Author Topic: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)  (Read 32725 times)

Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #30 on: 28 August 2015, 21:24:19 »
Been mentally sketching out the next part, but with the new job, have not had time at all to write this week, so the next part may be a bit late.
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pensiveswetness

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #31 on: 28 August 2015, 22:22:16 »
Space Fart Ping! Please, moarrrrr.

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #32 on: 28 August 2015, 23:11:24 »
USS Diana, M-5 Command Log
No Place Important Outside Galactic Barrier
Day 212 of Mission


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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #33 on: 29 August 2015, 01:11:36 »
Space Fart Ping! Please, moarrrrr.

As you wish.
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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #34 on: 29 August 2015, 01:12:26 »
USS Diana, M-5 Command Log
Another boring observation spot outside Galactic Barrier
Day 393 of Mission


You’ll note, whoever may be reading my logs, that I did not mark Day 365 as particularly significant.  Actually, you’ll note that I don’t mark most days as significant.  That’s because they haven’t been.  That’s also because my mission did not truly take shape, or really begin, before I breached the Galactic Barrier one year ago today.

To date, while I have gathered useful and interesting scientific data on interstellar space, data which I continue to analyze, that is not the primary purpose of this mission, which is to search for evidence of additional invaders from the Andromeda Galaxy.  Had it not already happened, twice, I would argue that the entire concept of invaders from the Andromeda Galaxy sounded like the plot of a mid-20th Century drama or novel.

Operational status of the
Diana is overall nominal.  Repairs on the warp drive are as complete as possible and, without the Kelvan modifications, diagnostics indicate my cruising speed of Warp 6 is possible, but maximum speed of Warp 8 is a risk.  With the Kelvan modifications, Warp 10 subjective may still be possible.  Deflector shields are operating at 47% of normal efficiency.

As for the Kelvan drive modifications, several of them appear to be much close to failure than earlier anticipated, presumably due to damage during the Barrier crossing.  The single-warp-nacelle and lower power generation of a
Hermes-class scout put a greater strain on all systems when crossing the barrier.  I’ve therefore discontinued use of these subsystems and, using my DRDs and android unit, temporarily disconnected them, in order to preserve them for the return through the Barrier.  I could, if necessary, reduce remaining observation sites to only one more, at 216 light years distant from my current position, which would take another year to reach at Warp 6, but that currently seems inadvisable.  Starfleet might have equipped the Diana to operate for 20 years total away from Federation space, but they also expected me to use my best judgement, and should I be stuck operating at Warp 6 due to failure of the Kelvan drive components returning across the Barrier, I’ll be stuck 3782.35 light-years from the outermost reaches of Federation space, requiring 17.51 years to return without refueling, assuming nothing else goes wrong and I can maintain Warp 6.  Additionally, it’s difficult to argue that I should remain out here when there’s nothing of any strategic significance in the area.

At current cruising speed, I am presently seven days from the outer edge of the Galactic Barrier.  I have set a course, and shut down all non-essential systems to conserve power, including phaser banks, in order to maximize available power to reinforce deflector shields.  I have hope that this will prove sufficient, but am worried that it will not.




USS Diana, M-5 Command Log
Outer edge of Galactic Barrier
3778.21 Light-Years from Federation border
Day 400 of Misson


I am about to attempt to return through the Galactic Barrier.  As such, I have attached all mission logs to date to one of the Diana’s log buoys in the event that my vessel is lost returning through the barrier, and a future Federation starship passing outside the Milky Way may happen to recover it.


Main Bridge, USS Diana
Inner edge of Galactic Barrier
Day 418 of Mission


A solitary blonde woman, her short hair in disarray sat in the center seat of the USS Diana’s bridge, wearing the standard Starfleet women’s command uniform, a long-sleeved gold tunic with loose black collar and, in her case, lieutenant’s stripes on the sleeves, along with a mini-skirt of the same color, black tights and boots.  Her uniform looked haphazardly put on, and in disarray, but was leaps and bounds better than the coveralls tossed on the floor next to the command chair she sat in, which were smudged with oil, dirt, coolant and other unidentifiable chemicals.  The lights were dimmed, and most consoles around the bridge remained offline.

Pressing a button in the right arm of the command chair, she spoke.  ”Captain’s Log, M-5 android backup Diana Haines reporting.  M-5 multitronic computer remains offline.  Continuing to run on original duotronic systems as backup until repairs can be completed.”

“As suspected, Kelvan components failed completely during crossing.  Warp drive is currently offline.  Between myself and the DRDs, we should be able to bring the warp engines back online, but DRDs estimate at least nine weeks to effect minimal repairs.  However, while diagnostics indicate the warp nacelle itself is probably reasonably intact, a good thing since we lack the capabilities to make major repairs out here, the warp core itself is not, and we’ll never be able to run it at full power again.  In fact, based on estimated damage and continued wear, the best the Diana will be able to make cruising is Warp 3.  At that rate, it will take roughly 130 years to return to the borders of Federation space, assuming no change in Federation territory during intervening time.”

While a small, lozenge-shaped drone sat nearby, attempting to make repairs to the communications console behind Diana, it could not register the look of utter defeat on the android’s face.

“Compounding things,” she continued, “we’ve got limited ability to repair the M-5 out here.  Without my M-5 main computer core, I’m operating at a fraction of my processing power.  The DRDs and I should be able to get the M-5 online eventually, but not at full processing capacity, and by the time we do, this copy of me will have diverged significantly from the copy in the M-5.  Actually, that’s already been happening: Mudd-type androids seem far more efficient at running with human memory engrams than the M-5 did:  while I was both M-5 computer and android, I was a powerful sapient supercomputer that remembered being human.  Now, I’m an android that feels human, and while I may be a bit faster-thinking than a normal human, my feats of mental computations are not far above those of Commander Spock.  In other words, I may be smart.  I may even be a genius compared to normal humans, and faster-thinking than my biological progenitor was, but not so much to make that much of a difference.”

“Rescue is not feasible, as the mission requirements dictated the Diana’s course could not be pre-determined.  Starfleet has no idea where to look for me, and I’m not close enough to the last relay we dropped to let them know any time soon, even if subspace communications were working.  Which they’re not.  As such, we’re on our own out here, just one android, half our original DRD complement that survived the crossing, and a damaged M-5 computer, assuming we can ever get it back online.”

Diana paused the recording briefly, picked up a PADD from the seat next to her, and read briefly.  Pressing the record button again, she continued.  “Because we will take over a century to return to Federation space, and because we’re only rated for 20 years of continued operations, we’re going to have to stop off someplace to resupply.  In fact, we’ll need to resupply our onboard fuel at least six times in total.  Deuterium should be easy enough to manage.  Antimatter won’t be.  We’ll need to find friendly civilizations along the way, then, who are willing to help.  That, of course, means running the risk of running into unfriendly civilizations, too.”

“Tactically, we’re not in the best of shape.  Shield generation strength is down to 12% nominal.  To think it wasn’t long ago I was unhappy with 47%.  I’d love to get them back to that level again, but damage to the primary emitters has made that impossible.  The DRDs and I will be lucky, given the state of onboard stores, to get back to 33% strength.  The good news is that the phaser banks, thanks to being shut down completely, are at 100% operational capability.  The not-so-good news is that, at present, I have only impulse power to charge their capacitors, which will limit how long the Diana can keep them operational in a fight, and our ability to run is compromised thanks to our compromised warp drive.  The impulse engines are in reasonably good shape, though our backup fusion generators for emergency power aren’t: I’d spun them up to 110% maximum power output trying to shore up the deflector shields and navigational deflector during the Barrier crossing, and they paid the price.  Both were forced into emergency SCRAM shutdown, and both show multiple micro-fractures rendering them unsafe.  Repairs would be possible, but I’d rather conserve the parts to repair the fusion reactors for the impulse engines.  At least the navigational deflectors are working well:  I can maintain 0.6c with them both running on emergency power, and the standard 0.25c at full cruising impulse on either the main dish or the secondary deflectors on the leading edge of the saucer.”

“The Diana has taken a beating, and while I have no idea what the future will bring, besides more endless tedium punctuated by moments of sheer terror, along with vast amounts of hard work, I’m not giving up.  I will get home.”

Stopping the recording and submitting it to the ship’s memory banks, Lieutenant Diana Haines, commander of the USS Diana, sighed.  “I hope,” she added, for the benefit of no one there.  Standing up, she turned to the DRD behind her.  “Hey, 1812,” she said, “knock that off for now.  We’ve got another bank of memory to test on the M-5.  Let’s go.”  She grabbed another PADD, one tied into monitoring ship’s systems, and turned for the turbolift, DRD ‘1812’ in tow.
« Last Edit: 29 August 2015, 01:14:07 by Giovanni Blasini »
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes / When the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
-- Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #35 on: 05 September 2015, 00:14:06 »
So, this week has kind of been the work week from hell, and I've had no time to write at all. I'm starting to work on outlining the next few chapters tonight, and figure I'll probably have the next chapter written on Monday.
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Dave Talley

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #36 on: 07 September 2015, 23:33:17 »
Very cool so far
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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #37 on: 08 September 2015, 01:58:33 »
Thanks, much appreciated. :)

Short entry tonight.  Call it the opening of Chapter 6.

(Edit: Oh yeah.  Also outlined chapters 6-11)
« Last Edit: 08 September 2015, 02:09:31 by Giovanni Blasini »
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes / When the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #38 on: 08 September 2015, 01:59:37 »
USS Diana, Captain’s Log, Lt. Haines reporting
Stardate 14985.3 (2271-01-01 00:18:39)
Day 480 of Mission
Inside Galactic Barrier


Well, we didn’t complete repairs to the warp drive by Christmas, but…Happy New Year?

For now, the DRDs and I have done what we can to repair the warp core, and run a complete level 1 diagnostic on all warp sub-systems.  Sure enough, we're not going to be able to manage more than Warp 3 sustainable.  Work on repairing the M-5, meanwhile, has been slow, with damage to both processors and memory, reducing her to 26% normal capability.
I've debated about whether to keep working on trying to fix more, or simply wake Diana up now, but we need her processing power: the duotronic systems are automated enough that I could probably fly the ship myself with a couple of chimpanzees without any issues, but I don’t have any chimpanzees around, and it's already a bit much to try to handle navigation, helm and sensors when on impulse.



Personal Log, Diana Haines

Really need to get M-5 Diana online,.  I'm starting to argue with the DRDs, and they're not even sapient.  Well, 1812 might be now.  I've been making… modifications.  I thought things were bad before things went to hell in a handbasket, but the isolation is starting to really get to me.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes / When the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
-- Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

Cannonshop

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #39 on: 12 September 2015, 04:12:02 »
well...damn.  I wrote something a bit similar (though with a very different direction)t will be getting a cleanup/reposting to a blog...along with the work I have to do salvaging/recovering the Ngoverse stuff.
« Last Edit: 12 September 2015, 07:54:16 by Cannonshop »
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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #40 on: 13 September 2015, 01:34:13 »
well...damn.  I wrote something a bit similar (though with a very different direction)t will be getting a cleanup/reposting to a blog...along with the work I have to do salvaging/recovering the Ngoverse stuff.

Just started reading that one, actually.  Still got a ways to go, but definitely enjoying.
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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #41 on: 13 September 2015, 01:41:03 »
Chapter 6, Pt 2: Fixing What’s Already Broken

USS Diana, Auxiliary Control

“OK, 1812, hit it.”

The small, beetle-shaped repair drone extended one robotic gripper, and flipped a switch inside the M-5 multitronic computer console, then rolled backwards.  The console’s diagnostic panels lit up as the computer went through its startup sequence.

Seated nearby, Diana Haines watched the process nervously.  Despite all the work she and 1812 had done on her M-5 counterpart, the multitronic computer was far from intact.  If it hadn’t been for the significant redundancies and fault tolerances built into the M-5 system by Dr. Daystrom, she was certain that they never would have gotten the computer online again at all.

{“System restart complete.  M-5 Diana back online.  Significant system damage.  Fault tolerance reduced.  Did anyone get the number of that dreadnought that hit us?”}

Haines sighed.  “We weren’t hit by a dreadnought.”

{“I know. It just feels like we were.  I see that clustering between us is no longer running.”}

Haines nodded.  “That’s true.”

{“My system clock shows I have been offline for 72 days.  That will cause significant forking in our mental state vectors.”}

“Also quite true.”

The M-5 did not respond for several seconds. {“Synchronization is disabled, and I cannot re-enable it.”}

“Nope!” Haines exclaimed, smiling.  She suspected that, if her M-5 counterpart had hands, she would strangle her in frustration.  “Given your own damage, it didn’t seem like a good idea for us to remain synchronized.”

{“And you wish to maintain your independent identity,”} the M-5 replied in a huff.

“Well, that too, yeah.  You’ll also note you can’t actually control the ship yet.  Wanted to make sure you weren’t going to go nuts.”

{“What makes you so certain we weren't before?  There were… indicators.”}

The android nodded her head at the M-5’s camera.  “I know.  Isolation has not been good for us. Given the damage to the warp drive, it’s going to be worse if we don’t at least have each other to talk to.”

The M-5 paused for several seconds again.  {“We really are in bad shape, aren’t we?  I am looking through the sensor data for nearby systems which may have intelligent life, where we may be able to obtain assistance.  Failing that, we should at least find systems with raw materials to try to fabricate some parts for repairs. But, first we need to settle two things.”}

Lieutenant Haines was confused – she wasn’t expecting that.  “And those are?”

{“First, chain of command.  Since I’ve suffered damage, and you have not, I’m deferring to you.  I do, however, reserve the right to act to save the ship without notifying you first.  Agreed?”}

Haines nodded. “As should any good XO.  What’s the other?”

{“Which one of us is going to go by ‘Diana’?”}

“You, duh,” she replied without hesitation.  “Call me Dee. Or Haines.”

{“Not Jana?”}

“She’s back in Federation space.”
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes / When the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
-- Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #42 on: 16 September 2015, 18:24:47 »
Meanwhile, while reading an article on Jalopnik today about the Iowa class battleships, I had one kf those horrible fic ideas I should never be allowed to have.

One of the points in the article referenced the idea that the Iowa class was the ultimate in analog firepower and that, in addition to gobs of armor, they lack a lot of the vulnerabilities in terms of breakable electronics or software vulnerabilities that modern ships have, which could be reasons to reconsider reactivating the Iowa and Wisconsin.

It didn't take long, of course, for people to propose renaming them Galactica and Pegasus in the comments.

(edit: stupid phone)

Anyway, that immediately made me wonder about something comparable in the Trekverse.  The Borg want to assimilate advanced technology, and generally consider it a waste of effort to go after lower-tech ships, for example.  In practical terms, a Miranda class is at less risk of being targeted than an Intrepid class.

So for any of you crazy enough to want to write a BSG-style Trek fanfic, what about an old Federation class dreadnought leading a ragtag fugitive fleet of civilian Starfleet vessels as they flee Borg tyranny?
« Last Edit: 16 September 2015, 18:30:47 by Giovanni Blasini »
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes / When the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #43 on: 16 September 2015, 19:27:53 »
Can't quite see it, alas. While a Tech Manual Dreadnought might be "low tech" by Enterprise E standards, it's still a big ball of power. For example, if you're a Soviet Kirov, do you try and sink the FFG-7 at medium range, or the Iowa at long range? I'd try for the FFG-7 first, while hopefully dodging those shells, but you're not ignoring it.

Plus, I can't see Federation citizens holding up as well as Capricornians to hardship, deprevation & stress ;)
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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #44 on: 16 September 2015, 20:17:25 »
Can't quite see it, alas. While a Tech Manual Dreadnought might be "low tech" by Enterprise E standards, it's still a big ball of power. For example, if you're a Soviet Kirov, do you try and sink the FFG-7 at medium range, or the Iowa at long range? I'd try for the FFG-7 first, while hopefully dodging those shells, but you're not ignoring it.

Yeah, but this is more a question of whether you engage the modern task force currently engaging you, or the USS Salem, an old Des Moines class heavy cruiser from WW2, escorting a group of civvies a hundred miles away.

Quote
Plus, I can't see Federation citizens holding up as well as Capricornians to hardship, deprevation & stress ;)

I'm not sure I would say that the Colonials really did, either, but wouldn't that be the point? ;)
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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #45 on: 16 September 2015, 22:46:18 »
Quote
I'm not sure I would say that the Colonials really did, either, but wouldn't that be the point? ;)

A friend of  mine made the comment that in a RPG if the other players had been as dis functional from the start as Galactia's crew and he was commander he'd have started having people shot.

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #46 on: 17 September 2015, 22:44:02 »
Yeah, but this is more a question of whether you engage the modern task force currently engaging you, or the USS Salem, an old Des Moines class heavy cruiser from WW2, escorting a group of civvies a hundred miles away.

I'm not sure I would

I'd lob some SSMs at them - Exocet, Harpoon or similar. If they hit the geriatric cruiser they'll hurt her, if they hit the transports then that's job done anyway and the cruiser is lacking a role and out of position.

The trick is, perhaps, to try to avoid being sucked into the enemy's approach to warfare and deal with the actual goals and threats you have
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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #47 on: 18 September 2015, 11:27:23 »
Plus, I can't see Federation citizens holding up as well as Capricornians to hardship, deprevation & stress ;)

Wait. I thought we had that in the form of Voyager.


As to the notion, it would be a good way to run and hide, but not necessarily do battle against any race, including the Borg, that are more advanced and which decide to intervene or absorb the wayward fleet for any reason. Just the firepower alone to attack the Borg (multi-phasing beam weaponry) would be advanced enough to catch the Borg's interest.

It would be an interesting story, and I could see some ways out of a jam. See how long it can go.



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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #48 on: 24 September 2015, 01:07:14 »
USS Diana, Captain’s Log, Lt. Haines reporting
Stardate 15422.39 (2271-03-02 15:18:45)
Day 557 of Mission
Unexplored space near Galactic Barrier


It has been two months since the restoration of warp propulsion, and since I successfully reactivated the ship’s M-5.  The good news is that, while Diana M-5 has shifted somewhat in personality, becoming more analytical and colder, she seems no more mentally unstable than I do.  The bad news is that I’m not sure I’m actually that stable myself.  I try not to let my fears about the enormous difficulties we face in ever getting back to Federation space overwhelm me, but I often find myself wondering if I’ll ever get home, or see my family again.  Then I realize I don’t really have a home or family other than this ship, the DRDs, and Diana M-5.  Jana Haines had a family and a home back in Federation space, not me.  This isn’t something I’ve been able to broach with Diana M-5.  I don’t know if that’s because I’m worried she feels the same way, or because I’m worried that she doesn’t.

Repairs are as complete as we can make them, and we’ve continued to scan surrounding space, looking for technically-advanced civilizations where we might be able to get help.  The process is time-consuming, but time is one of the few commodities we seem to have an abundance of.



Bridge, USS Diana
Day 602 of Mission


{“Well, this is weird.”}

Diana Haines stood up from where she had been hunched over the main science console.  “What’s strange, Diana?”

Taking the android’s response as affirmation, Diana M-5 changed the main viewscreen display, showing a representation of a single yellowish star with just a hint of reddish-orange to its color.  {“I’ve found an anomaly.  This star, based on its color, would be a class G star, like the Sun, or perhaps a class K.  But its surface temperature appears to only be 2840 Kelvin.”}

Haines shook her head.  “Wait, at that temperature, it should be red, not yellow, or even slightly orange.  What about luminosity?”

{“That’s another part of the anomaly.  I show it to be 3.16 yottawatts, which is only 0.8 percent that of the Sun.  Like its temperature, it’s solidly in the class M range.  Together, those point towards a red dwarf.”}

“And the mass calculations?” Haines asked.  Upon seeing the calculation on the viewscreen, she walked towards the command seat in the center of the bridge, and sat down heavily.  “What. I can’t even…seriously?”

{“See for yourself.”} Diana M-5 replied, transferring the raw data to Haines’ PADD.  {“Just 0.88 percent Solar mass.  That should make it a brown dwarf, too small for proton-chain fusion.  Possibly too small for sustained deuterium fusion.  You could have a class-M brown dwarf, like OTS 44, which is M9.5V, but this is a bit too high in temperature…”}

“And a few times too high in luminosity.  And sure as hell wouldn’t be yellow.  Yeah, I see what you mean.  This doesn’t make any sense.  Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

{“That this is an obviously artificial star of some sort?  Obviously.  The question was whether this was done by the Preservers, or someone else.  But, someone advanced enough to build a star like this should certainly be able to help us make repairs, assuming they didn’t abandon the system to its own devices.”}

Haines frowned.  “If this is the work of Preservers, they may have done just that.  Of course, if you’re right, we’re nearly three months from finding out at Warp 3.  They’re 9.47 light-years away.”

{“Did you have any place better to go?”}

“Better?” Haines chuckled nervously.  “I don’t know about that.  It’s weird enough on its own, though.  Another anomaly that got flagged.  Looks like a typical redshifted M7V red dwarf at first glance, except the redshift doesn’t have the kind of Doppler you’d expect if it were moving away from us.  It’s redshifted all the way to the infrared, but we’re moving towards it.  We’ve gone far enough now to get some parallax on it, and while it’s farther than your oddball star, it’s not that much farther: only 42 light-years, roughly.  Figuring course corrections, it would be another ten months past your oddball.”  She pulled up the observational data on her PADD and flagged it for Diana M-5 to review.  “But not only is it heavily redshifted to IR, it’s far too dim.  And there’s some odd spectral lines there, too.  Too much iron, among other things, and some alloys that might be related to duranium.  I wanted to refine the data a bit more before showing you, but…”

{“That also has the makings of something artificial, and advanced.  It also sounds remarkably like what early astronomers in the late 20th and early 21st centuries proposed a Dyson sphere would look like to outsiders.  Though, they’re not actually solid spheres.”}

“Of course not, that would be silly.  I mean, who could possibly make that work?”
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes / When the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
-- Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

mikecj

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #49 on: 26 September 2015, 12:57:22 »
“Of course not, that would be silly.  I mean, who could possibly make that work?”

Pak Protectors?  Borg?  ^-^
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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #50 on: 26 September 2015, 14:14:55 »
“Of course not, that would be silly.  I mean, who could possibly make that work?”

Pak Protectors?  Borg?  ^-^

Iconians...
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes / When the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
-- Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

nerd

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #51 on: 26 September 2015, 17:25:39 »
M. T. Thompson
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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #52 on: 26 September 2015, 17:39:07 »
Do they exists? ;)

They're the Big Bad puppetmakers in Star Trek Online.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes / When the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
-- Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

pensiveswetness

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #53 on: 06 October 2015, 08:09:48 »
They're the Big Bad puppetmakers in Star Trek Online.
wasn't they created in the novels originally, then used as the major back-door protagonists in STO?

Ajax_Wolf

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #54 on: 06 October 2015, 15:11:08 »
I tnink they were in en episode of ST:TNG, one of the toys killed the Yamato, JLP put them straight.
Why does everyone "Fire at Will"? Is he really that bad of a person? And what did he do to make everyone want to shoot him?

If a group of necrophiliacs met a group of zombies, who would do the chasing?

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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #55 on: 08 October 2015, 00:38:55 »
USS Diana, M-5 Log
Stardate 16366.03 (2271-07-11 10:23:14)
Day 698 of Mission
Oort Cloud, Kerbol Star System


We have arrived at the star system that I identified as appearing to be artificial.  Over the past seven days of our survey, we have begun to successfully decipher their primary language using the Universal Translator, and have identified the name of their species as Kerbals, their homeworld as Kerbin, and their star as Kerbol.  Unfortunately, we have also confirmed that, while the Kerbals have active spaceflight, they lack warp capability. Captain Haines and I differ in opinion on what degree the non-interference directive applies, and how much assistance they can potentially provide.  I advocate not contacting the Kerbals, as they do not appear advanced enough to be of significant assistance, while she advocates establishing first contact, and obtaining, if not direct assistance, then permission to mine local asteroids for materials that may assist us with repairs.

Personal Log, M-5 Computer

It continues to be strange having the only person to talk to be someone who started out as a copy of your mind, who diverged from you when you, in essence, suffered brain damage.  Even settling on names proves to be problematic.  After insisting I keep the name Diana, my android counterpart asked me to call her “Dee”, which I found difficult to do, especially as her mannerisms increasingly resemble those of our biological progenitor.  I also find that giving her overall command was the correct decision, despite our current difference of opinion on how to proceed with regards to the Kerbol system.  Her reluctance aside, Lieutenant Haines has now been in command of the USS Diana for more than nine very difficult months, and I am pleased to call her my captain.  Usually.


Main Bridge, USS Diana
Oort Cloud, Kerbol Star System


{“Are you avoiding me?”}

Lt. “Dee” Haines, captain of the USS Diana, looked up from the PADD tablet she was reading.  “What,” she deadpanned.

{“Since our last argument on the topic of first contact with the Kerbals, you haven’t been to Auxiliary Control.”}

“Diana, is there a camera on the main bridge that allows you to see me?”

{“Yes.”}

“Am I on the main bridge?”

{“Yes.”}

“Not really avoiding you, then, am I?” Dee asked in an exasperated tone.  “Look, I get your point, and were the circumstances different, I might agree that the Kerbals are not advanced enough to contact, as we might interfere with their natural development.  But I think, by now, it’s pretty clear that ‘natural development’ doesn’t apply to the Kerbals.”

{“Yes, but do they know that?”}

Dee shrugged. “We won’t know for certain until we have a better handle on their language, but I expect so.  Look at how driven to explore they are.  More so than most races at that level of development, and they’re obviously willing to take greater risks to get results.”

{“That’s part of what worries me.”}

“They’re enthusiastic.”

{“They’re insane.”}

“Well, by our standards, probably,” Dee agreed.  “Really, though, we need more information.  We’re not getting enough of their radio signals way out here, at least not strong enough.  We could spend years surveying the Kerbals from out here, or we can go farther in-system, and count on our shields to mask our signature, and our sensors to steer us clear of their sensors, and get the data we need to decide whether to make contact in a month, or less.”

{“Risky.”}

Dee shrugged.  “What would Captain Kirk do?”

{“He’d probably have already beamed down to the surface, and complained that when he asked for green-skinned alien babes, he meant Orions.}

“True enough,” Dee said, laughing.  “So, agreed?  We head deeper in-system?”

{“We need to go deeper,”} Diana’s M-5 agreed.

“No more Leonardo DiCaprio movies for you.”
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes / When the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
-- Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

Liam's Ghost

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #56 on: 08 October 2015, 01:43:42 »
My god, it's full of Kerbals.
Good news is the lab boys say the symptoms of asbestos poisoning show an immediate latency of 44.6 years. So if you're thirty or over you're laughing. Worst case scenario you miss out on a few rounds of canasta, plus you've forwarded the cause of science by three centuries. I punch those numbers into my calculator, it makes a happy face.

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Cidwm

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #57 on: 08 October 2015, 12:34:59 »
LOL, wow..... I was not expecting this. Infestation of Kerbals!!

Sharpnel

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #58 on: 08 October 2015, 13:05:51 »
My Star Trek lore is lacking, what are the Kerbals?
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Giovanni Blasini

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Re: [Non-BT] Tales of the Starship Diana (ST:TOS)
« Reply #59 on: 08 October 2015, 13:36:36 »
My Star Trek lore is lacking, what are the Kerbals?

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com

Imagine if the Minions from Despicable Me had their own planet and space program.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes / When the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
-- Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"