hope that another ship will someday discover another such phenomenon.
Choose A or B, or a third course of action, and write a brief summary.
(Moderator's Note: There are no predetermined right or wrong answers. Feel free to discuss the challenge with other players. Every player who submits an entry receives a "Command College Point". Ten of those equal an experience point. The most popular solution will be included here.)
Captain's Log
(From last week)
"...scattered across space..."
(I'm taking a bit of a shortcut this time around, using a log entry written for the storyline and incorporating the line provided. The weekend, such as it has been, has been exhausting, and lots of admin work has been done as well)
(TNG Era)
USS Guadalcanal Galaxy Class Heavy Cruiser
The problem presented by the crew of the RIS Decuis has been solved to a degree. The absence of any kind of permanent Federation or Romulan authority in the Delta Quadrant means that we'll have to make decisions as best we can and hope they work until a better solution can be found. Since the wormhole is, for the moment, one-way, and there are no Starbases to take the Romulan crew to, I ordered engineering teams, backed up by Hazard Teams A and B, to board the Romulan vessel and remove its weapons and cloaking system. We also installed field constrictors on their warp nacelles that will limit them to warp one. That should keep them from bothering anyone and keep them from running too far away. It's nowhere near a perfect solution, and the Romulan Commander was spitting mad, but short of marooning them on a planet and destroying their ship, I don't see an alternative that isn't cold-blooded murder. This does very effectively point out the need to establish a bureaucratic authority in this quadrant, and I intend to forward that advice to Starfleet Command as soon as possible.
Once the Decius was completely secured, we scanned the surface of Oshionian Six and found ten Romulan power signatures. Closer examination showed them to be campsites. After determining that there were no Romulans left on the surface, I ordered full survey teams sent to each site.
We found tragedy at each site, as well as another mystery. The Romulan corpses found at each site were mutilated. More precisely, we discovered that the Romulans had incorporated some of the alien biocircuitry (of the same type lining the interior of Jabalia III) into members of their crew. Biocomponents from the alien technology attacked the Romulan cell structure and killed them almost instantly. Closer examination of the campsite logs as well as a thorough examination of the Decius's computer core download revealed that the Romulans were indeed trying to intentionally incorporate the biocircuitry into their soldiers, with the goal of creating genetically engineered cyborgs. Sort of like a home-grown Borg. The Decius's computer made reference to ten other warbirds assigned to the Delta Quadrant on similar missions, and some still in the Alpha Quadrant on related assignments.
Not only are the Romulans launching a major covert operation that stretches from places back home where they're not allowed to the Delta Quadrant. And I'd say they've been here longer than we have. But somehow that isn't the worrying part. How many of these hollow artificial computer-component planets have been scattered across space from Earth to the Delta Quadrant? Despite all that we've explored, there's so much more that we haven't.
For Next Week:
(Expand the following into a log entry of at least 100 words. Members post answers to the yahoogroup or the 'comment' feature on the blogsite. Lurkers feel free to leave comments on the blogsite)
"...our orders are clear..."
Developer's Diary:
A relentless RL work schedule has delayed this summary, just like last time. But I've also managed to get quite a bit of administrative work done on Fantasy Trek. The STD library is now into three sections, for each Trek era covered. I also moved the 'armor' from the internals list to just above the 'hull' area on the STD. This way it actually acts like armor, protecting the hull once the shields are breached. For the Enterprise era Starfleet ships, that armor will become hull polarization. And I'll probably only allow it on Federation ships in the TNG era. That will create enough difference between the ships of different era's without having to totally rewrite the STD's. I'm also considering creating some different STD's for ships that are roughly equivalent but still dramatically different in some ways. For example, I'm classifying the Achilles Class as a Heavy Cruiser, which makes it roughly equivalent to a Galaxy Class, but the Achilles has that wicked bank of autotracking torpedo launchers running along its spine. The Achilles was also built during the Dominion War, at least ten years after the launch of the Enterprise-D. So while they fit into the same basic category, they are still dramatically different. That won't be necessary for each and every different ship in the same class, but in some cases it really should be done.
I tweaked the heavy combat rules to include rules for HET, 'hero points', and other changes, and I even updated the link on the blogsite. The changes to the STD's, Heavy Combat template has been cleaned up but not posted. Anyone can either copy and paste from my posts or request a clean copy and I'll email. I'm including some at the bottom of this so you can see what I mean. I also did a bit of poking around the archives from September of 2008 for the month that I spent on the multilevel campaign, because there were lots of simplified combat incidents that weren't recorded. I added the incidents that were recorded and added them to my own service record. Not that I'm too worried about jumping from 'Experienced' to 'Veteran', but since I put so much work into that month, I should document and take credit for it. The way that fleets were moved around and coordinated was one of the real fun moments in the development of this game.
I added Captains to all of the ships in the Ab'Qaff Battle Group, and I've even created a Romulan ship. That was prompted by the realization that every time I've gone into battle against a Romulan, the Romulan has lost. So I created a Romulan Heavy Cruiser and a fleet. The ship is the D'Shoanna, and the fleet is the D'Shoanna Lin'veel Fleet. Obviously named after a very kind and classy lady, Joanne Linville, who not only played the Romulan Commander from TOS "The Enterprise Incident", also played the first woman in charge of three ships on Trek, but was also extremely kind to me at a convention a couple of years ago. Anyway, I'm running a heavy combat session between the D'deridex Class RIS D'Shoanna and the Akira Class USS Entebbe. And I'll start a TNG storyline centered around the Romulans.
I'm also getting ready to start a storyline involving the Vulcans, possibly time-travel, and a secret they don't want to let out.
First Round of Heavy Combat Between RIS D'Shoanna and USS Entebbe
A) RIS D'Shoanna RCA D'deridex Class
B) USS Entebbe FCA Akira Class
....1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
1__________________________________________
2__________________________________________
3__________________________________________
4_______B__________________________________
5__________________________________________
6__A_______________________________________
7__________________________________________
8__________________________________________
9__________________________________________
10_________________________________________
11_________________________________________
12_________________________________________
13_________________________________________
14_________________________________________
15_________________________________________
16_________________________________________
17_________________________________________
18_________________________________________
19_________________________________________
italiced = cloaked
A) Roll [10]
A) Helm: Position/Movement[2,6 /Speed2]/[Course 045]
A) Countermeasures/Reinforce shields/Cloak/Tractor/Repair: [ECM/ECCM6(3)+retained][Reinforce shields()+retained]Cloak[on]Tractor[pts] Repair[]
A) Tactical: Target[B] Target Bearing[135] Target Range [3] Fire weapons [plasma-charge 1/4(x)+ FWD disruptors(x) AFT disruptors(x)]
A) Auxiliary Craft: Shuttle[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [(x)]
B) Roll [11]
B) Helm: Position/Movement[ 5,4 /Speed3 ]/[Course045]
B) Countermeasures/Reinforce shields/Cloak/Tractor/Repair: [ECM/ECCM8(4)+retained][Reinforce shields()+retained]Tractor[pts] Repair[]
B) Tactical: Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range [] Fire weapons [FWD Phasers(x)+FWD Photons(x) AFT Phasers(x)+AFT Photons(x)]
B) Auxiliary Craft: Shuttle[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [(x)]
Results:
Damage to A:
Damage to B:
Fleet Action. Head-To-Head Bare Knuckles Naval Combat. Boarding Party Action. Solid Interactive Storytelling Like No Commercial Game Can Offer. How Much Star Trek Can You Handle?
Fantasy Trek. Not Just a Game. It's a Star Trek Experience
http://fantasytrek.blogspot.com
The Only Rebel Underground Star Trek PBEMMMORPG
Stardate 0309.14
TNG Era:
Captain Farrell reports picking up a Kazon-Oglamar warship on extreme long range scanners. At its present velocity, it would be due to arrive at Oblissa Three in two days. Ambassador Endara Khan reports that she has been working with Kazon-Ogla First Maje Jabin on ways to approach the Kazon-Oglamar.
Captain Murphy reports disturbing details of a major Romulan operation with the aim of incorporating alien biotechnology into their soldiers using genetic engineering. The operation has branches in the Alpha Quadrant and the Delta Quadrant, and suggests that artificial planets like Jibalia III might stretch into territory closer to home. Captain Murphy is also investigating the possibility that the Romulans have found a way to travel through the Durandal wormhole covertly and in both directions.
There have been confirmed reports that the Klingon High Council and Chancellor Martok have normalized relations and restored all peacetime contact with the Federation following secret meetings at an undisclosed location.
Galaxy Class USS Sternbach reports no evidence of the USS Yorktown that disappeared in the Coramonde system more than a week ago. It did report a sudden ongoing spike in neutrinos that didn't seem to be related, but could also not be readily explained.
USS Archer and USS Arizona have been released from patrol duty in the Archanis Sector following the thawing of relations with the Klingon Empire.
TOS Era:
There has been no progress in moving Starfleet ships to reinforce the USS Xerxes at Archer Four. In the meantime, there is still no contact from the nearby MZ-5 outpost.
The USS Magellan reports that the Barzan system is bathed in neutrino emissions. There is still no clue to the disappearance of the USS Coramonde in the area, and the ship's transponder signal is no longer being detected in that system.
ENT Era:
Challenger NX-07 left communications range on its mission to circumnavigate Romulan space. In his last transmission, Captain Carpenter reported several nebulas along Challenger's projected course.
A Tellarite long-range cargo hauler reports finding hull plating that initial reports say might belong to the EX-01 Roddenberry, an experimental science ship on a mission towards the center of the galaxy. The hull plating was found in a previously uncharted system. Two Sloane-Class light cruisers were dispatched to investigate.
Command College
"What Are Your Orders, Captain?"
(Ent Era) "Out Of The Frying Pan..." Resolution
As the starship emerged from the asteroid field, a Kzinti heavy cruiser hailed them and ordered them to surrender. Apparently the heavy battlecruiser that Challenger had fired on earlier managed to transmit sensor data before it was destroyed. The Kzinti recognized Challenger and wanted revenge. While Carpenter regretted aiding in the destruction of their ship, he wasn't prepared to surrender to a proven hostile force. He ordered Challenger into an evasive course that led to the distant outer cometary cloud at the edge of the system. Kzinti forces followed, firing missile after missile as the ship dodged frantically. Finally passing through a shower of ice shards, the NX-class ship found itself in open space and jumped into warp. But their problems didn't end there. Before Challenger escaped into warp, the pursuing ship beamed a hit and run squad aboard. MACO troops on Challenger defeated the invaders, killing five of the six enemies. Captain Carpenter thinks that by returning the bodies of the dead as well as the survivor, it might be possible to reconcile with the Kzinti before things escalate. Should he:
A) Return the Kzinti prisoner and casualties and hope to quickly reconcile, or:
B) Take all six Kzinti to Starfleet and hope the diplomats can reach an agreement. Keep in mind that while the diplomats might be better skilled at making peace, a quick gesture by Captain Carpenter could impress the Kzinti.
Captain Carpenter decided that the Kzinti were unlikely to allow him to get close enough to make a peaceful gesture, so he altered course for Earth Base Alpha to drop off the Kzinti.
(Ent Era) "The Fleeting Phenomenon"
On the way, however, Challenger's sensors pick up an energy source that Carpenter finds hard to ignore. Waves of subspace displacement are detected, coming from an unidentifiable spot more than a lightyear away. The ship's science officer, Commander Cholena Janeway informs him that despite the obvious power behind it (it is at least a hundred times more powerful than the Challenger's warp drive), the source of the waves are dying and may vanish before another ship can be dispatched. It would take approximately thirty minutes to divert to investigate, but several hours to thoroughly scan. If they do not investigate, the potential scientific loss would be indescribable. Carpenter is concerned, however, that endangering the Kzinti prisoner and corpses would endanger the chance of a peace with them. Should he:
A) Risk the ship and crew (and Kzinti on board) to investigate the fleeting phenomenon, or:
B) Hope that another ship will someday discover another such phenomenon.
Choose A or B, or a third course of action, and write a brief summary.
(Moderator's Note: There are no predetermined right or wrong answers. Feel free to discuss the challenge with other players. Every player who submits an entry receives a "Command College Point". Ten of those equal an experience point. The most popular solution will be included here.)
Captain's Log
(From last week)
"...scattered across space..."
(I'm taking a bit of a shortcut this time around, using a log entry written for the storyline and incorporating the line provided. The weekend, such as it has been, has been exhausting, and lots of admin work has been done as well)
(TNG Era)
USS Guadalcanal Galaxy Class Heavy Cruiser
The problem presented by the crew of the RIS Decuis has been solved to a degree. The absence of any kind of permanent Federation or Romulan authority in the Delta Quadrant means that we'll have to make decisions as best we can and hope they work until a better solution can be found. Since the wormhole is, for the moment, one-way, and there are no Starbases to take the Romulan crew to, I ordered engineering teams, backed up by Hazard Teams A and B, to board the Romulan vessel and remove its weapons and cloaking system. We also installed field constrictors on their warp nacelles that will limit them to warp one. That should keep them from bothering anyone and keep them from running too far away. It's nowhere near a perfect solution, and the Romulan Commander was spitting mad, but short of marooning them on a planet and destroying their ship, I don't see an alternative that isn't cold-blooded murder. This does very effectively point out the need to establish a bureaucratic authority in this quadrant, and I intend to forward that advice to Starfleet Command as soon as possible.
Once the Decius was completely secured, we scanned the surface of Oshionian Six and found ten Romulan power signatures. Closer examination showed them to be campsites. After determining that there were no Romulans left on the surface, I ordered full survey teams sent to each site.
We found tragedy at each site, as well as another mystery. The Romulan corpses found at each site were mutilated. More precisely, we discovered that the Romulans had incorporated some of the alien biocircuitry (of the same type lining the interior of Jabalia III) into members of their crew. Biocomponents from the alien technology attacked the Romulan cell structure and killed them almost instantly. Closer examination of the campsite logs as well as a thorough examination of the Decius's computer core download revealed that the Romulans were indeed trying to intentionally incorporate the biocircuitry into their soldiers, with the goal of creating genetically engineered cyborgs. Sort of like a home-grown Borg. The Decius's computer made reference to ten other warbirds assigned to the Delta Quadrant on similar missions, and some still in the Alpha Quadrant on related assignments.
Not only are the Romulans launching a major covert operation that stretches from places back home where they're not allowed to the Delta Quadrant. And I'd say they've been here longer than we have. But somehow that isn't the worrying part. How many of these hollow artificial computer-component planets have been scattered across space from Earth to the Delta Quadrant? Despite all that we've explored, there's so much more that we haven't.
For Next Week:
(Expand the following into a log entry of at least 100 words. Members post answers to the yahoogroup or the 'comment' feature on the blogsite. Lurkers feel free to leave comments on the blogsite)
"...our orders are clear..."
Developer's Diary:
A relentless RL work schedule has delayed this summary, just like last time. But I've also managed to get quite a bit of administrative work done on Fantasy Trek. The STD library is now into three sections, for each Trek era covered. I also moved the 'armor' from the internals list to just above the 'hull' area on the STD. This way it actually acts like armor, protecting the hull once the shields are breached. For the Enterprise era Starfleet ships, that armor will become hull polarization. And I'll probably only allow it on Federation ships in the TNG era. That will create enough difference between the ships of different era's without having to totally rewrite the STD's. I'm also considering creating some different STD's for ships that are roughly equivalent but still dramatically different in some ways. For example, I'm classifying the Achilles Class as a Heavy Cruiser, which makes it roughly equivalent to a Galaxy Class, but the Achilles has that wicked bank of autotracking torpedo launchers running along its spine. The Achilles was also built during the Dominion War, at least ten years after the launch of the Enterprise-D. So while they fit into the same basic category, they are still dramatically different. That won't be necessary for each and every different ship in the same class, but in some cases it really should be done.
I tweaked the heavy combat rules to include rules for HET, 'hero points', and other changes, and I even updated the link on the blogsite. The changes to the STD's, Heavy Combat template has been cleaned up but not posted. Anyone can either copy and paste from my posts or request a clean copy and I'll email. I'm including some at the bottom of this so you can see what I mean. I also did a bit of poking around the archives from September of 2008 for the month that I spent on the multilevel campaign, because there were lots of simplified combat incidents that weren't recorded. I added the incidents that were recorded and added them to my own service record. Not that I'm too worried about jumping from 'Experienced' to 'Veteran', but since I put so much work into that month, I should document and take credit for it. The way that fleets were moved around and coordinated was one of the real fun moments in the development of this game.
I added Captains to all of the ships in the Ab'Qaff Battle Group, and I've even created a Romulan ship. That was prompted by the realization that every time I've gone into battle against a Romulan, the Romulan has lost. So I created a Romulan Heavy Cruiser and a fleet. The ship is the D'Shoanna, and the fleet is the D'Shoanna Lin'veel Fleet. Obviously named after a very kind and classy lady, Joanne Linville, who not only played the Romulan Commander from TOS "The Enterprise Incident", also played the first woman in charge of three ships on Trek, but was also extremely kind to me at a convention a couple of years ago. Anyway, I'm running a heavy combat session between the D'deridex Class RIS D'Shoanna and the Akira Class USS Entebbe. And I'll start a TNG storyline centered around the Romulans.
I'm also getting ready to start a storyline involving the Vulcans, possibly time-travel, and a secret they don't want to let out.
First Round of Heavy Combat Between RIS D'Shoanna and USS Entebbe
A) RIS D'Shoanna RCA D'deridex Class
B) USS Entebbe FCA Akira Class
....1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
1__________________________________________
2__________________________________________
3__________________________________________
4_______B__________________________________
5__________________________________________
6__A_______________________________________
7__________________________________________
8__________________________________________
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italiced = cloaked
A) Roll [10]
A) Helm: Position/Movement[2,6 /Speed2]/[Course 045]
A) Countermeasures/Reinforce shields/Cloak/Tractor/Repair: [ECM/ECCM6(3)+retained][Reinforce shields()+retained]Cloak[on]Tractor[pts] Repair[]
A) Tactical: Target[B] Target Bearing[135] Target Range [3] Fire weapons [plasma-charge 1/4(x)+ FWD disruptors(x) AFT disruptors(x)]
A) Auxiliary Craft: Shuttle[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [(x)]
B) Roll [11]
B) Helm: Position/Movement[ 5,4 /Speed3 ]/[Course045]
B) Countermeasures/Reinforce shields/Cloak/Tractor/Repair: [ECM/ECCM8(4)+retained][Reinforce shields()+retained]Tractor[pts] Repair[]
B) Tactical: Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range [] Fire weapons [FWD Phasers(x)+FWD Photons(x) AFT Phasers(x)+AFT Photons(x)]
B) Auxiliary Craft: Shuttle[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [(x)]
Results:
Damage to A:
Damage to B:
Fleet Action. Head-To-Head Bare Knuckles Naval Combat. Boarding Party Action. Solid Interactive Storytelling Like No Commercial Game Can Offer. How Much Star Trek Can You Handle?
Fantasy Trek. Not Just a Game. It's a Star Trek Experience
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The Only Rebel Underground Star Trek PBEMMMORPG
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