Brell

Congratulations! Welcome to the fleet! So glad your here writing with us once more.

Congratulations Commander! Well earned!

Welcome to the fleet, glad to have your here writing with us!

Congratulations and Welcome to the fleet! Very glad to have you here writing with us!

The versatile runnabout is my choice. They are more of a mini-starship than just a shuttle.

((USS Blackwell, Deck 4, Brell’s Quarters)) ::The young Bolian sat down his bag as he entered his Uncle’s quarters. The bag though small contained everything he had brought with him to the Blackwell. Three grey and teal tailor made cadets uniforms; plus the one he was wearing, his academy workout clothes, the holoimages of him as a small boy with his mother and father, a small hand carved model of the the Daros’ll homestead resting against its undersea trench walls that had been made for him by his artistic cousin Viau, and a PADD that held his school work. Everything else he had in his dorm room in San Francisco he had sent back to Bolarus before he left to come to the expanse.:: ::He liked to think his parents would be proud of him being out here doing well in his studies and everything else, but they were little more than a memory to him now. The stories of the larger family unit the only thing keeping their faces, their lives and how much they loved him from fading. With his uncle Brell he did not have to wonder, he had been there in person or correspondence to offer his praise and reassurance usually with a bad pun or two along the way. It was why he had requested a room reassignment to live with him. They were Bolian after all and liked to live close to family even out in the depths of space.:: ::He also felt like his uncle needed to know he was here for him during this time of strife in the family. The news of the affair that Brell kept hidden from his spouses was a shock and made him feel for Lyldra and Hars. He felt his own trust slightly shaken but was looking at like a warning of possible side effects when getting close to an alien. Humans were often as repressed as the were enlightened. He knew there was a good deal of anger going toward the human involved though it was odd as they did understand things were complicated. He had never met Didrik Stennes but he had looked him up and didn't see what all the fuss was about other than he was mildly handsome. He felt worse for Lyldra as she had apparently been working side by side with the human while as this was going on.:: ::As much as he cared for his uncle Brell and his spouses, he was a more interested if his own love life would exist out here. He had a girlfriend at the academy but she was two years ahead and broke things off when she got her posting. That had been tough and he had not dated anyone since. Here many were older than he was but not by that much. There were Bolians here and on the starbase but he had always told himself he would never limit himself that way. He didn’t know if he felt that way still with everything that had happened but he had to hope most would be more open minded.:: ::He looked out of the window seeing the planetoid Debin VII below, he knew right now there were teams on the surface and on the freeworlds starship.:: Morin: oO And I’m up here. Oo ::He loved being here on Blackwell and serving his cadet cruise on such a start of the art medical starship. But he often was close, but far away from the action.:: Morin: oO There are a lot of people here that are not on the away missions. … They don’t have to miss out due to having to sit through a lecture though. Oo ::Almost on cue his PADD beeped alerting him he had five minutes to get to a terminal. He took the PADD silencing it and moved over to the desk where he could use the terminal and have workspace. He logged in and was connected to the Academy distance learning class link up. Starfleet had officers and cadets in subspace distance learning curriculums on many remote outposts and starships. Today he along with the other distance medical cadets would be hearing a lecture on variations of endocrine systems of Vulcanoid species by professor T’Vaili. He found her lectures to be enjoyable, which was odd as most of his other professors that had been Vulcans tended to near put him to sleep with their lack of inflections.:: ::The tone that signaled the lecture was about to begin sounded and he screen changed to the live feed from the professors location. Often he had to view these lectures after they occurred by right now there were no problems with the connection to DS26 and then from the starbase Academy facility T’vaili was at. Stylus in hand ready to take notes on his PADD the Vulcan took her podium and began speaking, the images accompanying her presentation displaying on the sides of his screen. He tried to get into the topic and keep his mind and eyes from drifting to looking out the window and thinking about the action he would one day get to be apart of.:: PNPC Cadet Morin, Medical Trainee, Uss Blackwell, NCC-58999 Simmed by, Commander Brell - First Officer Andaris Task Force, USS Blackwell NCC-58999 Academy Deputy Commandant E239109B10

((Debin-DeepDive5 - Rosette Shaft, Debin VII)) ::It was dark. The lights along the mine shafts had died due to the generators that had shut themselves down, this was due to everyone who had come down with this illness that there was hardly any staff working and those who soldiered on were alone and no one was able to reset them. Luckily for them, there was light at the end of the tunnel as the backup generators had kicked in, the only bad thing was, apart from being ill the generators were required to provide light, and a fresh oxygen supply in and extract all the toxic gases that would build up. Gone were the days where they would bring an exotic bird down and when it stopped singing and was still, it was time to evacuate to the surface.:: ::The Rosette Shaft was as it was named, a new grade of laser that mined the resources, gave a strange shape to the internal structure of the walls and once the supports were in place, from a bird's eye view it would give a rose shape to the caverns that had just been mined, so it was aptly named the Rosette Shaft. This was the shaft that Mihai Bratic and his three best friends were working in. A few hours before, the alarms had begun to blare as an announcement was broadcast warning that all personnel was to report to the medical areas for tests. By the time they received word over the noise of the lasers and other mining equipment the safety doors had closed and sealed them in, once the equipment had died down that's when they then noticed the broadcast. By that time Mihai and his friends were trapped. They attempted to call out for help however as there was a mass quarantine it would take some time to recover them, crews were stretched thin and they weren't the only crews stuck down the shafts. Mihai, Bajic, Petro and Sulim grew up together on the the planet Oscion, which was a planet with many islands and got into the labour of mining under the sea however the four wanted to use their skills and explore a part of the galaxy and the Tinaldax Heavy Industries company offered them that, pay was good, accommodation was great and the holidays granted were not to be sniffed at. They trained together and knew what dangers lay ahead but they did the job and loved it. Mihai made his way to a communication panel and pressed the emergency button these panels acted as a two-way comms with someone at the other end if someone was at the other end which they were but usually asleep. But for once they were awake.:: Mihai: Hello tower, this is Mihai, worker number 5398332, I’m trapped here with Bajic, Petro, and Sulim… we missed the broadcast what has happened, and how long till the doors open? Tower: This is Tower I read you loud and clear that illness that was going about has been ::Cough:: affecting more and more people it has gotten out of hand and the medical teams have declared that all employees are quarantined… ::Mihai, knew this was a standard procedure. The same would happen if there was a gas leak or a cave in teams would declare areas shut down and they would become inactive and special teams of dedicated workers would then go and aid in restoring said areas as quick as they could as not to cost Tinaldax Heavy Industries any losses in profits.:: Mihai: Ok so how long have we got to wait this out till we can get to the surface and join the quarantine… Tower: Sorry guys I don’t have an answer there is a lot of people who are confined to quarters the medical bays are over ::Cough:: flowing with sick people. But I’m on this end and will be here for ages I can’t leave until my relief comes… ::Mihai turned to his friends who were stood listening to the conversation. Bajic was around six foot four and four feet wide he was a powerhouse, he loved to do anything that involved heavy lifting, had begun to feel angry for such a large man he began to feel claustrophobic and pushed Mihai out of the way to get to the panel.:: Bajic: ::In an angry tone:: You listen here I want you to go and get a rescue team to get this hatch open and get us the hell out of here… Tower: I’m sorry I can’t… ::Cough:: There is no rescue team free at the moment, you guys are not the only ones trapped. :This was bad news, every shaft had provisions for each team from first aid kits, blankets water and a week's worth of rations that would be used in such emergencies. There are teams out there they just need to get to them.:: Tower: ::Cough:: News just in… There is a note made on your location and our own Navy is on its way... ::Cough:: Man this must be big especially if the navy is coming… ((Time skip 9 days)) ::The messages stopped and the hours became days. The four friends had sat and played games and shared stories of each other when growing up, laughing at the times they had shared, the rations and water were divided to last a little longer than the week they were intended as situations like this there was no time frame, but at least they would have two more days worth of food left.:: Bajic: ::Cough:: I don’t feel good… Mihai: Hold it together it won't be long how much ::Miahi was the only one who looked normal, his friend's flesh looked pale and almost as if they were malnourished, their hands began to show black fingertips and it almost looked as if their hands had been on a barbecue and extremely burnt. They had lumps that were protruding in their groin, armpits and neck, what they didn’t know was this was their lymph nodes, swollen from fighting off an infection. He looked to the other two who were sat slumped over Sulim was resting against Petro. They had not spoken for a few hours, Miahi, thought they were asleep and left them to it, it was the only time they weren't coughing or spluttering, rest seemed to be the best healer. He moved over slowly and began to study them, something was not right there was no movement at all coming from them. They weren't breathing. In a panic Miahi separated the pair and grabbed a wrist in each hand and checked for a pulse, his hands slide from their wrists due to their skin being all clammy, and parts of their flesh were beginning to rot. Not from they were dead but something was eating at them and decaying their flesh at an alarming rate. He grabbed a shock box and attached it to Petro’s chest and shocked him. The body jerked and stopped moving, no output on the reader, he shocked him again and again and again. A large burnt looking hand touched his shoulder.:: Bajic: I ::Nasty cough:: don’t think you're going to ::Painful cough:: help them, they are gone… Miahi: ::Tearful:: But they… we were… ::Bajic placed his finger to his own lip to silence him.:: Bajic: Come sit with me ::Extremely painful cough:: ::He winced as he sat upright. Miahi, squatted down next to him offering support the best he could to take some pressure from the sore parts that ached.:: Bajic: I feel we ain't going to make it but you're not coughing… Miahi: Your right.. I feel fine why am I not ill??? ::For nine days he had shared the same small confined space, air and company with his three best friends and he was the only one who wasn’t ill. He scratched his head and began to wonder. Bajic tried to drink some water and threw it up all down himself. He coughed violently and beckoned Miahi to come closer:: Bajic: We were there… when... Wamukota found a strange material… ::Cough:: The process… ::winces:: The process of finding a new material was to…. Miahi: Shut down the machines and get the teams in and scan also run tests and… What did he do???? ::Miahi had a bad feeling he already knew what Wamukota did. This was the one-time Wamukota stepped in as Miahi had a slight near miss with an old cavern collapse on him, he was pulled out and sent to the medical centre to be checked over. One day he was out of action and replaced where his team had made a discovery and he wasn’t there to be apart of their achievement.:: Bajic: He took a laser and decided to cut a small chunk off… ::Cough:: I don’t know what he did with it after… after… ::Bajic’s head slowly tilted forward.:: Miahi: Bajic… ::He shook the giants shoulders vigorously, nothing. Miahi knew instantly he was gone with his brothers who lay just a few meters away. He grabbed three blankets and lay the bodies flat on the ground and covered them individually. He was now alone.:: ((Time skip 2 more days)) ::It was dark. The lights along the mine shafts had died due to the backup generators that had shut themselves down. The air was getting thinner and he knew he was breathing in large amounts of carbon dioxide. He felt his breath begin to shorten, He wasn’t getting the adequate oxygen levels in his bloodstream, his blood had more co2 and he was starting to feel drowsy, very drowsy. He closed his eyes and thought of joining his Caraadian brothers in the fields of Azure where they shall be free with the great ones. He felt the ground around him rumble, a small breeze tickled his face.:: Miahi: oO This is what it must feel like to go to the great beyond… Oo ::Voices rang around his head, some he thought he knew and others that he didn’t understand. He felt as if he was a rag doll being tossed about and thought this must be his spirit moving and travelling to his final resting place, every often he would get a glimpse of a bright light then it would disappear.:: ::Two days ago Miahi was rescued by a rescue crew from the Navy. He had been brought to and placed into an Oxygen tank to reverse the effects of carbon dioxide in his system by getting a very high level of oxygen into the blood system in an attempt to get the inert gas out of the system.:: ::Miahi hadn’t joined his brother. After his recovery and a green light from the quarantine team. He now stood looking at the amass piles of bodies that he helped stack in rows on top of crates which were specifically designed to burn. He now stood in front of his three best friends that he called his brothers. A tear ran down his face as he was passed a lit torch. He leant in and began to touch the cloth that surrounded the bodies with the torch. Each part he touched shot up in flames. He stepped back.:: Miahi: Rest easy brothers…::Cough:: MSPNPC Mihai Bratic As simmed by Lieutenant Cook - Chief Medical Officer USS Blackwell NCC-58999 - Andaris Task Force D239206GC0

Congratulations and Welcome to the Fleet! Very glad to have you both here writing with us.

Welcome to fleet, glad to have you here writing with us.

Warp drive could be described as the bread and butter of Star Trek, but it was far from the only means to get from point A to point B in the universe of our favorite franchise. One was using a generator on a planetary surface that generated Soliton waves that would accelerate a starship to warp speeds. A second generator was required at the destination planet in order to create a counterwave to slow the incoming starship down. A civilization could be lucky enough to find alternate means of interstellar travel on their doorstep like the Vaadwaur, and their Subspace Corridors. Another Delta quadrant species, the Sikarians possessed impressive transporter like technology with a range of 40,000 light years no Starship needed at all just hop on the trajector pad! The Iconians used their Gateways to rule a vast empire 200,000 years ago. Even Starfleet with a little Borg ingenuity developed alternative means in Quantum slipstream drive. So many interesting alternatives to warp drive it may be hard to pick a favorite. Tell us yours in the comments! This poll comes from Trek Technology and science category. Where we ask questions relating to the technology and science seen in Star Trek. Often the questions will relate to how the lines between modern tech and trek tech blur more and more each day. Other times questions from this category will ask about your favorite gear or uses of the futuristic tech we enjoy seeing on the big and small screen.

Over the many series and movies of Star Trek we were shown a bright future where the many worlds of the Federation live and work together as a grand galactic society. Like any society the Federation had rules, law and courts as well as a military in the form of Starfleet. Starfleet like many militaries has a JAG and that is what we saw most often on screen. Many episodes dealt with legal issues or were full blown court dramas! Who could forget Captain Picard being called to the stand by Admiral Satie during her conspiracy witch hunt aboard the Enterprise-D. Or when Worf was put on trial for supposedly destroying a klingon ship full of civilians, in a rather nail biting episode of DS9. Voyager’s Doctor found himself in the center of a case that questioned his right to control his own work and his very status in the Federation. Data had to prove his sentience in court when he was to be disassembled and studied against his will. So many awesome examples of legal themes were shown over the years. This week we ask; What episode was your favorite that dealt with the subject of law? Tell us below! This question comes from our General Trek Category. Where the polls focus on moments, characters, starships, and episodes from the various series and movies.

All over the series, Star Trek has introduced lots of different species, with their own culture and ways. Sometimes, that is so much the case, the species are an stereotype by themselves. Klingons are violent, Vulcans are logical, Ferengi are greedy. Sometimes, some characters have proven to be an exception to those stereotypes, used to show us that any species is at least as varied as human beings are. Vulcans are culturally logical, yes, but as with everything, there are more and less logical Vulcans. The same way the series showed us all this, so do us in our simming reflect this species variations. Some of our characters are the classical stereotype. With personal quirks, of course, and with the personal vision each player might have of that species, but the typical member one might imagine for them. On the other hand, other players make a point of trying to subvert the tropes and offer a surprising twist away from what you would expect. Both are equally good, of course. You might have a character idea in mind that fits exactly with a Klingon, and makes it easy to work and incredibly fun. Subverting the stereotypes takes more work, but can make for a surprising and amazing character. So here comes our question. Do you like to follow the stereotypes, or make a point of subverting them? Or try to not heed what the stereotype says, one way or the other? Discuss in the comments! This is a new post in our category Simming Questions. Here we will be asking questions about our community, our characters and our writing, and how you interact with it all.

All hands report to code blue stations! Take the warp core off line, vent all plasma from the nacelles, and divert all available power to the atmospheric thrusters. Bring the landing struts online and set inertial dampers to maximum. Starship landing, it was something rarely seen in the star trek universe. Many Klingon ships had the capability to land as well as many smaller Federation vessels and shuttlecraft. Grand Starfleet ship classes like the Galaxy, Sovereign, and Odyssey are all simply too large. However Intrepid and Nova class ships were both shown to have the ability. Voyager landed only a few times throughout the show’s seven year run and each time was impressive. Our questions this week are; Do you feel that starship landing is underused in Star Trek storytelling? & Do you think more Starfleet ships should be able to land on a planetary surface? Discuss in the comments! This poll comes from Trek Technology and science category. Where we ask questions relating to the technology and science seen in Star Trek. Often the questions will relate to how the lines between modern tech and trek tech blur more and more each day. Other times questions from this category will ask about your favorite gear or uses of the futuristic tech we enjoy seeing on the big and small screen.

The holodeck, it’s one of our favorite subjects when it come to Star Trek. On screen this technology was used to show us fantastical stories and situations. While the holodeck worked most days without any issues now and then it went awry. Many episodes featured this circumstance from Professor Moriarty taking control of the enterprise, to most of DS9 senior staff believing they were characters in a spy adventure program, to beings from the fifth dimension mistaking the holoprogram Captain Proton for reality on Voyager. Each time the holodeck was affected in a way that put the crews in mortal danger were riveting episodes. This week we ask; What was your favorite Holodeck troubles episode? Tell us in the comments! This question comes from out General Trek Category. Where the polls focus on moments, characters, starships, and episodes from the various series and movies.

((Par’tha Expanse, Beta Quadrant, Kiros, Kirosian Continent)) ::The world came back in slow agonising waves the loud whine in his ears blocked all other sounds even his own voice, he thought it was his voice but try as he might no sound reached his ears. Then he heard it a tiny voice in the distance it had no words or at least none that he could recognise, but it was there and slowly growing louder as the whine began to dim allowing one of his senses to come back to the world. The voice grew and grew getting closer and closer, they had to get with him soon they were so close, he felt his strength starting to return but his throat hurt a raw burning pain that felt as if hands were clutched around his neck squeezing hard:: Achim: BBAAAOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAHHHHH….. ::The world snapped back into focus sharply as the whine in his ears stopped, the tiny voice that he’d heard was his, the raw throat from his own shouting. Pain lanced through his legs it felt like something was crushing them, his hooves could feel a breeze ?, where was he and why was it so hard to think. His right arm hurt as he moved it so he used his left to wipe his face, feeling wetness his light fur matted and slick, Achim looked at his hand..red with blood squeezing his eyes shut the sting of dust clung to them:: ::The dust was everywhere in his lungs and mouth, all over him and no matter where he turned his head the air was thick with it:: Achim oO Why, what happened … Oo ::He didn’t know how long he lay there thoughts refusing to form half sentences put together but then lost in the darkness that surrounded him, then word after word stayed joined becoming a thought that held a few more and a half sentence, still more and finally the sentence finally they held together:: ::It had been this morning or was it, how long he had been here he didn’t know but it had been earlier that he had visited his mother before heading to work, she had trouble walking these days, the lameness that set in among the elderly now sat in both hooves. She had been the head of their herd for many years after his father passed and went to the great pasture, so now it was his turn to look after her. Well not only his there was his sister as well so one went in the morning the other in the afternoon, where was he… oh yes in the morning after seeing to his mother he had headed to work in the office the same one he had been in for the past seven years. It wasn’t a major career but it provided enough, on this morning everything had gone had it had done of all those past days until … until that rumble started. It grew from such a tiny sound to the rear of an angry mountain as everything started moving shaking and swaying as if it had been drinking to many intoxicants the night before, glass panes shattered bricks crumbled and fell concrete fractured and exploded:: ::They had tried to get to the stairs but people scrambled in mass hysteria like a colony of ants; in these long moments that lasted an eternity the world had ceased to abide by the laws of gravity and physics. It was impossible to try to stand still because one second you would be standing there and then the next, chunks of floor would vanish or drop only to vanish moment’s afterword. What had been thought of as a solid floor was no longer but instead became precarious suspension bridge of terror without railings and surrounded a buildings whose structure was failing faster than you could see:: ::He thought he knew fear but at that moment nothing he had ever experienced came close to comprehending what he had felt then or now, from the window he had seen other buildings fail and fall taking all those within them plummeting to the ground. At the sight of not one but many more such buildings fall sent a wave of nausea through his stomach, each chamber spasming feeling the adrenaline pumping through him. Clouds of dust rose up as the city’s skyline crashed earthward, then it happened to them a massive lurch sent them all to the floor the lucky ones that is those that were unlucky disappeared through the holes already rent into the building:: ::Falling..a serene feeling with no pressure upon you if the realization of what was coming wasn’t there then sleep would have been easy, but the dawning outcome shouted loudly as dust rose up and obscured the view of the destruction out of the window. The office building mirroring the collapse and destruction of its neighbours, mirroring the fate of the city as fires erupted as lines that brought light and heat snapped and twisted like thing young shoots pulled out of the ground to eat:: ::Then he awoken he didn’t know how long ago parts of the building trapping him where he lay, unable to move unable to run to his mother’s house or his sisters place of work, no he had to get out to get to them they needed each other he had to. But the debris failed to move un-swayed as it was by ovine personal concerns or anguish, another cry escaped him as he lay there, within the heavy silence other voices joined in:: Achim oO I’m not alone more of us survived Oo ::The thought lifted his spirits if others survived being in this building surely there must be others, there had to be. When would they come, when would the government send help and what had caused it, he knew of earthquake he had seen explanations of them watched programs about them but here, they were nowhere near the region that experienced them:: Achim oO If it wasn’t the planet shaking then what could it be ? Oo ::There were always stories about the warlike A’kir but surely they couldn’t have done this, could they. Lending his voice to those that had survived Achim called for help, help he hoped would come soon, very soon:: MSNPC Achim Office worker Kiros lll As simmed by Ensign Kurt Logan – Security/Tactical Officer USS Atlantis, NCC-74682 E239203KL0

Welcome to the Fleet! So glad to have you all here writing with us.

((Conference Room 1, Level 4 - Deep Space 26)) ::It has been a nice evening full of success for Isabel. She had met some new people, was recognised for her achievements during the last mission with two new ribbons added to her collection and was able to celebrate with others who had received promotions and other accolades.:: ::It appeared to her, that Starfleet parties are always over quite abruptly. It didn’t even need a red alert or other similar emergency. As soon as people start to leave, it was basically a rap for everyone. Right now, their guests from across the galaxy were leaving, from Isabel’s point of view simply by disappearing.:: ::This was bad news, as one of the more important items on her imaginary To-Do-List was not yet checked. She was quite relieved when she saw Commander Traenor still being there, obviously in the last moments of a talk with Commander Thomas.:: ::Isabel smiled, as this pair most certainly brought up some memories. It was the two officers who had led her mockup mission serving as part of the final exams of the Academy. Even though Thomas had been the Commanding Officer, she had always thought of Traenor being her examiner, since they had had to split the team during the mission, leaving her without much time with Thomas.:: ::This bond has been strengthened further on Turisan, where Traenor and Isabel had met again and shared an apartment for a couple of weeks. But unfortunately, he had been assigned to another position and their correspondence had dropped to literally nothing.:: ::Now, it was time to act, as it appeared as if he got ready to leave this place as well. Isabel made a quick exit out of her current conversation which could easily be continued as her counterpart was not disappearing to a place lightyears away.:: ::She rushed over and actually reached him in time. The quick sprint across the room had actually taken her breath a little.:: Pond: oO I have to start exercising again, instead of laying around with Randal on the couch all the time… Oo Pond: Commander! ::trying to find her breath again:: I’ve been trying to get a hold on you the whole evening. Do you have a couple of seconds for your old student? ::smiling:: ::Having mentally prepared to exit the simulation that placed him at the celebration on Deep Space 26, Maxwell Traenor had steeled himself to consider this the last time to see his former colleagues for a long time, if not forever. Therefore, he was quite surprised to be interrupted at the last second by someone he was very fond of, and had not gotten the chance to talk to before this very moment. The smile that erupted on his face was enough to give him facial cramps.:: Traenor: Isabel! None of this rank stuff! We’re former flatmates, after all. ::With all these previous thoughts, Isabel had a bit of a substitute-dad-reunion-vibe going on, which was quite confusing, as she had never actually felt their connection was that strong before.:: ::She somewhat awkwardly extended her arms for an invitation to a hug, until she realised that this surely wouldn’t be inappropriate, leaving her standing like a old scarecrow with arms that had already bent under the weight of the rain soaked coat.:: ::Maxwell saw the momentary hesitation in Isabel’s carriage and doubt on her face, and understood fully. A combination of time apart and rank, conflicting with familiarity and shared history, made for a perfectly reasonable moment of awkwardness between the pair. Whether it was proper or not, the scientist swept in and gave the doctor a warm hug. It was simply the mood he was in.:: Traenor: You look good, Isabel. Happy and content. Everything is going well, then? Pond: ::Happy about how the hug-attempt turned out:: Yes, very! A lot’s going on recently, with Randal and the new ships and everything… Traenor: This is an exciting time for you and all the rest. New ships, new region, new adventures. It’s a great time to have a party, and has been a great chance to catch up with everyone. ::There might have been a trace of wistfulness on his visage, but Maxwell buried it behind an authentic smile. He could live vicariously through the accomplishments of those like Isabel, whom he had seen rise through the ranks and become an accomplished officer and doctor.:: Pond: It is a great party, and really great that they were able to bring you all here! But I see, you’ve changed colours! Blue suits you well, I must say. ::smiling:: How come? Traenor: Thank you! I’ve worn blue for so long, that I just couldn’t give it up for long. ::conspiratorial wink:: Actually, I was given the chance of a lifetime to specialize in my scientific field. It’s not a step back so much as a step sideways. I’ll get the chance to wear a red collar again someday, but for now, I’m happy and healthy, and that’s what truly matters. ::Isabel was relieved to hear that. Seeing her previous mentor drop out of the command path against his will would have been really heartbreaking. Although not entirely sure if that was the entire truth, Isabel decided to stick to the version to not kill the all around good mood.:: Pond: That sounds great. I kind of got a new position as well, as it sometimes gets a bit boring in Sickbay… Whenever there’s a biological question to ask, I guess I am the girl for that on the Atlantis now. ::laughing:: Traenor: I see you and Randal managed to get posted on the same ship in the Task Force, then. I ran into him earlier, he seems pleased as punch to get to pilot an Intrepid class. ::There was an unspoken question that Maxwell left hanging. He knew that Starfleet was launching a dedicated medical ship as part of the Task Force, the USS Blackwell, and he didn’t know if missing out on the opportunity to serve on such a vessel was a bad thing or not. If he knew Isabel at all, though, he was certain that she’d be content to serve wherever she was needed, and if she had Randal at her side, then all the better. Those two were one of the most successful couples he’d ever had the privilege of witnessing.:: Pond: Yes, I am so happy about that! I am quite sure Renos has pulled some strings to make sure of that. I was a bit afraid that Randal felt like being dragged along with me, as the Blackwell surely is bigger than the Atlantis. But if you say he said that, I am quite relieved... Traenor: ::laughing:: Oh, I’d say he is. I mean, if you can put up with that haircut of his, then it must all be good. That probably makes him happy enough. Pond: ::jokingly:: Heey, don’t speak ill of my boyfriend! His hairdo is brilliant! ::The laughter was hearty at that last jab. Glad to be finally in a place where he could joke about and with his former colleagues, Maxwell felt a warmth and happiness that had been muted for a long time. Any doubts that he had about visiting the ceremony had fully dissipated, and he was left with a contentment over all that had transpired during this virtual visit.:: Pond: ::hesitant:: Can I let you in on a secret? Traenor: Of course. I’m all ears and zipped lips. ::It really was a spur-of-the-moment decision to tell, as she hadn’t had the chance to talk about that to anyone. But with him leaving quite soon, there literally was no chance for some ill-informed rumor to spread which could ruin the whole endeavour.:: Pond: I think it might be time for Randal and me to tackle the next step… ::It was such an open-ended statement that Maxwell was left with an unflattering blank expression as his mind reeled through several possibilities. Before his imagination could run roughshod over the truth, he prodded Isabel for more.:: Traenor: Such as… ::Once again, Isabel was hesitating. She hadn’t told anyone and she was not sure if it was a good idea to do so right now.:: Pond: I am thinking about a way to ask him to marry me. ::If the grin that prefaced their fortuitous meeting was grand, then his latest one was simply macabre. There was no way for Traenor to express how overjoyed he was with the state of these two young friends’ union. He couldn’t help himself, he swept Isabel up in another bear hug.:: Traenor: That is the best secret ever! I’m so proud of you, so proud for both of you! There better be an invitation for me that comes across subspace when the date is announced! Pond: ::laughing while being hugged:: Easy! I said I was thinking about it! ::getting out of the hug:: But seriously. I have read that on Earth it is custom for the man to do that and you somehow have to ask the parents? That all doesn’t make much sense to me, do you think that would be a problem? Traenor: Randal doesn’t strike me as an overly traditional type of guy, especially with a custom as archaic as all that. I honestly believe that regardless of who does the asking, he’ll be over the moon. Don’t worry about it one bit. Do what’s right for you and him, and let tradition be damned. Pond: ::playfully grimmly:: Yeah. Screw tradition, I always say that! ::Isabel burst out with laughter. It was good to hear from another individual from the same culture as Randal hailed from that her plans weren’t doomed from the beginning.:: Traenor: ::once his own laughter subsided:: Look, my chronometer is telling me that my time is about up. But this visit wouldn’t have been the same if I hadn’t had the chance to reconnect with you. Thank you so much for tracking me down like this. It made my evening to hear from you. Pond: That’s too bad. But I am glad that I’ve caught you. So, already a new mission on the screens? Traenor: Yep, that’s the life of Starfleet, isn’t it? New life and new civilizations, etcetera. The Marchlands, our new area of operations, has it’s fair share of all that, and I get to chart it all. Pond: Let me know if you make any exciting new discoveries. Send me your papers or something, I have always time to read while waiting for patients. ::Isabel realized that there hadn’t been a big farewell scene the last time they had parted. She wasn’t sure if she had missed it or if there simply wasn’t time for that. It made the whole deal just more awkward as it was already.:: Treanor: The same goes for you. I’m always game for following the career trajectory of my former students and friends, and it’s so much more tasteful when I don’t have to cyberstalk them to get the details. ::wink:: Pond: I guess I’ll let you disappear then. Fair winds and all that… ::quite sad:: ::Before they got too wistful again, Maxwell gave Isabel a friendly wave and moved as if to walk away. But before he did, he leaned in conspiratorially.:: Traenor: I’m serious about that invitation. I better get it! Destination weddings are always nice, say Casperia Prime? ::chuckling:: Pond: Send me a leaflet, I’ll consider it. ::smiling:: ::Maxwell Traenor stepped back once again and disappeared. There was no transporter blur that normally accompanied such an event, it actually made Isabel startle for a second. After he had vanished, Isabel stood there for a moment reminiscing.:: Pond: oO Alright, time to go make plans, then. Oo __________________________________ Lt Isabel Pond Medical Officer USS Atlantis D239212IP0 ~and~ LtCmdr Maxwell Traenor Scientific Specialist, USS Constitution =/\= Top Sims Contest Facilitator =/\= A239111MT0

Your vessel has been chosen for the important mission of first contact. The species is due to launch its first manned warp engine flight in a month, and they have already launched several warp probes to neighboring uninhabited star systems. A duck blind has been in place for several years, and it’s team leaders are in the process of removing themselves from the population. They have given you many reports on the culture, and of the current political state of the planet. They report that the people of this world are likely to have a mixed reaction to the knowledge that other life forms exist in the universe. While many would accept it, the research teams report that the working class, as well as the planet's military forces would likely respond with xenophobia due to popular belief and rhetoric. One of the duck blind teams fails to report in, and your operations officer is unable to locate their biosigns or the dermal communicators implanted in each of them. After a week of searching other teams report strange communications about captives being taken by the military. Looking into those communications it confirms the missing team is indeed being held in an underground government controlled facility. You can not beam in or out of the facility directly, and have little choice but to reveal your presence to them in order to rescue your team. As Captain what do you do? Tell us in the the comments! This is a new question from our category Morals of Trek, where you are in the shoes of a Starfleet Captain facing a dilemma any of our favorite characters could have faced in Star Trek. If your crew has faced any such dilemmas and you want to see it featured in a Poll of the Week, let us know!

((Somewhere on DS 26)) … ((Isabel had promised to not tell anyone where)) ::It had occurred to Isabel that one very rarely saw the ship one was serving on. Isabel very rarely had gotten the chance to fly on shuttles which would approach the Darwin. They would just beam in and out from surfaces or space stations.:: ::It was when she had received the transfer orders from Starfleet, she had felt the need for that visual image once again. Some extensive research, a couple of determined questionings and a few pulled strings later, she actually had found and gotten access to a window where she could see what she wanted to see.:: ::Right bellow her, there was the Darwin, docked to the space station. For the reason mentioned above, Isabel had never grown fond of its unshaped exterior, that space-wise rather inefficient ball at the front and the dark-grey-ish paint job. But still, she had had the most amazing time on that vessel, had seen things she had never dared to imagine and met people that were now more important to her than anyone she had known before.:: ::But a little more to the side, there was laying her new assignment, the USS Atlantis. It was a fitting metaphor for the future, with its sleek, streamlined shape and very light hull. Nitpicking the aesthetics as always, the Trill found some of the proportions of the ship quite odd, but it was definitely much closer to what she imagined, when she entered the Academy.:: ::Isabel would have never thought that a transfer order could cause that much shock. When the guy at the recruitment center had warned her about ever changing postings, she had looked at it as an advantage. She had been adventurous, alone, independent… Who cares for packing the suitcases every once in a while, right? A new assignment would mean new things to learn, new patients to treat, new species to discover, new people to meet…:: ::Never had she thought that her first thought would be to the future of a relationship. Correspondingly relieved she was when Randal had come to her with the same set of fears, only to discover that he had received the same orders as well.:: ::The Trill was quite sure that somebody had actually made sure that this would be the case. However, it was unclear for whom it would be actually beneficial, career-wise. Yes, as a physician, it would have been tempting to go to the hospital ship, where most of the crew were transferred to. But there, there were dozens of Doctors walking around, all of them at least as competent as herself. She actually (and it bothered her quite a bit) still did not know how the personal situation on the Atlantis would look like, but surely it would be a more intimate work climate at least. The first glimpses at the medical facilities at least were more than promising.:: ::For Randal, on the other hand, it could also really be both. To Isabel’s understanding, in a helmsman’s career, the rule was „the bigger, the better“. And the Blackwell was definitely bigger. At the same time, the mission profile of the Atlantis sounded much more interesting if you are interested in high speeds and reckless maneuvers. Isabel decided to bring that issue up on the next opportunity.:: ((USS Atlantis, Pond and Shayne’s Quarters, Later)) ::One of the many things Isabel had never thought recently was how stressful moving from a ship to another was. Of course there was only a little time window to do so, as both ships had to be ready to return to their respective missions as soon as possible. A couple of days were intended, at least to Isabel’s knowledge, but one had always to be ready for an emergency. Therefore, she had crammed everything into the standard Starfleet baggage set, even though the last time it had proven to be a mistake.:: ::But luckily, no fastener malfunction caused a surge of delicates spilling out on the hallway and there was also Security Officer standing ready to embarrass her even further. However, Isabel was even more convinced that the bags where bigger on the inside, when her things (magically, as she later insisted) could now literally been found everywhere in their shared quarters. It was only a question of time until Randal would ask her to restore her usual exterior apparent of orderliness that was vastly contradicted by the inside of every single drawer and cupboard. But for now, both of them where quite busy, so Isabel sincerely hoped that they could spend their first free time together since half an eternity for just a nice, quite dinner in their new home, without thinking about such nuisances.:: ::They had been talking for quite some time about this and that, when the Trill saw the opportunity to bring up what she had been thinking about at her observation spot on DS26.:: Pond: Do you think you got dragged along with me to the Atlantis, when you really could have made much more career progress somewhere else? ::It was kind of an out-of-the-blue question, but Isabel did not think quite much by it. By now, she was convinced that even if he would think so, it wouldn’t really matter, as the more important thing was happening right here, right now. So, she actually wasn’t worried or anything, just interested.:: Shayne: ::Laughing gently.:: Where did that come from? Isabel, if I had to forsake my career to be with you, I'd do it in a heartbeat. You come first, before Starfleet, before anything else. I love you. ::Before she could even react to that answer, the door chime rang.:: Pond: ::mildly annoyed:: Who could that be… Shayne: At a guess? Someone with the worst timing in the world. ::As it was probably best to not show her chaos to every possible visitor, she decided to actually have a look herself and not just order the door to open.:: Pond: Just keep sitting, I’ll have a look. ::She walked over to the door and used the button on the side to open it. When it actually had opened, she faced a glass tank with two glowing fish and a distorted blue face looking through it. Apparently the First Officer himself had come for a visit.:: Brell: I’ve brought you a house warming gift. Pond: ::excited, without any bit of annoyance left:: Commander! How lovely they are! And how thoughtful of you. Please, come inside and try to not look at my stuff lying around… ::… and a bit louder …:: Pond: Randal, we have a high guest! Shayne: Hello! ::Still out of range of Brell's vision.:: Brell: Hello! ::He called out to Shayne. Then looked back to pond at the door.:: How are you both doing this evening? Pond: We’re just having dinner, would you care to join? I would say there were enough for you, too, but I guess there’s always enough coming out of the replicator, am I right? ::smiling:: ::Isabel realised to late that this harmless reference to times when one would cook a pan full of a dish which later had to suffice for everyone at the table could easily be mistaken for an insult on the implied appetite of the Bolian. Fingers crossed he would not notice or interpret it correctly. Brell: ::He chuckled a bit at Ponds unending replicator joke.:: As long as the power flows so does the chow. Sure I’d enjoy joining the two of you for a bite. Shayne: I apologize for the mess, sir. We're still trying to set up. ::The human came into view.:: Please, have a seat. Always room for you here. Can I get you a drink? ________________ Lt Isabel Pond Medical Officer USS Darwin-A D239212IP0

I had to choose other for this one simply because I could not choose a favorite from the list or give another bottle episode that I liked more. When I was researching this poll I found out "bottle episodes" are some of my personal most often re-watched favorites across the series. Choosing between "Lower Decks", "Observer Effect", and "The Drumhead" in particular I don't think I could do, XD.

Bottle episodes, every series had them. Some more than others. A lot of people really enjoy them for the more character driven plot lines. While many others prefer the episodes were our favorite characters have away missions to exotic places or get in epic space battles. What are bottle episodes you ask? Bottle episodes are a mainstay of science fiction television as well as other genres. Simply put they are episodes where nearly all scenes are shot on existing sets. There are few or no guest stars, the action tends to be light and special effects are not generally used or kept to a minimum in bottle episodes. This was most often done to save money over the course of a season to be able to spend more on major events and season finales. So tell us which Bottle episode was your favorite in the comments! Bottle episodes gave us many excellent character driven episodes and there are so many to choose from. It was difficult to narrow down the list! This question comes from out General Trek Category. Where the polls focus on moments, characters, starships, and episodes from the various series and movies.

Hello and welcome to the Fleet!

((USS Darwin-A, Sickbay)) ::Ren had no conscious awareness that he had been moved to the special quarantine aboard Darwin, but some part of him sensed he was caught in a transporter beam, and knew he was placed gently in a reclining position, separated from the shoulder of a captain he didn’t know yet. The puddle of drool he’d left had soaked through the captain’s uniform enough to still be present when they awoke later, but for now, Ren contented himself to curl up where he was left, and continue dreaming, breathing the clean, quarantined Darwin air.:: ((Ren’s Dream)) ::Arnom, that mysteriously unsymbiotic symbiont who served as the master of ceremonies to Ren’s afterlife, or dream, or whatever this happened to be, had already sent Ren through two dreams. In one, he saw what life might have been like if Navin was still alive. In another more nightmarish landscape, he saw what his fate could be if he chose to try again with Sovak.:: ::Now, Ren was deposited into a third and final dream, wandering out of the bright white mist onto a familiar scene. He emerged from a turbolift onto a Starfleet bridge, not one he knew, not even a class of ship that was real, but the whole thing was so Starfleet. In his dream state, he knew he had been there before. This was his ship. This was his crew. This was the future.:: Tarch: Captain on the bridge! ::The crew rose and stood to face him, all smiles. Ren blushed.:: Rennyn: Who, me? Ravenscroft: Welcome back, Captain Ren! We’ve been waiting for you. ::Ren paused in his celebration, and started to look more closely at the faces around him. Why was his ship crewed by dead people? Barbara Tarch stood proudly as his first officer, in her old maroon uniform with the white collar, her jacket buttoned uncomfortably high. Emerson Ravenscroft’s bright auburn hair and warm smile looked impossibly real, but he couldn’t be true. He was long gone now. And Mort Opfer was there. What was a deck chief doing on the bridge? Especially one who was dead?:: Rennyn: Am I dead? Opfer: Not yet, guy. But don’t worry. You’re getting there. ::A warm shimmer of light captured Ren. This dream was taking a dark direction, but suddenly there was blue light, and Ren was taken from the place that was killing him, and deposited somewhere safe. In his dream state, it was a long, protracted process that he observed as an outsider.:: Ravenscroft: Where’d the captain go? Rennyn: You guys, I’m right here. Tarch: Fire all torpedoes! Opfer, scramble all the jets! Launch the megazords! Power up the noisy crickets! Dispatch the battlemech! Call in Mega Maid! Rennyn: Yeah, but, you guys, I’m right h-- Oh! ::He was suddenly not right there. He was, instead, on a planet, alone in a barren, rocky landscape. Alone except for a Gorn who was bearing down on him in his clumsy but powerful way.:: Rennyn: What the--? ::Ren grappled with the Gorn. The Trill’s shirt was artfully ripped open for some reason, exposing one shoulder and part of his chest, heaving now with the effort of fighting off the powerful enemy. The struggle was tough, but Ren felt exhilarated. He knew more now about what it meant to be in command of a starship, and just how much it took, but when he was a kid, this right here was exactly what he thought it would be like!:: ::Just when the powerful Gorn seemed to have the upper hand, something magical happened. Ren was aware of a purple cloud gathering above them. It swooped down and swarmed the Gorn’s face, confusing the lizard and causing him to release his death grip on Ren. The Gorn ran away.:: Rover: It is Rover! ::Ren looked up in delight at the sound of the squeaky, excitable little voice. His friend was back! Rover was his mischievous cloudy self again, and all was right in the universe!:: Rennyn: How is this possible? Rover: Spotted One, you healed Rover with the power of your love! Rennyn: That makes so much sense! ::With Rover finally at his side -- or, suspended somewhere over his shoulder -- again, Ren was finally at peace. He was living his best dream, and he could be exactly what he wanted to be. He could have it all! His shirt torn artfully open, and a proud look on his face, he struck a heroic pose with one leg up on an outcropping and his chest heaving broadly.:: ::It wasn’t about being a captain. It was wasn’t about commanding his own ship. If Ren was second officer for the rest of his life, he would be happy, as long as he got to be the one thing he’d always dreamed of being, lying in a field in Arnmere gazing up at the stars. As long as he got to pull up from the drudgery Starfleet sometimes became, and be just the thing the wanted to be…:: Rennyn: Space hero! ::Rover was part of it, but this was the real dream Arnom was showing him. To prove it, the dream kept on giving.:: ::A storm of troopers in white helmets thundered over the horizon, and only Ren could stop them.:: ::He shot his laser effortlessly, and hit everything he meant to. All the return fire missed.:: Rennyn: Pew! Pew! Pew! ::To the victor went the spoils, and Ren happily accepted a large delivery of pizzas.:: Rover: Rover wishes Rover had a stomach! ::Someone was rubbing Ren’s shoulders, and another was feeding him slices with pepperoni and mushroom. It was the hunky Orion bartender from Outpost Unity, and some kind of sultry cat man. Ren found himself purring.:: Rennyn: Space babes! How YOU doin’? ::A plate appeared in the air before him, and the cat man took it down with one paw. Ren’s eyes went wide in excitement.:: Rennyn: NACHOS! ::Rover was playing electric guitar riffs and the Orion had duplicated himself to massage Ren’s feet. Everything was awesome! Ren leaned back across the cat man’s lap and sighed in deep contentment. His was a charmed life with barely a problem in it. Even the rocky landscape had been replaced with a luxury resort, with lush greenery, no tourists, and bottle service to the hot tub.:: ::Then Ren’s head turned to the side, and his eyes opened slightly, and he almost choked on a pizza-nacho combo bite when he saw that cheap plastic gate again. It was just like the first one he’d stepped through, at Arnom’s insistence. He knew this meant his dreams were coming to an end. Just like the other dreams, he knew this life wasn’t quite right. But it sure did feel good while it lasted.:: ::Ren had been obedient to Arnom throughout this ordeal, following through each gate no matter how difficult it was. This time, the feeling of a warm coat of fur against his cheek and the offer of a blue margarita with a lot of ridiculous umbrellas in it made Ren reconsider. He called out towards the gate.:: Rennyn: Five more minutes, Arnom! Half an hour, tops! ::Ren turned back to the scene at hand, and was pleased to find there was now three of the Orion. This dream was going well.:: Rennyn: Hey Rover. Why don’t you go see if there’s some other kids to play with? ::He hated to chase the little cloud away so soon, but there were six muscular green arms holding slices of pizza, and to be honest, it wouldn’t be fair in front of someone who didn’t have a stomach or taste buds.:: ::The dream faded to PG. No one wanted to see Ren eat that much pizza.:: LtCmdr Ren Rennyn First Officer USS Blackwell, Andaris Task Force A239102RR0

Forcefields, since their introduction in Star Trek have fueled the imagination of viewers and writers of future episodes alike. Forcefields have been shown to be able to do far more than just confine someone in a holding cell. They are the magic behind the Holodeck’s feeling of reality giving form to the characters and objects that mimics the feel of the real world counterpart. They can be used to sterilize surgeon's hands and keep patients from being able to move as well as keep an area quarantined in medical settings. They are used to contain fires starving the flames of oxygen and keeping it from spreading. In emergencies they keep the air in by closing breaches in the hulls of starships and space stations. Forcefields can even be used to create breathable places in the harshest conditions imaginable; like on the surface of an asteroid or holding back millions of pounds of water on the bottom of a sea. This week our question is: What use of Forcefields do you find most impressive? This poll comes from Trek Technology and science category. Where were ask questions relating to the technology and science seen in Star Trek. Often the questions will relate to how the lines between modern tech and trek tech blur more and more each day. Other times questions from this category will ask about your favorite gear or uses of the futuristic tech we enjoy seeing on the big and small screen.

Congratulations & Welcome to the Fleet! Glad to have you here with us.