Randal Shayne

It has become one of the most universally recognized staples of Star Trek. It has been the solution to, and cause of, many problems face by the crews of the Enterprise-D, Voyager, and Deep Space 9. I am, of course referring to the holodeck. Who wouldn't want a room that could literally change its settings and content to an unlimited number of perameters in the blink of an eye. Within that commonness, however, stands brilliant examples of creative uses, and accidents, where the holodeck, and holographic technology as a whole, was involved. From the holographic decoys used by Voyager to escape the Kazon, to the creation of a whole new form of medical instrument and sentient life (namely the Doctor), to the inadvertent rise of a sentient Professor Moriarty, holodeck technology has provided fantastic story material. This week's poll asks you to choose which one stood out to you the most.

Yeah, I do apologize about that- probably should have added more classes. There are so many that I didn't want people getting overwhelmed. Good to know for the future. And yes, the Cousteau is a beautiful shuttle. Can't go wrong with that one.

There's no denying that transporters are nifty bits of machinery. They can transmit a person or thing hundreds of miles, to arrive safely (usually) at a given destination. However, it seems like these transporters can be easily beaten. Ion storms, power surges, combat shields and dozens of other factors have been known to render them inoperable. When they inevitably go wrong, there's only one way to travel. Yes, I'm talking about shuttlecraft. Say what you will about them, they're handy to have aboard in a pinch, and can be used for so many different tasks. Need to be towed out of a nucleonic particle nebula? Or how about rescuing stranded crew on a Class-L planet? Over the years, different designs have come forth, each with their own spirit and legacies. This Poll of the Week asks you to think back, and choose your favorite small Starfleet crafts. Was the reletively primitive shuttlepod from Enterprise a winner in your mind, or do you prefer the beefy functionality of a runabout? Tell us in the comments below!

Starfleet’s primary mission has always been to explore uncharted worlds and civilizations. Over time, however, it became obvious that the Federation was faced with a great number of threats. When phasers and torpedoes don’t work, Starfleet crews must find unconventional strategies in order to defend themselves and the Federation as a whole. Adversity breeds innovation, and flexibility has been shown to be more of an asset than firepower. Throughout six series, numerous examples of this theme have been enjoyed. From the technologically sophisticated tactics of Voyager’s outboard holographic imagers, to the simplicity of latching onto a chunk of the opponent's hull and pulling, as seen in Enterprise, there has been no shortage of brilliant maneuvers and awe-inspiring creativity. This week’s poll asks you to give your favorite examples of unconventional tactics in starship combat. Did the artificial solar flare in “Shadows and Symbols” capture your imagination? Or did you find the extensively modified deflector dish of “The Best of Both Worlds” more to your liking? Something else not listed here? Tell us below!

I always liked the concept of those crazy soloton waves. They seemed just impractical and dangerous enough to be a viable method for transporting non-warp capable ships and objects. I could see them being used in military operations- a wave carrying supplies within itself, one that speeds up and could smash through enemy starship lines, while being stopped by a few torpedoes let loose by the intended target. Seems like the perfect blockade runner to me!

Merrick R'Ven- https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php/Merrick_R'Ven

Perhaps for the first time, I love every episode suggested in one of these polls. "The Drumhead", with its legitimate beginnings that quickly devolved into a witch hunt. "The Measure of a Man", where the very right to be was debated, and the fate of a life hung precariously in the balance. "Court Martial", which reminded us that every action has a consequence, perhaps one that is not apparent for years after the fact. "Rules of Engagement" and it's startling wake-up call to reality regarding war and death, especially in the Star Trek universe, often such a peachy place. "Author, Author"'s seemingly small problem exploding into a full scale debate about property and the right to possess. All of them incredible entries in canon. I could barely choose between them, but I had to go with "The Drumhead." I know portions of that episode by heart.

Precisely why I'm rather glad (at least from an in-universe perspective) that it wasn't done more often. On the ground, a starship is incredibly vulnerable, and any number of things could end a crew's mission with an unceremonious finish. Starting up the warp core takes time, and the sheer size of most of these ships makes them unwieldy in a Class-M gravity field, regardless of who the pilot is. Essentially, it's a good thing to have, but it should be used with great caution, under strict circumstances, and the ship should not be on the ground longer than necessary. On the other hand, it could have made Voyager a bit more interesting- that's for sure!

Good to have you with us in the fleet!

Half an hour total run time over two parts? Limited fundraising? Dictating that the title can't have "Star Trek" in it, but must contain a "Star Trek" fan production tag? What a foul, money-grubbing policy. Star Trek has grown beyond Paramount's grasp. This puts the Ferengi to shame. I will not allow corporations to dictate how I express myself, and I hope others agree with me. Forward, Axanar!

Not a fun decision, no matter what you choose. I particularly liked the "stop the gods quietly", but a sudden absence of gods could instigate holy wars, chaos, and death on a horrific scale. I'd try to negotiate with the "gods" before trying anything else. Have them explain why they are leaving, and then take off, never to return. A minor difference from the third option, but I feel an important first step.

((USS Darwin, Deck 1, Captain’s Ready Room)) ::The door chimed bringing in the second interviewee. Ne was lucky to have so many capable officers serving aboard the Darwin and after one candidate had taken a career break unexpectedly to deal with an emerging family problem, it had thrust Emery Rhyn into the spotlight. So where ne’d previously thought ne would only be interviewing one candidate face-to-face, now ne had the pleasure of interviewing two. Renos was lucky to have worked with both candidates personally and know more about their capabilities but ne also had to be mindful not to give them preferential treatment too. Like with Icavoc, ne didn’t know Emery Rhyn particularly well, though she was a somewhat newer addition to the crew culture and psychology ne felt Commander Rhyn had a lot to bring to a command role as a joined Trill officer. She had lifetimes of experience to draw upon. The only question was how useful some of it would be. If one of her past hosts was a famous sculptor then Emery’s quarters might well be a work of art but ne wasn’t sure how that would help her deal with building relations with species that felt Starfleet being the (relatively) new kids on the block, weren’t to be trusted. Ne let the officer in and they started off with all the usual rote questions such interviews necessitated.:: Renos: While you have excelled in every task we’ve asked of you to date, you’ve not had a lot of opportunities to lead from the front. How would you describe your command style and how do you think people would react to you as commanding officer? ::Emery hated this question. It had come up numerous times in interviews with supervising officers, Academy instructors, and other commanding officers she’d had that were trying to help her along the path to command. The short and easy answer was - she didn’t have one. Not one she was conscious of, anyway. She’d never really been in a position of command long enough to try out different approaches to see which she was comfortable with and which would work for her. Obviously, she couldn’t tell Renos this. She was in an interview for a command position. She couldn’t come out and say that she couldn’t command.:: ::She relaxed and thought about her symbiont’s previous hosts. Ellaan had been a politician, and was used to dealing with people. But her strengths lied more in the diplomatic arena - diffusing problems, negotiating and such, and not in the command area. Yaren had been the captain of a merchant vessel. But he mostly had a crew of one - himself. He did what he wanted and never had to worry about ordering others around. Kilanda had been a university professor and was in charge of a large body of individuals daily. But teaching and command were two different beasts. The other hosts had nothing to offer either. Emery was on her own here. What kind of a commanding presence was she?::Rhyn: One thing they’ve taught us in Tactical, ner, is to always assess your situation. Know what and who you can count on, and where your greatest assets and weaknesses are. My greatest assets as a CO would be my crew. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses, I would be able to pull from their knowledge base, and not place personnel in situations that would set them up for failure. ::Emery wasn’t sure this answered Renos’ question, but it was the best she had on the spur of the moment. She waited nervously for nir reply. The captain nodded just a little. Having been at this now for a few years ne had learned a lot through trial and error. There were a lot of things ne had little to no knowledge of. No one could be expected to know it all, or handle everything alone. It was imperative a commanding officer know their crew, trust in them and know how to get the best from them and that was about tasking them appropriately. This was a good start.:: Renos: Do you see yourself as being someone who prefers to maintain a more professional distance, or would you be more open and approachable to your crew? ::There was no right or wrong answer here. It was a matter of style and each person had their own preference. Ne had served under captains who were more distant and unapproachable. One in particular ne had only ever seen in passing. Ne hadn’t worked on the bridge and since ne hadn’t been their physician they’d had no reason to talk. That had been strange to nem at first. Ne on the other hand was happy to talk to the crew. There was no question that you couldn’t be completely chummy with the crew. If everyone was your best friend it was going to be hard to separate the personal from the professional at times. That could lead to trouble.::Rhyn: By definition, a CO needs to have a certain level of professionalism. But being approachable by your crew allows for a bond of loyalty and trust to be developed. There’s a fine line between them, but I think I’d like to lean a little more to the approachable side. ::Emery hadn’t needed to think about that question much. She was a people person. She liked to get to know who people were, to invest herself in their lives, their hopes and dreams. Her parents had thought that she would maybe become a psychologist, or even a social worker. Took them by surprise when she applied to the Tactical track at Starfleet Academy.:: Renos: Sounds like you have a similar philosophy to me then. How would you deal with a situation in which one of your crew is not responding to your orders? It might be that they think because you are friends they have greater authority to shape a situation than is the case. ::Emery thought of those crew she was closest to. She had started a friendship with Isabel, and by association Shayne. She liked Logan, and knew what kind of a soul he really was, even if he didn’t show it openly. And she liked Brell and his family...suddenly she realized that all four of those people had been assigned to the Atlantis with her. A situation like the captain’s question suddenly had a lot of merit. She could very well be surrounded by people she considered friends, and have to order them to do something they didn’t agree with. How would they react? How would she react to their reaction?:: ::Alternately, what if it was a sticky situation? Would she send another crew member she wasn’t as fond of into a potentially dangerous situation just because they weren’t as close? Would she protect her friends, and sacrifice others? Emery liked to think that she was a bit more professional than that. That her training as a Starfleet Officer would override any personal feelings in matters like that. But when it really came down to it, how would she respond?:: Rhyn: Anyone under my command would have had the same training I did. Starfleet personnel understand that anyone can be called upon at any time to do anything. If we’re not prepared to answer the call, then we shouldn’t be in this business. They may not like my orders, they may even disagree with my orders. And I’d never order anyone to do anything I wasn’t personally prepared to do myself. But I’d remind them of who they are, what this uniform stands for, and count on their professionalism to see that they get the job done. ::Again, Emery wasn’t sure that was the answer Renos was looking for. She was being as honest as she could...she just didn’t know if she was understanding the meaning behind the questions. Was she too vague? Should she be more specific? It was hard to know what Renos was after without being able to read nir mind. Sometimes she wished she was telepathic.:: Renos: You’re right that everyone will have had the same training but how would you react when people choose to abandon it, to betray that uniform and all it stands for?::This was not something that should ever come up but unfortunately ne had been betrayed not once, but twice. As much as Recruit Iy’s betrayal had hurt nem, Lieutenant Logan’s was arguably worse because he had Starfleet’s training and lifelong exposure to Federation culture and ideals. To Iy, ne was entering a whole new world vastly different to what he was used to, where betrayal was expected by a lot of people. The reason ne had asked however was completely unrelated to nir own misfortunes. It was all very well saying ‘I’ll remind the crew of their uniform and the ideals they swore to uphold’, but what if that is not enough? Renos had made tough decisions, even unpopular ones that made nem feel isolated from the crew, especially from the more openly disapproving ones. It took a very strong personality and complete confidence in one's decision making to stand strong in the face of criticism and in the face of betrayal.:: ::”Betray the uniform.” The question screamed of Renos’ personal history. Emery could say she empathized, but it would really just be words. She had no idea how the J’naii had emotionally dealt with those situations. How would she deal with a situation like that? She’d be hurt, certainly. Would she keep it in? Would she explode? Emery supposed it would depend on the situation and the person, or people, involved. Renos was probably remembering the incident with Logan. He was assigned to the Atlantis. Was ne worried that something like that might happen again with her command?:: ::Emery had spoken with Logan, both before and after his meeting with the captain and Varaan. She had given her support to Logan’s genuine concern for Renos’ well-being, but had made it clear that she had to side with command when it came to the plan’s execution. If only Kurt had said something before hand. She would have even gone with him to present the idea. She’d also talked to Kurt during shore leave on Trill. She felt that the two of them were in a good place. She was fairly certain that she didn’t need to worry about him going off and doing his own thing again.:: ::But the question remained. And it wasn’t Logan-specific. Anyone could be anti-Rhyn, either personally or professionally. How would she deal with it?:: Rhyn: I guess it would really come down to how far they’ve gone. Is it just words? Or have they taken some kind of action already? If it’s only words so far, I think we’d have to have a little chat, just one-on-one, and try to iron out the difficulties. ::That was Ellaan, trying to the political track:: However, if something had happened...if action was taken...then ::Logan’s face unfortunately flashed through her mind:: appropriate consequences in relation to the action would have to be taken. That could be something as simple as a reprimand on their record, or incarceration in the brig. We’re not military, per se, but there are rules and regulations in place, and for a reason. Rules need to be followed and enforced, or there’s chaos. ::Renos had absolutely no concerns about Rhyn’s respect for the rules and regs or her ability to manage a crew and ensure they also had the same respect for it. While Emery had less experience than the other candidates ne was considering, they couldn’t discount the experience and knowledge that she had as a joined Trill. Her professionalism spoke for itself. There were some follow up questions - there were always more questions to be asked but like with the previous interviews it was from nir point of view a success. The J’naii had learned what ne’d hoped to learn and it was increasingly clear to nem that this was going to be another of those agonising choices.:: Fleet Captain Renos - Commanding Officer, Andaris Task Force * Executive Council & Captain's Council Member * Academy Commandant A238805EB0 & Cmdr Emery Rhyn - Chief Tactical Officer - USS Darwin-A, NCC-99312-A V237810V10

Well done!

While all of us are aware that the Ferengi have quite a reputation, I feel compelled to point out that we currently have Ferengi crew members in the fleet. This shows that great strides have been made in their society, and while no culture can turn itself around in the blink of an eye, having starships from an organization like Starfleet regard seemingly decent Ferengi as dangerous and/or untrustworthy can hinder this process even more. Therefore, I say we trust them. And even if the crew has an ulterior motive, they offer medical supplies and help- things that we can trust. After all, if the materials were defective, they'd be loosing tens of thousands of prospective customers.

((Tro'Arn Farm, Arnmere, Trill)) ::It was spring in Arnmere, and Norva Rennyn had a lot on her mind.:: ::Her oldest son, Norvil, was the proud father of his third child, a bouncing baby boy of such typically large Rennyn size that he had put out his father's back, leaving them all short a hand for the season. She remembered very well that famous Rennyn baby mass. She'd had nine of them herself, only three of them under ten pounds at birth, and two of those were the twins. Then there were the nine grandkids, now ranging from twelve years down to one, all of whom had been dropped off at grandma's house on a regular repeating loop since birth. She loved those sweet babies with all her soul, but it sure would be nice if someone would call first once in a while.:: ::There was Norvil and his wife and three kids, and her oldest daughter Thara and her husband Maren and their three kids. And old Aunt Metzi to worry about, though she was fairly self-sufficient. And her husband Elan, of course. That was just here on the main farm. Down the road, Norva's son Dirin and his wife ran their own farm with their two little ones, getting bigger every day. Fess moved into the city for work, but he was back like clockwork every weekend, and Vye dropping in and out as her business allowed, and of course Ren and Alin were both off in the stars, but Nila, the other twin, was a new mom, and they just lived over in town in Lenna Golfarn's old place. Then there was Tor, her youngest, twenty now and away at school. Tor was on her mind most of all these days, and the worry that he might not come back here. Some days she wanted a little space to herself, but she sure didn't want any of her kids to move away.:: ::Today, Norva was in her shop, her own little work place out the back of the oldest barn. Elan carved out the space for her years ago, and she had all her woodworking tools and her metalworking tools, her trusty big hammer and her welding torch and her soldering iron. Needlework was for other grandmas. Since she was little more than a young girl, Norva loved working with her hands, and had by now nearly furnished the whole town with her chairs, tables and other creations made out of repurposed building materials.:: ::Right then, she was hammering a few things good and hard. There was so much to think about on this farm, and it got to be so she was sick of it some days.:: ::The planting was ongoing at this time of year, and Norvil and Thara had ostensibly taken over operations at Tro'Arn. It still seemed that Norva and her husband Elan had to take charge of everything. From ordering to equipment to shipments and service schedules, there seemed nothing that couldn't get a detail past her grown up kids, who had absolutely insisted they could handle it. So in addition to being babysitter to their kids, she had to hold her own adult childrens' hands and guide them step by step through all the management tasks and processes they already should have known by now. The busier the farm's season, the more time mama needed with her big hammer.:: ::Anyway, it was spring, at least. The farm was beautiful this time of year, with breezes that alternately warmed or cooled just right, the smell of rich dirt tilled up wherever you went, and the fresh scents of green plants growing from every direction, just about to ripen and blossom. It did make you feel good to be able to walk around the fields in a light jacket, taking in the farm for its scenery as much as its technical aspects. The barn animals were out and about, making their various calls in the yard. And vast fields of grains stretched in every direction, as far as the eye could see.:: ::Norva paused in her work to look out the open barn door, to smell the fresh air that came just this way every year this time. This was the time of year, almost exactly to the day, that her Ren loved most, so it was fitting that this was the day he was coming home.:: ::Norva's heart almost stopped, and she tore the goggles from off her head, casting it and her project aside as she rushed to close up the shop at the sudden realization.:: Norva: Oh for the love of-- This is the day Ren's coming home! ::In a panic, she closed the barn door and ran up the yard towards the main house. She'd barely done a thing to prepare. No one had made up any of the beds, no one had planned any meals, she didn't even know if anyone had called the other kids to tell them he was coming. They were supposed to be famous for their Arnmere hospitality around here, but as it stood, she hoped Ren's friends liked planting crops, because no one had even thought about entertaining them.:: ::She rushed into the house, the big old sprawling complex with its generations of add-on wings they only jokingly called a farmhouse, and found Elan, her wiry, silver-haired husband, napping in a chair. She dumped him out of it.:: Norva: Ren's coming! Starfleet's coming! ::She barely formed a sentence as she ran past and into the house. She was covered in saw dust and grease. She didn't have a clue how she was supposed to entertain whatever crew of space-traveling friends her son brought home with him.:: Elan: 'S 'at TODAY? Shoot! ::With no complaint about being dumped from a comfortable nap, Elan scrambled to his feet and ran in the other direction. Norva hoped he was going to call the others back from their work planting fields in those giant hovermachines. It was Ren who insisted they get those, and then he'd left them. And now all this fuss over him coming home. He should have stayed here in the first place and then they wouldn't always be short a man.:: ::At least the grandkids were at school today. Except the baby, but his mother had him in town just then. And Aunt Metzi was tucked in her chair, a relic as old as she was, wrapped in blankets of psychedelic patterns, looking fine with an elaborate updo and heavy eye makeup like they used to wear way back in her day. Of course no one else was around. The took and they took, and then as soon as she needed them, there was no one around to help.:: ::At least, now that she rushed to inspect it, the house was in its typical modern-day order. By the time Ren or any of his friends beamed onto the wide, welcoming front porch, their rooms would be ready, rooms enough for as many as cared to stay. She was always a little bit frustrated with her son and his decision to leave them for Starfleet, but any friends of his were very welcome on the farm, and she hoped they were going to enjoy themselves, and if any of them wanted to help with planting, well, she wouldn't turn them away.:: ::It was spring, and as usual, life at Tro'Arn was busy, and Norva had a lot on her mind. Foremost now was the thought of real Starfleet officers visiting her home. What was she supposed to say to a Starfleet captain? How was she going to keep the neighbors from nosing in all day each day and pestering them?:: ::What was she going to say to Ren when she saw him?:: ::Still, his friends were welcome here. They would have the run of the house, the fields, the village.:: ::Then she heard the whine of the transporter outside, and remembered she hadn't thought to clean herself up. It didn't matter. She put on a smile and bravely went out the door. Unprepared as she was, Norva had no idea what to say to a Starfleet officer, but "Welcome" came to mind.:: LtCmdr Rendal Rennyn Chief Ops & Helm Officer USS Darwin NCC-99312-A A239102RR0

((Hololab, Deck 10, USS Darwin-A)) ::For quite some time he had been there, isolated at the fortress of solitude, speechless, incommunicable, forced by himself to deal with the consequences of his actions. He deliberately avoided all senior officers for quite some time and accepted all the assignments that could keep him busy all day long without having to interact with them. He needed time to mentally and emotionally purge his sins.:: ::The official excuse for his enraged behavior during the last mission was some kind of radiation within the Nebula that tampered with his endocrine system. But that was the ease way out, put the burden of his actions over someone’s shoulders or something.:: ::For Christopher, the problem was bigger than that. He had spent the last weeks confined and assigned to the hololab, reevaluating his priorities, his life and assimilating the changes that came from the last mission. Some of them he could not even discuss openly with his superior and others were a question of wounded pride. He had apologized with Shayne, and kept distance from Isabel, but would it be enough?:: ::But working alone did not mean that he was sad or depressed about what he had done. It was a time that he chose to dig deeper into his holographic research.:: ::Darwin was undergoing another mission right now and Christopher was sat next to the primary workstation, resting his eyes for a moment, when a big white cat came from nowhere and started to purr.:: Lambert: ::stroking his long silky hair:: Ohhhh mon petit!! ::opening his eyes and pulling his legs down to the ground:: Has the simulation ended? ::Christopher seemed to expect that the cat would answer that question and he indeed delivered three short meows in return. He then stood up and stretched his legs and arms. He had worked almost his entire shift without getting out of that chair.:: Lambert: I guess I will analyze the results tomorrow with my mind refreshed. Hocuss: ::meowing and trilling:: The Darwin is rebooting the system. ::A cat speaking came as no surprise for Lambert since he was the one that gave him that ability at the first place. In fact, he only spoke when there was no one else around or when he expressly say Hocuss to do so.:: Lambert: Why are they doing so? ::Another white cat appeared from thin air and gently joined the first. He was a little bit small but almost identical. The science officer thought it would be a good idea to give the operation system of the hololab a more concrete form of expression, but he did not want to pursue the traditional humanoid approach for an artificial intelligence. So he chose the twin white cats. They were much more cute.:: Pocuss: ::hissing:: The ship was under an attack. ::growling: Some kind of virus infected the computer core and they decided to reboot. ::One of the main specifications for that kind of hololab was to have a dedicated computer core to avoid any leakage of the holo-automata-cells. Fortunately, enough the safeguards worked as expected and the virus did not spread into the hololab.:: Lambert: Oh! That’s weird! But they probably have the situation under control. ::he turned around and grabbed a PADD:: Hocuss, Pocuss lock down everything for me. We continue tomorrow. Hocuss: ::meowing: Rest well… ::he started:: Pocuss: Lambert! ::he finished:: ::The twin cats disappeared into the air while the lights of the hololab were slowly dimmed into darkness in the proper sequence. The tired science officer stepped into the corridor and make his way toward the quarters 8808. But before he could take the next turbolift his commbadge chirped.:: Renos: =/\= Renos to Lambert. I wonder if you might be able to head down to sickbay. We’ve managed to rescue the first of the Talaxians. They won’t all have major injuries that need tending and because they’re not a priority medically speaking, it may be some time before anyone can tend to them. They’ll be scared and need food, water and morale support. =/\= Lambert: =/\= Lambert here. =/\= ::he stroked his chin while contemplating the possibility to meet Isabel again:: ::It was quite a while since he and Darwin’s Captain talked to each other. The last one was probably when he went out to the bridge to ask authorization for the hololab project. It was a few months ago.:: Renos: =/\= Maybe you can even find out what happened to them while you are there. Don’t worry if you can’t, they might be too confused and traumatized to make sense of their situation. We’ll find out one way or another. =/\= Lambert: =/\= I´m glad to be of service, Captain. =/\= Renos: Response Lambert: =/\= I will report to sickbay immediately. Lambert out. =/\= Well, socialize a little and play detective. This can be fun! ::he smiled almost forgetting his tiredness. :: TBC ____________________________ Ensign Christopher Lambert Science Officer ~ Physicist USS Darwin ~ NCC 99312-A D239306CL0 “When you have eliminated all that is impossible, whatever remains must be the truth, no matter how improbable.” – / Sherlock Holmes