Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Scotty's Deep Space K-7 Shoreleave

Inside Star Trek's Deep Space Station K-7 bar a fight breaks out between weary Klingon Warriors and Starfleet Officers from the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701.

 It seems everyone is on shore-leave recharging with a variety of drinks while Trader Cyrano Jones and Bartender - Guy Ramon watch all hell break loose from the side lines.

Scotty is having a scotch whisky. Unfortunately for the Klingons, K-7's bar doesn't supply raktajino which is Klingon coffee. A drunken Klingon staggers over to Chief Engineers Montgomery Scott's and Ensign Pavel Chekov's table uninvited.


Image Copyright belongs to Paramount Pictures.
Trouble with Tribbles.



Lets be candid. Captain James T. Kirk's reputation suffers from shipwreck, given the vicious backlash from drunken warriors who compare him to a Regulan Blood Worm, an overbearing Tin Plated Dictator with delusions of Godhood and yeah..... a Denibian Slime Devil. The unwelcome goads don't seem to be having an effect on Mr Scott. So does Mr Scott react? Absolutely not. He keeps his cool...

Write and launch your tribute into space for actor James Doohan

Chekov wanted to fight to defend the captain. Scotty ordered him to stand down. Until the Klingon touched a raw nerve and slagged off Scotts pride and joy, the USS Enterprise 1701...comparing her to a sagging rust bucket designed like a garbage scow. Mr Scott was not a happy man.

Memorial Space Flights



" Laddie, don't you think you should rephrase that?"- Scott
" You're right, I should. I did'nt mean to say that the Enterprise should be hauling garbage. I meant to say it should be hauled away as garbage" - Drunk Klingon.



Live long and Prosper Trekkers!

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Tribble Trouble

Star Trek's Trouble with Tribbles was on. The chance to observe soft, fuzzy, little critters emitting charming purring sounds had a strangely relaxing effect on me. Filled with fun, wit, engaging arguments and action packed scenes, this episode is one of the favourites and left me in good spirits. The creature known as "tribble" had me mesmerised.






"They seem to be gorged!"






Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures and or CBS
Star Trek TOS
Memory Alpha.



KIRK: Good. Mister Chekov, this flight is supposed to provide both experience and knowledge. How close will we come to the Klingon outpost if we continue on our present course?
CHEKOV: One parsec, sir. Close enough to smell them.
SPOCK: That is illogical, Ensign. Odours cannot travel through the vacuum of space.
CHEKOV: I was making a little joke, sir.
SPOCK: Extremely little, Ensign.













Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures and or CBS
The Trouble with Tribbles.

Trouble with Tribbles is a great episode because this harmless little tribble critter is the center of much devotion on the USS Enterprise and the Deep Space Station K7. Spock being a vulcan, naturally, would'nt admit to being affected by the little animals trilling.

" Most curious creature Captain. Its trilling seems to have a tranquillizing effect on the human nervous system, fortunately of course, I am immune to its effects."
Spock's crewmates looked at him in amused, sheer disbelief.





"As captain. I want two things done. First find Cyrano Jones and close that door!"




Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures and or CBS
The Trouble with Tribbles.

Uhura was the first to be held in its spell at K7 in 2267.This warm-blooded little animal with no teeth had a special charm that Uhura found adorable. Born pregnant and reproducing a family of ten every 12 hours eventually became a problem aboard the Deepspace Station K7 where numbers jumped to 1,771,561. The U.S.S Enterprise NCC - 1701 too fell victim to tribble infestation where Uhura's pet had its offspring.

Interstellar trader Cyrano Jones removed tribbles from its predatory filled homeworld where this highly perceptive creature lived in persecution from reptiles. Sold as pets to unsuspecting earthers, these mites liked to eat and reproduce.


Image Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures and or CBS
The Trouble with Tribbles.
Memory Alpha.

Deep Space Station K7 had plenty of food. To be more precise quatrotriticale, a genetically engineered Earth grain crucial for the development of Shermans Planet which only the Federation had. This created a dispute in 2267 between Klingon and Earthling.

Under the terms of the Organians Peace Treaty, only the most efficient could assume ownership of the planet which was near the Klingon border. The tribbles soon discovered K7's quatrotriticale storage compartments and skillfully bypassed Kirk's clueless guards. The feasting was about to begin! Whoopee!



Image Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures and or CBS
The Trouble with Tribbles.
Memory Alpha.

Tribbles coo when their feeling happy, especially when around Humans and Vulcans. This moving, purring ball of fur is hard to ignore when seen ambling accross a counter top. Picking one up and patting it is generally the human response however you will never see a Klingon do this. The reason?

The little animal is a highly sensitive, perceptive creature and can detect unwellcome people in a flash. The poor mites become badly affected and scream their little lungs out with a high pitched screech, a definate sign of an agitated animal in distress and a warning to others.

When tribbles are near, klingons have plenty to fear. In 2267 Klingons looked human and some even behaved without honour but this was due to a Klingon Augment Virus developed in 2154 which spread throughout the Klingon Homeworld, Kronos. It twarthed Klingon DNA and affected facial features for over a century. (Read my post on Worf's Bumpyhead Secret)

Tribbles were good detectives. Spotting Klingons was easy. Spotting poisoned grain was not so easy ... but this discovery soon led to another startling revelation. A Klingon spy! Our furry friends are indeed resourceful.


Image Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures and or CBS
The Trouble with Tribbles.
Memory Alpha.

Spock and McCoy are men of science. There is however a divide that can never be bridged that takes its shape in the form of cold logic (as Dr McCoy has described it) vs. human emotionalism. The following dialogue is hilarious and excellently performed by Leonard Nemoy and DeForest Kelley, classic Spock vs McCoy.

" Spock, I don't know too much about these little tribbles yet but there is one thing I have discovered.." - McCoy.
" What is that Doctor?"- Spock.
" I like them ... better than I like you." - McCoy.
" Doctor." - Spock.
" Yes?" - McCoy.
" They do indeed have one redeeming characteristic"- Spock.
" What is that?" - McCoy.
" They do not talk too much. If you'll excuse me sir." Spock leaves the room.

Live Long and Prosper, Trekkers!

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Phoenix Warp Ship

Dr Zefram Cochrane revolutionised space travel with the invention of the warp drive in 2061. This technology was integrated into Earth's first Warpship Protype built by the doctor and engineer Lilly Sloane. The story goes it was Cochrane's vision that inspired a handful of scientists and engineers to meet him in North America where they found an abandoned intercontinental ballistic missile silo in Montana.

The Phoenix was born using Earth's limited resources left over from WWIII and converted from an old Titan V nuclear missile, similar to Titan II. The warpship prototype, Phoenix became a symbol of hope for Earths beleaguered ball of beings and a springboard of salvation for all humanity.


Copyright Belongs to Paramount Pictures.
Voyager Drone.
Memory Alpha.

Galactic history was made on April 5th 2063, when Cochranes Phoenix launched from earth, she was the first spaceship to reach warp speed in earthling history. She travelled faster than light which successfully demonstrated to all extraterrestrials, earths knowledge of warpdrive technology and light speed.

The Phoenix was repaired by the Enterprise E engineering teams after the Borg's ship attacked with the intension to change the timeline. Cochrane's marvel of technology reached for the stars on schedule and escaped the earths gravity without any further Borg occurences from its North American, Montana launchpad.

Geordi La Forge was stationed at the Engineering console , Commander Riker was seated directly behind the pilots chair.

Zefram Cochrane controlled the ship as pilot with the warp drive activation unit on standby and monitored the ships systems using the pilots monitor.


This is the Phoenix Cockpit. The ship was one man's dream. Zefram Cochranes.

Length of Titan V Rocket prior to liftoff 35 meters. The rocket in the picture includes the Phoenix in two stages. Encased in titanium casing which Data described as imperfect, its outstanding features are easily identifyed by the cylindrical shape and painted star on its side.


Image Copyright Belongs to Paramount Pictures.
First Contact. Memory Alpha.

The first stage of the rocket (lower) carries the liquid fuel, such as liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. Using a combination of fuel can give a rocket more blast-off power which once ignited cases flames and pushes the Phoenix into Outerspace. The second stage of the rocket (top) carries the crew inside the Phoenix . Once in space the casing protecting the warp nacelles is discarded along with the second stage of the rocket which has run out of liquid fuel by now.


Image Copyright belongs to Paramount Pictures.
First Contact. Memory Alpha.

Length of Phoenix after seperation 20 meters. This pioneering technological advance of human engineering is now ready for its first historic spaceflight. Geordi, William and Doc are excited. The twin warp nacelles are deployed and charged. Their range will bring the spacecraft to the outersolar system and back before returning to sublight speeds in a controlled safe approach to earth.

In First Contact, Zefram Cochrane left Deanna's ears ringing goodo at liftoff and he actually did a Picard! or is it Picard doing a Zefram?


Various ship systems and criteria had to be checked and met before engaging the Phoenix's engines at warpspeed in the Star Trek movie, First Contact. These included:

1. Extending the Warp Nacelles.

2. Making sure the Plasma Injectors were online.

3."Everythings looking good. I think we're ready" Geordi making good on other system checks which he does'nt have time to mention.

4."We've got to break the warp barrier in the next five minutes if we're going to get their attension" - Commander Riker.

5. Nacelles charged and ready. This is the all systems operational and on standby signal to the pilot. The last of the initial checks before Cochrane did the Picard. He gave the verbal instruction "Engage" to alert the crew that he was activating the Warpdrive. To make it so.

6.Warp Field looking good - Geordi.

7.Structural Integretity holding - Geordi.

8. Speed 20,000 Kilometers Per Second - Commander Riker.

9. Thirty seconds to warp threshold - Commander Riker.

10. Approaching lightspeed, we're at critical velocity - C.R.

11 Warp. Horray!! Little did the Phoenix crew know that the borg Queen wanted nothing more than to blow them to smithereens.


Image Copyright Belongs to
Paramount Pictures.

Heres the Borg Timeship that tried to destroy the Montana Missle launch site and alter the course of earths history. Hero worshipped by Geordi La Forge and Reginald Barclay, Dr Cochrane confessed to Commander Riker as they sat in the Phoenix cockpit prior to the launch sequence.

"You want to know what my vision is? Dollar signs, money. I did'nt build this ship to usher in a new era for humanity. You think I want to go to the stars? I do'nt even like to fly, I take trains."
Commander Riker is enjoying the moment as the Zefran continues.
" I built this ship so I could retire to some tropical island filled with n---d women. Thats Zefram Cochrane. Thats his vision. This other guy, this historical figure, I never met him. I can't imagine I ever will."
Commander Riker makes a suggestion.
" Don't try to be a great man, just be a man and let history make its own judgements."
The good doctor is unconvinced.
" Thats rhetorical nonsense, who said that?"
"You did Doc."

Live Long and Prosper, Trekkers!

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Bring Back Captain Kirk!

Bring Back Captain Kirk has an awesome mix of dynamic characters
who fight the great cause of saving the Federation. The United
Federation of 150 planets now face a warring doomslayer. Who will
save them? The answer has been here all along! Will they succeed?


 


 This video has exciting imagery and special effects with a story to tell that'll bring you back in time. The movie is about to start. Enjoy the journeys which was never meant to end, so sit back and get strapped in for the thrill!



James T. Kirk hero worship burns in the blood of Star Trek Fans. The fans follow their stars. William Shatner's star is alive and Burning Bright waiting for Paramount to say All Right! You're in the Movie!!!

Live Long and Prosper.

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