THE OFFICI@L PUBLIC@TION OF THE USS COLUMBI@, @ CORRESPOND@NCE CH@PTER OF ST@RFLEET THE INTERN@TION@L F@N CLUB

VOL 2ISSUE 1

APR 2012The Columbia Comlink

“TO SAIL BEYOND”

Comm^nd Dep^rtmentCO Comm^nding Officer Re^r @dmir^l J^son SchreckXO Executive Officer Lt Col Jeremy DeSp^inCon Officer Lt JG K^ris JohnsIntelligence Officer Ensign @nn Pos^d^N^vig^tion M^te CRR Norm^ Jones

Engineering Dep^rtmentChief Engineer Lt Comm^nder Kevin Turner@ssist^nt Chief Engineer Lt JG Prov Vincent CurrentChief Tr^nsporter Engineer Ensign Is^^c C^rter

Medici^l Dep^rtmentMedici^l Doctor Lt JG D^le WilsonMedici^l Doctor Lt JG Michelle Guillet

Oper^tions Dep^rtmentChief T̂ ctic^l Officer Lt Comm^nder Kevin JohnsonOper^tions Officer Lt JG Judy WilsonCommunic^tions Officer Ensign Mich^el Jones

Science Dep^rtmentChief Science Officer Lt Julie T̂ ucherHistori^n/Libr^ri^n Lt JG He^th RowScience Officer Ensign Jon^th^n Redwood@nthropologist Crewm^n Recruit Doug Ev^ns@stronomy Lt JG Sevek Ess^Xenobiologist Lt JR Fr^n Brock

Security Dep^rtmentChief of Security Lt Brent GriffisIntern^l Security Officer Lt JG Bob HosfordOrdin^nce Officer Lt JG Nick ElderSecurity Ensign Br^ndon FetterlyExtern^l Security/T̂ ctic^l Officer Ensign Britt^ny V^nce

M^rine Det^chmentNCOIC Serge^nt Mich^el St^nleyM^rine M^rine C^pti^n P^ul McPhersonM^rine 1st Lt T̂ lib MidletonSqu^d Le^der Corpor^l Eric^ St^nley

Pilot 2nd Lt @^ron @rden

Speci^lty Services Dep^rtmentCrewm^n Lt Bill LemmondCrewm^n Crewm^n @pprentice Bonnie M^lm^tCrewm^n Crewm^n Recruit Steven ReidingerCrewm^n Crewm^n Recruit @ngel^ Ev^nsCrewm^n Crewm^n Recruit D^vid C^rollCrewm^n Crewm^n Recruit Lis^ Johnson

Crewm^n C^det4 D^niel JohnsonCrewm^n C^det4 Rebecc^ Johnson

U.S.S. ColumbiaShip’s Roster

Columbia Comlink Editor - Michael Jones

USS Columbia is a chapter of STARFLEET: The InternationalStar Trek Fan Association, Inc, which is a 501(c)(7) non-profitorganisation.

Star Trek®, in all its various forms, and related marks aretrademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. This site and chapter are notaffiliated or endorsed in anyway by CBS Studios, Inc or Para-mount Pictures Corporation. Please see the terms and condi-tions for futher details. Notice to copyright holders: no violation is intended, pleasecontact the webmaster with any concerns.

Cover image by Mike Hanson. Used with permission. www.japetusproductions.com

1

Well its reporting time ^g^in.

First off I would like to th^nk EnsignMich^el Jones for t^king over the chiefof communic^tions position ^nd pub-lishing the newsletter. We will now bepublishing ^ qu^rterly newsletter solook for it on ^ regul^r b^sis in the fu-ture.

The ship's membership h^s explodedin the l^st few months. We h^ve 34members ^s of this report. I would liketo welcome ^ll the new members^bo^rd ^nd look forw^rd to getting toknow everyone. In the coming monthslook for the ship to be more ^nd more^ctive. I h^ve given ^ll dep^rtmenthe^ds the ch^llenge of finding w^ys ofgetting their dep^rtment membersmore involved ^nd I look forw^rd toseeing their ide^s in ^ction. The seniorst^ff will ^lso be meeting soon to dis-cuss some ide^s for getting membersmore involved in the ship ^nd other ^c-tivities. One of the things to be dis-cussed will be ch^rities the ship couldget involved with. ST@RFLEET h^s ^long history of community service ^nd

I’d like this ship to continue the tr^di-tion. Look for more on this to come.

Our role pl^ying mission is ^lso under-w^y. Currently the only members in-volved ^re senior officer's, I'd re^lly liketo see more of the crew get involved inthis. Check with your dep^rtment he^dto see how you c^n fit into the storywithin the re^lm of your dep^rtment.Remember p^rticip^tion e^rns promo-tion points.

I would ^lso like to encour^ge mem-

bers to become involved inST@RFLEET @c^demy. This is ^gre^t progr^m ^nd I c^n ^lmost gu^r^n-tee if you look ^t their offerings you willfind ^ course th^t interests you. Somet^ke ^ few minutes to complete othersyou will h^ve to put some time into it.@ll the courses ^re free ^nd ^v^il^blethrough em^il. These ^re ^lso worthpromotion points. The ST@RFLEETM^rines ^lso h^ve their own ^c^demyopen to ^ll ST@RFLEET memberswhether you h^ve ^ m^rine ^ffili^tion ornot. Between the two ^c^demies there^re now over 2000 courses. I've been^ ST@RFLEET member for over 13ye^rs ^nd still t^ke courses regul^rly^nd encour^ge ^ll the crew to do so.

Spe^king of promotions, we h^ve sev-er^l members who h^ve ^lre^dy e^rnedenough points for promotions thisye^r. Remember, officer promotions^re reviewed once ^ ye^r ^nd enlistedcrew twice ^ ye^r. However, your firstpromotion beyond crewm^n recruit orensign occurs ^s soon ^s it is e^rned.The only w^y to get promoted moreoften th^n every 3 ye^rs is to p^rtici-p^te. This me^ns t^ke ^c^demycourses, m^ke forum posts, ^ttendmeetings, ^nd I promise there will bemore in the coming future. P^rticip^tein role pl^ying, write for the Columbi^or ST@RFLEET newsletter, ^ttend ^convention in St^r Trek uniform orColumbi^ shirt, ^ttend ST@RFLEETevents, recruit new members, visit ^n-other ST@RFLEET ch^pter's meet-ing, don^te volunteer time to ^ ch^rity.@ny ^nd ^ll of these e^rn points. Re-member, if its something other th^n ^n^c^demy course or postings, newslet-ter submissions, ^nd role pl^ying you

need to tell me ^bout it to get points forit. I'm not ^ mind re^der or ^ st^lker so,if you don't let me know ^bout it thenyou don't get points for it.

The most import^nt thing I w^nt toepmh^size to ^ll crew is I h^ve ^n opendoor policy. If you h^ve ^ concern,problem, suggestion, ide^, etc ple^sedo not hesit^te to cont^ct myself, Lt.Colonel DeSp^in, or your dep^rtmenthe^d. This is wh^t we ^re here for. Ifwe don't know there is ^ problem then Ic^n't work to correct it ^nd if I don'tknow ^bout ^n ide^ then it c^n't cometo fruition. I h^d ^ member in the p^strefuse to renew bec^use somethingh^ppened they still will not tell me^bout to this d^y. I c^n't fix ^ problem Idon't know of.

I would ^lso like to remind ^ll of thecrew th^t we h^ve 3 open senior st^ffpositions ^nd I would like to see someof our new crew or old crew step up tofill them. The positions ^re:Chief Medic^l OfficerChief of Oper^tionsChief Petty Officer of the Comm^nd If ^nyone is interested in one of thesepositions ple^se em^il me. The firsttwo ^re officer's positions the third isspecific^lly for ^n enlisted crew mem-ber. If you ^re interested in one of theseple^se em^il me for more det^ils.

Well th^t is it for this report. If you needto cont^ct me ple^se em^il me ^t

LB206@^ol.com my re^dy room dooris ^lw^ys open.

Re^r @dmir^l J^son SchreckCO USS Columbi^ NCC-2049

Commanding officer’sReportby Rear Admiral Jason Schreck

2

Chief Science Officer’sReportby Lt Julie

Executive Officer’s Reportby LTC Jeremy DeSpain

@s this is my first offici^l de-p^rtment^l report, I supposeI should introduce myself ^ndgive ^ little b^ckground soyou c^n get to know me bet-

ter. I’ll ^lso try ^nd providesome info ^bout wh^t’sgoing on in the science de-p^rtment currently.

First of ^ll, I h^ve been withSt^rFleet since July of 2010^nd joined Columbi^ ^ cou-ple months l^ter. I h^ve beenthe Chief Science Officer for^bout the p^st 7 months ^nd I^m gre^tly enjoying the posi-

tion. I h^ve been ^ St^r Trekf^n ^ rel^tively short time,since M^y of 2009 when Ifirst s^w the JJ @br^ms film.Since then I h^ve spent ^ lotof time m^king myself f^mil-i^r with ^ll the Treks, fromTOS to ENT. I must s^y it isTOS I enjoy the most,though I ^lso re^lly like TNG^nd DS9.

My other interests m^inly re-volve ^round the Be^tles,Disney World, ^nd Pix^r @n-im^tion. I like to re^d, w^tchmovies, ^nd dr^w (^s you

m^y h^ve seen by some ofmy previous contributions tothe CommLink ^nd the Com-munique). I recently got mydegree in Web Content De-velopment, so I ^m f^irly pro-ficient with computers.

@s for wh^t’s going on withthe Science Dep^rtment, wecurrently h^ve 4 members,

including myself, but there’s^lw^ys room for more if you^re interested! In the currentrole-pl^y especi^lly there ismuch to with which get in-volved. I ^m ^lso considering

the ide^ of ^ ch^t just for theScience Dep^rtment, so ^ny-one in Science who is inter-ested c^n let me know ^ndwe c^n work out the det^ils.

Well th^t’s it for now, I ^s-sume my l^ter submissionswont be ^s lengthy so if

you’ve m^de it this f^r, con-gr^tul^tions! Get yourself ^cookie. Till Next time then!

~Lt Julie~Chief Science OfficerUSS Columbi^

From the Desk of the Executive Officer

Well we ^ll h^ve h^d ^n inter-esting few weeks. Person-^lly for me someonestr^pped me into ^ rollerco^ster, ^nd set the speed toins^nity. But I h^ve gottenb^ck off th^t ride for the timebeing, ^nd c^n go b^ck to the^ctive, h^ppy XO you expect.So, we sh^ll get b^ck to thebusiness ^t h^nd ^nd ontr^ck with the ship. Seemswe h^ve quite ^ few of you^ctive on the forums, th^t is ^gre^t thing to see. For thosep^rticip^ting in the SIM, ex-pect it to t^ke off ^g^in ^s Ireturn to my ^bility to postd^ily ^nd upd^te the SIM

e^ch d^y. For those th^t ^renot yet involved ^nd needing^ w^y in let me know, ^nd Iwill gl^dly help you figure ^w^y for your ch^r^cter to getinvolved. For now here is ^brief rec^p of the Episode sof^r.Columbi^ s^t moored indock ^t St^r b^se 285, shew^s ^w^iting, rep^irs, refits,^nd repl^cements ^fter herencounter with the new Ro-mul^n cl^ss of vessel. Whilew^iting in sp^ce dock she re-ceived ^ mysterious c^rgoshipment, including of ^llthings, 4 Klingon DisruptorRifles. These were highlyunusu^l thing to be includedinto ^ supply shipment for ^feder^tion vessel. The ^s-

signment for delving into themystery w^s ^ssigned to theScience ^nd Security dep^rt-ments, being led by thehe^ds of e^ch dep^rtment.Working together ^s ^ te^mthey were ^ble to br^instormsever^l theories ^s to wh^tthe supplies were for ^ndwh^t mission might be instore for the Columbi^. Notlong ^fter their suspicionswere confirmed when ^ mes-s^ge w^s received fromSt^rfleet Comm^nd orderingthem to the Nigel^r system.In the System they brought ^Xeno-@rche^logy ^nd Ex-plor^tion te^m on bo^rd.The te^m c^used ^ bit of ^stir with some of the securitypersonnel, ^nd m^rines,

being ^ bit of ^ mystery ^nd^pp^rent person th^t re-quested the distruptors. TheChief of Security ^nd theChief Engineer outfitted therifles with subsp^ce tr^ns-mitters to ^llow the tr^ckingof the rifles. @t this point theColumbi^ w^s off ^g^in thistime for the Kelev^ system.Th^t le^ves us where we ^renow, Columbi^ in orbit, ^ndthe ^w^y te^m just re^chingthe surf^ce of the

pl^net……who knows wh^tis in store next.

LTC DeSp^inExecutive Officer, RPG @dmin

3

Security Chief’s Report

& Security Dept. Newsletterby Lt. Brent Griffis

Greetings, Crew!

Welcome to the first

issue of “T@LES FROMTHE BRIG”, the offici^lnewletter of the USS Co-

lumbi^’s Security Dep^rt-ment. Every issue, we’ll be

sh^ring interesting re^l-lifenews ^rticles, person^ls^fety/wellness tips ^nd de-p^rtment^l upd^tes. This first issue will, by ne-cessity, be shorter th^n theissues to follow but I hope itgives you ^ good sense of

the newsletter’s form^t ^ndintent. If you h^ve ^ny com-ments, concerns, correctionsor requests for future issues,ple^se feel free to cont^ct mevi^ the inform^tion on the

newsletter’s l^st p^ge.

Th^nk you for your time ^nd^ttention. C^rry on!

---Brent GriffisSecurity Chief, USS Columbi^ NCC-2049

Operations Overviewby LCR Kevin Johnson

Oper^tions OverviewLCDR Kevin Johnson,R^nking Officer

Th^nk you for tour-ing the Oper^tions Dep^rt-

ment. I’m Lt Comm^nderKevin Johnson, the r^nkingofficer (@cting Dep^rtmentHe^d) in Oper^tions ^t themoment. The Oper^tionsDep^rtment touches ^ll otherDep^rtments to help us worktogether. If the entire Co-lumbi^ is ^ the^tric^l produc-tion, Oper^tions is the St^geM^n^ger. (Th^nks, Ensign

Jones, for the ^n^logy.) Ifyou think of ^ hum^n body,the Ops Dep^rtment is theblood pumping through thebody while Engineering runsthe he^rt ^nd other org^ns.Science then m^n^ges thesenses, ^nd Security is thewhite blood cells. Oper^-tions ^nd Engineering bothwe^r yellow shoulderstripes/cl^sps.

In ^ fiction^l sense,the Ops Dep^rtment ^lsocovers Communic^tions,T̂ ctic^l, Shuttle Oper^tions,^nd Supply / Qu^rterm^ster.

On the Columbi^, Oper^-tions h^ndles t^ctic^l situ^-tions involving st^rshipwe^ponry (i.e. m^nning theT̂ ctic^l st^tion), while Secu-rity h^ndles t^ctic^l issues in-volving personnel ^ndh^ndheld we^ponry.

In our ch^pter, theCommunic^tions Division ofOper^tions, led by EnsignJones, puts out our newslet-ter. We ^lso ^ssist Com-m^nd St^ff in cre^ting /m^int^ining ^ny document^-tion (including h^ndbooks,gr^phics, etc.) ^nd person-

nel rosters. Occ^sion^lly

we’ll send out tips, tricks,^nd checklists th^t m^y ^s-sist you in re^l life.

Those Columbi^personnel who h^ve not cho-sen ^ Dep^rtment ^re con-sidered to be p^rt of theDeck Division of Oper^-tions. These members we^r^ te^l-colored shoulder stripeinste^d of the norm^l yellow.

If there’s ^nythingOper^tions c^n do for you oryour Dep^rtment, ple^se let^n Ops member know.

The follwing 4 pages contain the “TALES from the BRIG” Security

Deptartment Newsletter

4

Greetings from the new OIC.I h^ve little to report thismonth. H^ving just t^ken overthe Strike Group, I'm still inthe process of coming up withide^s/suggestions for new ^c-tivities ^nd getting ^ll myrecords in order for submit-

ting my first report to theBrig^de OIC. Some of youh^ve received em^ils from me^sking for your input, if youh^ven't; you will :).First ^nd foremost, rememberth^t this is your MSG. I'm therecord keeper ^nd I h^ve to

m^ke fin^l decisions fromtime to time, but our successis b^sed on every m^rine whobelongs to the 133rd. If youh^ve ^n ide^ or suggestion for^ctivities/projects th^t you feelwould be good for our h^ppylittle f^mily of St^rj^rs, feel

free to cont^ct me ^t

mikest^nley71@gm^il.com orthrough our website's mes-s^ge bo^rds or our F̂ cebookgroup.Th^t's ^ll for now, until nexttime...Semper Fi!

DOWN IN THE BARRACKSby MCPT Michael Stanley Jr.

Heroic

Teacher

Mounts

Fiery Rescue

Teachers are often faced with challenges when helping their students but one California teacher got more than she bargained for…And reacted in an amazingly strong way. When Elaine Johnson showed up to work on Monday morning, she expected a day like any other. As she was assisting students in the parking lot after school, Ms. Johnson saw a Toyota 4Runner hit a speed-bump and burst into flames!

TALES from the BRIG USS Columbia Security Department Newsletter

5

“It was like a movie,” Ms Johnson said later “You

expect it to explode; you expect it to blow up!”

Without a second thought, the brave second-grade

teacher rushed forward and managed to release a

little boy from his stuck seatbelt and pull him to

safety. The boy’s sister and father were also able

to escape. The custodians of Cameron Ranch

Elementary, led by Mr Larry Clark, were quickly

able to extinguish the flames and no other injuries

or property damage occurred.

Local fire fighters praised the efforts of all

involved.

-- -- II wwii ll ll nnoott,, iinn tthhee ppeerrffoorrmmaannccee ooff mmyy dduuttyy,, wwoorrkk ffoorr

ppeerrssoonnaall aaddvvaannttaaggee oorr pprrooffiitt ..

--II wwii ll ll ,, aatt aall ll tt iimmeess,, rreeccooggnniizzee tthhaatt II aamm aa ppuubbll iicc

sseerrvvaanntt..

--II wwii ll ll ggiivvee tthhee mmoosstt eeffff iicciieenntt aanndd iimmppaarrtt iiaall

sseerrvviiccee ooff wwhhiicchh II aamm ccaappaabbllee aatt aall ll tt iimmeess..

-- -- II wwii ll ll gguuaarrdd mmyy ffeell llooww ooffff iicceerrss'' hhoonnoorr aanndd ll ii ffee aass II

gguuaarrdd mmyy oowwnn..

-- -- II wwii ll ll aacccceepptt rreessppoonnssiibbii ll ii ttyy ffoorr mmyy aacctt iioonnss..

-- -- II wwii ll ll ddoo oonnllyy tthhoossee tthhiinnggss tthhaatt wwii ll ll rreefflleecctt hhoonnoorr

oonn mmyy ffeell llooww ooffff iicceerrss,, mmyy iinnsstt iittuuttiioonn aanndd mmyysseellff ..

From

“The Correctional Officer’s Oath”

SUBHEAD. SUBHEAD.

6

PERSONAL SAFETY TIPS

Brought to you by the University at Buffalo

CALL POLICE IMMEDIATELY if something

happens to you or someone else, or you notice

anything out of the ordinary. It is important to

report incidents immediately. For all

emergencies, call 911.

1. Trust your gut.

o If you feel uncomfortable or

unsafe in a situation, get out.

o Most sexual assaults on college

campuses are committed by

acquaintances. If something

tells you a situation is not right,

it isn't, get out.

o When in doubt, get out!

2. Never walk or run alone.

o Walk or run with a friend

o If you have a night class [or

work], walk with friends or

utilize public transportation

3. Be alert to your surroundings and the

people near you.

o Run in familiar areas. In

unfamiliar areas, contact a local

running club or store.

o Practice memorizing license

plates or identifying

characteristics of strangers.

o The more aware you are, the

less vulnerable you are.

o Run against traffic so you can

observe approaching

automobiles.

o Cross at crosswalks and don’t

hitchhike or accept rides from

strangers.

o Do not use earphones while

walking, driving, or bicycling.

Your ears may help you avoid

dangers your eyes may miss.

4. Light it Up & Lock it Up

o Leave lights ON in entry ways

o Do not prop open locked doors

in apartments or residence halls

o Lock your doors when going to

bed or leaving, even if it is for a

short time.

o Do not leave valuables

unattended or visible in your

car.

o Don’t keep social security card

or passport in your purse or

wallet.

o Keep your wallet on your

person as opposed to in a bag.

5. Be Visible

o Wear bright colors and

reflective material

o Stay in well-lit areas.

o Avoid unpopulated areas and

shortcuts through parks, vacant

lots, and other deserted places.

7

DEPARTMENT UPDATES

This is where we will announce Security Crew promotions, new Security Department

forum threads, events, birthdays, etc. Stay tuned for more news next issue!

March 2012

Let us know what you think! If you have an idea about

our next issue, your Security Chief is all ears!

Griffis.Brent@Gmail.com

8

NOTE: Written in the perspective of our fictional time onthe Columbia.

ST@RFLEET officers h^ve used per-son^l communic^tors for over 150ye^rs. These sm^ll devices use sub-sp^ce frequencies to provide person-to-person, person-to-ship, inter-shipcommunic^tions. Their design ^sevolved from ^ h^nd held flip top de-

sign into ^ device th^t’s worn on thewrist- then b^ck to being h^nd held ^ndnow they ^re being ^d^pted into our in-signi^ pins in the form of the com-b^dge. I thought it might be nice tolook b^ck ^t the evolution of this in-v^lu^ble tool.

In the 2150’s ^ll ST@RFLEET per-sonnel were equipped with sm^ll fliptop communic^tor. These units werebl^ck ^nd gr^y ^nd resembled ^ 20thcentury cellul^r telephone. 100 ye^rs

l^ter in the 2250’s ST@RFLEET’scommunic^tors h^d evolved into ^ cle^rmodel with ^ gold grill.

Soon the designers ^t ST@RFLEET

produced wh^t is ^rgu^ble the moststylish ^nd sleek person^l equipmentto d^te. The st^nd^rd issue communi-

c^tor used in the 2260’s is ^ cl^ssic.[In the real world both of these TOS commica-tors were designed by Wah Chang. The ENTcomm was designed by Jim Martin]

The 2270’s were ^ time of gre^tch^nge for ST@RFLEET. Uniform,ship ^nd equipment designs took dr^-m^tic turns. This w^s the first time wetried we^ring our communic^tors. Thewrist communic^tor w^s introduced ^sst^nd^rd issue but w^s soon scr^pped.The units were prone to bre^k duringh^nd to h^nd comb^t ^nd were cum-bersome during m^inten^nce work intight sp^ces on ship. [In the real worldthis wrist device was designed by AndrewProbert based on Gene Roddenberry’s con-cept]We returned to the flip top style by the

2280’s- first with ^ silver slightly morebulky communic^tor [designed by JoeLongo in the real world].

L^ter ST@RFLEET issued ^ bl^ck

^nd gold version th^t’s reminiscent ofthe sle^k units from 20 ye^rs e^rlier.[designed by Bill George from Industrial Light

& Magic in the real world] Tod^y these fliptop communic^tors ^re the st^nd^rdissue throughout ^ll of ST@RFLEET.

However, the USS Columbi^ is ^hotbed of electronic development ^ndwe ^re testing out ^ new kind of com-munic^tor. The comb^dge looks just like the

ST@RFLEET insigni^ th^t we’vebeen we^ring on our chests for ye^rs,but is now filled with ^ sm^ll subsp^cereceiver ^nd tr^nsmitter.ST@RFLEET s^ys th^t we will soonbe ^ble to use it to tie in with the m^incomputer, much like we c^n now withour h^nd held communic^tors. Thecomb^dge is ^lre^dy in bet^ testing toserve ^s ^ univers^l tr^nsl^tor ^s well.L^dies ^nd Gentlemen, I give you thefuture! [In the real world, we learned about this styleof combadges in the TNG episode Yesterday’sEnterprise when Lt. Castillo tapped his TWOKera insignia and it chirped to life.]

- Ens. Mich^el Jones

A Brief History of the

Personal Communicatorby ensign michael jonesCommunications Officer

9

The Columbia Wants

You!By: Lt. JG Nick Elder

Yes you! The Columbia invites anyone whoplays, or wants to play, Star Trek Online tohelp get the Columbia fleet off the ground.We need a minimum of six people to start afleet. Currently there are at least three peo-ple who are still interested. Just three morewill help expand our online community intoStar Trek Online. This fleet will give the Co-lumbia and its crew the ability to work to-gether co-operatively on missions andcontinue the roll playing aspects that we alllove. Whether you are a casual player or ahard core gamer, the Columbia fleet needsyou! With any further questions, please feelfree to post them in the Star Trek Onlineforum on the Columbia website. If you areinterested and currently have a Star TrekOnline screen name please contact Mil-ford@Red-Knight in the game and or postyour name in the forum. Hope to see you inthe game!

The Rec Deck

10

11

From the Desk of the Chief Engineer LT Kevin S. Turner

Chief Engineer USS Columbia (NCC-2049)

21st Century Development of Star Trek Technology

Replicators

As you can see, the topic for this newsletter is replicators. And up until very recently this idea was completely in the realms on science fiction. A replicator is a device that uses transporter technology to dematerialize quantities of organic or non-organic matter and then rematerialize that matter in another form. It is also capable of inverting its function to dispose of broken objects or disposing of leftovers, dishes and flatware and storing the bulk materials again. The history of Replicator is in three distinct phases:

1. People that make things 2. Things that make other things 3. Things that make everything

People that make things. Mans need to create objects started as a necessity. They needed an object or objects to make surviving easier. First necessity � food. Some of the first manufactured objects were stone knives, spearheads and arrow points. All used by the hunter-gatherer to make getting food easier. They even used stones like a mortar and pestle to make food easier to eat.

Next necessity- clothing. They needed to protect

themselves from the harsh environments that they lived

in. Some of the stone tools were used to scrape the

animal skins for use. They sewed the skins together with

needles made from bones, and thread made from gut.

As time went on, man got away from the need for hunting as the main source of

food when they started domesticating animals. They also started cultivating

plants for food. Thus another need was created.

How to gather and carry the food that was picked

from the plants?

The answer- baskets.

From a time nearly as old as hunting man learned

to weave baskets for carrying more than a handful

of objects from one place to another.

The skill of basket weaving was known early enough in mans history to be a skill

that traveled with them as they spread across the globe. Basket weaving was

known by every tribe and culture across the planet.

Baskets even play an important part in the story of a baby that

was set adrift in the Nile River, to be found and raised by

Egyptians, and to go on and be the leader

of an entire nation.

Shortly after basket weaving was

developed another need was discovered.

Sure, baskets are fine for transporting stuff, but extremely

poor at transporting water or other drinks.

From the desk of the chief engineerLt. Kevin S. TurnerChief EngineerUSS Columbia (NCC-2049)

12

Next necessity- clothing. They needed to protect

themselves from the harsh environments that they lived

in. Some of the stone tools were used to scrape the

animal skins for use. They sewed the skins together with

needles made from bones, and thread made from gut.

As time went on, man got away from the need for hunting as the main source of

food when they started domesticating animals. They also started cultivating

plants for food. Thus another need was created.

How to gather and carry the food that was picked

from the plants?

The answer- baskets.

From a time nearly as old as hunting man learned

to weave baskets for carrying more than a handful

of objects from one place to another.

The skill of basket weaving was known early enough in mans history to be a skill

that traveled with them as they spread across the globe. Basket weaving was

known by every tribe and culture across the planet.

Baskets even play an important part in the story of a baby that

was set adrift in the Nile River, to be found and raised by

Egyptians, and to go on and be the leader

of an entire nation.

Shortly after basket weaving was

developed another need was discovered.

Sure, baskets are fine for transporting stuff, but extremely

poor at transporting water or other drinks.

Pottery, like basket weaving, is still in use today,

though not for the same reasons, they were once

the way to store things, and to carry water. Now

they are used as decoration more often than not.

Again, it was a skill that was known on every continent. From America (above); to

Europe; Africa and Asia

Then people found a new substance that they could make things out of. Better,

stronger and harder than stone. Metal.

Of course, the first metal to be recorded was gold. Too

soft to make tools or weapons out of, but it was pretty

and easy to melt and manipulate. So valuable was the

attraction to gold, that is was the first metal to be used

as currency.

Soon after gold, copper was discovered. Now they

had something they could use for tools.

From the Bronze Age, (3000 BC in China,

1900BC in Britain) up until about 150 years ago,

metal smithing was a necessity to make any metal

object from weapons, horseshoes and nails, eating

utensils, to tools, chains, screws, and nuts and

bolts, and even jewelry.

13

The art of smithing was such an important trade that it was immortalized in art, and as the trade of several gods.

Smithing was a good way of making tools and weapons, but it was slow and tedious. The Industrial Revolution began in the 18th Century in England. It began the move of society from an agrarian, hand crafted economy, to an industrial, machine manufacture. It was driven by the invention of machines that would do the work of man, such as the steam engine; the spinning jenny and the power loom. Improvements in the way metals were processed allowed greater access to the raw materials to make new machines. As the industrial revolution progressed, the world of science did too. Manufacturers took full use to add the science to the machinery. This period saw the invention of things such as; the steam engine (used in locomotives and steamships); the internal combustion engine (horseless carriage); the telegraph; the incandescent light bulb; the phonograph; and the movie. The advent of reliable electric power allowed the machines to get faster and smaller.

14

The creation of the assembly line by the Ford Motor Company in 1908, created the quickest way to mass produce anything. The creation of machines that could do the work instead of people, created automated processes.

Mechanization plus the assembly line made mass production of things even easier and faster. Things that make other things

The automation of jobs, as the technology became available, allowed many of the jobs once held by people to be mechanized, and overseen by technicians and mechanics. In many cases automation allowed for the manufacture of parts, especially in the plastics industry, from a raw material to a finished product in one small line of machines.

15

It has even revolutionized the food industry and how people eat.

Things that make everything

The history of the replicator is murky at best. We know that the technology for

Protein Resequencers was around by the 2130s because Arik Soong had one at

his hideout.

The question becomes; did we develop this technology all on own, or did the

Vulcans help us because the thought of us eating real meat was abhorrent to

them. Either way they were around by the time of the Enterprise (NX-01).

Simply put, the Protein Resequencer takes base proteins (Keratin, Coronin,

Actin, Myosin isoforms, Spectrin, Dystrophin, and amino acids) and uses a

�� ������������������������ ��������������������������������������material

into the resequencer. Once in the resequencer, the proteins in the matter

stream are reorganized to match the preprogrammed file for a particular form

of protein foods; eggs, beef, pork, chicken, mutton, fish, milk, peanut butter, etc.

The resequenced material is then sent to the location that requested the

material.

This is not really new. Presently, we use textured vegetable proteins to create

meat-like substances for vegetarian meals. It is also used by the processed food

16

industry to create some of the meat patties in frozen meals and microwave burritos. In the episode, !��������� �(2266) Captain Kirk is heard talking to, presumably, a mess specialist about the crew having to eat turkey-shaped, synthetic meatloaf. So we assume that the meat was able to be synthesized, but the shape, say of an uncarved, roasted turkey, could not.

��������������������������������������������������"�! ��������� �������������������������������������"����������������they are.

They were operated by inserting a preprogrammed card into the card reader, and 2 seconds later there would be food.

These food slots delivered things like ice cream (And the Children Shall Lead); chicken soup (Tomorrow is Yesterday, which is the only time they were shown to be in the transporter room. Probably so that the transporter operator who is on duty at 3am can get coffee), and a chicken sandwich and coffee (The Trouble with Tribbles, Captain Kirk never got them), but they also delivered colored food-cubes (seen being eaten in By Any Other Name, but shown many other times).

Some say that the food slots had a dumbwaiter. system and the food came from ��������"��������������"��������������������������� ������������������������� ����to arrive at the door. To have it arrive so quickly, a chef would have had the meal or drink already made, just waiting for the order. Hard to do for over 400 people.

17

In the late 2270s, Starfleet experimented with a prototype replicator. To my knowledge, these were never shown onscreen, but they are outlined in �����������������������Enterprise. This, however, is apocryphal since it was not onscreen, and the book contains false information in other places.

We first see a replicator onboard the U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) in 2293, in Captain ��� ��������ers, to the left of his desk. This was obviously a perk to being captain, since no others are shown onscreen, but the ������������is (minus one pot for mashed potatoes).

So, at this point (2290s) the full version of the replicator is still in the trial faze, and the predominant food source for the crew is still stored foodstuffs and resequenced proteins. At some time in between the 2290s and the 2360s, the full version of the replicator was developed. It could replicate any food that had been progra����������������������memory. At that point, replicators became the

dominant food source for the crew of Federation starships. The reduced the need to carry any foodstuffs, except for the raw materials for the replicator. They also increased the variety of foods the crew could eat. The only limit was what was programmed into the computer. Most people find the replicated food to be indistinguishable from the real thing, though some claim to be able to tell the difference. If there is a difference, it might simply be the fact that replicators for

18

Starfleet vessels ensure that the food being eaten is of a nominal health value.

They have also been programmed to not produce poisons, weapons or

explosives.

Food replicators are not the only type of replicator.

There are hardware and industrial fabrication

replicators as well. These are used for the

replication of tools, and other equipment.

Specialized replicators are used in the science labs

and sickbay to replicate chemicals and medications.

Now we roll back the clock to the early 21st

century where replicators are

science fiction. Or, are they?

Welcome to the world of 3D Printing.

The definition of 3D printing is: A form of

additive manufacturing technology where a

three dimensional object is created by laying

down successive layers of material. 3D

printers are generally faster, more affordable

and easier to use than other additive

manufacturing technologies. 3D printers offer

product developers the ability to print parts

and assemblies made of several materials with

different mechanical and physical properties in

a single build process. Advanced 3D printing

technologies yield models that can serve as

product prototypes.

Since 2003, there has been large growth in the sale of 3D printers. Additionally,

the cost of 3D printers has declined. The technology also finds use in the jewelry,

footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering and construction,

automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries, among others.

19

A 3D printer works by taking a 3D computer file and

constructing from it a series of cross-sectional

slices. Each slice is then printed one on top of the

other to create the 3D object.

The 3D object can be created in the computer by

using a Computer Aided Design (CAD) program, or a

highly detailed laser scan of the original can be taken

and used as a template.

There are many types of printers. Some use resin

plastics; some use a paper type of material; others

use a ceramic.

One method of 3D printing consists of an inkjet printing system. The printer

creates the model one layer at a time by spreading a layer of powder (plaster, or

resins) and inkjet printing a binder in the cross-section of the part. The process

is repeated until every layer is printed. This technology is the only one that allows

for the printing of full color prototypes.

3D printing applications include design visualization, prototyping/CAD, metal

casting, architecture, education and healthcare.

Other applications would include reconstructing fossils in

paleontology, replicating ancient and priceless artifacts in

archaeology, reconstructing bones and body parts in forensic

pathology and reconstructing heavily damaged evidence

acquired from crime scene investigations.

Recently, archeologists have used CT scans

of mummies to create 3D models of the

mummies skulls, then they uses the tools of

forensic science to rebuild the face of the

person as they may have looked in life.

This is King Tut.

20

Artists as well as scientists and engineers have found 3D printers to be a new medium.

Even Trekkers.

Recently this technology has branched out into some unlikely fields. Bioengineering, clothing and even food.

21

Wikipedia:

3D printing technology is currently being studied by biotechnology firms and

academia for possible use in tissue engineering applications where organs and

body parts are built using inkjet techniques. Layers of living cells are deposited

onto a gel medium and slowly built up to form three dimensional structures.

Several terms have been used to refer to this field of research: Organ printing,

bio-printing, and computer-aided tissue engineering among others. 3D printing

can produce a personalised hip replacement in one pass, with the ball

permanently inside the socket, and even at current printing resolutions the unit

will not require polishing.

Earlier this year a company called Continuum Fashion

������������������ ����������� ��������� ��clothing that was created entirely using 3D printing.

The following is from the Continuum Fashion website:

The N12 bikini is the world's first ready-to-wear,

completely 3D-printed article of clothing. All of the

pieces, closures included, are made directly by 3D printing and snap together

without any sewing. N12 represents the beginning of what is possible for the

near future.

N12 is named for the material it's made out of: Nylon 12. This solid nylon is

created by the SLS 3D printing process. Shapeways calls this material "white,

strong, and flexible", because its strength allows it to bend without breaking

when printed very thin. With a minimum wall thickness of .7 mm, it is possible to

make working springs and almost thread-like connections. For a bikini, the nylon

is beautifully functional because it is waterproof and remarkably comfortable

when wet.

The bikini's design fundamentally reflects the beautiful intricacy possible with 3D

printing, as well as the technical challenges of creating a flexible surface out of

the solid nylon. Thousands of circular plates are connected by thin strings,

creating a wholly new material that holds its form as well as being flexible. The

layout of the circle pattern was achieved through custom written code that lays

out the circles according to the curvature of the surface. In this way, the

aesthetic design is completely derived from the structural design.

22

��������������������������������������

Cornell University has developed the 3D food printer.

The 3-D food printer uses pastes rather than ink to

����������� ����� ��������� ���������� ��������possible using the naked eye and the human hand.

Additionally, the University of Exeter in

England has developed a way to custom

design chocolates using the 3D printing

technique.

So, the 21st

century may not have replicators yet. We do have a way to replicate

nearly anything (engineering parts, art and food) using computer aided design

and 3D printing.

Once we get the transporter issue ironed out, the 24th

century replicator is sure

to follow.

The SS Columbi^ w^s ^ Feder^tion survey vessel Decl^r^tion Cl^ss in the 23rd century.

The Columbi^ cr^shed on T̂ los IV in 2236 while on ^ survey expedition in the unexplored T̂ los st^rgroup for the @meric^n Continent Institute under Dr. Theodore H^skins. The only survivor of the cr^sh

w^s Vin^ (TOS: “The C^ge”, “The Men^gerie, P^rt I”, “The Men^gerie, P^rt II”).

The USS Enterprise NCC-1701, under C^pt^in Christopher Pike, found the wreck sight of the SS Co-lumbi^ on T̂ los IV in 2254. Ship's logs only indic^te ^ single Columbi^ survivor w^s discovered whochose to rem^in on the pl^net upon the Enterprise's Dep^rture. @ll other records ^s to this mission ^recl^ssified under St^rfleet Gener^l Order 7.

Very little is known ^bout this ship. It is st^ted in the episodes th^t it h^d l^unched before the time w^rp

b^rrier w^s broken which seems to be t^ken to me^n, “before W^rp Drive”. However we know it post-d^tes Cochr^ne's w^rp flight so this m^y me^n it w^s just ^ very e^rly w^rp c^p^ble b^rrier. We ^lso knowits distress sign^l still used r^dio inste^d of subsp^ce communic^tions. It is ^lso st^ted this w^s done to

A Page from our Ship’s History

23

c^use intereferrence so it is likely they h^d some form of subsp^ce r^dio ^s well.

Columbi^ (NX-02) w^s the second St^rfleet NX-cl^ss st^rship in service during the mid-22nd century, ^s

well ^s the second in E^rth’s fleet to h^ve ^ w^rp five engine. Comp^red to the cl^ss prototype Enter-prise, Columbi^ possessed ^dv^nced pol^rized hull pl^ting, which improved 12% ^bove initi^l designs.

Columbi^ ^lso fe^tured ventr^l ^nd dors^l photonic torpedo l^unchers ^s well ^s pulsed ph^se c^nnons(^ rel^tively new technology). Other improvements included ^n upgr^ded n^vig^tion^l deflector, improvedcomputer interf^ce technology, ^nd ^ modified bridge interior, utilizing st^tions th^t were tied directly into

the prim^ry EPS junction. (ENT: “Home”)

Sp^cefr^me ^nd m^jor structur^l elements of the NX-02, however, were gener^lly identic^l to th^t of herpredecessor.

Columbi^ w^s l^unched in 2154 under C^pt^in Erik^ Hern^ndez. She ^ided her sister ship Enterprise inrescuing the Enterprise CMO from Klingon reneg^des l^ter th^t ye^r. In 2155, Columbi^ w^s ^ssigned toprotect shipping l^nes used by members of the Co^lition of Pl^nets following sever^l ^tt^cks on Co^li-tion shipping lines. Columbi^ l^ter responded to ^n ^tt^ck on Dr^yl^x by Romul^n-controlled Klingonships. @s th^t ^tt^ck w^s being investig^ted, Columbi^ w^s then forced to ^ttempt to defend ^ number offreighters in the @lph^ Cent^uri system from Romul^n-controlled Vulc^n ships. Cont^ct w^s lost with theColumbi^ for ^t le^st sever^l d^ys ^fter this incident.

Columbi^ w^s lost ^nd presumed destroyed with ^ll h^nds while on convoy duty just prior to the outbre^kof the E^rth Romul^n W^r in 2156. It is believed she w^s destroyed in ^ Romul^n ^tt^ck. @ll convoy ves-sels were ^lso destroyed.

24

Upcoming events & Conventions in Region 1

Conglomer^tion @pril 13-15 2012Louisville, KYScience fiction ^nd f^nt^sy conventionwww.conglomer^tion.info

R^vencon @pril 13-15 2012Richmond, V@Science Fiction & F̂ nt^sy return toRichmond with R^venCon 2011, ^weekend celebr^ting the genres of Sci-ence Fiction, F̂ nt^sy ^nd Horror. (@nd^s they're pl^ying the Edg^r @ll^n Poe^ngle, they ^re Mystery friendly, too!)Join our guests for p^nel discussions^nd workshops th^t c^n only h^ppen ^tR^venCon!www.r^vencon.com

Wonderfest M^y 26-27 2012Louisville, KYwww.wonderfest.com

Con C^rolin^s June 1-3 2012Gener^l Sci-Fi/F̂ nt^sy con, includingSt^r Trek medi^ guest of honor ^ndSFMC 1st BDE 3rd BN ^nnu^l meet-ing. Concom members include USSHornet ^nd USS M^quis, ^s well ^svolunteers from other ch^pters.www.conc^rolin^s.org

S^lute to the Supern^tur^lJune 9-10 2012N^shville, TN

www.cre^tionent.com/c^l/supern^tur^l_tn.htm

Con Tempor^l June 21-24 2012Ch^pel Hill, NCcontempor^l.org

ST@RFLEET Intern^tion^l Confrence July 3-5 2012Memphis, Tennesseewww.ic2012.com

Historicon July 19-22 2012Fredericksburg, V@www.historicon.org

DEAR AHBBEN: I had the lowest phaser marksmanship score out of the academy and my friends gave me a rude nickname. I’ve worked hard to improve my score and am now better than all of my friends, but they still call me by the nickname. How can I get them to stop? – ON TARGET DEAR TARGET: I do not think that you can do anything to make them stop, with the exception of telling them how much it bothers you. Many people earn unfortunate nick- names through less than desirable circumstances. It sounds like you have surrounded yourself with friends of the “alpha-male” variety and revealing that you are sensitive may only open yourself up as a bigger target. The only way to steer their sights from targeting you as their running joke is to give them another target. Try slipping some tribbles into a fellow crewmen’s room before they go on a weekend furlough. When they come back to a room full of tribbles the target of their jokes will be off of you and on this unfortunate crew member.

DEAR AHBBEN: My boyfriend is a Changeling and he’s a great guy. The problem is, when we go out with our friends or family he thinks it’s funny to change into things like cups or silverware. Our friends will grab a spoon to eat and he’ll start talking. It was funny the first few times, but now it’s just annoying. I’ve talked to him about this but he continues to do it. What should we do now? – NEEDS TO CONFORM DEAR CONFORM: Next time he changes into a knick-knack, stun him with a light phaser

shot. Then, sell him to a Ferengi for a low price. He’ll learn his lesson.

DEAR AHBBEN: On my last ship assignment, we went through a time warp and traveled back in time 12 years. I had my old body and energy back for two days. I felt great! After returning to the normal time, I started working out to get back my old physique. Now my wife thinks I’m obsessed with going to the gym. She wants me to stop but I’m almost there. How do I convince her this is a good thing? STUCK IN A TIME WARP DEAR STUCK: She is threatened that your new found vigor will make you attractive to younger life forms and will in turn leave her. Invite her to go to the gym with you so she will also reap in the benefits of regaining a younger physique. If she declines, bribe a crew member in the transporter room to beam her somewhere and forget where. Then you really can use your new physique to attract a younger mate.

TIPS FROM AHBBEN: Before your away team prepares to beam down to an unexplored world, be sure to stock the locker room with plenty of red shirts!

MEET AHBBEN: Ahbben Xiren is half Betazoid, half Vulcan. His Betazoid half is understanding and empathetic, while his Vulcan half is logical and relies on common sense to assist others in their difficult situations. Ahbben worked as a couples counselor for many years until he decided it was time to go galaxy wide with his unique insight.

by Ahbben Xiren

Dear Ahbben

Tr i b b l e s w i t h t h e A l p h a M a l e

Oven-Baked Barbeque Palukoo Legs (Ribs)

Preparation Time: 10 mins Serves: 2-4 Baking Time: 1 hour 30 mins

You will need: - Eight Palukoo Legs (A slab of Baby-BaCK Ribs) - Garlic Powder - Salt AND pepper - Rekja Powder - Onion Powder - BarbecuE SAUCE - Spray Grease

Preparation: 1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees 2. Cover A baking sheet in foil and spray with spray grease 3. Place Palukoo Legs on baking sheet 4. Season top of Legs with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and Rekja powder

Baking: 1. Place in oven and bake for one (1) hour 2. Remove Legs from oven and add Stubb's Original Barbecue Sauce to top side of Legs (light, medium, or heavy according to taste) 3. Return to oven and bake for 30 minutes

Remove from oven, cool and eat. Simple and Delicious !

BY LTJG SEVEK ESSA

Beta Quadrant w/ Inset

On a Bearing of 241, Mark 28, the USS Columbia’s maiden voyage has

steadfastly made it’s way to the Romulan Neutral Zone. During this voyage, we

have passed several planets. Some of these planets are well known, others are

not, but their legends carry on throughout the galaxy…

ldebaran III, the only Class M planet in the Aldebaran System, is located about 70 light years from the Sol System. This budding planet and major Starfleet port boasts more than 7 billion people. Aldebaran III is known as the Eye of Illumination because of the legend of the Aldebaran serpent and the location of planet as the eye of Taurus the Bull. The ancient scrolls of the planets’ first Celtic and Aboriginal colonists tells of a three-headed serpent who succeeded in slaying more than half of the original settlers. Luckily, the new Aldebarans were

ALDEBARAN III able to tame the serpent enough to learn and respect each others’ ways. The holy Aldebaran elders came to live with the serpent at the top of the highest mountain. Here, the elders and the serpent were spiritually joined

and able to live in harmony with each other until the last of the serpents were thought to have died off. Hundreds of different races have continued to thrive on Aldebaran, even amidst sightings of the legendary serpent.

A

CALDER II

Debrune  Teral’n  artwork   by Joshua Doten Davids

S akethan burial mounds scatter the vast landscape of the Class M planet Calder II. The Sakethan’s, descendants of Vulcans, established a colony on Calder II many centuries ago. Inside these burial mounds they entombed their ancestors and many of their precious artifacts. The Sakethan’s have long since been extinct, but their burial mounds have been raided by treasure hunters seeking goods for profit. One of the ancient artifacts that was once stolen from the burial mounds is the Debrune Teral’n. This trident shaped spear is known to Romulans as greatest symbol of the Romulan government. It

stands for power, honor, and destiny and is carried by the Praetor, the highest member of the Romulan Star Empire’s government. For Praetor’s, carrying the Debrune Teral’n is both an honor and a burden. The Praetor understands and respects its significance and vows to follow the guidelines of the Teral’n. However, he or she must guard and protect the Teral’n, because seeking a safe and sacred home for it is the Praetor’s ultimate goal. The Debrune Teral’n is safe now, but it is highly sought after and there have been many attempts at stealing the symbol.

VULCAN

L v Lon n Prosp r i e g a d e “Live Long and Prosper ”

ulcan was once a planet filled with violence, and food and water shortages. Vulcans were very intelligent beings who would use this intelligence to gain more and more control over the planets’ territories and other Vulcans. A Vulcan named Surak initiated a stop to the planet-wide destruction.

Surak, a computer scientist, developed programs which were manipulated by the warlords and used as weapons. This drove Surak to developing ways of peace and logic.

He formed a group of Vulcans who developed philosophies of peace and sought out ways to master their own emotions. This gave way to logical thinking. Eventually a treaty of peace was signed that helped unite the planet. Vulcans now sought enlightenment. Through their efforts to uphold

peace and unity, they were able to devise a way to of concealing their emotions. This became known as the Time of Awakening. Today, Vulcan is a peaceful and academi- cally thriving planet. However, they still strive to perfect their methods of logic.

V

By ltjg sevek essa