Time Warp No. 2

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The Newsletter for the USS Endeavour NCC-1508, Starbase 06, Quadrant One
Issue No 2 _______________ February 2004

The USS Endeavour is a registered not-for-profit organization affiliated with Starfleet Command.

I would like to congratulate our First Officer, Stacy Mulder, on her promotion to LT as of last November. I would also like to congratulate Chief of Communications, Julie Mulder, on her promotion to the rank of LTjg as of December. And finally, I would like to congratulate Chief Medical Officer, Cyndi Jackson, and Chief Operations Officer, Lisa Wehmanen, on their promotions to LT as of this month. I am sure I speak for the whole ship when I say we appreciate all the hard work you do for the ship and for Starfleet. Your promotions are evidence that you are appreciated at the ship level and the command level as well.

I am also proud to announce our Chief Medical Officer, LT Cyndi Jackson, has accepted the position of Assistant Listserv Administrator for Quadrant One. This is an honor because Fleet Captain Brian Mitchell nominated her for the position and Admiral Kim Huff concurred. This position will not affect Cyndi’s duties on the ship.

Finally, as many of you know, I have been the “Acting” Fleet Webmaster and Listserv Administrator since September of last year. Well, as of this month, I have been accepted for both these positions and I am longer “Acting.”

Hello fellow shipmates. When I found out that I was going to BuffyCon, I was just as happy as one can be. My first thought was, well, wow! But then I thought of the vampires in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and how they have those scrunched up foreheads. I thought it would be cool to go looking like a vampire.

So I sought out the help of our Jack-of-all-trades captain and began working on the vampire face.

We started by making a plaster mold of my face. This was an experience I would not soon forget. I had to breath through straws in my nose and keep my eyes tightly shut for more than thirty minutes. As I lay on the floor with the plaster all over my face, I remember hearing poor little Bret saying, "That's not funny guys." He was scared I was being hurt.

We then proceeded to peel the plaster off of my face. Ouch! It took me a few minutes, but the mold finally came off.

Captain Jim then filled the mold with more plaster and waited about thirty minutes. He then broke open the mold and there, before us, laid the handsome face. It was I, only very white.

We then put a base coat of liquid latex over the forehead. When it dried, we cut up sponges and embedded them into the latex.

Over the next few days we put several coats of latex over the sponges. We are nearly done. A few more coats of latex and some grease paint, and I'll be ready for BuffyCon.

Once again, several members of the Endeavour set out for a night of fun and song with their friends from the IKV Chapel. If you have not had a chance to participate in this, you must give it a try. It is always amazing to be a part of exposing hidden talents. The Klingon Karaoke is just the place to do it.

As usual, members are always happy to dedicate favorites to both past and present friends. Naturally, some songs are touching while others are explosive!

Your next opportunity is just around the corner, so watch for new events on the Endeavour listserv at yahoogroups.

Take this quiz and give it to your Chief Communications Officer at the next meeting. You may win a prize!

1. Who was the captain of the Enterprise on the first Star Trek TV series--the original series?
2. What is the standard abbreviation for the original Star Trek TV series?
3. What is the standard abbreviation for the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan?
4. What is Paris's first name on Voyager?
5. Who was the security chief on Deep Space 9?
6. What is the first name of the botanist who married Miles O'Brien?
7. What is Kirk's middle name?
8. In what country was Jean Luc Picard born?
9. What species is Guinan?
10. What is the name of the actor who plays the part of the EMH on Voyager?

For many of the Saturday night dinner attendees at November’s IndyCon, the Habeck-Sams wedding was a fascinating and unexpected addition to an exciting weekend program of sci-fi stars and souvenirs. But to those behind the scenes of the Thanksgiving weekend nuptials, the event was a labor of love.

Planning a wedding is often a harrowing experience under normal circumstances. When everything has to come together pronto, though, preparations tend to get a little crazy. Now in truth, Chief of Communications Kim Huff performed miracles in putting together a wedding for best friend Admiral Lillian Habeck and fiancé, Admiral Andy Sams. But just imagine those last few hours!

Imagine the bride-to-be trying to run down Dave Scott during a busy convention in order to finalize arrangements for wedding guests. Imagine both busy Admirals attending to the business of the Fleet and attending convention activities while rehearsing their wedding vows. Imagine having your veil intricately woven into your beautiful hairstyle and then driving back to the convention center with your veil fluttering in your face. And imagine being escorted down the red carpet on the arms of Trek stars Robert Duncan McNeill and Vaughn Armstrong!

Ceremony, reception, and party over, the newlyweds retire to their room, finding it very different from the way they left it. Thanks to the combined efforts of Adventure and Endeavour crewmembers, Andy and Lil first found their door bedecked with bridal ribbon. Inside, their room was suffused with warm candlelight and exotic scents. Soft music emanated from a hidden CD player, and a hand-blown glass decanter held an arrangement of tropical silk flowers. A single rose stood in a heart-shaped crystal vase; beside the vase was iced champagne and a pair of crystal champagne flutes embedded in porcelain lilies-of-the-valley. Tiny sequin hearts and doves sparkled on the bedside tables, and rose petals decorated the pillows and comforter.

We wish all the best to Admirals Andy and Lillian Sams, and we are proud to have played a part in this thoroughly elegant endeavor!

The Endeavour held its first annual Christmas party on Saturday, December 6, 2003. The party was a huge success with over 85 people in attendance. Among those present were members of the Starfleet Officer's Club and the IKV Chapel as well as many family and friends.

The party began with a wonderful pitch-in dinner. After dinner, there was a brief awards presentation with a special presentation for our ally groups. Santa Claus made a special appearance and had a gift for every child. Karaoke went on through the evening along with great company and conversation. The teens and pre-teens gathered outside for a bit of football in the snow. All had a great time.

The party also served as a great recruiting tool. We added nine new members the night of the Christmas party, putting the Endeavour at the top of the fleet. We welcome these new crewmembers to the Endeavour family and to Starfleet Command.

Representing Starbase 06, ADM Sams, Chief of Operations, has once again challenged Starbase 05 to a pop tab contest. The pop tabs go to the Ronald McDonald House at Riley Hospital, so we get more than just bragging rights. We help people.

Last year, SB05 cleaned our plow when one ship collected over 100 pounds of pop tabs. After the November meeting, ADM Sams stated an award would be presented to the ship that collected the most tabs each quarter.

Art Asylum’s new figures from its Wave 2 series will be out within the next two to four weeks. Scheduled to appear are the following 7" scale figures, MOC: Kirk as seen in Mirror, Mirror, Spock as seen in Mirror, Mirror, plus Scotty, Chekov, and Sulu. You can order the set from www.newforcecomics.com for 44.95 + 6.95 for shipping. No word at this time on whether or not Meijer will carry the Wave 2 or not.

Also, Art Asylum is releasing a Battle-Damaged version of the Enterprise as seen in WOK and Search for Spock. Newforce has it for 29.95. If you should want to order 2 two of them, check out http://www.actionfigurexpress.com; you can order two for 54.95. It will be about 5 bucks for shipping on either site. Art Asylum will be also be releasing an Enterprise E from Nemesis. They have given no release date for that yet. There also maybe a Wave 3 for late fall. No information as to figures included except for the Gorn.

Do you like to build models? Polar Lights will be releasing an Enterprise NX-01 Model. The NX-01 is a Skill Level 2 glue kit in 1:350th scale; it measures over 14 inches wide and 24 inches long. The kit features over 200 parts, and an extensive decal sheet. If you want to take a look at it, go to http://shop.store.yahoo.com/ehobbies-com/mo-pll-4201.html. Price is 39.95 plus 5 or 6 bucks to ship. This is about 20 bucks cheaper then anywhere else I have found it.

If you like them real big, Polar Lights will be releasing an Enterprise A sometime in the fall. The model will be around 3 feet’ long and 18 inches wide. The box itself should be huge! No photos have been released yet but the price will be around 59.95. It will also be a level 3 kit. It will need to be painted and glued but should be a great kit to add lights to.

Polar Lights will be releasing the Classic D7 Battle Cruiser from TOS. This enthusiast's kit will allow you to build the ship as it appeared in the original TV series. Decals are included. The D7 is a Skill Level 1 snap kit. You can see it at http://shop.store.yahoo.com/ehobbies-com/mo-pll-4202.html. Price is 9.95 + shipping.

Out right now is the Enterprise 1701. This kit will allow you to build one Enterprise starship as it appeared in the original TV pilot, or as it appeared in the second TV pilot, or as it appeared in the original TV series. Parts and decals are included for all three variations, and decals are also included for the USS Enterprise, the USS Constellation, the USS Exeter, and the USS Defiant variations. The NCC-1701 is a Skill Level 1 snap kit and is in 1:1000th scale (approximately 11 inches long). The kit features box art by Chris White and requires no plastic cement.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now. If you want to see my collection, you can always go to www.mystartrektoys.com

As many of you know, the name Endeavour was on everyone’s lips at the November IndyCon. Our first day started with a bang. Starbases 05 and 06 held their annual meetings and awards presentations. The final award of the evening was presented to the USS Endeavour for “Outstanding Ship of the Year.” And this was just the beginning.

The Quadrant One meeting, held at the conclusion of the convention, was the icing on the cake. The Endeavour and its members walked away with seven more awards.

Each Admiral is allowed to give out “The Admiral’s Ovation Award” for outstanding performance. ADM Andy Sams, Chief of Operations, awarded the Endeavour as “Outstanding New Ship,” and ADM Tim Shell, Commandant of Starfleet Academy, awarded our First Officer, Stacy Mulder, the award from Starfleet Academy for writing the Cadet Medical Exam. Stacy also received first place for “Junior Officer of the Year.” Way to go, Stacy.

Our CO, Roy, received second place for “Website of the Year,” “Recruiter of the Year,” and “Junior Officer of the Year.” He also received third place for “Website of the Year” for his work on the starfleet-command.com website.

The cameras were flashing as we received our awards and I think every member of the crew was seeing stars before it was over.

On January 18^th, the crew set out on an away mission. Destination: Cincinnati, Ohio. Mission: Starfleet Officers Club Awards Banquet. Major General Otto Hohm, Commandant of the Marine Division, gave a personal invitation to the crew of the Endeavour and we gladly accepted.

The away mission gave three of the crew the opportunity to wear their “Wrath of Khan” uniforms, also known as the “Monster Maroons”.

In full military fashion, the crew was met with salutes from the crew of the SOC as they entered the Spaghetti Factory.

The awards ceremony was a combination free meal, awards, and door prizes. As a matter of fact, Lisa Wehmanen won one of the prizes. The meal, chicken and pasta, was out of this world and the fellowship before and after the awards was well worth the six hours on the road. However, the use of a transporter was mentioned more than once.

During the ceremony, the crew was recognized as allies of the Marines and all of SOC gave us an ovation for our attendance.

After the ceremony, our CO, Roy Jackson took the opportunity to talk with Admiral Hurley, one of the founders of SOC. Their discussion turned to something much larger than we had considered. Since we were in Cincinnati, the idea of a Star Trek day at Kings Island seemed like a natural idea. Especially since Paramount owns them both.

Discussions have continued and contacts have been made and we hope to have exciting news this summer. The Endeavour, cannot thank the SOC enough for inviting us to such a fun and productive away mission.

Watching any Star Trek episode or movie sometimes takes your breath away because of the wonderful technology and futuristic events that are found in almost every scene. Most of us simply sigh and dream about things like fast warp engines, holodecks, and food replicators; we don’t expect ever to actually see or use any of those classic Trek institutions. But those wonders of the Trek world are closer than you think!

Look at the computer, for example. Most of us have computers in our homes today but never considered that to be a possibility twenty years ago. Modern computers can control navigation and take over the flight operations of planes and spacecraft. We are now even seeing improved voice-talk programs on computers. Are they as good as the ones on the Trek shows? Not yet, but they’re getting there!

Are you fascinated by Data from Next Generation? Modern science certainly doesn’t have anything close to a being such as this Trek android, but robotics as a science has been around for a long time, Robot arms, etc., have long been used in industry; now we can even buy toy robotic arms to use in our Borg costumes! Though the creation of a positronic brain like Data’s may be a bit of a stretch—since positrons are antimatter—there’s no reason to believe that the current advances in robotics will slow or stop.

On Star Trek, we’ve met many different species: Ferengi, Klingon, Borg, Vulcan, Gorn, Cardassian, Bajoran, Talaxian—and this list goes on. Today, most scientists believe that some form of life most likely exists outside of our own solar system; humanoid life is based upon carbon and other elements in specific combination, and since these elements are found in other places in space, the possibility for humanoid life exists.

So you’re injured or sick, and you go to sickbay where Dr. McCoy, Dr. Crusher, Dr. Phlox, or an EMH use a scanning device to figure out what’s wrong with you. Medical tricorders and other scanning or sensing devices are not at all just fantasy when you look at what is in use today. CT scans and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging provides pictures of areas deep inside a patient’s body—what an improvement upon the X-rays we’ve had for years already! Medical personnel already use lasers in retinal repair surgeries and for sealing injured skin and other body tissues. We use cell phones every day without even thinking of the technology that lies behind these devices that were a luxurious rarity not all that many years ago. Radar, of course, has been used for quite awhile now, and the most recent improvement upon this technology comes to us in our weather broadcasts as we hear of Doppler Radar. And how about this...Georgia Tech scientists have developed a radar flashlight that can detect a heartbeat from as far away as three meters.

Is it ever going to be possible to build a transporter? Think what a time and headache saver that would be—no more long drives to work or for recreation. At present science has managed to transport a photon—a particle of light—in a process called quantum entanglement. Who knows what may come next?

And then there’s the idea of being able to travel at speeds faster than the speed of light—those magnificent warp-drive engines! Believe it or not, the concept of antimatter actually dates from 1930s science, and the antiproton was created in the 1950s! Impulse, warp, and transwarp are still along way off, but steps have been made in those directions.

Find the words in the grid. When you are done, the unused letters in the grid will spell out a hidden message. Pick them out from left to right, top line to bottom line. Words can go horizontally, vertically and diagonally in all eight directions.