Derek sits up

What’s Inside:

Yesterday In Tomorrow: Chapters Two and Three by LeighAnn Mantis/Heather Cameron

Joint Chiefs' Section

Admiral's Corner by Mike Calhoun Vice Commander, UF Starfleet Article by Rosine Heinkel

Chief of UF Starfleet Operations DC Article by Kermie Mistwallow Operations Branch Head Article by Alberto Torres

Chief of UF Starfleet Communications Article by Zania Turner Marines Updates by MilesPrower Dagger

UFS News

Interview With Kinney Randt, CO of USS Veracruz UFS Astraios: Black Tides by David7 Bravin and Poison Toocool

General Trek News Trek Nation Nomination by Zania Turner ‘JJ Abrams Has Had It!’ by Zania Turner

‘Chris Doohan As Scotty’ by Zania Turner ‘Scott Bakula Warps Into a New Series’ by Zania Turner

‘Glee-ful Whoopi’ by Zania Turner

"Jon…Jon….Jonathan…it's time to get up, lazybones," a soft voice cooed in the darkness. Suddenly, there was a flash of light and Admiral Jonathan Archer stretched and gazed over to the spot next to him. He was both surprised and dismayed to find the pillow ruffled and the blanket moved back. "Jonathan, I'm on the intercom," the soft voice said again. "I'm in the kitchen, hurry up." Groaning, Jonathan kicked off his covers, revealing a white t-shirt and gray sweatpants, and begrudgingly got out of bed. Yawning he left his bedroom, which was decorated richly. "Arianne?" Jonathan asked, as he shuffled through the living room, which was decorated with the finest furnishings of the current era. "Where are you?" As he entered the large kitchen, a blonde haired woman, who was wearing a blue robe over simple pajamas, and standing at a futuristic stove, turned around and her blue eyes sparkled as she gazed at her husband. "I borrowed your robe this morning, Jon," she said, as she kept one eye on a pan of scrambled eggs. "I hope you don't mind." "Are you still feeling flu-ish this morning?" Jonathan asked, as he gave her a gentle hug and moved over to the white table, where half a dozen PADD's awaited him.

Determining that the eggs were done, Arianne turned the stove off and moved the eggs on to plates. "I'm not feeling very good this morning, Jon," she admitted, as she brought the plates of eggs to the table and set them down. "I think the stress of the upcoming inauguration is getting to me finally." Jon nodded and began to eat. "I was wondering why you made food from scratch this morning," he said gently, secretly enjoying the home-cooked meal. "I'm feeling nervous about the ceremony as well. I helped build the Federation up and now; I'm going to be President of it." Arianne nodded and suddenly, placing a hand over her mouth, she bolted from the kitchen. Suddenly, there was a thump and then silence. Concerned, Jonathan got up from the table and went looking for his wife. *** "How many times do I have to tell you?" Arianne snapped, as she lay on a bio bed at Starfleet Medical. "I'm FINE, Jonathan! We don't have time for this right now, the ceremony is this evening and you need to finish your speech, we need to plan the gathering and everything else!"

Jonathan sighed and gently caressed his wife's hand. He had found her unconscious on the bathroom floor of their apartment and without hesitation, he had abandoned breakfast, thrown on a civilian jacket over his t-shirt and sweats, and he had brought her over to Starfleet Medical in a shuttle.

Since they had arrived, Arianne had regained consciousness after Starfleet nurses had given her fluids for dehydration, and, after being told she was not allowed to leave, she had verbally unleashed a tirade of frustration on to her husband, who took it quietly. Now, they were awaiting Phlox's arrival.

"You were unconscious for an hour," Jonathan patiently told Arianne. "We need to find out why that happened. The inauguration isn't for hours yet, and you are more important than anything right now." Arianne sighed. "I'm probably stressed about the whole ceremony, just like you are," she argued. "We honestly need to get out of here and on with our day. There is no time just to sit around." Jonathan chuckled. "You haven't changed a bit since you served on Enterprise," he said, smiling at his wife. "Even when you were off official duty, I remember that you always were finding things to keep you busy."

Arianne glared at him, but, before she could reply, the doors to the examination room slid open and Phlox strolled into the room. He smiled at Jonathan and was secretly amused at Arianne's glaring at her husband. "Hello, Phlox," Arianne said, as she squeezed Jonathan's hand. "I'm feeling a little off today." Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "You fainted after running from the kitchen," he said, not surprised by Arianne's underplaying of her illness, as she was a very tough woman. "You've been sick for a while."

Arianne scoffed. "Don't be so overprotective, Jonathan," she scolded. "It's nothing serious, I'm sure." Jonathan sighed. "Phlox, my wife is very stubborn today," he admitted. "I know you probably have a busy schedule today before attending the inauguration later. Please tell me that it's nothing serious." Phlox smiled. "Well, from what information I've gathered from just talking to her and with the Starfleet nurses, I'd say I can now make an accurate diagnosis," the Denobulan said, amused by the look of exasperation on Jonathan's face. "Admiral, you are going to be a father." At the mention of parenthood, both Jonathan and Arianne smiled and looked almost as if they both knew it, but they disguised it with surprise. "What?" they both said at the same time, their hands clasped tightly together. Remaining silent, Phlox pulled a screen down. "You might want to lie still for a few moments," he said, as he fiddled with some buttons on the screen. "We'll see how far along you are." "This can't be possible," Arianne gasped, as she lay flat on the biobed. "You told me that I couldn't have children a long time ago back when I first started serving on the Enterprise. Doctor Puri said the same thing at the Academy despite the treatments I went through."

Phlox said nothing and studied the screen intently for a moment. "From what I see here, you're about four weeks along," he said, giving the couple a reassuring smile. "Everything seems to be okay." Jonathan exhaled, relieved. Ever since he and Arianne had married years ago, just weeks after the death of Trip Tucker, they had not expected children because of Arianne's news and Jonathan's age. An accident had temporarily separated and then reunited them. Once reunited and officially wed for a second time, they worked on building a marriage of love, trust, and understanding, accepting that they would never have kids. (continued on next page.)

Yesterday In Tomorrow Chapter Two - A: Founding Of A Bright Era

By Heather Cameron/LeighAnn Mantis

However, with Phlox's sudden revelation, a new seed of hope sprang into their already strong marriage. "It's absolutely a miracle," Jonathan said, as he moved over to Phlox and looked at the screen. "I didn't think that the Archer name would go beyond me. This will be an unforgettable day for us." Phlox smiled and, turning off the screen, he moved it out of the way. "You'll need to have several checkups in the first and second trimesters to make sure that things are progressing normally," he said, watching as Jonathan moved and sat next to Arianne on the bio bed. "Let me offer my heartfelt congratulations." A combination of shock and delight washed over Jonathan and Arianne as they sat there, holding each other. Phlox smiled and moved out of the room to collect a prenatal kit and to give them a little privacy. Once in a lifetime, miracles occurred and that miracle had happened today.

*** "May I present Admiral Jonathan Archer and his wife, Lieutenant Commander Arianne Archer, the incumbent President and First Lady of the United Federation of Planets," Admiral Monroe, one of the many Starfleet personnel who supported this action, announced from the podium in the Starfleet Conference Hall. A sea of applause and cheers rang out as Jonathan and Arianne, both dressed in dress uniforms with newly polished rank pips, entered the Hall. While Jonathan's hair was combed and slicked, Arianne's hair was done up in an elaborate fashion, with a few strands descending down her back. As they held hands, Jonathan smiled and cordially waved to various people in the crowd as they made their way across the floor and up to the podium, where many people sat, eager for the ceremony to commence. "Now, if everyone will be seated, we'll proceed directly with the swearing in ceremony," Admiral Forrest ordered, as the couple walked up to the pulpit. "This is truly a monumental day for all of us." There was a flurry of noise as the crowd retook their seats. After a few moments, it was completely silent.

Admiral Monroe produced an old Bible, which was a most appropriate symbol for such an occasion of swearing one's honor, despite the fact that Archer himself didn't emphasize religion in his life. Jonathan smiled as Admiral Monroe held out the Bible. With Arianne holding his other hand, which was a great comfort to him, Jonathan placed his free hand on the Bible's cold surface. Knowing what was to come next, Arianne released his hand and instead wrapped her arm around his waist, which he smiled at.

"Repeat after me, Admiral Archer," Admiral Monroe instructed. "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United Federation of Planets, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Charter of the Federation."

Jonathan sighed. "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United Federation of Planets, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Charter of the Federation," he repeated, trying to keep his facial expression serious, when inside he was rejoicing. Admiral Monroe took the Bible and placing it under his arm, he turned to the crowd. "I hereby present Admiral Jonathan Archer, President of the United Federation of Planets." While the crowd roared its approval, Jonathan shook hands with all of the others on the podium and then, in a dashing move of chivalry, swept Arianne, who was taken by surprise, off of her feet in a deep kiss.

After a few moments of noise, everyone sat down and became quiet. Continuing to hold hands, Jonathan and Arianne sat down while Admiral Monroe remained at the podium. "Following some brief remarks by myself, we will be treated to a viewing of the founding ceremonies of the Porthos colony, broadcast live from space and led by none other than Captain James Tiberius Kirk," Admiral Monroe stated. "Following the viewing, various individuals involved in Archer's career, who had some kind of impact upon him or were impacted by his examples, will make remarks." As Admiral Monroe began to speak about his experiences with Jonathan Archer, as well as his feelings on the day, Jonathan and Arianne gazed around at the massive crowd.

Among the many present, they could see most of senior staff they had served with on the Enterprise, all except T'Pol, who, they both knew, hated crowds and would probably offer congratulations at a later time in private and Trip Tucker, who's memory was firmly implanted in both of their hearts on this day; General Shran with his wife Jhamel and young daughter, Talla; a large crowd of Vulcan officials, including Ambassador Soval were also present. All who were gathered were truly enjoying what the day brought. Soon enough, Admiral Monroe finished his remarks and sat. There was subsequent applause. As Kirk cut the ribbon and placed a Federation flag in the ground at the Porthos colony, the crowd, who gazed at the screen with a fierce intensity, broke into loud cheers and enthusiastic applause. Arianne rested her head on Jonathan's shoulder and Jonathan put one arm around his wife and placed his other hand on her stomach. They shared a tender look and then resumed watching the broadcast. The future of all, especially of their unborn offspring, would benefit from the Federation's growth.

Yesterday In Tomorrow Chapter Three – Into Thin Air By Heather Cameron/LeighAnn Mantis

Nearly a week later, Jonathan had finally gotten through all of the first duties and ceremonial obligations that came with being newly christened Federation President. For the entire week, Jon knew that even though he wanted to take Arianne and go off to Risa for a rest,duty came first. Today, he was begrudgingly meeting with Captain Kirk for a debriefing about the Porthos colony mission. After an equally long week of celebration and diplomacy talks to establish the basic government and economic structures of the Porthos colony, the NCC-1701 had returned from their mission and would now undergo a massive refit. If a mission came up during the refit, the NX-01 was prepared for Kirk and his crew to use freely. Now, despite the early hour, Jonathan was in his office, waiting for Kirk and hoping that discussing the Porthos colony, which was affectionately named after his missing beagle, wouldn't take too long.

Arianne had gotten up with him, but, because it had been so busy for the past week for both of them, she had met with Phlox to collect a month's worth of prenatal care items. She had promised to come and spend time with him in his office after her appointment, but didn't know how long she would be. "President Archer, Captain Kirk is here to see you now," a voice suddenly sounded out over the office intercom. Jonathan nodded. "Good, send him in," he said, rising from his desk. The doors slid open and a tired Jim entered the room and strode over to where Jonathan stood. "President Archer, it's good to see you adapting to office so well," Jim said, extending his hand in an attempt to be gracious. Jim had left Porthos with Dr. McCoy, as having him present would cause a distraction from the purpose at hand. Despite saying that he was NOT a veterinarian, but a doctor, McCoy had accepted the responsibility. "It's a change, but I'm getting used to it." Jonathan said, as the two men shook hands. "Please have a seat, Captain. I'm anxious to hear how the founding week on the Porthos colony went."

Both men sat and Jim smiled. "The christening itself went beautifully," he said, pulling several PADDs from his pocket and placing them on the desk. "Doctor McCoy had quite a time training the citizens in Earth medical procedures and protocols, they are very reliant on herbal medicines out there." "Well, since you mentioned the medical, why don't we start from there?" Jonathan suggested, as he picked up one of the Pads from the pile on the table. Jim nodded and the two men began to discuss the structures of the newly formed Porthos colony. *************************************************

"I'm glad to hear your husband is delighted at the prospect of parenthood," Phlox said, as Arianne got up from the biobed after an exam to determine what prenatal treatment would be necessary. "Have you told any family or friends about your joyous news yet?" Arianne smiled, although she was uncomfortable inside. "We told the most of the former senior staff of his Enterprise at the grand dinner two nights ago and they were absolutely thrilled. “We don't know of anyone else to confide in yet." Phlox smiled. "Well, I believe, based on the examinations, I have complied some appropriate prenatal treatments for you," he said, as he handed her a small, carefully prepared bag. "That's a week's worth of the vitamins and such. Come back next week and we'll see how things are progressing." Arianne nodded and taking the bag, she slipped it into her travel satchel that she used when going through day-to-day activities. "Phlox, I talked with Jonathan after the inauguration ceremony and we agreed that we'd like you to be the baby's godfather. We couldn't think of anyone better for the job." Walking over to another medical cabinet, which held his personal effects, Phlox smiled. "I would be more than honored to take that role," he said, opening the cabinet. "While you're here, I have something that might be of interest to you and your husband." Continuing to smile, Phlox took out a large laptop-like case and brought it over to Arianne. "I have some crew pictures and also the ones of your wedding celebrations," he said, extending the case to her. Arianne smiled and immediately put the case into her bag. "Oh, Phlox, thank you so much for these." she gratefully said. "After the wedding, there was so much for us to do that we never got around to those." Phlox smiled. "You're very welcome," he said. "I hope you have a pleasant day." Gripping her bag tenderly, Arianne smiled at Phlox and left the building.

********************* "Well, Captain Kirk, you and your crew seem to have done a formidable job in establishing the roots of the Porthos colony," Jonathan said, as he gathered up the PADDs and filed them in a desk drawer. "I'm glad that your Enterprise was able to take that mission on such short notice." Even though he KNEW that Archer had ordered them on the mission because of Scotty's making Porthos disappear, Jim managed a tight smile. "It was certainly not a problem, sir," he said. Just then, Arianne, who had come to the office straight from Starfleet Medical, arrived. When she saw that Kirk was still there, she lingered in the doorway silently, not wanting to interfere with her husband's work. "Come on in, Arianne," Jonathan said, smiling as he motioned for his lovely wife. "You remember Captain Kirk, right? He and his crew just returned from founding the Porthos colony."

Arianne edged into the room and gave Kirk a terse smile, which he returned.

(continued on next page.)

OF COURSE she remembered Jim, she thought, as she moved to stand beside Jonathan. Kirk had been a playboy and always used to flirt with others heavily while seeing her as a very close friend, almost like a sister until the latter part of the Academy. Shortly after Jim had been nearly expelled for cheating and her father had advised both Jim and her not to spend so much time together; he had also told them both to learn to grow as individuals and not as a team, as they might not always serve alongside each other. However, she wanted to be polite to him now for the sake of diplomacy and, secondly, so Jonathan wouldn't be mean to him, as he had never gotten over Jim defeating the Kobyashi Maru test with his ‘unique solution.’

"Um, President Archer, there's something I wanted to ask you about," Jim suddenly spoke up. "Scotty is down in Starfleet Science, working on some experiments with transporting," he explained. "Could you perhaps come down to the labs and help him work on the theories?" Jonathan sighed. "I really don't have a lot of experience in that area," he lied, not wanting to admit that he just did not want to see Scotty after Porthos disappeared into thin air. "I haven't got time to right now." Knowing full well that her husband was lying, as he had experience in ALL Starfleet areas, Arianne placed a hand on his shoulder and when he looked at her, she gazed straight into his eyes with a womanly glare. "Actually, I have a little time right at the moment," Jonathan said, looking away from his wife's intense stare that calmed him a great deal. "Tell Mr. Scott that Arianne and I would both love to see his work." Jim nodded and with a pleased look, he left the room in a hurry. Arianne smiled at Jonathan and stroked his cheek gently. "Oh, Jonathan, my husband," she cooed. "I cherish you so much. This time with you have been amazing and I hope for many more years to come." Jonathan smiled and Arianne gently caressed his cheek; their marriage was strong. ****************************************** "Sae ye see, Admeeral," Scotty said, as he moved behind the transporter console. "I've figured out how tae transport things over a long distance that has complex matter within them." Jim sighed and silently watched, but Arianne was slightly intrigued. "Complex matter?" she asked. "You mean you've figured out how to transport people farther than just from the ship or station to a surface?" Jonathan scoffed. "So, let me get this straight," he said, trying to keep his temper in check. "You've figured out how you accidentally made Porthos disappear? Have you figured out a way to retrieve him yet, by the way?" Arianne gently laid a hand on Jonathan's arm. "Jon, control yourself, please," she admonished. "I'm sorry, Montgomery, Jonathan has missed Porthos dearly, as have I, and he frets about it all of the time." "I 'avent been able to find a way to bring him back yet," Scotty replied apologetically, not wanting archer to know that the beagle was with McCoy at the moment, as he really wanted to show off his work. "Perhaps if I send a probe into the transporter, it could find oot where tha beagle is." As Scotty grabbed a dormant probe from a storage locker, Jim gazed at Archer and it was clear that although Arianne seemed intrigued by the experiments, the President was very frustrated by them.

"I'll just place a probe on the pad and activate it," Scotty explained, as he did exactly what he was saying. "Then, I'll activate tha transporter and try to beam the probe to locate tha beegle's DNA." While Scotty activated the transporter and programmed it to send the probe after Porthos, Jonathan rolled his eyes, but said nothing. Arianne smiled and gazed at the probe, this was intriguing to her. "All right, I'm sending the probe off now," Scotty said, as he beamed the probe off the pad. For a moment, there was silence. Scotty looked delighted that the experiment had worked. Then, suddenly, rapid beeping and a loud whooshing sound filled the room and as the probe came back, there was a large explosion that engulfed the room in transport matter and smoke. "Hang on, I'm ventilating the room!" Jim shouted through the smoke. "There…” The smoke quickly cleared. However, Arianne was no longer in the room, nor was any trace of her things. Jonathan gasped as he saw transport matter, colored like his wife's bag, disappear into thin air. "What have you done with my wife?" Jonathan said, suddenly becoming angry as he grabbed Scotty by the collar and pinned him against the nearest wall. "Where did you send her?" Nobody knew it at the time, but retrieving Arianne Archer would be much easier said than actually done.

To Be Continued….

By Mike Calhoun

Greetings and welcome to another edition of our very own Newsletter, the Delta Communicator. Many of you would expect me to go into the recent events but I think there is already enough said about this subject and I prefer to focus my attention to more interesting and productive things.

We all make our choices and ultimately we have to live with the consequences of those choices. I posted a very fitting message about this on my personal Facebook page….which caused some people to leave UFS….

To that I say…good for you…..We value honor, friendship, integrity and loyalty….my personal FB page is mine and I say there what I want….can´t deal with that…don’t read it…but I won´t retract something I stand behind 100%

So by now you already have seen some of the changes that are happening around the Fleet. Most visible in the Academy.

While we are expanding the academy options for our members, we definitely do not want to forget our Second Life members. Understand that for us, Second Life will always be our Headquarters and our main focus.

Due to popular demand we are changing a few points that were made during the Reboot.

One of the most important points is bringing back the Cadet Life. New members will again be added to the Main Academy Group and will be able to experience Academy Life for as long as they want.

They will be able to join a Cadet Training Ship (USS Taylorholic Durant) or Cadet Training Station (SS Alexandria). There they will be able to enjoy being a member of the crew and learn from experienced officers while also attending the normal classroom classes.

We will also start with regular away team missions to put their knowledge into practice. During their time in the academy they will receive help in finding a ship/station or they can become a permanent member of the Durant or Alexandria.

I still believe, now more than ever that the UFS REBOOT was the right thing to do and all the ideas we put forward are ultimately for the betterment of UFS.

While it might not seem to you like that at the moment, I definitely believe in what we are doing and what we want to achieve.

If you look at it from a pure objective point of view, Second Life makes sure the playing field is leveled for everyone….

Everyone has exactly the same tools, each group has great builders, land, members, excellent Role Players, the latest tech scripts, pose balls, RP sets, spiffy uniforms….and so on…..and yet, while everyone has access to these things….only a very few groups are actually able to make it past a few months.

Obviously the players are always attracted to the newest shiny thing in the bunch but soon the shine becomes dull…..

So UFS will continue, we will regroup and move forward again.

The new UFS will provide more and better Role Play opportunities for those who want, but also will bring more opportunities for those members that do not want to Role Play.

And after all, that’s what matters…make sure that any Star Trek fan can find something they like in UFS…..

Vice Commander, UF Starfleet Article

By Rosine Heinkel

I’m finding it oddly difficult to write my first article for the Delta Communicator. Over the years, I have written and edited hundreds of articles for newsletters, memos, training manuals, and other materials without any difficulties.

Perhaps it’s because even though I have many years’ experience in the public eye, I’m still basically a shy person and am not comfortable talking about myself. I was asked to write about myself and what I see as my role in the position of Vice Commander, UF Starfleet.

Write about myself? Nah, it’s easier to write about others and their accomplishments. I never have trouble expounding on topics that I can research and explore, or interview someone else. My entire life has been working for others. Yes, I do want to make sure I have fun, too, but mostly my enjoyment comes from seeing others smile.

When I was a teacher and then a trainer, I truly enjoyed watching the “light bulbs” going on when students understood something for the first time because I was able to find the way to explain it that made sense to them.

As a writer, it is my goal to make sure that someone else has been thoroughly and fairly represented in what is written about them, as well as ensuring that the readers have a full understanding of what they are reading.

As an editor, I always made sure my edits would never change the meaning of what someone said. I simply helped them make sure that what they said was accurate and clearly stated for others. When I was with a national speaking organization, it was my way of being able to be creative with my own writing, but I saw myself more as an actor rather than a speaker. I would write my speeches, but in my head and when I gave them, I was someone else. I was a character in a play.

Yes, they were my words and the stories were based on my life, but … you know how when you read a book and you can sometimes see the images in your head like a movie? It was kind of like that for me.

While a member of that organization, I moved up to the position of President of our local chapter, so once again, it was my way to help others to achieve their personal goals.

Then I found myself exploring Second Life and happened across the UFS sim. I was looking for someplace to be able to teach within Second Life.

The people in the Welcome Center and through my time at the Academy, both as a student and as an Instructor, were so friendly and helpful.

Many of them are still friends today, some that I have even gotten to know in the real world. I hear that about so many people in UFS—that it’s not just a place to role play or hang out like other places in the metaverses and gaming communities.

UFS is a place to call home, where we live and play and love and bicker, just like a real family and real neighbors. NEVER did I expect to be the Vice Commander of UFS, though even when I first started 3 ½ years ago, some of my friends teasingly called me “Admiral.” I would laugh and brush it off, but as my time in UFS continued, I grew to love the organization as well as the members.

We have experienced many ups and downs over my time here, but one reason I accepted this job when it was offered is that I believe in the organization and its goals, and I want to see UFS continue to grow as I know it will.

I see good things from this organization, from where it was when I joined to where it is now, the growth is only a small indication of its potential.

And we, you and I, are on the cusp of this growth. In this role, I will do my best to help the organization and the members.

From the fresh-faced cadets to the Fleet Admiral, I see so many good things happening and am honored to be a small part of it.

Chief of UF Starfleet Operations Article

By Kermie Mistwallow

Over the past few months I have talked about Roleplay, the reason for this is the office of the chief of UF Starfleet Operations does just that, assists people with roleplay and tries to set up some sim-wide missions in the metaverses.

Setting up Roleplays can be quite difficult, especially taking into account a few things

· - People are already part of an RP chapter

· - Different time zones

· - Time constraints

One of the easiest things to do in regards to roleplay is duty and personal logs. Now there is a difference with these of which I will explain.

After each roleplay, every crewmember could write one Duty Log (DL) and one Personal Log (PL).

You've seen these before in Star Trek: often, when an episode opens, you'll hear "Captain's Log" followed by a brief summary of the events which have led up to the point depicted, while at other times you'll hear a character making a "personal" log entry of their private life and/or feelings about the mission.

Your Duty Log is usually a summary of what happened to your character during the course of the roleplay, written from a first-person perspective.

Remember, though you as a player are aware of all roleplay events, your character is not — you should try to limit your Duty Log to your character's experiences.

A Duty Log can also include your character's recommendations for the following roleplay: for example, a Counselor on the bridge during a battle with a hostile alien species could, in his or her Duty Log, offer theories about why the aliens attacked and offer recommendations for avoiding future conflicts.

Duty Logs also include your character's job-related activities between roleplays: if, for example, your character writes a report about a piece of alien technology s/he encountered, that's a Duty Log.

Personal Logs, on the other hand, detail your character's off-duty life.

These can include your character's plans for time off, your character's feelings about the current mission, or even your character's feelings about his or her fellow crewmembers — how are they getting along? Does your character feel as though s/he is fitting in?

Just like in real life, your character will often grow and evolve as a person — your Personal Logs will give you and your crewmates a weekly chronicle of your character's development and add to the fun of the sim.

Over the next couple of issues I will be talking about the different things the different branch officers can be doing, i.e Security, Medical, Operations ect ect

Until then Watch this space and try out writing your Duty and Personal logs.

Foreseeable future and place in a “Post Reboot” UFS By Alberto Torres

Greetings fellow UFS members: I am sure that i am not bringing you shocking news: the reboot has “landed.” This rather understandably “intrusive” reorganizing has perhaps shaken UFS to its core like no other policy implemented at UFS before did (and there have been a lot of them during the years, as any forum “bookworm” like me knows). Second Life, a platform developed and owned by Linden Labs Inc., could not be the main focus of UFS anymore. We are all aware of the land cost these days as we are also aware, i am sure, that the Pre-Reboot UFS was having difficulties in getting fresh new blood, those are facts. Whatever the reasons, the solutions we can all argue, the Reboot has happened and there is no turning back. Now...one of the changes the Reboot brought, was the one concerning Branches.

Branch divisions, Fleet positions, were always a source of internal debate at UFS. A Branch commander...what is that position? A Roleplay one?...Is it in the chain of command? These discussions plagued us with the advent of what i want to call the “autonomous” Commanding Officer, such commanding officer of a chapter outside the UFS “Realm” were ultimately the sole financial responsible for the Roleplay area, and rightfully demanded more control over his officers, roleplays and less external fleet “interference” . Also, along the way...a profusion of bureaucracy started to, for lack of better words, “suck out” the fun of what was supposed to be enjoyable. So in this war of “who has the authority, who we report to”, Branch Commanders saw their original responsibilities become less and less. Let’s then start this exercise...comparison between the Pre-Reboot Branch Commander (latest version) and the Post-Reboot Branch Commander: - Pre Reboot Operations Branch Commander *To avoid a direct quote of the wiki, let’s please be pragmatical and try to explain what really a Branch Commander did before the Reboot. The pre-Reboot Branch Commander, on its latest versions sans authority (roleplay or otherwise), had the following functions: *The addition of newly graduated officers to the various Operations branch SL groups. Only with the main group could the new officer get the uniforms from Tranquility’s supply deck; to know who to add the Branch Head would follow UFSA graduation announcements. The **Operations branch also had different SL groups referring to each division inside the branch.

**Operations Branch Commander had the responsibility to define its branch class requirements, the whole definition of Operations academics. **Represented the Branch inside UFS. Responsibility on new ways to improve roleplay of the branch including the creation of Branch specific roleplays **A Branch Head was also a roleplay oriented duty, performing inspections on the various ship’s and station’s Operations departments. *Finally, a Branch Head was supposed to come up with a solution to every situation involving the branch. - Post Reboot Operations Branch Commander **The Branch doesn’t have the previous structure anymore (no more Fleet Operations, Logistics or Communications Divisions) nor the quantity of positions that it had before (no more vice Branch commander, director of communications and others). Note.: Even though most of the old positions are inactive, that doesn’t mean - in a near future new ones reflecting the new objectives of the Operations Branch can’t be created. **The Operations Branch Heads (and other Branch Heads) are supposed to be content creators. We are required to create content about and for our Branch, from new classes to the update of the UFS Wiki and other media formats like blogs/newsletters. We should also encourage our Branch members to create content about Operations and work for a joint effort between all so to fulfil that objective. **As of now, and while the new UFS database does not comes to fruition, Branch Heads still need to take care of addition of new members to the Branch Group and are in charge of the Branch Roll Calls each month. **The Branch Head position is not a roleplay one anymore. It’s mostly a position of support and service, in many ways similar to the current Academy. **Each Branch was challenged by UFS Command to create specific Branch practical classes with a strong roleplay component. The classes, unlike Simulator Training, could focus on specific basic duties (a starship docking protocols) or in training scenarios where the main purpose is focused on the collaboration between operations department and the other branches.

**Work as a support and consultant concerning Operations questions with any chapter that requires it. This will require a close collaboration with all Chapter’s Chief of Operations (or the Commanding Officers). **Finally, develop all this work with always in mind that there are other Chapters besides the ones of Second Life. This includes, besides all the other metaverse grids, the real life chapters.

These are, in a nutshell, the post-reboot Operations Branch Commander duties.

If you have been following the Operations Branch subforum, you already know what i propose myself to do for the Branch. However all of those goals are already categorized as short term and long term objectives on my mind.

The short term objectives that I hope to achieve completion in the following month are the Operations Blog (already in a very beta stage; this project is a joint collaboration with Comp Ops), a first article for the Delta Communicator (here it is) giving an overview of the future, the urgent revision of Introduction to UFS Operations (which became seriously “crippled” with the Reboot and needs to be updated to the new reality) and new branch specific practical classes.

I hope, after these urgent matters are solved, to focus on the wiki and updating it and also create a guideline for the Operations officer (which is simply a guide and not a policy, since only chapters can ultimately define policies concerning their operations branch however branch heads are supposed to be consultants).

Finally I would like to thank all the Operations Branch, those that contacted me with their concerns and ideas, those that had meetings with me and offered their help…I am counting on you and I hope not to disappoint you in the end.

From the Desk of the Chief of UF Starfleet Communications By Zania Turner

A lot has happened since the last edition of the Delta Communicator, changes to improve UFS, but resulted in many individuals leaving our organization to pursue their own efforts. Why some of them left, we may never know . . . but, it boils down to communications.

Communications is very important when it comes to any organization because, without it, information that is important for members to know will not get passed along. But, communication can’t always happen one way either. It’s a two-way street, and those of us who serve in the capacities that we do rely on hearing from all of you – the members – about any concerns, issues, and suggestions you may have. Many of those who left UFS totally in recent weeks failed to communicate their concerns to those that could make a difference once we received them. Instead, they choose to communicate it to their peers, thus souring the impression of UFS among other members who have also left. Due to the nature of Second Life, and how it is impossible sometimes to hear the inflection in the tone of another’s voice or see the expression on their faces, often one takes what is said at face value . . . even if their interpretations are not correct. If someone has a concern about the reboot, or anything else within the UFS, the only way that those concerns can be addressed is if you to bring it to someone like myself, Kermie Mistwallow, Rosine Heinkel, or one of the other Joint Chiefs. We are all here because we care not only about UFS, but also members like yourself. It is important for us to be able to listen to what your concerns are, your suggestions, your ideas, and to address those by trying to fix what may be wrong within our organization but also to implement your ideas that’ll help us continue to grow and improve. As part of that effort, the Office of UF Starfleet Communications is working to double our efforts when it comes to PR/Marketing, Recruiting & Retention, Events Management, Radio Starfleet, and also Diplomacy. We seek volunteers to assist us with providing suggestions, and to also ultimately implement your ideas so they can become a reality and help the UFS as we continue to provide you with the resources necessary for your chapters, and also to have fun! To help with any of these areas, or to write for the Delta Communicator, to race as part of Warp Factor 10, or more, please contact Zania Turner! We’d love to have you on the team as we work to continue to improve UFS, bring back that sense of family that once bonded all of us together, and have fun while we provide fun for everyone!

Marines Updates By MilesPrower Dagger

The UFS Marine Corp. is the main tactical ground and space fighting strength of the UFS Fleet.

Just like the US Marines of old, the UFS Marines deploy whenever and wherever necessary in order to maintain peace for the Federation. It currently is composed of three main elements to accomplish this mission.

The Academy is the backbone for without it no new Marines can be properly trained to handle various situations. Infantry is the main ground fighting insertion force used to handle any planetary or ship infiltration mission to prevent and repel any hostile force that threatens UFS territory or its citizens. The third unit is the Marine Aerospace.

These men and women fly in the vacuum of space as well as the atmospheres of planets. They do a variety of roles other than just combat missions. These roles can range from recon, transporting and flying escort for diplomatic dignitaries, patrolling the Federation’s borders as well as the shipping lanes.

Very little has changed in the state of the Marines over the last few months, only one position has been applied for while ten positions are vacant. There is a large to do list we are working on to improve the corp but while there are so few working on it, it will take longer to accomplish.

The largest change and project is the reactivation of Camp R. Lee Ermy in Second Life. This base will function as the training center for Second Life Marines as well as an organization center for Marine Group and Branch RP and then pure Second Life Combat.

I truly hope to have more to report next DC.

Much Thanks to BRG Lancaster for helping with this article.

Interview with Kinney Randt, CO of USS Veracruz

First and foremost, thank you for taking time to answer these questions for the Delta Communicator! Once you complete this notecard, please send it back to me (Zania Turner) so we can include it within our next publication.

1) The Veracruz is fairly new to the UFS. Can you tell us how the ship became a reality? The ship started as a dream, going back to when I was fresh out of the academy and had started teaching Bridge Simulator classes on Athena Station and then on Alexandria. There wasn't a bridge model that included engineering, sickbay and science departments, so with Moonprince Rhode's amazing help, we began talking and building.

I took the name USS Veracruz to honor my RL partner, who is from the state of Veracruz in Mexico. When I was asked if I would like to take command of a new ship of the line, there was no other choice but to go with USS Veracruz. Much of what we have now, from our logo, to our lounge, to our promotion ceremony hall, all reflect our ties to old Mexico.

2) You and your crew had previously been part of Tranquility Station. How was operating that station different from being on a starship?

From a role-play perspective, it opened up a whole new area for missions. Before, everything came to us, now we are out exploring and finding amazing new things every day. In Character - Tranquility was huge, and the main home for UFS Command, as well as the main defense station for Pinastri. So much of what we did was tempered with how it affected Pinastri. Now we have the freedom to delve into new areas without waiting for them to find us. 3) What was the transition like for you and your crew, going from a station to a ship? Fortunately, almost all of the command crew transitioned with me from Tranquility to the Veracruz. Knowing each other's abilities made things easier. In addition, we had been out before aboard the USS Goddard, so we had some experience there as well. 4) What was the most memorable mission that you and your crew had while part of Tranquility? Although there have been several, including many while I served as XO under Cmdr Chad Hoorenbeek, I would have to say the most memorable to me was when the USS Rhapsody drifted into our sensor range. An unknown federation ship, with an experimental tunnel drive that the CO had traded away to save his crew. It left a lot of pieces for us as a team to find and solve, and proved to me how excellent a team we had then, and still have, in the way they all worked together on the common goal. 5) Since transitioning to the Veracruz, what mission has stood out the most among your crew? The "Jagged Edge" series. It started out on Tranquility, and continued when the Veracruz was launched. A rouge Orion syndicate agent named Skellos was involved in slave trading, theft, and eventually piracy of the USS Proto. It was only the combination of my crew's experience working together, along with Lady Byrna in UFS Intelligence that allowed us to be victorious. We were badly outgunned, but our experience allowed us to prevail, albeit not without a great deal of damage.

6) What makes your ship unique and stand out? I do my best to provide a sense of fun and family into the missions so that everyone enjoys themselves. There are times for the formality of command, but it is tempering it with humor that brings the team together. As an example, I do not provide a mission title in advance. Instead, after the mission is complete, everyone heads to the lounge to relax, tell stories, and vote on the official mission title. I think if I took that away, I'd have a mutiny. 7) Can you provide us with some information about your crew, and what makes them stand out among the other crews? What makes us unique and successful is the combination of long time officers mixed with new blood with fresh ideas. That mix keeps things moving, and always in an interesting way. My XO, Arylela Dagger, my chief engineer, Vulpina Howley and my chief science officer, Garethya Mongrain are all commanders in UFS, and have been with first Tranquility and now the Veracruz since they graduated the academy. I see the same potential in many of the newer officers I am excited to be working with today as well. 8) Is there a funny story that you can share from one of your missions? After an extremely tense battle with the forces who stole the USS Proto, we suffered extreme damage, including the destruction of the security and science deck. (This was done in RP to allow the installation of the updated deck Cmdr Moonprince Rhode had completed.) Once the battle was won, and the damage assessed, Lt Cmdr Skot Brit yelled out "Oh no, my mini-fridge!" As a result, the new science deck does in fact now have a mini-fridge installed. 9) Can you give us a hint as to an upcoming mission that your ship may be assigned to? Although I hate to give away future stories, I can tell you that after a few heavy hitting missions, we will be including some good old fashioned exploration, as well as some quieter missions to promote character development as well. 10) Do you have any final comments that you'd like to share with our readers regarding the Veracruz?

That we are still growing, expanding and always learning. We've recently added a beta shift to allow those who want to join our crew, but are unavailable at our standard role-play time of 17:01slt on Wednesdays (and yes, 1701 was chosen intentionally. Could there be a better Trek time?). In addition to the beta shift, we are developing a USS Veracruz website and a USS Veracruz opening title as well.

The future is indeed the undiscovered country, as Captain Kirk once said, and we look forward to discovering it together.

UFS Astraios: Black Tides

by LT David7 Bravin and LT Poison Toocool

Stardate 120120: the Commanding Officer of SS Astraios, UF Starfleet's base in the Gamma Quadrant, receives an urgent request for assistance from a planet in the FGC - 5002997 system, stating that their main habitation dome had been damaged during bad weather and they were losing life support.

The Norway Class cruiser USS Mak'ala NCC-64993 was immediately dispatched to render assistance. On arrival at FGC-1, the Mak’ala was faced with warship from the neighbouring planet FGC-2, evidence of erupting hostilities between the two worlds.

After negotiating terms and conditions with the Captain of the warship, a medical team from the Mak’ala was permitted to beam down to FGC-1 to give assistance, followed by a team of engineers to help repair the damaged dome.

The Intrepid Class USS Argonaut NCC-74398 was then ordered to carry an ambassodor to the FGC system, to mediate diplomatic talks between the parties.

Just as the Intrepid Class vessel entered the system the FGC-2 warship left orbit, and there was an explosion in the part of the dome that was being repaired, killing some of the repair crew and injuring others.

Assistance was again offered and the Argonaut remains in the system, investigating the problems and attempting to broker peace between the two neighbouring planets.

Stardate 120209: SS Astraios receives a repeating signal on long range comms from an Antares class freighter claiming to be travelling to Treman. They are asking for urgent assistance due to sickness on board.

Their chief engineer is in a coma and they are losing power and may drift into the asteroid belt on the outskirts of the Takaar Nebula... they are most certainly off course. The Norway Class cruiser USS Mak'ala NCC-64993 is ordered to intercept the freighter and offer assistance.

Arriving alongside the cargo vessel 'The Starfish', the Mak’ala sent a medical team and an engineering team across to render medical assistance and help repair the ship’s engines.

It soon became apparent that the freighter’s crew were suffering a form of sleeping sickness. When members of the away team also became sick, everyone was beamed off the Starfish and into quarantine aboard the Mak’ala.

The freighter was completely sterilised to ensure that the causative organism was destroyed, and a thorough inspection of the ship was conducted whilst its crew were in quarantine. The search revealed that the Starfish was carrying contraband as well as leaking containers of bacteria that was the cause of the sickness among the crew - it was a fair assumption that the bacteria was destined to be used in some form of germ warfare. This information was relayed back to UFS Astraios and a covert mission was authorised to find out who was expecting delivery of the freighter’s cargo and where it was destined. A special team of officers from the Mak’ala was selected to undertake a covert mission aboard the Starfish.

Stardate 120311: An away team, disguised as Starfish crew, beamed down to the planet Treman and eventually made contact with the intended purchasers of the cargo. After some difficult negotiations, containers of bacteria were finally exchanged for latinum. The buyer didn't know the bacteria had been rendered harmless during the complete sterilisation of the freighter; also high tech transmitters had been placed inside the containers so that their final destination can be known.

Suspicions are that the bacteria may have been purchased by agents working for the government of the planet FGC-2 and that the intended target is the habitation domes on the planet FGC-1. The use of germ warfare in a sealed environment such as a habitation dome would be highly effective. A population that was overcome by Sleeping Sickness would be unable to put up much resistance against an invading force, and no damage would be done to the dome structure. Life support would remain intact, leaving the infrastructure free for use or colonization. Only time will tell if these suspicions are correct.

Further, a thorough search of the Starfish produced banned weaponary, cargo manifests and other documents that reveal clear evidence of a large and active pirate ring operating here. The security of the Astraios Sector is threatened by these activities and a thorough report will be made to Starfleet Command in this respect.

Stardate 110312: Commanding Officer Poison Toocool has ordered sector security levels raised to DefStat 2: all shoreleaves are withdrawn and the fleet is gathering at classified coordinates. All transmissions are now secured and no unauthorised ship movement is allowed. ((UF Starfleet Astraios is located on 3rd Rock Grid and has been operational for a year. Any member of UFS is welcome to visit and guest with us at mission. There are also several positions open on our roster, please contact the CO (Poison Toocool) in SL or 3RG for more information.))

Trek Nation Nomination By Zania Turner The critically acclaimed Trek Nation, which documented Rod Roddenberry’s journey to discover who his father really was, has recently been nominated for a Saturn Award. The nomination falls into the category for Best Presentation on Television (10 Episodes or Less).

Trek Nation is facing some tough competition in its category. It’s up against Camelot, Falling Skies, Game of Thrones, Torchwood: Miracle Day, and The Walking Dead.

The Saturn Awards were created in 1972 by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films in order to recognize and honor works in those genres on film, television, and home video. The 38th Annual Saturn Awards will take place Wednesday, June 20th in Burbank, California. We’ll let you know in a future edition how the documentary did at these awards!

J.J. Abrams Has Had It! By Zania Turner Although filming on the JJ Abrams Star Trek sequel wraps up in May, the famed director has had it with paparazzi hanging around to try and snap shots that’ll spoil the storyline and spread all over the web like wildfire. Abrams had already taken steps to ensure secrecy including the use of code names, strict non-disclosures, long hooded cloaks for the crew to wear – even on the studio lot – and much more. Even in spite of these measures, pictures from the production were taken and leaked, appearing in the mainstream press and across the web. In order to further deter prying eyes from spilling any more secrets from around the set, Abrams ordered the construction of a wall of 30 shipping containers around the Southern California film lot where the movie is being shot. Hopefully the paparazzi will be satisfied to wait to learn about the plot of the film like the rest of us – when the movie is finally released!

Chris Doohan As Scotty By Zania Turner Chris Doohan, son of the late James Doohan, will be reprising his father’s iconic character of Montgomery Scott in a new made-for-web episodic series. Farragut Films, which created the Starship Farragut web series, will be making this new show to be titled as Star Trek Continues. The show, which begins filming May 1st at the Farragut Films Studio in Kingsland, Georgia, is expected to pick up where the original Star Trek left off with other actors slated to fill the shoes of the Enterprise crew. Vic Mignogna, who was cast to play Captain James T. Kirk, noted, “A great deal of thought and consideration went into assembling the best cast possible. Every one of them is an accomplished and skilled professional who brings so much to the production. From the beginning, we committed to having experienced actors who would bring deep and endearing performances, and that’s exactly what we have. I hope the avid admires of Star Trek will enjoy this cast’s work as much as we are going to enjoy making it!” Additional information about this web series can be found at http://www.startrekcontinues.com/

Glee-ful Whoopi By Zania Turner Fans of Glee have something to sing about! Legendary actress Whoopi Goldberg will be appearing in three episodes! Goldberg, who played Guinan on The Next Generation, will be portraying Carmen Tibideaux, a theatrical grande dame and professor at the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts. Her character makes her way to Ohio to preside over the auditions of Kurt and Rachel at McKinley High. The first episode with Goldberg is scheduled to air starting May 1st, with the season finale on May 22nd. For those not familiar, Glee is a musical comedy about a group of students at McKinley High School. The ambitious students have joined the Glee Club, which promotes singing competitions. Goldberg is no stranger to singing herself. She sang in the box office hit Sister Act, and also in the sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.

Scott Bakula Warps Into a New Series By Zania Turner Scott Bakula has been cast in a lead role for an upcoming sitcom for NBC. Table for Three is about Pen, a challenged Harvard Medical School graduate who returned from her service with Doctors Without Borders only to find that Robert, a dentist, has become engaged to her classmate from high school, Holly. Although Holly is a bubbly blonde, she also happened to be the mean girl while in high school. Bakula has been cast as Pen’s dentist father. Bakula is better known for his role as Dr. Sam Beckett in Quantum Leap, playing Captain Jonathan Archer in the short-lived Star Trek Enterprise, and had periodic appearances as Steven Bartowski (aka Orion) on Chuck