6.10 Historical Articles

An Old Man on a New World

UNS Newswire — 12 June 2103

The planet Mars evokes strong images in human fiction. Canals, buried cities, and giant war machines sent to invade Earth. Part of that fantasy became fact today when the atmosphere of Mars finally became breathable after decades of hard work.

“It’s a miracle,” noted Martian citizen Georges Picard. “Absolutely amazing. I’m glad I lived long enough to see this day.” Picard is the last of the original colonists of Mars, having come from Earth aboard the Martian Genesis in 1989. The 121-year old Picard still walks the hills and valleys in which he played as little boy, only now he doesn’t have to wear a pressure suit. We met with him at the Martian Genesis Retreat, a secluded park and commune complex that has grown up around the old colony ship. Picard’s hand played across the old ship’s pitted metal as he spoke.

“We came here to build a new world,” he says, his voice rasping with age. “We built one, by God. Crop failures, starvation, loss of supplies during the wars — they didn’t stop us. You see that over there?” he says, pointing to a monstrous construct at the edge of the retreat. “Atmospheric Processing Station Number One. They built it there when the others came, the ones that made the Colonies. Said they were going to fix the air so we could breathe it. I didn’t believe them at the time; however,” he says, taking in a deep lungful of air, “this is wonderful. Truly wonderful.”

Picard is considered Mars’ greatest living treasure. He is Mars history personified, a elderly yet spry man who now spends his days making his rounds of the Martian Colonies, welcomed by all and telling his tales to anyone who will listen, as did we. As for his secret for living so long? “I did everything wrong. Smoked, drank, ate all the wrong foods, and had lots and lots of sex. Let those health quacks back on Earth figure that one out! (laughs).”

One Planet, One Government

Anthony Edward Forsythe, First President of the United Earth Government — selected excerpts, speech to the First UEG Assembly, 1 May 2113

Today marks the dawn of a new age on this planet, a world that up until now had been enslaved to nationalism and religious strife. A world that almost died twice in the two greatest wars mankind has ever seen: one against ourselves and one against a power from beyond the stars. A world that arose from the devastation of both conflicts and built itself anew, shedding the strife and contentiousness that have for so long kept our peoples apart. Today marks the dawn of the United Earth.

We thank our new allies from Vulcan for allowing us to come to this moment by ourselves. We know it was not an easy thing for you to do, sitting back with a logical solution to all our woes in your hand while we strove to seek our own path. Perhaps this is why our cultures work so well together. We are point and counterpoint, yin and yang, the rational and the emotional. You saw the way to where we are today, yet you were wise enough to let us feel the path too it, as a man in a dark room seeks the light. For that we thank you and hold ourselves in your debt.

Humanity has now put all of the woes that once afflicted it in the past. There is no war, no raging diseases, no rampant poverty. The worth of each individual, no how individual they may be, is recognized and honored. For this we can than our forefathers, who in their wisdom recognized man’s need to conquer the stars and who set out to accomplish that goal. Their foresight saved us from ruin, brought us new friends, and led us to realize that our place in the universe is unique. We do not intend to cast aside that trust lightly. This United Earth Government is committed to ensure both man’s survival and his destiny in the Eternal Sea of Stars.

Welcome to the Federation

Stellar Business Journal — 08 May 2127

Today on the planet Babel and by unanimous consent the delegates of the major Local Group systems, their space colonies, and their allies ratified the Articles of Federation, creating the United Federation of Planets. This new organization replaces the old Coalition of Planets as the major governing body in this part of space.

There are major differences between the old Coalition and the new Federation. Before, the Coalition was a loose organization, concerned primarily with trade disputes and the occasional interstellar war. The Federation is organized along federal lines similar to those of the former New United Nations. It governs by representative democracy through the parliamentary system, as represented by the Federation Council. The executive is represented by office of the Federation President, the senior member of the Council, and the judicial by the Federation Worlds Court. All member worlds will be pooling their resources to come up with a common system of goods and exchange, trade and tariff regulations, and of course taxes. One must have a source of revenue to keep the new Federation running, after all.

One of the first jobs of the new Federation will be to organize its new Federation Star Fleet. The Terran Star Fleet, along with the fleets of all other Federation members, are to be disbanded and pooled for its first ship roster. The new Star Fleet will use these old ship until it can start building new ones of its own. In order that law and order do not break down in the process each member system is being allowed to keep small local fleets for law enforcement duties. Just how long this transition period will last is anyone’s guess.

Dyson-Yoyodyne Changes Markets

A Letter to Our Customers — August 2130

We at Dyson-Yoyodyne want to express our gratitude to the millions of customers who have supported us over the decades. We want to let you know from us that the rumors about our company going out of business are completely unfounded. What is about to happen is that our company is changing direction.

As many of you know Dyson-Yoyodyne is no longer the Solar System’s lead manufacturer of starships. We have had troubled financial times in recent years because of this. It was only with your help and support that we were able to get back on our feet and re-enter the commercial market. Unfortunately our new line of ships have not sold as well as we had hoped. While our company is still making a profit, it has become clear to us that we can no longer compete in today’s starship market. To do so would drive our company into a second bankruptcy, one from which we may never recover.

We do not want to betray the trust you have place in our leadership. That is why, after careful consideration, we have decided to focus our efforts exclusively on the new market of classic starships. This is the era in which we made our mark. By doing this we can remain a vibrant company and continue to support all of you who have supported us. By joining the classic starship market we can bring our company resources and technical expertise to bear on systems and technology that other manufacturers will no longer touch. By supporting the starships of the past we can keep our customers of the present and add more in the future.

This is exciting new ground for us. Already we have seen phenomenal sales of re-releases of two of our past classic starships, the DY-245 Mark II and the DY-500 Mark III. We are looking to re-release a third; however, we want YOU to choose it. All you have to do is visit our company website at syn.dysonyoydine.corp and pick from the list. The classic DY-series design that gets the most votes by December 31 will be the next released.

Starbase 1 Begins Operations

UFP Infonet — 8 July 2141

The next step in the buildup of Star Fleet continues. Starbase 1 the first in a planned series of major space bases being built at strategic locations within the Federation, was officially commissioned today in a ceremony attended by Federation president Harmon Axelrod. Starbase 1 commanding officer “Felix” P’Jindik, a former commodore in the Tellarite Space Fleet, gave President Axelrod a full tour of the new facility.

Starbase 1 is an original design built into the bowl of a hollowed-out asteroid. It has extensive starship repair and maintenance facilities located along the inner surface of this “bowl.” Rising from its center is a massive command tower, housing its operations, medical, and research facilities. At the base of the bowl is the largest small craft hangar yet built in the Federation, with room enough to house ships of all kinds ranging in size from a sub-light shuttle all the way to a Class J transport with a full load of cargo pods. Station defense has not been ignored, either, with a plethora of laser turrets and fusion torpedo launchers on both sides of the “bowl” and on the upperworks of the command tower. Starbase 1 also comes equipped with its own garrison fleet, in addition to the other Star Fleet and civilian vessels it will be servicing.

Starbase 1 was built in orbit around an as-yet unnamed Class M planet that is at the exact center of the new Federation star charting system. New starbases will be built at the rate of one to two per year at strategic locations along the 3D “grid” of that system. Starbase 2 the next in the series, is already building and should be complete by early next year. It has quite a different design than Starbase 1 and no two of these early starbases are exactly alike. The story is that this was a political move designed to evenly spread out starbase construction among the various Federation members and willing associates. Star Fleet is currely evaluating plans for standardized starbases once this initial series is completed.

Space War Games Disaster

UFP Infonet — 14 September 2141

Tragedy unfolded at the Terran-Centaurean war games exercises today, leaving 232 crewmen dead. The USS Scythe, a Terran Verne class cruiser, was accidentally given the wrong navigational coordinates during a live fire exercise. The ship promptly collided with the Centaurean cruiser Atlantia, jamming its fire control systems. The lasers from the Scythe cut through the destroyers Hammer and Enmity, destroying both ships and killing everyone on board. Star Fleet has halted the war games while a full investigation is made into the collision.

Welcome to Star Fleet Academy

Rear Admiral Stavros Niarchos, Commandant — 19 September 2143

I want to welcome each and every one of you from your various worlds to this — the very first class of officers in Star Fleet Academy. I am honored to be in the presence of such distinguished candidates today.

Those of you assembled here, from every species both member and associate of the Federation, male and female, young and old, represent the future of Star Fleet. What you learn here and how you apply it will, in a very real sense, shape and mold what Star Fleet becomes. This is an important responsibility and one you should not take lightly. I for one do not take mine lightly. It is my responsibility to guide you along this path that none of us have trod before. You can rest assured that I will expect no less of you than what I would expect of myself. Anything less will not do.

Within these newly built halls you will learn many things. You will learn the basics of starship engineering, celestial navigation, subspace communications, and space combat tactics. You will be given a college level education in the sciences and liberal arts. You will study the cultures and histories of the worlds of your fellow students. You will also be given a firm foundation in justice and the law, since the preserving of peace and order will be among your highest of duties. Most importantly, though, you will be taught the difficult skill of command. This will be the hardest part of you training, harder than the physical regimen you must endure, harder than the academic exercises you will have to perform. The skill of command and the enforcement of discipline within the military is the hardest thing for an officer to master. Most of you will have what it takes to meet this challenge. Some of you will not. You must learn how to command your subordinates, to earn their trust while remaining aloof from them; otherwise, you have no business being an officer. Any of you who are found lacking in the skill of command will be dismissed from this Academy. On that you have my solemn pledge.

The recent war games disaster has demonstrated the need for seasoned and competent officers who share common training. You will be the first of that generation. You will be held to a higher standard as a result. Those of you who graduate will share the same knowledge, the same skills, the same ability to command. As you continue to serve with Star Fleet and rise through the ranks, so will Star Fleet rise with you. While there will always be room for personal initiative, you must achieve it within that common framework that all of you who graduate will share. You are our future. We are counting on you to make that future succeed.

Starship Atlas Lost Without Trace in New Territories

UFP Infonet — 17 November 2144

The transport ship Atlas has failed to return from a routine supply run to Federation colonies in the New Territories. Star Fleet has initiated an extensive search of the area where the Atlas would have made the last leg of its journey. Its fate and that of its crew remains a mystery.