Understood, and thanks, SG!
A featured article on the Wiki homepage today; this is the great-grandfather and namesake of the actor who played Commodore Decker on ST:TOS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Windom
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Understood, and thanks, SG!
A featured article on the Wiki homepage today; this is the great-grandfather and namesake of the actor who played Commodore Decker on ST:TOS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Windom
Interesting, how funny. How did you come across him? In looking at the actor's bio, I see his first film role was as the prosecution in To Kill a Mockingbird. That's one helluva credit to have for a debut!
Wasn't Will Riker originally called Decker at some point in the TNG planning stages? The name sounds familiar to me, and I don't think it's from the TOS episode since, um, I'm not sure I've seen it.
I just saw the article on the Wiki homepage about the original Windom and recognized the name, then clicked around and found out they were related. I'd never heard of the historic older Windom before.
Roddenberry definitely had a thing for hard-K sounds for his heroes: Kirk, Spock, Scotty, McCoy, Decker, Picard, Riker, etc. Riker was a lot like Decker the younger, who appeared in ST:TMP and was confirmed by GR in his novelization of the movie to be the Commodore's son, although that was never actually stated on-screen. Both were young, ambitious, good-looking WASPy male Starfleet officers who served as First Officer of the Enterprise. Both had life-changing affairs with alien women which didn't end well, and both ended up later serving with those women on the Enterprise, rekindling their relationships despite some initial awkwardness.
For more:
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Decker
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Will_Decker
Oh that's what I must've been remembering. His name was even Will too! Oy, I see he was played by Stephen Collins. That's... unfortunate.
Did this so-called lifeform that Will D., Ilia probe and V'ger formed ever get referenced again? Seems like an enemy just waiting to happen. Okay, did some research to answer my question and apparently it wasn't, at least on any of the TV shows. That's a surprisingly large plot hole and missed opportunity. IMHO of course. But then I'm a total continuity whore and love as a writer bringing up threads from past incidents or character traits to add depth to the present. :) What do you think, should or could this have been something worthwhile to explore?
I think it was discussed by the VGR production crew, who wondered if perhaps Janeway & Co. might bump into the Decker/Ilia/V'ger fused lifeform somewhere out there in the Delta Quadrant on their long journey, and it might have been an interesting episode had they done so. (I like those kind of character revisits, too, now and then, where appropriate and not too farfetched or contrived). Of course, it all depends on how well it was handled, and unfortunately with VGR the ratio of crap:gold was pretty high IMHO.
Sorry, missed this response! Yes, good point as far as how likely VGR would've screwed it up, and, odds were pretty good (esp. post-S2, when IIRC Michael Piller resigned and the show's quality sank even further). Oh crap, I just checked Wikipedia and discovered he passed away 15 years ago. That's horrible, I didn't know he was ill. Such a talented man. He's pretty much responsible for the depth of the Trekverse, isn't he. Along with a few others, but AFAIK Piller was integral in developing the characters more fully, esp. after Roddenberry died. I can't believe I didn't look him up before to see what he was up to post-VGR.
Yes, he made a remarkable contribution to ST in his time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Piller
"One of our Science officers TBD," indeed! Onn knows perfectly well who'll be going over to the Ain't She with Graham.
Oh yeah, she's totally lying.
LOL. There's a surveillance video of former DC mayor Marion Berry getting busted where in the moment he shouts "B*tch set me up!"Quote:
Originally posted by choie
Came to mind... ;)
And he got reelected, so it's all good. :: rolleyes ::
If anyone would like their own print of Washington and the French general Rochambeau conferring at Yorktown: https://shop.amrevmuseum.org/yorktow...t-11-x-14.html
^ Ooh that's lovely. Thanks!
Meanwhile, now that Nia's done her job, I'm just gonna pull up a lawn chair and enjoy the Graham/Rangin show. Don't disappoint me, boys! :popcorn:
Graham has a phaser-2 (from his earlier patrol duties) and a communicator, while Rangin has a phaser-1, communicator and tricorder, is that right?
That makes sense to me.Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
Waitasec, is Graham already married to Marala? He just mentally called her his wife, not his fiancee.
I think - emphasize think - that I dropped the ball on writing or contributing to some retrospective scenes between "now" and the end of the last mission that would encompass the marriage that would have bee published already.
But - in any event - for Graham, making the commitment is pretty much it...even if the ceremony hadn't occurred yet, in his mind, he's in, she's his wife. [Not a contrived cover :) legit Grahamian pscyhology.]
general, you are clearly the resident expert on legit Grahamian psychology.
To be clear: they're not married yet, and we will all have the fun of writing about the ceremony.
Ah got it, thanks guys! Yes, that will be a fun ceremony. For most. :)
(I've lost track... does Marala even know about Graham/Nia? Because if not, she should totally ask Nia to be her maid of honor. HA!)
Yes thank you EH, I'm happy with what you've suggested for Rangin to be carrying, I don't think there is need for anything more.Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
Thanks, Rangin.
choie, no, I don't think Marala knows about Graham/Nia. I don't remember him mentioning it to her. But perhaps general remembers otherwise...?
That would've been an awkward conversation if it did happen! Rangin finding out about the partner swap should be enjoyably awkward too. Lots of grist for the mill.
I think its right that Graham has not talked to Marala about Nia - I have thought about it, but have not published :)
Can't wait to read it!
C'mon y'all, you know Graham would want to show love and respect to Nia and have her be involved in his wedding and, also, too, be hopelessly effed-up and conflicted about that.... :hist:
Working on it... :)
Wait - did I forget to write the part about Rangin having a leaky jar of Denebian Slime Devil bait in his pocket???? :DQuote:
Originally posted by RanginYes thank you EH, I'm happy with what you've suggested for Rangin to be carrying, I don't think there is need for anything more.Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
I knew there was something else. Work with me here, guys...!
Fun trivia: the ladies have been off-screen for a month (Nia) and six weeks (Kylah). As an audience member I was hoping for some real guy-on-guy action, so to speak. Graham should at least throw a sucker punch at Rangin, for pete's sake. :D
Heh. Feel free to write more about the ladies back aboard the Yorktown. It could even be flashback scenes, if you like.
Thanks! I can't really think of an option for either of 'em. Well, there's one obvious flashback subject for Nia, but it requires Graham's input and I don't think general_urko has time. It'll keep.
Gaaaah...I can make some time. (Not beating myself up for dropping the ball - was more or less necessary. But things are better now and should be thru the rest of August!)Quote:
Originally posted by choie
Oh I know you must be crazy busy, I didn't intend any slight, general. Everyone has a lot on their plate these days. (Except for me, heh, but freelancing is always a crapshoot.)
No slight taken whatsoever...there is an ebb and flow, and it was a good reminder to get back in the saddle when things permit, and these days they do in fact now permit!Quote:
Originally posted by choie
:: steeples fingers ::
Excellent.
Whoa, whoa... I thought Graham and Marala weren't married yet, and the nuptials still lie ahead of us. Am I totally mixed up re: the timeline?Quote:
Originally posted by general_urko
Just checked EH post above, #5218:
Maybe a quick edit, just to change 'marriage' to 'engagement', general, if this is still the case?Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
Good catch, choie, and thanks. Leave it to me.
I know we don't do dice rolls as such, but the RPG across the street inspires me to ask: Can I have a Perception check on whether Nia can hear any of the Graham/Rangin discussion? :)
(Actually, she's having this discussion over the Captain's chair comm speaker, right? So would the others on the Bridge be able to hear some of this, assuming they were listening? That would be extra cringe-worthy.)
Good question, SidGa, and you are correct. Clarified in the game thread.
I'm off for my annual Civil War roundtable fall field trip with friends (our first since COVID hit), this time to the battlefield at Chickamauga, Ga. I may not be able to post again until Monday.
Safe travels, EH. And good eye, SG.
Hey I know I've been touch and go lately, I am very happy to report I'm taking next week off, so don't feel bad about reminding me (for example) about any balls I've dropped and things to write to move the story forward. Thanks for your patience, folks.
But of course. I was away for most of the weekend again, as it happens.
... Whilst I stayed at home, like the lazeabout I am. Glad to have you both back, woohoo!
We absolutely need Nia to be around one time when Marala calls Graham "Boojee." This is a thing that must happen.
Yes. Yes, it must.
:popcorn:Quote:
Originally posted by choie
...Ideally during the wedding vows. (Assuming Nia's invited. I can almost imagine Graham not inviting her out of perceived sensitivity and consideration, though it would likely only hurt/anger/embarrass her more.)Quote:
Originally posted by general_urko:popcorn:Quote:
Originally posted by choie
(Wow I still can't spell "embarrass" right on the first try. And I edit/proofread for a living. How embara shameful.)
I'm going to move things along a bit. Please post whatever you wish your character to do in the current situation, and then anything else by 2pm EST Wednesday, and then I'm going to shift us forward to the Graham/Marala wedding. Thanks!
Oh hallelujah, yay, you're back! I was beginning to get worried. Cool about moving ahead to what's no doubt going to be quite a joyous event for everyone. :angel:
Hey, GM sir, protocol question. For this momentous occasion, are the crew supposed to be wearing their dress uniforms? Not sure whether the ceremony is considered officially Starfleet or civilian. (Guess it's a mixed marriage, ha ha.)
Good question, choie. Your character may wear either Starfleet dress uniform, regular duty uniform or civilian clothing, as you wish. We sometimes saw a mix of each on formal occasions on TOS.
Thanks, and sorry, got another--is there shore leave going on? E.g., anyone who's not attending the wedding, are they free to go out?
Yes, good point. Shore leave would have been granted to any Yorktown crewmember whose duties did not require them to remain aboard. I'll add that to the game thread.
The Captain's opening remarks at the wedding ceremony, beginning "Since the days of Earth’s first wooden sailing ships...," are drawn from Capt. Kirk's remarks at another such ceremony in ST:TOS "Balance of Terror," as well as Capt. Picard's in ST:TNG "Data's Day" and Adm. Ross's in ST: DS9 "'Til Death Do Us Part."
Cool, interesting, EH!
Man this is not gonna make Nia's mood any better, that's for sure.
Daayum, I'm glad Nia can't hear Graham's thoughts. This feels like a hate crime! :sad::gah::suicide:
Just think how many future opportunities this opens up for Nia - or anyone really - to make Graham feel guilty about any happiness....! :hist:Quote:
Originally posted by SidonianGal
A gun-suicide emoji? That's... wow. Heavy.
Is that smilie new to you? I think it's been around since I've been here, at least as far as I can recall. Anyway it's just Nia being a drama queen. Usually Kylah gets all that angst but Nia demands her turn.
Don't remember seeing it before, no. "O brave new world...."
Emphasis added...I can't believe Rangin took shore leave and is missing this! :woowoo:Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
True, he is missing quite the juicy opportunity! Maybe that's why he left--too tempting. Although if Nia can control herself, Rangin probably can too. :)
OMG soap opera moment...Nia stands up and shouts "Because I'm carrying his baby!" - which, of course, is all the more soap-opera-y appropriate since they never did the deed...Quote:
Originally posted by SidonianGal
LOL. You guys crack me up.
Dang I seem to write more when my characters aren't actually doing a damn thing. Stop me before I burn my fingers off!
(Oh and for the record, I really do love that passage--it's way more than 'sentimental.' The views and opinions expressed in the game thread are those of the characters and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of their player(s). Any views provided by these characters are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything except maybe certain NPCs.)
Yeah! What she said! Damn she writes good. :angel:
Also for the record, Nia's even lying to herself, because she does believe in Sid'Os. :hoj: :priest:
Roger that.
Oh my. Now here's a turn-up. During their rapprochement conversation, did Lizzie share a bit of news on the gender-identity front? :)Quote:
Originally posted by general_urko
:smackOopsie! :smack:smackQuote:
Originally posted by choieOh my. Now here's a turn-up. During their rapprochement conversation, did Lizzie share a bit of news on the gender-identity front? :)Quote:
Originally posted by general_urko
Thanks EH for all your game-mastering (also the nefariousness... :))
And thanks all for your creativity, also melodrama, snark etc! :)
Our pleasure! I'm still having a lot of fun with the USS Yorktown gang, and hope you are, too. Best Thanksgiving wishes to those who celebrate it.
Please join me in welcoming stolz, who'll be playing the ship's newest medico, Dr. Bizhi "Biz" Mäkeläinen. His character will be appearing shortly. For more details, see the updated character profile listings here (the second listing in post 6): http://www.mellophant.com/forums/sho...acter-profiles
Woohoo, what splendid news, EH! Big applause to you, stolz, it's a treat to meet another player as well as an intriguing new PC. I enjoyed the bio and am looking forward to being introduced in-game to Doc Mäkeläinen. (To paraphrase Indiana Jones: umlauts! why'd it have to be umlauts?) Certainly intrigued about those nightmares, not to mention his family tree!
hello :)
As for the umlauts, what did you expect? The man is literally from Mars.
+1, welcome stolz
I know I'll be copying-and-pasting a bit more than before ;-)Quote:
Originally posted by choie
So they are wearing uniforms while walking in the park? They are not even on duty :)
Starfleet personnel in Kirk's day almost invariably stayed in uniform even while on shore leave; see "Shore Leave," "The Trouble with Tribbles" and "Wolf in the Fold," off the top of my head.
I think the wedding is winding down, so please make your last posts for the occasion by noon EST Weds., and we'll move on from there. Thanks.
Is it the occasion that's winding down, or the day itself? If the latter, is it possible to get a tiny extension? Just until nighttime Wednesday? It's just that Nia and Ajay are having a bit of a moment, kinda necessary for Nia. We've pretty much got stuff done, we think it's best to spread it out a little so it's not completely a wall o' text... if possible maybe please sir?
Sorry for the huge posts, y'all. Ajay and I weren't sure if we'd have time to break them up and spread 'em out before a time jump, if one is coming. Two more snippets and this epic scene will be done.
OH and a belated hello to stolz! I'm happy to learn more about you and Dr. Mäkeläinen, and Nia will look forward to hanging out with the new Doc soon.
This must seem like a huge soap opera right now. We're just wrapping up beats from the previous mission. Things do get a bit emo at times, but it's not usually quite so concentrated!
No worries, and thanks, SidGal and Ajay.
You mean, space opera!Quote:
Originally posted by SidonianGal
" It's probably bad luck to talk about such things, but, yeah, if you or any of your friends end up on my table, you're in good hands. I'll patch you right up, better than new. Better not to think about that, though."
Nice...echoes of Bones McCoy, stolz!
Yes, indeed.
Cool reference to Symmetric Cryptography, choie - and I see that it is indeed "a thing"!: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symmetric-key_algorithm
Mäkeläinen is still a lot younger than McCoy, of course, whatever that implies, definitely not a veteran sawbones in his 40s. But, the way I see it, he is hardly some green kid either. He has served in Starfleet a few good years; this isn't his first rodeo. Plus, he grew up on a dangerous, industrial world, not the kind of place that leaves you clueless.
You know how I loves me some research, boss. :) I picked this subject 'cause it struck me that it's likely the method Kylah and her uncle use for their classified correspondence. Although they're doubling up on the security by hiding the coded message via steganography (embedding a secret message in a different medium, in their case, recorded music).Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
I like that he combines the arrogance of a surgeon with the defensive instincts of an outsider. :) He's in good company too--three of the other PCs are also "othered" classes within the Federation and/or Starfleet, in varying degrees. They should get along fine! (We can all gang up on Graham! :devil: )Quote:
Originally posted by stolz
Yes, that's always entertaining....
I mean Graham also really gangs up on Graham in terms of guilt and self-imprecation...
LOL! A fair point. It shall be unanimous then. I'd imagine (or at least hope) that having obtained the ideal woman, a new son, and a better relationship with Lizzie, he'll find his confidence rising at least a little.Quote:
Originally posted by general_urko
Hey just wanted to wish everyone a very happy holiday, merry Christmas, joyous new year, good health & safety, and basically everything else we all really really need.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZt6eU5REN8
Thanks. You too!
Hear, hear! All the best to all of you.
I'm going to be traveling with my family for a few days and may have spotty Internet access. Let's take a holiday break until Dec. 30. Thanks!
Don't underestimate him :)Quote:
Originally posted by choieLOL! A fair point. It shall be unanimous then. I'd imagine (or at least hope) that having obtained the ideal woman, a new son, and a better relationship with Lizzie, he'll find his confidence rising at least a little.Quote:
Originally posted by general_urko
Whatever holiday(s) you celebrate, I hope you all have healthy and happy ones!
Have a fantastic holiday, EH and the whole Yorktown crew!
Many thanks, and back 'atcha!
"He looks across at her and squeezes her hand again, not wanting to say anything further that might spoil this moment before leading her onwards towards the sunset." [Post #375 in the game thread]
Dammit, unfortunately Graham's wedding plans did not include materializing a few feet away at precisely this moment...
We all know that Rangin would happily welcome his arrival right about then!
Okay there's a bit of a stretchy time thing happening and I'm not sure what to do. Kylah and Rangin have already spent hours together on a date that began when Bozhi beamed up, and at the same time Graham was burning mad calories by hefting Marala over the threshold.
Now Kylah's back, but Bizhi's still just arrived and poor Booker is still smooching while risking a hernia.* So I'm in kind of a time void right now; on ship-time, Kylah's still on the planet, but on the planet, she's up in the ship. Help! :) How should Rangin and I play this?
* hey, y'all keep mentioning the gal's weight gain; I'm just running with the crowd here... :devil:
Addendum: HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!! I've been dealing with Covid since last week! It's been fine thus far--I'm vaxxed, naturally, and am reaping the rewards by having a very mild case. But the weird thing is, I have no idea how I caught it. I've literally not left my building since mid-December, and the only people I've been anywhere close to is a neighbor or two when I briefly pass them in the hallway. And that rarely happens.
Long story short: This strain is either staggeringly infectious and lingers in the air a lot longer than anyone thought, or I've got the Virgin Birth of covid infections.
Happy New Year right back, choie!
I'm glad to hear its a mild case...my understanding (from a friend who is in a similar boat) and from our work risk people who assess monthly whether we're a-ok or prohibited for in-person events is that omicron is just crazy contagious...like "whatever was floating in the hallway that leaked out of neighbors' apartments kind of contagious." Fingers crossed for a quick recovery!
Yes, definitely. Take good care of yourself, choie.
I will move things along in the game thread and then we can go from there.
Here's a reminder and short overview of the Hutchinson murder case, drawn from the previous Mission #6, "Marala." Each cite refers to page number and then post number:
A serious-looking, middle-aged black woman in miner's garb appears on one of Kylah's small Communications console display screens. "Yorktown, hello, this is Lt. Patricia Camden, Starfleet Security, serial number SS224-8723MLL. My cover name on NR is Patricia Collins. I've been undercover here for almost three months, looking for a fugitive, Paul Hutchinson, a Starfleet officer who poisoned his wife and son - allegedly - and disappeared from Starbase 9 about two years ago. I was following up on a solid lead which placed him here after a full identity swap. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find him." She clears her throat. "I've heard rumors that the colony is now under threat and is about to be evacuated. I request immediate evac myself, and I'll help you screen any other evacuees to find Hutchinson."
29/1428
The Federation News Service, Solar Post and other media sources have several stories on the Hutchinson murders which confirm what Camden said. Hutchinson fled Starbase 9, where he was an Engineering officer, just hours after the poisoning deaths of his family. Starfleet Security investigators were unable to turn up any other suspects. Hutchinson's possible motive, and his source for the poison, were not disclosed publicly. A Federation warrant is still pending for his arrest on two counts of murder and one count of obstruction of justice.
29/1430
Dr. Bennett says to Onn, still quietly, "The biosigns of the museum security guard are... weird. I've never seen this before. She has the gross anatomy and hormone profile of a woman, but the genetic markers of a man."
43/2059
"My real name isn't Annette White," the museum guard says quietly. "It's Paul Hutchinson."
43/2067
Looking at his own tricorder Rangin is pretty sure, from the readings, that a DNA shift of this type could not have been accomplished by surgery. The molecular trace resonances suggest alteration either by nanobots, microsubstitution or some other highly advanced biomedical technology. Teasing out the mitochondrial echoes of any such treatment, especially in the all-important NnR07 and PW09 ranges, could take hours if not days, he sees. He also learns that almost a year passed between Hutchinson's disappearance from Starbase 9 and White's arrival on Novy Rostov. White arrived on the regular monthly ore carrier, as most civilians here do, and not an alien vessel. There is no record of any non-Federation-flagged starship having visited the mining colony in almost eight years.
44/2160
Rangin reviews the database on Orion biomedical engineering, which is highly advanced indeed. The Orion Syndicate and other unaffiliated Orion organized crime rings - no less dangerous and resourceful - are known to be able to do just about anything, including full identity swaps for humanoids down to the cellular level, for a price. Changes can include sex (including external and internal genitalia), eye color, skin pigmentation, overall height, weight, fingerprints, hair color, facial and cranial structure, shortening or lengthening extremities, fingers and toes, and so on. It is still believed impossible to permanently change brainwave or retina patterns, or to change the genetic code of every single cell of the humanoid body, although there have been uncorroborated reports in the past few years as to research on each.
44/2170
Rangin begins his tricorder scan. Comparing the physiological details of Hutchinson's Starfleet medical records to White as she now sits on the deck of the shuttle, the xenobiologist notes the obvious sex change (including both external and internal genitalia, and breast augmentation), as well as a chondrolaryngoplasty or Adam's apple reduction. There have been changes to his facial structure, ear shape and eye color (from gray to brown), and he has a slightly now-darker skin pigmentation. The hips have been widened, but White's bone structure is otherwise largely unchanged. She is the same height as Hutchinson but weighs almost five kilos less than his last-reported weight. Although some of the DNA, RNA and cellular resonance readings are still puzzling, Rangin sees no indication of any non-Human additions to Hutchinson's genetic code or gross physical capabilities.
44/2173
Russell stands and helps Graham remove Hutchinson from the shuttle. One of the Security officers who has just arrived holds a pair of duranium hand restraints, which she puts on the unresisting prisoner. Cmdr. Vargas says, "Paul Hutchinson, also known as Annette White, pursuant to a warrant issued by the Federation District Court, and under the authority granted to me by Starfleet, you're under arrest on suspicion of homicide and other charges." Vargas reads Hutchinson his rights under Federation law. At a nod from the First Officer, Russell and two of the Security officers leave with him, presumably for the Brig.
44/2189
Ooh fun follow-up. And I see we're getting into your area of expertise, woohoo! Thanks for the reminder of this guy's complex (to put it mildly) background, EH.
Almost forgot--what's the ship time now? How long do we have before the hearing?
It can be whatever time your character is waking up that morning, really. But I'd like to get to the hearing in the next day or so IRL. Just a post or two apiece before that, I suggest. If you don't wish to have your character attend the hearing (which could be everyone but Onn and Graham), of course, you could post more.
A-OK.
Is it cool to write Marala-related things that are "what I imagined about Marala but not plot affecting things" in posts? Here's an example:
Graham rises quietly, being careful not to wake Marala.
"It's OK, Boojee," the woman lying beside him says. "I've been awake for awhile, just thnking and listening to you breathe." She smiles and sits up slightly, somewhat demurely pulling covers up toward her neck. "I'm an early riser, usually. I like the quiet time."
"Duly noted," Graham replies, smiling slightly and leaning over to give her a kiss. She holds it longer than expected, and has to gently pull away--not because he wouldn't want to reciprocate, or for that matter hop back into bed with her--but checking his messages is nagging at him.
As it always does, when he's focused on doing a good job.
Anything urgent would have been pushed through...but maybe something almost urgent enough wasn't, in order to avoid waking me.
He quickly checks, and grunts as he reads about the Hutchinson hearing.
A piece of shit I'd prefer to have on the colony. He almost chuckles. Ordered to attend. Maybe I'll get invited to a congratulations party for Rangin's promotion too and it will be a real red letter day.
"Uh, Marala--I've got a mandatory assigning I've got to take care of today..."
"Don't look like you need to apologize. Nikolai and I will be fine." She stands, all demureness left behind with the sheets on the bed, and gives his midsection a squeeze. "And I know we couldn't be safer anywhere in the galaxy, my husband."
Of course! Remember Rule 4 (in the first post in this thread): "This is a role-playing game, and I encourage you to write about anything which gives further meaning and depth to your character, both on- and off-duty."
Repost what you posted above in the game thread, if you like, perhaps as a flashback, or a memory while his mind wanders during the hearing.
Since Rangin is going back to the issue of Kylah's damaged communicator--a plot point that occurred during the Obama administration (that is not an exaggeration--early 2016)--I thought I'd give a quick rundown of her side of the story just to catch people up.
Most of this is old news to everyone but stolz, and to prevent his having to reread gazillions of old posts, I've gone into a little detail with the backstory. Hopefully it's not too much.
(Oh and I'll explain the retcon Rangin added to the footnote to his latest post.)
The Background:
During a previous mission (Codex Aelyrr, to be precise) while most of the ship's crew was dealing with a yellow-alert situation, an exhausted Kylah went off-duty for rest. Outside her cabin, she was accosted by a visiting officer, someone she knew and disliked back at the Academy. Before she could activate her communicator for help, he disabled her with some unknown device or object, which left her paralyzed.
When she woke, she had no memory of what happened--and her empathic abilities were gone.
(Which I should mention, for stolz's sake, that something not in Kylah's bio is that she's empathic/telepathic, and these abilities are known only to two living people: Dr. T'Var on the ship, and Kylah's uncle/guardian, Aldaan, back on her home planet. There's no doubt it'll be revealed eventually but so far, everyone's clueless. There are reasons why she has to keep this hidden, I promise!)
Anyway, back to the poor girl's post-attack situation. The only tangible clue that might explain what precisely happened was her communicator, which was badly damaged. Though she's keeping the attack secret--because of course she is, that's worked sooooo well for her all her life--Kylah got up the nerve to ask engineer Ens. Delaney to examine the defunct item to see if he could explain how a communicator could have been destroyed in this particular, peculiar way. He agreed to work on it.
Results of Delaney's inspection:
In the next mission (Of Captains and Capos) Delaney told Kylah the confusing and not hugely productive results of his tinkering. I've condensed the conversation and posts so that they only give us the essential info for now.
What retcon?
The retcon Rangin mentioned in his post relates to his PC having any real knowledge of this communicator puzzle at all. We've never seen or referred to the possibility that Kylah shared the issue with Rangin, especially since they'd been on pretty bad terms until the middle of the last mission.
The funny thing is that both Rangin and I recalled that we'd intended to have that conversation, and even remembered having written it, but... it wasn't anywhere to be found in the game threads.
Turns out we had written it, back in 2017, but it was a long scene intended for the Apocrypha. Right before we finished, Rangin had to be written out for personal reasons, so that little bit of Kylah/Rangin ephemera never made it to canon.
Fast forward to now. Rangin (and Rangin) wanted something to toy with when the latter's off duty, so he brought up the possibility of working on the Kylah's communicator. That's when we learned he doesn't canonically know about the damn thing. We decided a tiny retcon was in order. So, we are now saying that during Kylah and Rangin/s walk in the park the other day, Kylah made mention of the damaged communicator. Is that cool? Are you willing to so stipulate this egregious breach in continuity?
Just for fun:
As an aside, stolz, there's a running gag with Kylah losing or damaging communicators, btw. I think she's now on her fourth communicator since she joined the Yorktown only four months ago. She lost access to Comm1 during a very vulnerable situation, Comm2 was destroyed by muggers/kidnappers, and she lost Comm3 somewhere in or near Lt. JG Mark Ferguson's quarters. Technically she had Comm4 taken away from her during the last mission when she was confined to quarters, but at least she got that one back.)
Well, there you all are! Hope this wasn't too boring. :)
OK, I had skimmed some of those threads, but apparently I did not know that, at least, not all of those details. Definitely not conversations that were never posted to the thread in the first place :)
That's a terrific summary, choie - many thanks! And yes, we'll roll with the (not all that egregious) retcon.
Sorry for Nia's extended memory thing there that added to the length of all that. I was gonna post it after Graham's comment after the hearing, but the time jump whirlwind caught me flat-footed (is that the right use of the phrase? I'll figure it out one day) and the moment was lost.
So you all get to read it in a semi-flashback, hooray. Not ideal but omg heaven forbid I should skip some random character reaction that could probably just have waited for another inevitable opportunity. Unthinkable!
(Really, it's because--believe it or not--producing anything at all is coming pretty difficult to me lately, word count notwithstanding, and if I have some creative impulse I really want to see it through.)
Understood, and thanks, SG. This next short leave can be just as long or as short as anyone wants, before Hutchinson is sentenced and the Yorktown breaks orbit.
Good to know! Thanks EH.
This may be old Trek news, but I only just read it and I think it's lovely. Picard's Ressikan flute from the sublime TNG episode "The Inner Light" was sold at auction last August for $190,000! And it doesn't even play! :)
I'm not surprised it sold high. It's both iconic and beautiful, and from one of the episodes that (IMO) represents the absolute pinnacle of the kind of storytelling that made TNG unique. No enemies or even (much) science. Just one man learning about another culture in the most intimate of ways.
Ah, thanks, hadn't heard about that! It's certainly one of the most memorable props from all of TNG, from one of the very best episodes of all of Trekdom. Hope it finds a good home.
Someone who paid nearly $200K must have a pretty good home in mind! :)
Re: Nia's latest activity in the Maintenance Bay... "Hydrocoil Integrator" pretty much exhausted my vocabulary when it comes to what the heck she's supposed to be doing with that nacelle. Thank goodness continuity saved the day and gave me something to talk about!
Heheh. Hard to go wrong with some good Treknobabble.
:) Hey, I'm confused. (There's a shock!) Kylah is talking about Lt. Cmdr. Roble and I had her refer to him--not to his face, but to Rangin--as "Cmdr. Roble." Then I got insecure and sure enough, a quick check of Navy etiquette says that people of that rank should always be referred to as Lieutenant Commander. (I know Starfleet isn't 1:1 a Navy analog, but I seem to recall someone on the Yorktown correcting someone else this way, in fact it was probably Roble correcting Kylah, so it does seem to apply here.)
Anyway, it just occurred to me that I swear I remember the crew on TNG referring to Data as "Commander," though his rank was Lt. Cmdr. Do we infer that formality of address changed over the years, or maybe it was just among the crew of the 1701-D?
If he is a Lieutenant Commander, then he would be referred to as "Commander," right? I mean, people are not going to literally say "Lieutenant Commander" in conversation?
As a courtesy, yes, lieutenant commanders may be referred to as "Commander" in conversation.
All the ranks shown in post 1 of this thread are, I believe, accurate and up to date.
Thanks! Now another question raised by the latest weather report. I know umbrellas still exist, if only 'cause why wouldn't they? Also I just checked and they're mentioned in an episode of TAS as well as the first TNG episode, but... do you think crew members would own them?
(I would imagine Kylah is well prepared for most contingencies thanks to servants and being royalty and if nothing else, she seems to have the proper wardrobe/accessory accouterments for various occasions.)
What do you think, might there be any interesting tech that might be added? I'm trying to imagine what useful additions I'd want to an umbrella that don't currently exist and I'm coming up blank, except maybe a little force field to prevent wind and rain from blowing underneath. But that seems a lot more effort than I think would be put into umbrellas except for all but the wealthiest and most effete/sheltered set. (Lord Fastolfe, for example. Or, I guess, Kylah for that matter!)
For that matter, what about coats? They spend most of their time shipboard, of course, but they might visit planets with tundras or rainforests. Picard had his jacket, but I can't recall seeing anyone else with any outdoor-appropriate uniforms.
These are thought experiments rather than really necessary to the current action. I never thought about how 23rd-century (and later) people deal with weather before. We see so little of it.
That's true. For budget reasons, the worlds Kirk & Co. visited seemed always to be blessed by shirtsleeve-comfortable weather (although a storm was looming in the opening scene of "Mirror, Mirror"). By TNG's era, there are regional weather-control networks on Earth, but I can't any remember any references to them in TOS.
No reason there couldn't still be umbrellas (including with mini-deflector shields) at the time of our game. There must be Starfleet uniform overcoats, parkas and/or raingear, too, but we never saw them.
Let's wrap up writing about shore leave (and shuttle servicing and Sickbay duty) by, say, Wednesday, and we can move on from there. Your character, if dirtside, is welcome to return to the ship sooner, of course.
If Lt. Onn is Sidonian, is Dr. Mäkeläinen especially familiar with that species? Asking this since it does not seem to appear on the regular Star Trek wiki. Though, in Star Trek we should note that, for the most part, human(oid)s from different planets are more or less biologically similar even though some of then have green blood or purple skin or antennae, as opposed to "alien" aliens such as interdimensional subspace energy beings.
Heh. The Sidonian race is Elendil's Heir's invention, with the biological/historic/societal factors jointly brainstormed when we were developing Nia's character back in 2015 or so.
She isn't the most alien-looking alien we have, but while she's humanoid, she comes from an H-class planet, so she doesn't even naturally tolerate the air on the ship. Because of this incompatibility there are no other Sidonians in Starfleet, and I don't believe many (if any) living randomly in the Federation, for that matter. (EH can correct me on that.)
So, long story short, the good Doc is unlikely to be familiar, unless he studied up on whatever researchers have learned about the race over the years. (Which he may have done upon getting assigned to the Yorktown.) I'm guessing a lot of computer searches might be in order.
If it helps, I created this mock ST wiki page awhile back to corral info about Sidonia, its doomed people & messed-up culture as EH and I worked it out. Things have been refined/detailed more since then, though, so I'm guessing Dr. Villa and the computer will probably be able to add a few more details about the medical side of things, esp. the atmospheric workaround that Nia requires to survive, fertility, etc.
Actually, this post, the result of Graham's curiosity, includes some additional (and changed) details.
(One thing I've always been meaning to fix is the history timeline. In retrospect I think it's way too short--some of the things described as happening in the 22nd and early 23rd centuries should really have occurred earlier in order for the huge societal and even biological changes to make sense. In particular, the Propagation Act should definitely be at least a century older than described. That's definitely my fault, I didn't think it through.)
Anyway, Bizhi can always ask Nia--who's used to answering questions from scientists/medicos/curious sexual partners--or consult with the Yorktown's resident xenobiologist. (SG points up at Rangin's avatar.)
Is that a decent summary, EH?
I mean, he knows what is on her chart (which presumably mentions chemicals she needs to breathe/metabolize oxygen!) after he takes a look at it, and he can ask her questions directly, but there are thousands of known planets out there, so I get the impression that while he may or may not have heard of Sidonians or related peoples, the laws of probability say that he is unlikely to have randomly run into (say in Starfleet Academy or on some random planet) or treated one before, if you say they are not common.
That's an excellent summary, SidGal, and thanks for the links, too. You get the vast majority of credit for everything developed in this game as to Onn, her people and culture.
Dr. Mäkeläinen can certainly access Onn's past medical records and the database built up by Dr. Villa and other Sickbay staff as to Sidonian medical issues. If you want to PM me, stolz, with any questions about how to proceed, feel free.
"Kylah and Rangin beam down to Beta Antares IV and find themselves in the stone-paved entry plaza of Armstrong Park. "
Graham pats Marala's hand as they approach Armstrong Park, a pleasant place named for a legendary Terran space explorer.
The hum of a transporter attracts Graham's attention, and...
"Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me..." Graham thinks.
[Just kidding, the honeymoon post was the only planetside post for G & M]
Do it! Do it!!!
As things now stand, let's try to wrap up the current scenes by Friday instead. Thanks.Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
"I also have a herbal tea I want to get to you. Medicine is not all tricorders, biobeds, and force fields like some people imagine."
Nice touch, stolz!
Aw thanks chief! I'm grateful for the opportunity to give Nia her favorite swear/oath, "Seht'Dar's Holy Balls."Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
Funny, the other day I was just looking up something in the OCIII mission thread when, fairly near the end, I spotted the random reference to Graham passing by a Sidonian officer in the corridor. She'd existed on the crew list since the beginning (I think?) but I believe this was her first in-game mention.
Speaking of which... :bravo: to you, general_urko, for Graham's idea of some floral gift for Marala. The guy is nothing if not consistent!
Thanks for the extension! Kylah and Rangin should have just one more post each. If it rains or time moves forward, we'll be ready either way.Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
Very good, thanks. And TGIF!
stolz, that polymorphic contraceptive idea is gold! What a clever concept.
As you know, essential to Star Trek writing is technobabble. In this case, there is the (real) concept of polymorphic or metamorphic computer code, which does something but keeps mutating itself so that it never looks the same. For example, a computer virus could hide itself from anti-virus software since there would be no specific signature. Biological agents (such as viruses or nucleotide sequences) can also mutate. So, deep into the technobabble, why not imagine using an advanced version of proteomics and immunology to engineer a delivery mechanism that analogously mutates? :)
I like that! Nicely done.
You'll appreciate these - main cast members rejected when TOS was in development: https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv...ch/839004/8612
Took me waaay longer than it should have to figure that thread out. :)
Speaking of names... Out of curiosity, what's the genesis of Cavinre? The few hits on the name seem to come from a couple of folks from Mozambique... so maybe Portuguese? And most important: Do we mentally pronounce it "Cavin-ray" or "Caviner"?
Hey just wondering, where is Kylah stationed right now? Is she on Bridge watch or in the Comms department? Or off-duty? I'm assuming we're back to a regular workday, yes?
"Cavinre" just popped into my head back in Mission #2, "Primum Nil Nocere" (see post 308 there, for instance). A troubled world, time and again, but I didn't have any particular name-origin in mind. I'd pronounce it "Ca VIN ry," with the last syllable sounding the same as "cavalry."
Kylah can be wherever you want her to be. She's back from shore leave and beyond that it's up to you.
Ah cool to know about the history and pronunciation, many thanks. Of course you had to start me down the rabbit hole of rereading Mission #2! :) I do love a good callback/continuity! Kylah was only a couple of months away from joining at that point. There were a few tiny offscreen missions back then, I recall. Good way of pushing the initial 7 PCs forward in their Yorktown service and experience level.
And thanks about Kylah. I didn't want to stick her on the Bridge or wherever if you already had specific officers there already.
Yes, I always like to weave in little bits of our own (and also broader ST:TOS) history and references when I can.
And as to Kylah, glad to.
When the call comes for your character to go on the shuttle mission, you may each bring along a small suitcase or carry-on bag, if you wish, which will be stowed in the shuttle's narrow cargo hold, accessible from outside and just aft of the entryway. If you do, given the planned length of the mission, I will assume each of you is bringing along toiletries, a spare uniform, a change of underclothes, a communicator and a phaser-1. If there's something else your character is packing, please mention it specifically in the game thread when you write about your preparations for the mission, or I will assume you've left it behind. Thanks!
I didn't even think about the length of the journey being essentially an overnight trip. Bad judgment. Nia didn't even tell Graham how long the mission would be. My apologies, and thank you for bringing it up. I'll have her give better details in her recruitment pitches.
Edited to add -- what about the deck issue? Is there some kinda hydraulic lift/elevator that will bring a shuttle to and from the Maintenance Deck? Or can the Tesla depart from where it is now? Just noticed that Cheverez gave the answer. Cool, thanks.
Sorry about the double post (and here too) but I thought I'd loop Rangin in sooner rather than later while waiting for Bizhi to arrive.
No worries, and thanks.
Yes, there's a lift connecting the Shuttlebay to the shuttle maintenance area directly below it, so that shuttles may be raised for departure and lowered for repairs as needed. I think I mentioned it most recently when the Kaku returned from the surface of Novy Rostov. It would be the yellow circle on the deck here:
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki...y_Max_Gabl.jpg
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki...remastered.jpg
I had previously mentioned the Starfleet courier USS Sugihara, named after a courageous Japanese diplomat of World War II. I just caught a reference to a later starship Sugihara in the DS9-era alternate universe short story "A Gutted World" by Keith R.A. DeCandido, in the pretty good collection Star Trek Myriad Universes: Echoes and Refractions. Check it out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiune_Sugihara
Great minds, EH! Nice reference.
Do we want to decide who's sitting where? It may not matter if we skip right from our departure to the arrival at Jaros II, but if there's gonna be some time spent on the journey, I figure the seating arrangements might be useful.
FWIW, here's how everyone looked seated in the Galileo 7.
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/p...ileo_seven.png Larger image here.
In the image above, the front-most officer in gold--Latimer, acc. to Memory Alpha--is at helm, w/Spock leading the mission, beside him. Right behind Spock is the woman in red, with an empty space to port (well, our right, looking at it from our POV) to accommodate the hatch.
So assuming our layout is (from front to back):
1 | 2
_ | 3
4 | 5
6 | 7
Nia is at #2 as pilot. What's the logical arrangement, do you think?
Good question, SidGal - thanks for asking. How about, from the bow:
Graham / Onn
[Hatchway] Rangin
Rawlings / Hutchinson
Dr. Mäkeläinen / Kylah
That lets Onn, Graham and Rangin talk relatively easily, and the doctor and Kylah as well, while having the two NPCs in the same row, with Rawlings close at hand if Hutchinson gets ornery. In the alternative, I suppose we might have the two NPCs in the sternmost row. I have no particular preference.
I've started out Onn in the front row, of course, as pilot, and Graham beside her, as second-in-command for this mission. But that, too, could change, and of course there's no rule that anyone (even Hutchinson, while under guard) must remain in the same seat throughout the trip. FWIW, I don't anticipate that seating placement will be an important issue on this little jaunt.
I forget if we established that any of the other player characters are qualified pilots - is Graham? I don't think any of the others would be likely to be (if not, Rawlings could be, if needed). It would make good sense for Starfleet to require at least two qualified pilots on every mission, I think, just in case.
Looks fine to me for Kylah. Kinda worried about Graham having such easy access to both Rangin and the hatch. :)
If Kylah's supposed to be testing things out she will need access to controls somehow. But if this guy's amazing walk-through 3D model is accurate, there are panels by each of the seats. Does that look correct?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WX4Y3GGd_o
(You can see one starting at about 2:03 in, beside seat #4 where he's placed the Comms panel. But that might be an arbitrary assignment for his purposes... the Tesla can have its panel arrangement wherever we want since it's been customized and pimped up, right?)
I love that he even includes a look at the back storage area, with a toilet and food provision locker.
That was a cool video - thanks! The Tesla would be very similar to that, but not completely identical. In particular, the helm controls would look much more like Sulu's console on the Bridge than the featureless rectangular video screen shown here. Also, the area aft of the crew compartment would be "shallower" from front to back (gotta leave room for the impulse drive, after all).
I had not thought about it before, but I kinda like the idea of Graham being a qualified pilot, given his grizzled veteran status - like he might know a few tricky combat and evasive maneuvers, but otherwise is pretty bad about all the basics, delivers a pretty jerky ride, rough routine landings, etc...
Would they not cover emergency procedures and basic piloting skills in the Academy? Not that it would make everybody a crack pilot and proficient dogfighter, but I figure they would at least be familiar with the controls.
Yes, that's an odd choice, just a plain panel of what looks like flat buttons and a long-range scanner. In fairness, a look at some of the screenshots from "The Gallileo Seven" seems to back his design up. But the helm/nav combo platter would surely be more complex. And I bet any sane pilot would turn off the ambient sounds if they're anything like the ones that designer chose! No shade to the guy, he did an awesome job. But those noises reminded me of something from Lost In Space more than TOS.Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
As for that storage niche, it's odd: In some shots the area looks about two inches deep, judging from those tanks at the very back.
https://www.dangermouse.net/blog/ima...lileoSeven.jpg
And yet look at all the space that suddenly appears when half the shuttle crew fit in there!
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d1/cb/34/d...454730be80.jpg
Hmm. Well, Nia certainly experienced his combat/evasive maneuvers, but if the rest is true, sounds like Marala did my girl a favor. :devil:Quote:
Originally posted by general_urko
(You're not gonna feed me a line like that and expect me to let it lie there!)
Good point and I agree. I think everyone would likely be required to take a course with some Helm time, if only in a sim. Though I'd imagine many trainees like Graham would have taken more hours and learned some specialized skills.Quote:
Originally posted by stolz
That's fine. We'll have Graham as a qualified shuttle pilot as well, then, although (and perhaps this goes without saying) not nearly as skilled as Onn.
I'm gonna have to disagree about everyone in Starfleet being trained to fly shuttles. Shuttlecraft are the functional equivalent of U.S. Navy helicopters today, and the vast majority of naval personnel just aren't trained to fly them. Moreover, a shuttle, with two different drive systems and both space and atmospheric flight capabilities, would be significantly more difficult to fly than a helicopter, even allowing for ultra-advanced computer systems to aid the pilot, I suspect.
In "The Galileo Seven," as I recall, there was no mention of anyone aboard other than Latimer and Spock being trained pilots (maybe Scotty, too, but he's one of a kind anyway, as we all know). I don't remember it ever being said in any TOS episode that everybody in the Fleet was rated to fly shuttles, even in an emergency.
Huh, well, you're the boss and way more knowledgeable about this stuff! I'm pretty bad at TOS-era specifics or anything that's not easily found in Memory Alpha. :)
I was't really thinking of being full-on shuttle pilots... but able to plot (or at least follow) a basic course, hit the "brakes," land, that kind of thing. At least if I were in charge, I'd require every cadet to take a few hours to learn at least the most rudimentary knowledge of all departments' major operations: helm, warp drives, phaser/defense, stellar cartography, medicine (esp. emergency training), communications... all that jazz.
While I'm at it, I'd also require everyone to choose both their primary course track and at least one minor or whatever you'd call a secondary specialty where they'd be of some decent use in a pinch.
But no one's asking me to be Dean of Starfleet Academy, alas! :)
Back in my public sector days I had a colleague who was a vet from a Vietnam helicopter unit. His favorite joke was:Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
Q: "What's the difference between an plane and a helicopter?"
A: "Planes are designed to fly."
"There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are very few old, bold pilots." - Anon.
"Forget flying, I get the heebie-jeebies just driving past LaGuardia airport." -- me
A doormat I once saw: "A pilot and a normal person live here."
First, I wish everyone who celebrates it a very happy Easter! (And Passover, and Ramadan, or just a great Sunday!)
Next... I just spotted this video comparing TNG to DIS in just a pair of instances.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnlxugk3Qb0
My response is: WT actual F?
Does anyone watch Discovery? I've never seen it, and when I saw this compilation, I assumed the non-TNG scenes were from SNL. Like, a "What if Star Trek was a sitcom?" sort of thing. A captain who looks absurdly underage (is she even 25?!) sniping at an underling (is that Paul Giamatti slumming? oh wait no, that's H. Jon Benjamin, duh) who actually answers back, resulting in typical rapid-fire sub-par Sorkinesque "banter"? Death by frickin' tribbles? A commander waving away her officer's death with "He was an idiot?!!!" It had to be a joke!
But this is apparently real!!! Okay, apparently I'm the idiot for believing the title of a video and the comments. So it's a short story sort of thing. Still, these clips are utterly bizarre. Who thought any of the above was right for Trek? Unless this is intended as a one-off "alt universe" deal.
Dang I miss TNG and DS9. 21st-century Trek is so depressingly banal.
Speaking of writing, I came across this in my research--a writers' guide to Star Trek from the TOS-era, which may not be legit but the content does seem believable. (I'm probably really late to this, but just in case someone else hasn't seen it, I wanted to share the fun!)
I haven't watched any of Discovery, in part because of what I've heard from other ST fans who've tried it. Certainly that wasn't a very Picardesque way to handle that crewman. Someday I'll get around to Discovery and Picard, I hope; in the meantime, I usually enjoy the animated Lower Decks, and The Orville also has its moments.
Thanks for the link to the TOS writers' guide, too. I'd read it before and it's quite interesting. It's extensively quoted in this book, which is definitely required reading for any Trekker: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Star-T.../dp/0345340191
Hey EH, this may be random, but is Malej's name a slight anagrammic homage to Majel Roddenberry? Probably not, as I know it's a real name, but I remember you used to include those fun themed Easter eggs in the missions via the names of NPCs, locations and/or ships. Of course we always sucked at spotting them, hee, but still...
(Now if you'd said Malej's voice sounded slightly familiar, I'd know it was a reference!)
No, it's a real Albanian name that I came across awhile back and added to my list of non-Anglo-Saxon names. Hadn't thought of the Majel angle (she was a native Ohioan, too, as it happens), but I like it. Thanks!
For fans of a certain Starfleet shuttlecraft namesake: https://www.creationsandcollections.com/products/us912
Ha! Maybe Nia can get one and put it on the dashboard, like one of those hula girl or noddy dog figures.
Shiny!
Did anyone spot the ST in-joke in a recent post of mine in the game thread...?
Hmmm. Just read back, and the only thing I could pick up seems like a longshot, but... is it the connection between the Wellington and Ro's court-martial, which ended with her in this very stockade about a century hence? That's a pretty deep cut if so, and I'm impressed. No way would I have picked that up without a quick Memory Alpha check!
Speaking of in-jokes, I just remembered you used to include some literary or historic-based names of NPCs, settings or ships in each mission. I don't remember if you had any in the last two missions. Did you include some only for we dunces to completely miss the references as usual?
Good catch, SidGal! Yes, the prison's doctor served on the USS Wellington; Ens. Ro will serve on another ship of the same name before being court-martialed, convicted and sentenced to Jaros II in the ST:TNG era many years later.
As to the literary-based names of characters from the two most recent missions, see posts 4672 and 5147 above. I'll post the names from this mission when it's complete.
"Bizhi is retrieving his gear when Nia draws him aside. He meant to talk to her soon, especially after Dr. Villa's message, but was envisioning a consultation back in the Yorktown's Sickbay, or at least someplace private. Most habitats he is familiar with have at least minimum surveillance for dangerous air leaks, radiation, fire, explosions, etc., and the Jaros II stockade is surely no exception, but the visible and invisible sensor nodes here strongly suggest that their conversation is being recorded by the station's computer, and who knows how much interest they have aroused?"
Nice, stolz... An expression of awareness of doctor-patient confidentiality, seems super in character.
Oops chief EH, we cross-posted. Or I should say, when you posted, I was editing my Nia text slightly to better describe what Nia's asking for from Graham (and now Rangin). Not sure if that changes anything but I thought I'd spread the activity around a bit by getting Rangin involved. :)
No worries, thanks, SidGal. I incorporated some of what you had posted.
Here's to the remarkable Nichelle Nichols, who inspired so many women (and Black women in particular) to dream of the stars and imagine a future where we could explore them ourselves.
For anyone who didn't see President Biden's warm words about Nichols:
I like that in an unconscious, unintentional coincidence, the characters of Kylah and Nia--a Communications officer and a Black woman, respectively--each kinda represent a measure of Uhura's influence as they serve on the Yorktown. Maybe someday they'll live up to her example.Quote:
Originally posted by President Biden
(Nia more likely than Kylah, but who knows.)
I did not know that!Quote:
Originally posted by choie
She was a class act; I only wish Uhura had taken the big chair on ST:TOS at least once. Whoopi Goldberg and astronaut Mae Jemison, both of whom would go on to appear on ST:TNG, say she inspired them. Rest in peace, Nichelle, and thanks for all your good works.
Hi -we're doing some vacation travel (feels weird, gotta say...). I should be reliably back online in a day or two.
Welcome back, general! It has been a long time since vacation traveling last felt casual and normal.
Can I just say, Nia is having a really, really crappy week.
Edited to add: Funny coincidence--before my last post I tried to do a little research on WTF someone with actual technical knowledge would do in a shuttle situation like this. (It's tough playing an expert when you yourself are barely sentient in the topic!) The only result I found was in the text of one of the TOS books, Firestorm. It wasn't super helpful, but while scrolling I saw that the plot of the book revolves around Elas, the Dohlman, and a Regent who's made overtures to the Klingons. Since I've read a grand total of 0 Trek books... well, I lie, I did read one TNG novel ages ago... it just struck me as wildly coincidental that this one was based on the sole episode related to Elas. Also, there's a plot point where Uhura must pretend to be the Dohlman of the ship. As EH said, it would've been nice to see Nichols get a juicy role like that!
(Interestingly the book implies that there are multiple "Dohlmen," as the characters call them. Why a female-led society would pluralize "Dohlman" in such a manner--as it implies that the word means "Dohl-man"--is best left to wiser people than I.)
Ah! Never heard of Firestorm. Thanks.
Here are some other ST reading suggestions for SidGal and anyone else who's interested:
Check out Peter David's TNG-era novels Q-in-Law and Imzadi (I’d suggest you avoid Imzadi II, which was a very inferior followup IMHO). Diane Duane’s Dark Mirror, another TNG tale, is also excellent, as is her Doctor’s Orders, which has some wonderful interplay between McCoy and Spock when the good doctor is temporarily left in command of the Enterprise. It has one of the more intriguing portrayals I've ever read of a genuinely alien race, too.
I’d also highly recommend Star Trek: The New Voyages, ed. by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath, which has some outstanding fan-written TOS short stories, esp. “The Enchanted Pool,” “The Face on the Barroom Floor” and “Mind-Sifter.” Very good stuff.
Alan Dean Foster's Star Trek Log Eight covers the ST:TAS episode "The Eye of the Beholder," which is OK, but then expands upon it with a terrific follow-on tale.
None of these has any significant scenes set on a shuttlecraft, though, as I recall.
PM me with any questions about shuttle procedure, if you wish.
Ding ding ding ding! You've landed on the one novel I read, Imzadi. (I was a big Riker/Troi fan.) It seems to be one of the most-often praised Trek books over the years.
I remember when the "call" for stories for New Voyages was announced, but never read the resulting anthology--I really should, thanks for recommending it and reminding me. I'd also be very interested in the ADF novel.
Ha, that reminds me... here's a story for the oldies out there (which might be all of us "of a certain age"): I remember my mom picking me up from school one day and surprising with a copy of ADF's Splinter in the Mind's Eye, which I think was the first original Star Wars novel. Being young and ignorant, I assumed that this was obviously going to be the basis for the planned sequel. I was disappointed that it wasn't, I think because I had liked the prominent Leia arc. But of course the actual sequel more than exceeded expectations. :)
Also my mom was very cool.
I think I submitted four stories to the various New Voyages anthologies, as it happens, but never got one picked.
I remember Splinter very well. It was indeed the first SW novel, published after the first movie and before Empire came out. I read it then, avidly, and re-read it again a couple of years ago. Although obviously no longer canon (the Luke-Leia romance angle is pretty skeevy now, given what we later learned), it's still a good read. Consider it an alternative-universe SW story....
Well now we all want to read those stories, bub.
I can't even fathom how many submissions they must have received--it was (IIRC) unprecedented for what was essentially fanfiction to be so accepted and even spotlighted by the actual IP. But Trek was also unique in being (probably) the only show that allowed spec scripts, too, so they were pioneers in that respect.
Oh lord I forgot that one of the aspects I liked in Splinter was Luke/Leia! My little heart broke when it was clear they were aiming for Han/Leia. But as you say, canon relationshipwise, Luke and Leia was the love that was most definitely never meant to be. Outside of creepy fanfiction, anyway, where there's no such thing as a pairing that's off-limits.
Agreed. And speaking of which (NSFW, especially in the Empire): https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/15066-rule-34
OMG I got Splinter of the Mind's Eye from an older cousin when I was a kid and I read it like twenty times!
I still have my very dog-eared copy with the cool cover art by Ralph McQuarrie.
Hoping to avoid Nia sounding as ignorant as her player: Would having a nacelle on just one side of the shuttle/ship have any impact on navigation or, um, balance, for lack of a better word? I'm picturing a canoe being steered with one oar being stuck going in circles.
I know space physics (and fictional space physics at that) behave nothing like a boat on water would on a planet w/gravity and friction etc. But I'm nagged by the thought that all these vessels--aside from post-TOS ships like the Defiant--seem to have two nacelles on either side, so maybe placement matters? Or is it just the designers' love for symmetry and it doesn't matter where the things were placed as long as there are two? (For extra power and--as is the case now--for backup?)
While I'm here, do I assume that Nia does not know what Graham just saw about the torpedo?
God I'm a nerd. And the worst kind--one who doesn't know much!
Woohoo, it's another "Lt. Collins vaguely remembers a reference to the Chorell but darned if she can recall where/why" situation! :DQuote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
(Now that's a Codex Aelyrr flashback!)
HMMMM I spy, with my little eye, something added to this post that wasn't there when I originally saw it. :smug: Changes things a tad.Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
Bloody hell, I did my best to fake it but now I have to watch that dang Galileo Seven episode, don't I? FINE. Another $1.99 down the Amazon Prime Video drain. :RAEG:Quote:
Onn has pulled back the carpeting and gotten the deck access panel open. What would she like to do now?
Edited to add: Whoa, this is my first viewing of a Remastered TOS episode. What a huge difference! It's a bit jarring going from the little goofy clicking switches and plastic colored buttons to this slick CGI shuttlecraft smoothly levitating before gliding its way out of the shuttlebay.
Starfleet vessels of all sizes almost always have pairs of nacelles, but there have been exceptions (such as the upgraded USS Enterprise-D that appeared in TNG "All Good Things...."). A shuttle can move at warp speed with just a single nacelle, but not as fast as with the two nacelles working in harmony.
I did add to that post about Graham and the torpedo, but no one had posted after it or, if you will, in reliance on it, so I thought, no harm, no foul.
PM me if you want to discuss the deck access panel and what Onn can do with it.
Oh definitely no harm or foul--I just found the addition illuminating. :)
Thank you for the info re: the nacelles! I forgot that (wonderful) series finale and all the different parallel Enterprises. Gosh I love TNG.
Far as I can make out via the episode and script, Scotty used that panel to check the "input valves" and "auxiliary lines" and was bemoaning the lack of fuel, so I think I sussed it out? I probably will need a tech check soon though. We're several miles above my scientific pay grade.
As an aside, holy cow was Spock annoying in that first season! Or maybe it's just that episode? Every other line included "logic" or "logical." We get it, pointy-ears, you're half Vulcan and "logic" is your thang. STFU about it already. I know TOS writers weren't known for much subtlety, and in this early episode they were probably still getting a feel for the characters, but even allowing for first-season adjustments, this script had Spock getting on my last nerve. I don't remember Spock being so one-note, so I do hope this was a one-off. I wouldn't have blamed Boma if he'd decided to frag Spock to save the extra 150 lbs for which Spock was so readily willing to sacrifice one of his crewman.
(And worse, none of these geniuses seemed to have thought about getting rid of the chairs to help solve the weight problem. The Yorktown crew totally would have! Hmph! :cool: )
But new question: The Tesla's starboard nacelle was said to have been near a warp core breach and so it "scrammed" to avoid destroying the shuttle; the port nacelle was safe. I was assuming "scrammed" meant "detached and got the hell out of Dodge," which seemed a rather noble and thoughtful thing for a nacelle to do. But it looks like the starboard nacelle is actually still intact (except for the outside), so I think my assumption was based on the casual use of "scram." What does it mean in tech or naval parlance?
A scram or trip is an emergency shutdown, but that would not by itself blow the equipment out into space.
:smack: Ah thank you! Again my ignorance knows no bounds. Combined with that loud ripping noise we heard earlier, my misunderstanding fed my false assumption about the implied noble sacrifice on the part of the starboard nacelle. Well at least the Tesla isn't that junked, which is good news. Thanks, stolz!
Yes, thanks, stolz. For the term in its present-day usage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scram
Both nacelles are still attached to the shuttle; the starboard one, however, is badly damaged and currently unrepairable.
I'm about to go out of town for almost a week; let's pause the game until Sept. 1. Thanks.
Oh no, a sudden hiatus! (At least Graham got the torpedo away from the shuttle before we had to stop, whew. That would've been a cliffhanger!)
Hope you're going somewhere for enjoyment of some kind! Have a safe trip.
Safe travels! We actually have to get out butts back home over the next several days so that works for me.
Thanks. Yes, had a fun, history- and art-related trip to Philadelphia, and then helped return our youngest son to Boston to begin his sophomore year at Northeastern U. More to come in the game thread later today.
woohoo and welcome back, chief. That does sound like an enviable trip. Best of luck to your sophomore!
To all: Nia's request to the crew to speak up with their ideas was a bit meta: I'm embarrassingly literal-minded, and sometimes if another character is described as thinking or noticing something, I can't tell if the info/idea is actually being shared with others (unless the post explicitly says that the PC tells Nia, or the rest of the crew). So would it be possible to specify when your PC is saying their ideas/observations aloud, or keeping certain facts to themselves for whatever reason.
A good example of a helpful post is stolz's most recent, where Dr. M. reports his findings to Nia. Whereas I'm not sure if Nia knows what Rangin or Graham have come up with. (I'm confident Nia already knows what Kylah's been up to... bupkis!)
Is that okay to ask, assuming it made any sense? Sorry, I'm not sure why I'm having problems parsing this stuff lately. Old age, belike.
When I wrote that post, I was assuming that Dr. M, in order to come up with his "no uncertain terms" conclusions about Life Support and travel time and power requirements which he presented to Nia, also took into account everything that transpired during his conversation with Rangin (such as the star system(s) they can get to), plus whatever Kylah may or may not have had to say about any of that stuff. But that Nia herself had had her head buried in an aft access panel and was pretty busy checking circuitry and stuff, so who knows how much she heard of the actual discussion while it was taking place.
Yes that makes sense; that was very helpful, stolz! BTW I loved the suggestion of pushing the crew to Ollos as a motive for sabotage. That's out of the box thinking Nia appreciates!
Now you've gotta explain "dree and tholing" because Nia's not the only one who's never heard of that term. :iiam:
New to me, too!