Leaderboard

((OOC: I think this small, personal scene has a tremendous amount of warmth and heart. The characters are wonderfully familiar and the whole tone of the thing is pitch perfect to me. Great job, @Ben Garcia)) (( Ben calls home from his quarters 05-1202, U.S.S. Thor. )) Samantha: Where are you? The room looks smaller? Ben? Garcia: Hi mama. Samantha: (Shouting over her shoulder.) Thom! Thoooaaaaaom! Thomas: (Muffled in the background.) Always the rush! (Shouting.) Coming! Samantha: I read the email Ben – is there two ships now? Both named Thor? Garcia: I’m on the Thor now. The crew got reposted from the Embassy to the Menthar Corridor – we took the Thor with us. The posting is ship bound now, ma. Thom cut across the frame, blocking the screen with his hip. Thomas: I’m here, I’m here. Samantha: (To Thom.) He’s on the ship, it’s moved. They’ve left the planet behind. Oh the beach Thomas … we’ll have to plan something else now. Ben craned in towards the screen. Garcia: Hi? Samantha pulled her husband onto the settee. The surprise of the weight nudged Samantha’s pillows making her head wobble. Thomas: Alright Ben, I’m here. Samantha: (To Thom.) He’s in a corridor, that’s why the room is small. (To Ben.) Right Ben? Garcia: No, we got re-assigned to the Thor permanently and we travelled to the Menthar Corridor. Thomas: Which is …? Garcia: A region of space between the Cardassian Union, Breen Confederacy and Tholian Assembly – Samantha: (To Thom.) Is he at war – is our Ben at war?! (To Ben.) Is this war Ben? Garcia: No, nothing like that ma. Thomas: (Shaking his head.) Let him speak Samantha. Anger and worry crimped across Samantha’s face. Samantha: I knew this would happen. I said – I don’t want Ben in a war. Garcia: The Thor is an exploration vessel. There’s no more trouble here than where you are ma – don’t worry. (Ben laughed.) It’s busier and there’s a lot going on – but it’s just folks going about their business. Samantha clasped her hands on her knees. She was less agitated now, but the worry of combat had unsettled her. She shuffled to the edge of the couch and then stood up. Samantha: I need a drink. (Nodding to Thom to keep the conversation going.) Thomas: So, how has the reassignment gone? Settled in? Garcia: It’s a gear change from being planet side. (Beat.) For all my uncertainties about being stationed on a planet right out of the Academy … I sort of miss it. Thomas: Understandable, son. Garcia: We’ve got the hollo-deck. But. Before, I had the gardens, the beach, the forest (Ben’s eyes widened.) continents. Thomas: We’ll it makes sense, it’s a planet Ben. Ben huffed in amused exasperation. Garcia: Paps. Thomas: So, you’re not settled? Ben shook his head and touched the back of his neck. Garcia: It’s not that. I wanted a ship, I got a planet. (Ben shrugged.) Now I’ve got the ship Thomas finished the sentence in unison with Ben. Thomas: -- you want the planet. Garcia: I want the planet. The pair laughed. There was a warmness. Thomas: It’s just change, Ben. It’ll settle. Garcia: I know. Cheers pa. Samantha’s voice could be heard from off in the background. As she got nearer, the hmmm and duuumm of her tune came into focus. Garcia: (Loudly, with a wink to his dad.) There was some news, pa. Samantha: (Calling from the back of the room) News? Ben –what news? Hold on – Thomas shook his head and wagged a finger in feigned rebuke at Ben. Now Thomas’ head wobbled as Samantha surprised the couch with her weight. Samantha: (With arched eyebrows.) News? Come on! Let’s hear. Ben ran his finger along his collar, stopping at the new half pip. Samantha: (Her eyes widening.) Promotion?! Thomas cusped his ear as Samantha screamed. Thomas: Well done Lieutenant ... There was a pause and Ben filled in the blank. Garcia: … Commander pap. Samantha: (Punctuating the sentence with her hands.) Lieutenant Commander Ben Garcia. Samantha clasped her hands together and kissed Thomas on the cheek. Thomas gave her a squeeze back. Samantha: We need to organise a celebration! Let me pull the diary up. Ben sat back in his chair. Thomas smiled. End. ---------------------- Lieutenant Commander Ben Garcia Second Officer/HCO USS Thor NCC-82607 Author ID number: G239102MR0 SB118 News Team

When we talk about shuttlecraft, we mean the fictional vehicles used within our science fiction universe. They are vehicles built for quick trips in space, for small crews and cargo, and for transporting between the large orbiting interstellar starship and the planet surface down below. Because of the ever-growing nature of starships and how they operate in space, landing these huge space vehicles became more of a hazard and a hindrance to the plot; instead, the ships stay moored in space like sea-fairing vessels of old would remain out of the shallow waters while "launchers" in the form of shuttlecraft are used to ferry the Away Teams down through the atmosphere. Used alongside the transporter technology, a starship crew has multiple options to land on the surface of a planet or slip through space. Relied on for so much, yet the humble shuttlecraft has limited capabilities, making them perfect for the short-range transport and runabouts for longer-range travel where taking the starship wouldn't be possible. On many ships around the ‘fleet, shuttlecraft have become personal projects, with some characters developing their own shuttlecraft through the sim over time, whereas other characters detest using them for one fear or another brought on by experience. Fans of Star Trek have recreated shuttlecraft on top of their minivans, showing the love there is out there in the real world for these people carrier equivalents flinging us through space. The design and style of shuttlecraft varies across the Trek but that’s for another poll; for this one, we want to put your helm officers’ love to the test. This week, we want to know which of these favourite Starfleet-designed shuttlecraft is your favourite?

I've always wanted more information on the Nova's waverider. It's an atmospheric shuttlecraft. I would imagine on a science vessel it has to be pretty neato.

VEL MEIJAN, YSYDEN NEBULA — The USS Thor (NCC 82607), hanging in orbit above the long lost colony world known as Vel Meijan, is in a desperate race to save nearly 200 surviving colonists from vanishing into time and stranding an away team along with it. As conditions in the nebula continued to deteriorate, critical systems across the ship were pushed to their limits. “These systems were never meant to handle that level of temporal interference, but they are holding up under the strain well,” said QSD specialist Lt JG Kortho Yang of Thor’s specialized shielding system, originally designed for the hazards of the Typhon Expanse. Meanwhile, trapped miles beneath the surface of the unstable world, an away team led by first officer Lt. Cmdr. Geoffrey Teller made a startling discovery. The colonists, led by Ellen Flynn, a descendant of original colony leader Hunter Flynn, had only experienced the passage of approximately seventy years of linear time. The revelation that they had fallen hundreds of years into the future was jarring to many colonists. “Shocked. You’d think, but no. Not at first,” explained Rick Armiger, the group’s only doctor. “See, in truth, I thought they’d [Editor’s Note: The Starfleet Team] fried the sync to their chronometer – they were a scatty lot that came to investigate our distress call, and they had a hob-botch of equipment. More numb. Yes. When it finally sunk in I felt numb. I mean, I only really thought about it when I found out the Thor had a bar – then I got really angry, you know? All the medical shipments I never received – years’ worth! Imagine!” In an earlier attempt to recover the team, the crew of the USS Thor received an unexpected guest in the form of an intelligence tunnelling creature, previously native to the planet. Flt. Cpt. Kells, along with members of his science team, has opened a dialogue with the alien in the hopes of working towards an equitable solution for both the colonists & the Azcou, as they are known. At press time, the Thor is attempting to buy time for the team on the surface to recover a set of transporter pattern enhancers that will allow the colonists a means of escape before the planet slips away. More on this story as it develops. Written by Geoffrey Teller The post USS Thor Makes Startling Discoveries, Fate Of Away Team And Colonists Hangs In The Balance appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

I'm torn between the Danube-class runabout and the Delta Flyer, but considering I actually have a 3D printed and painted model of a Danube-class runabout, I think it kinda tips the balance to the latter 😛

The most intense reunion of friends ever... 😮 *confirms plans and headcount for the post-mission ice cream party*