5.3 Official Logs

Experimental Vessel Exceeds Speed of Light (2055)

Unmanned Warp Drive vehicle allays fears concerning travel at invisible speeds.

UNSS FISHER, COMPANION CLASS — RICHARD HANNA, CAPTAIN

Captain's Log: We've just recovered the warp drive prototype WD-1 at the outer limits of the Pluto Test Area after its first experimental run, and it sure looks like we have an “All-Go” here. We had the model on visual and laser tracking as it accelerated up to warp threshold, then it disappeared from all sensors. Just a half minute later, when the warp engine disengaged after only ten seconds of firing, the prototype dramatically reappeared ten million kilometers away, a warp of approximately 1.5. Amazing!

We've brought the prototype on board and its in-ship sensors indicate the successful conversion of matter/antimatter annihilation into warp propulsion. The efficiency still isn't anything to log home about, and we're going to have to clean that warp engine up before it'll have any practical use for interstellar travel. Also, the matter/antimatter integrator burned out, for reasons the engineering boys are still working on. But I'm happy to report warp drive works. Warp drive really works! And one more thing. The solid crystal recording of warp threshold from the on-board camera is everything I hoped it would be. What a star show!

MANUEL GASSET, M.D.

Medical Log: Rosy the chimpanzee, who rode on the warp drive test run, is safely back in her cage, alive and very well indeed. I've done a preliminary checkup on all her vital signs, and except for her pulse rate, which is somewhat slowly returning to normal, all readings are satisfactory. This appears to answer those critics who swore life could not survive the warp effect. Organic life cannot transcend the normal laws of physics, they denounced. Well, they should tell it to Rosy, who's presently screeching for her lunch in a decidedly undead clamor. It's a good thing some of us have vision and confidence and are willing to try... or else I don't know where we would be!

100 Years in Space (2057)

Space Centennial celebrated throughout Solar System.

PLANET EARTH — UNITED NEWS SERVICE

Archive Log: The U.N. Public Affairs Poll recently completed a survey of all Earth and Earth-originated people asking them to name, in their own opinion, the ten outstanding landmarks of the first century of spaceflight. The response was by far the largest in the history of poll-taking, possibly due to the public's new-found interest in space exploration because of the promise of warp drive and the advent of interstellar flight.

The list was computer-compiled from wrist, public and home microcomputer inputs, planetary batch transmission and interstellar laser relays. The following represents the consensus response of 5,875,212,149 Terrans which is 61.2 percent of the total population.

• Encountering advanced life on Alpha Centauri
• Apollo 11—first men on the moon
• Venus Project—the terraforming of the planet Venus to accommodate human habitation
• The “Sagittarian Signals”—first sign of superior extraterrestrial life
• Astropolis Belt—the asteroid cities and mining complexes
• Sputnik—first artificial satellite
• Vostok 1—first man in space
• First interstellar flight by UNSS Adameve
• Discovery of the warp principle
• The Space Shuttle—first reusable spacecraft, responsible for opening up space

Warp Drive Era Begins (2062)

UNSS Bonaventure greatly expands explored galaxy. Fundamental Declaration of the Martian Colonies passed.

UNSS BONAVENTURE, COCHRANE CLASS — HADRIAN HUCKLEBY, CAPTAIN. This Log was recorded in 2061.

Captain's Log: After traveling less than two years in the interstellar void, it is hard for me to believe we are about to enter the gravitational influence of Tau Ceti, a star that is approximately twelve light-years from home. In my previous experience, in fact, in any starship captain's previous experience, a two-year flight meant no more than one and a half light-years out. So it becomes very obvious that man is about to explore the nearby galaxy the way he once explored the Solar System. And I'm glad I'm part of that.

The ship itself has functioned near flawlessly on the first leg of this record-breaking voyage, and the only one to register any complaints has been my Helmsman, who half-jokingly still doesn't trust the computer reconstruction that replaces the visual field screen.

Now that we've come out of warp drive for our approach to Tau Ceti, I've turned the onboard telescope back towards home. From almost twelve light-years away, our mighty sun is just another insignificant sparkle in the star field, and I'm struck by the thought that the early explorers looked back at the Earth from space. Man never was the center of the universe... and never will be.

IAN MACGREGOR, CHIEF ENGINEER

Engineer's Log: Weekly Warp Drive Systems Check — Matter/Antimatter Integrator: Reaction Chamber cleaned and inspected for surface imperfections; Emergency Bypass Valve checked and operative; Integrator timing computer-recalibrated to 1.5 x 10^-4 tolerance. Antimatter Storage Field: Field inspected for invariant continuity, 69.835% capacity in antimatter storage field; All switches checked and operative; Meter levels calibrated to 7.5 x 10^-4 degree accuracy. Warp Drive: Warp 1.0 performed to specifications; Warp 1.5 performed to specifications; Warp 2.0 performed to specifications; Warp 2.5—Emergency: slight breakdown of power.

MARTIAN COLONIES — JOHN HAMMERLICH, GOVERNOR

As mankind evolved from a geo-centered to a solar-wide civilization, its political structure underwent a similar decentralization. A separate political forum was needed to address each planet's unique needs, and in 2062, representatives of every inhabited region in space met on Mars and formally recognized this need in the “Fundamental Declaration.” The Earth still remained man's ultimate governing body, but local autonomy was granted the planets over their own internal affairs. The Fundamental Declaration was subsequently extended into interstellar space and has become a major galactic precedent.

Archive Log: THE FUNDAMENTAL DECLARATION OF THE MARTIAN COLONIES

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for Planets to dissolve the Political Bands which connected Them with their Home Planet Earth, and to assume with the Earth a separate and autonomous status, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that They should declare the causes which impel Them to the Separation.

We contend that the great distances and differing Planetary realities among Planets and the Earth have given rise to numerous inequities and misunderstandings.

We further contend that the representation afforded Planets in any Earth-centered Political Forum cannot provide a sufficient voice for our Needs and Aspirations.

We, therefore, the Representatives of all Inhabited Regions of the Solar System, met here at the Martian Colonies, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good people of these Regions, solemnly Publish and Declare, that these Regions are, and of Right ought to be, FREE AND AUTONOMOUS.

This Declaration implies no malice nor animosity toward the Planet Earth. It recognizes the Authority of the Earth over intraplanetary affairs and pledges Full Participation in the Maintenance and Security of the Solar System. However, the FREEDOM AND AUTONOMY of these Regions must be considered an inviolable principle, which hereafter, must be honored by all peaceful Governments and will be Defended by these Regions with the full weight of their Honor, their Fortunes, and their Lives.

SIGNED at these MARTIAN COLONIES, 2062. JOHN HAMMERLICH, GOVERNOR OF THE MARTIAN COLONIES.

Earth Rescues Aliens From Vulcan in Disabled Ship (2065)

UNSS AMITY, VERNE CLASS — PETER O'BRIAN, CAPTAIN

Captain's Log: ATTENTION TO: UNSF COMMAND. While on routine sector patrol the Amity tracked an unknown emerging from the radar blackout behind Neptune. The moving body immediately began broadcasting—in precise but strangely inflected English—the following Ship In Distress Signal: “Hailing all ships. Emergency. We are a nonviolent alien vessel experiencing rapid loss of life support systems. Unless evacuated within 59.837 minutes, standard earth time, all crew shall die. Life saving assistance is urgently requested.”

Since any communication with Solar Fleet Command would have taken longer than the stated time remaining, I alone had to decide our course of action, and I chose to answer the distress call as I would for any ship in space. Consequently, the Amity executed EOP-113, Deep Space Rescue, and recovered forty-two alien survivors, including four wounded.

Once safely aboard, the Vulcan skipper, Captain Sparon, formally greeted me on behalf of his world and thanked me for saving his crew from the life support failure, which he attributed to a “most illogical coincidence involving a random combination of break down parameters.” That's how Vulcans express themselves. He also consented to answer some preliminary inquiries to accompany this historic transmission.

Vulcan, the alien's home world, is the third planet in the Epsilon Eridani Star System, a close binary system 10.7 light years from our sun. It's a planet slightly larger than Earth and closer to its star. Appearing deep red from space, Vulcan has a thin atmosphere, though high in oxygen and water vapor, with surface temperatures varying from 10°-60°C. I'm also including my medical officer's log for data concerning the Vulcan species.

According to Captain Sparon, Vulcans are a very private species, with an advanced technological civilization thoroughly grounded in logic and nonviolence. He made me aware they've been to our solar system several times before, going back a century and more.

When I asked Captain Sparon why he trusted us to ask for help, he replied, “We've studied your world quite extensively, so we knew that with the advent of your interstellar space flight program, it was inevitable our planets would someday meet. And while your species exhibits a passionate emotionalism that makes accurate predictions impossible, we counted on your curiously consistent altruism to overcome what would have been a completely rational reluctance to assist us. Some planets wouldn't, you know.”

This last remark intrigues me, since it implies other intelligent worlds the Vulcans know of. For right now though, this first truly alien race can occupy our full energies, so let me forewarn our diplomats of a Vulcan trait that makes communication surprisingly difficult. Vulcans have no emotions.

MIGUEL ORTEZ, M.D.

Medical Log: There are presently four wounded Vulcans in Sick Bay. I've been pressed for their proper diagnosis, treatment and prognosis; readings of Vulcan vital signs indicate a physiognomy totally unlike man's! I plastiset a compound fractured leg of one crew member, but the other three have suffered internal injuries, and I can do little for them but keep Sick Bay at a sweltering 35°C, which Vulcans find comfortable, and let them rest undisturbed. I strongly recommend their return to Vulcan at the earliest possible opportunity. From discussion with the broken legged Vulcan, I have assembled the following preliminary species report:

Physiological—Vulcans are tall and lithe, with light green skin and dark hair, though one crew member has white hair and dark olive complexion. The most striking outward characteristics are their upswept eyebrows and pointed ears. They appear to have a lower blood pressure and higher heart beat and respiration rate than humans, though objective readings are difficult because Vulcans seem to have great voluntary control over their physiological processes. To adapt to their sun's rays, Vulcans have evolved a copper-based bloodstream with a higher boiling point than our iron-based blood, and additionally, have a second, nictitating eyelid to shield their sight from accidental blindness. Reproduction is a taboo subject for discussion with outsiders, but I gather it follows some sort of cyclical process. The rest of the Vulcan physiology likewise remains an enigma at this time. Though several Vulcans have volunteered to be examined for this preliminary study, my medical instruments can make no sense of their interior anatomy. And there is at this time no explanation for the pointed ears.

Neurological—The Vulcan race's mental ability has developed in a similar fashion to man's, however, Vulcans appear to have no emotional functions in their mental makeup. It's hard to believe this is an innate lack, and I would tend to think their cold logic is more a result of rigorous training and societal pressure than genetic neurology. In addition, Vulcans appear to have an extra-conscious, psionic power, which manifests itself in certain forms of telepathy. The Vulcans refer to it as the Vulcan mind touch, or sometimes, mind meld, which is another degree of the same psionic aptitude, and it allows Vulcans to establish mental contact with each other and with other lifeforms.

In summary, Vulcans have certain similarities to humans, but their physiological and neurological structure is in many ways totally foreign to all known Earth medicine. Unlike the Alpha Centaurians, Vulcans are a completely alien race.

Positive Proof Found For Pulsating Universe (2068)

PLUTO RESEARCH STATION — HERBERT SAMUELSON, SENIOR ASTRONOMER

Science Log: As we watched the new year ring in on Earth on the monitors, we were in the midst of the biggest party ever seen on Pluto. The reason for our bash wasn't for the year 2068, but rather because we have, once and for all, answered the century-old question of whether the universe is pulsating or hyperbolic. I can now say it is definitely pulsating.

For years there have been two basic theories of the universe—the steady-state, hyperbolic, ever-expanding universe model (where the stars will continue to expand indefinitely) and the pulsating universe one (where after a certain time, the expansion will reverse itself and the universe will fall back into a “cosmic egg,” from which a new Big Bang will create another universe cycle). Because of previous deficiencies in measuring accuracy, it's been hard to choose between the two. But on Pluto the data is better and the choice is now clear.

Conclusive support comes from two sources. First, the most distant galaxies in the universe—and consequently the oldest—are receding at a velocity that is in variance with the rate predicted by Hubble's Law. This means that the present rate of expansion has slowed down since the dawn of the universe, a fact incompatible with an ever expanding cosmology. Also, measurements of the angular distance between components of distant binary radio galaxies decreases to a limit and then begins increasing further out, additional confirmation that our universe is not expanding irreversibly outward.

Of course, these results tickle my Alpha Centaurian assistant Zeena, who has informed me that the concept of the universe growing and dying and growing again is one of the basic tenets of the Centaurian worldview. I've consistently championed the hyperbolic, ever-expanding model, and the two of us have had a friendly wager riding on the outcome of this theoretical debate. But I can't refute the data we now have. The universe pulses as surely as my heart. I paid up this New Year's Eve.

Space Ark Seeks New World (2070)

Disenchantment with Solar Community causes families to leave forever.

TERRA 10, MULTI-GENERATIONAL COLONY SHIP — MIRIAM AKKOORD, DECK 3 SUPERVISOR

Personal Log: I have just been informed we've passed the orbit of Pluto, which means we are officially out the territorial limits of the Solar System and on our way to our new home. Wherever that is.

While we're still in contact with Earth, I have been asked by the Colony Council to submit this Personal Log into the Earth Log Archives in case we don't have another opportunity to have our voice heard by mankind. For we're going to be gone a long, long time. Longer than I or my children, or their children will live... perhaps forever. And I know how hard it has been for family, friends, and people in general to understand our motives and aspirations. So let me, once again, try to explain.

Quite simply, we seek a new world for ourselves and our descendents. People have said there's room enough and more for everyone in the Solar Community. Or that with the beginning of interstellar flight new worlds will open up. But there is a price to be paid in both these views, and that price is outside interference. We've all seen it happen on Earth, on the other planets, and now we are afraid it wouldn't surely befall us, too.

Instead, we of Terra 10 have this dream. We will sail to the stars, we will find a new world out there somewhere, and we'll settle it and build our homes and raise our families to be who and what we choose to be. We'll do it all ourselves, by ourselves, for ourselves.

Of course, we're all scared of the unknown void we have chosen to sail into. What dangers and perils await us out there may easily overwhelm our humble resources. But some day, perhaps, we'll find a little planet somewhere. And we'll call it home and live happily ever after.

It's a simple dream. A dream we have found many share. But the people aboard this ship are those hardy, idealistic souls who are willing to risk everything for that dream... even their lives. Which, in spite of it all, leaves me with a sense of confidence about our journey. Because I already know I have found my home.

Celestial Neighbors Claim Our Solar System (2073)

Earth and Tellar begin alliance after unusual incident.

UNSS BONHOMME RICHARD, LIBERTY CLASS — ABEL NIWEN, ADMIRAL

While this first meeting between Tellar and the Earth had its awkward moments, as described by the following Log, these two worlds went on to become allies and trading partners. After over a decade of growing interaction and disputation, Earth and Tellar joined together with other charter members to form the United Federation of Planets.

Admiral's Log: The crisis is over and the first interstellar hostilities have been resolved without a single laser being discharged. I've relaxed Fleet Battlestations and stopped the Sixth Fleet's reinforcement advance at Neptune. The war's over before it began, and it appears, though I'm damned if I understand it, that we've just gained a new interstellar ally, the Tellarites.

I'm proud to report our Solar Defense Perimeter functioned superbly in this, its first test ever. Pluto Base stellar radar picked up the rapid approach of an alien vessel, and by the time it arrived, ten cruisers had been deployed to meet the ship, a modest-looking craft with foreign markings.

Then things turned peculiar. In crude, guttural English, a gruff voice broadcast to us the surprising news that we had just been claimed as an addition to the Tellarite Territories, and that if we did not immediately surrender, we would be summarily destroyed.

Here was a lone, somewhat backward-looking ship threatening ten heavily armed cruisers with extinction. Did they have a secret super-weapon on board? I doubted it. So in my best diplomatic voice, I called their bluff. I welcomed them to our Solar System, said we were always delighted to meet new intelligent lifeforms, and told them if they made a single hostile movement, we would destroy their ship.

A very long silence followed, broken finally by the still gruff voice accepting our offer of friendship and exclaiming that as allies we'd be an invincible duo. So there it is. We have met the Tellarites and apparently are now their allies. It's the strangest war I've ever fought.

Great Advance in Communications (2074)

Warp radio allows transmissions at 64c.

FARPLUTO TRANSMITTING PLATFORM — BELA ABRUZZI, UNITED NATIONS REPRESENTATIVE

I would like to inaugurate this first Interstellar Communications Network by welcoming our fellow participants, Vulcan and Alpha Centauri. At last, we'll end the fifteen year technological lag between travel and communication. Until now, we've been able to physically contact our neighboring planets sooner than we could converse with them. No longer. With the network of transmitting platforms built near the geodynamometric holes closest to each star system, we will be able to contact our neighbors in weeks instead of years. I speak for all Earth when I express my optimism that this new network will bring our planets ever closer. We are now no longer simply Vulcans or Earthmen, but are citizens of the galaxy.

OUTER ERIDANI TRANSMITTING PLATFORM — T'PAU, VULCAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES REPRESENTATIVE

As Vulcan representative to the inauguration of the Interstellar Communications Network, I would like to amplify the remarks made by the distinguished Earth representative concerning the advantages of this system. The present warp drive capability averages warp 2.203 for interstellar journeys. This means a typical Earth-Vulcan journey takes 410.597 solar days. With this network we will reduce communication time to 6.83 solar days. A similar time-savings can be realized among Earth or Vulcan and Alpha Centauri, and with Tellar, when that system's transmitting platform is finished construction. The exchange of scientific informations should produce a strong impetus to technological progress in all areas, and it is only logical that diplomatic correspondence will stimulate mutual cooperation. This is a most sensible network.

CENTAURI TRANSMITTING PLATFORM — ZORMER GANDERANE, ALPHA CENTAURI REPRESENTATIVE

I would like to depart a little from my colleagues' focus on the present advantages of this great warp communications network and look instead into the future. The exploration of new worlds and discovery of other races is almost certain to increase. Already the Tellarites have described a trading planet where dozens of aliens sell their system's goods and services. And much as I applaud this network, I believe the time will come when other communications systems will be necessary.

Particularly for those exploring starships not near any hole in space with a transmitting platform broadcasting into it. Starships will someday have to be equipped with warp broadcasting capabilities of their own. Using the expertise acquired from the construction of this network, warp communication, I believe, will be common in the not-too-distant future. Today we salute this landmark, tomorrow we move beyond it.